摘要
In language testing, authenticity has been emphasized in the recent years. There are two approaches for the criterion of authenticity. One is the real life approach, which means tests should be designed to reflect real life situations; the other is the interaction/ability approach, which means only by considering the characteristics of the test takers, the context and the discourse, can a test be authentic. For criterion-referenced tests such as CET 4/6, which are intended to measure performance in a designed syllabus or rather, their language ability in a given instructional domain, the real life approach of test authenticity is obviously not effective in achieving its validity. If the content of the test, authentic as it is, goes beyond the learners' learning context or does not measure what is intended, there exists the problem of test bias. Test bias includes cultural bias. This article illustrates it with some evidence collected from CET6 model tests. The implication is that in test development, the interaction/ability approach is preferable. Meanwhile, the input of cultural content is to be stressed in the process of foreign language teaching and learning.
测试的真实性近年来在语言测试界受到重视。认识真实性的标准有两种,一种认为真实性指测试内容反映的是真实生活内容;另一种认为真实性体现在测试内容与应试者本身、测试背景与话语的特征相吻合。笔者认为后者在测试中具有更高的效度。大学英语四、六级考试就是一种大规模的标准化考试,其目的是检查和督促大学英语教学大纲的实施。针对此类考试,如果采用完全真实生活题型的设计,就等于忽视了应试者的学习背景,大纲要求等因素,因而难免会失去其应有的效度,进而造成测试偏见。本文根据六级模拟试题中出现的文化问题,探讨了测试设计中真实性与文化偏见的关系,并提出了其对我国现阶段外语教学的一些启示。
