Validation On G&V In TEM 4

Established as a large-scale standardized criterion-referenced test based on Teaching Syllabus for English Majors (TSEM) and Testing Syllabus for English Majors (Band 4), Test for English Majors, Band 4(TEM 4) has been popular in recent years. Due to its great influence on the learning and teaching of English major in China, TEM 4 also provoked quite a lot of discussions in English language teaching and linguistic area. Among which, the validity of"Grammar & Vocabulary"(G&V) in TEM 4 is challenged by scholars home and abroad. Based on the communicative language testing theory which is in popular used and evaluated nowadays, can G&V which is based on discrete point testing method appropriately test the testees'communicative competence?This study attempts to discuss the validity of G&V in TEM 4 based on the theory of communicative language testing; it proposes to address the following research questions:1) What are the specific characteristics of the G&V in TEM 4 in the year 2002-2007 according to Test Task Characteristics Model (TTCM) proposed by Bachman and Palmer?2) What's the relationship between TEM 4 paper and Teaching Syllabus for English Majors (TSEM)?3) What's the relationship between TEM 4 paper and Testing Syllabus for English Majors (Band 4)?4) What is the validity of G&V in TEM 4?5) Is the testees'communicative competence correctly tested in the G&V in TEM 4?The present study makes analyses on the G&V in TEM 4 in 2002-2007's TEM 4 papers; analyses of the test features such as setting, rubrics, characteristics of input and expected response is conducted in the light of TTCM proposed by Bachman and Palmer. The validation of G&V in TEM 4 is carried out through comparison with the TSEM, Testing Syllabus for English Majors (Band 4), content relevance and content coverage are evaluated in 2002-2007's G&V in TEM 4 papers. The study result shows that the test papers fail to be of high validity in terms of content coverage and content relevance through comparison with the TSEM, Testing syllabus for English Majors (Band 4); meanwhile, testees'communicative competence cannot be correctly tested in G&V in TEM 4.This paper also puts forward some recommendations and suggestions from both theoretical and empirical perspectives for further improvement with regard to some implications to TEM 4 paper and implications to English language teaching.