The Interface Between SLA And Test Construct

In this thesis, UG as the interface between SLA and Language Testing (LT) isdiscussed. The purpose of it is to analyze what is the role of UG in SLA andLT, as well as to find out how to express the principles of UG and apply themin SLA and test construct. This study can contribute to material organizationin second language teaching.Although UG, SLA and LT are different in their theoretical goals, there areclose relationships between them. When we speak of language acquisition andlanguage testing, what we are primarily interested in, in both cases, is not thesystem of language itself, but rather the learner's capacity for acquiring andusing a language system for, or as part of, various processes, such associalization, psychological orientation, and communication. Thus, despite thedifferences in SlA and LT, there is considerable commonality between them interms of the psychological and social process in learning language and testinglanguage. One of the common areas of interest is UG that is central concern toboth LT and SLA.Chapter One discusses the role of the inner structures of UG betweenSLA and LT from the view of psychological structure of mind and biologicalfunctions, and also discusses how to express the principles. UG plays animportant and necessary role in explaining the messages acquired and settingup a norm or standard of language use in test construct. The principles aresimplification principle, analogy principle, property principle and movementprinciple.Chapter Two discusses the relationship between SLA and UG and howthe principles of UG explain the messages acquired in our mind in SLA.Chapter Three discusses the relationship between LT and UG and howthe principles of UG are embodied in test construct. It is those aspects of thecandidate's underlying knowledge and the competence to use the knowledgethat are the targets of measurement in a test. UG can help set up a norm orstandard in using knowledge in test construct.Chapter Four studies the relationship between UG and second languageteaching and discusses the application of inner structures of UG in ContrastiveAnalysis, which can help people sense the differences and similaritiesbetween target language and native language in order to know the potentialareas of difficulty and give focal attention in the teaching syllabus and testing.