Chinese as a Second Language Assessment

This book brings together 13 original research papers that address emerging issues in the assessment of Chinese as a Second Language (CSL) in five major areas, including standards in CSL assessment; development of CSL tests; assessment of diverse knowledge and skills; computer-supported assessment; and CSL assessment in relation to instruction and teachers’ assessment competence. It goes beyond the psychometric testing of Chinese and provides cutting-edge examinations of the interfaces of assessment with sociology of language, acquisition, pedagogy, and modern technologies, as well as teacher education. Given its unique features and broad range of topics, the book offers an intriguing and valuable resource, not only for scholars and researchers but also teacher educators and assessment practitioners who are directly or indirectly involved in CSL assessment.

I. Overview of Tests and Research.- 1 The HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi): Past, Present, and Future.- 2 The Development of the Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL).- 3 Assessing Chinese in the United States: An Overview of Major Tests.- 4 Developments in Research on Testing Chinese as a Second Language.- II. Assessing Orthography, Vocabulary, and Grammar.- 5 How Ethnic Minority Students Perceive Patterns in Chinese Characters: Knowledge of Character Components and Structures.- 6 Developing a Word Associates Test to Assess L2 Chinese Learners' Vocabulary Depth.- 7 Can Grammatical Knowledge Predict Chinese Proficiency?.- III. Assessing Language Skills.- 8 What Standard and Whose Standard: Issues in the Development of Chinese Proficiency Descriptors in Singapore.- 9 Diagnostic Assessment of L2 Chinese Learners' Reading Comprehension Ability.- 10 Writing Assessment of Chinese as a Second Language: A Pilot Study.- 11 Computer-Mediated Corrective Feedback in Chinese as a Second Language Writing: Learners' Perspectives.- IV. Assessment, Teaching, and Learning.- 12 Developing a Speaking Diagnostic Tool for Teachers to Differentiate Instruction for Young Learners of Chinese.- 13. Self- and Peer-Assessment of Oral Presentation in Advanced Chinese Classrooms: An Exploratory Study.

Dongbo Zhang and Chin-Hsi Lin both have extensive experience teaching Chinese as a Second Language and studying CSL learning, instruction, and assessment. They have also been actively involved in Chinese teacher preparation and conducted workshops for K-16 Chinese teachers where assessment of Chinese has often been highlighted. As scholars of CSL education, former Chinese teachers and now Chinese teacher educators, they have recognized the fact that CLS assessment remains an under-researched area despite the rapid development of CSL research, which tends to focus largely on issues of Chinese pedagogy and acquisition. The current work is an attempt to remedy this imbalance and advance the field of CSL assessment.