摘要
With the rapid development of silicon chip tech-nology,web-based instruction(WBI)and computer-ized adaptive testing(CAT)will be the new trends inthe field of language teaching and testing.We assumethat only when teaching and testing share the sameview about the nature of language and language learn-ing can testing exercise a beneficial backwash effect onteaching.However,WBI and CAT prove to be basedon opposite theories of language and language learn-ing.While WBI believes in constructivism,CAT cor-responds to structuralism and behaviorism.This situ-ation places language testers in a dilemma,for if theyfollow the trend,testing will go against teaching.Butif they give up CAT,it is very difficult to substituteanother testing system possessing so many advantages.This paper illustrates in detail why WBI and CAT areto become the new trends in teaching and testing,ex-plains clearly the discrepancy between WBI and CAT intheory and their objectives and finally attempts toprovide a solution to help the language testers out ofthe dilemma.
With the rapid development of silicon chip tech- nology,web-based instruction(WBI)and computer- ized adaptive testing(CAT)will be the new trends in the field of language teaching and testing.We assume that only when teaching and testing share the same view about the nature of language and language learn- ing can testing exercise a beneficial backwash effect on teaching.However,WBI and CAT prove to be based on opposite theories of language and language learn- ing.While WBI believes in constructivism,CAT cor- responds to structuralism and behaviorism.This situ- ation places language testers in a dilemma,for if they follow the trend,testing will go against teaching.But if they give up CAT,it is very difficult to substitute another testing system possessing so many advantages. This paper illustrates in detail why WBI and CAT are to become the new trends in teaching and testing,ex- plains clearly the discrepancy between WBI and CAT in theory and their objectives and finally attempts to provide a solution to help the language testers out of the dilemma.
