Taipei, March 11 (CNA) Professor Cyril Weir of the University of Bedfordshire in the United Kingdom said that in order to enhance English language ability, university students should learn to read quickly and efficiently.

The language professor, one of the architects of Taiwan’s General English Proficiency Test (GEPT), recently discussed with Central News Agency reporters the development and characteristics of the 10-year-old GEPT and its significance in helping Taiwanese students learning English.

“One of the problems for students to go to British universities — all overseas students — is that they have not been trained to read quickly and efficiently,” said the British professor.

The author of “Understanding and Developing Language Tests” and “Examining Reading: Research and practice in assessing second language reading, ” has given workshops and worked as a consultant on language testing, evaluation and curriculum renewal in over 50 countries. His first assignment in Taiwan was in 2002 when he helped the Language Training and Testing Center (ITTC) design advanced and superior tests.

“We have moved to a real-life approach in language testing, ” the professor said, pointing out that language, once viewed as an “academic subject,” is now a “means of communication.”

One of the major characteristics of the GEPT is looking at the way people perceive language in real life, he added.

The GEPT, as a new exam, has the advantage of being receptive to modern developments, and new ideas can benefit students’ lives and study, Weir elaborated.

Referring to the worldwide issue of whether one should take international rather than national tests, the professor said “if it’s an international exam, it becomes a blender. Students have the problem of cultural interferences if the test is taken in many countries and it may be biased against people in certain countries.”

Although the national GEPT was initiated for internal use, it meets international standards of quality, Weir said.

“I think the benefit is that it has a very clear idea of whom it is aimed at, ” he said.

The GEPT has survived and prospered because Taiwan has the capability to set up and manage the system, he said.

The GEPT has benefited greatly also from the systematic nature of its approach, and the Taiwan staff is very well trained in language ability and other aspects, such as psychometrics, he noted.

The British professor suggested that the skills of the Taiwan GEPT staff in language assessment are comparable to those in many countries and even to those at Cambridge.

For long-term development, the professor stressed the importance of stability and innovation. Stability is important to maintain reliability in the tests, but “innovation linked to improvement is just as vital if the examination is to keep up with developments and insights available from research in the field,” he added.

However, he thinks that technologies “are benefits, and a great danger” as well. For example, computerized language assessment “is a very indirect way of assessing, and is potentially dangerous, ” he said.

“While computers can check spelling, punctuation, and grammar in writing, they cannot assess content and organization,” he added. (by Lillian Lin) Enditem/ pc

More Info: http://www.taiwanheadlines.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=182323&CtNode=39