Consequences of Test Use: A Case Study of Employers' Voice on the Social Impact of English Certification Exit Requirements in Taiwan

Autor/inn/en	Pan, Yi-Ching; Roever, Carsten
Titel	Consequences of Test Use: A Case Study of Employers' Voice on the Social Impact of English Certification Exit Requirements in Taiwan
Quelle	In: Language Testing in Asia, 6 (2016), Artikel 6 (21 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2229-0443
DOI	10.1186/s40468-016-0029-5
Schlagwörter	Case Studies; College Graduates; Language Tests; Work Environment; English (Second Language); Second Language Learning; Second Language Instruction; Language Proficiency; Employee Attitudes; Personnel Selection; Employer Attitudes; Certification; Employment Qualifications; Foreign Countries; Taiwan + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Case study; Fallstudie; Case Study; Hochschulabsolvent; Hochschulabsolventin; Language test; Sprachtest; Arbeitsmilieu; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Fremdsprachenunterricht; Language skill; Language skills; Sprachkompetenz; Arbeitnehmerinteresse; Personalauswahl; Personalentscheidung; Arbeitgeberinteresse; Abschlusszeugnis; Zertifizierung; Employment qualification; Vocational qualification; Vocational qualifications; Berufliche Qualifikation; Ausland
Abstract	Background: This study investigates the social impact of a policy requiring university graduates to pass an English proficiency test by examining the consequences of test use in the workplace in Taiwan. Methods: Interviews were conducted with 19 business people in charge of recruiting potential employees in 17 industries across Taiwan. All these 19 employers hired the graduates from a technological university in southern Taiwan. These interviews sought to discover the importance of English certification as an element of job hunting, the opinions of businesses regarding various certification tests, and their attitudes towards the exit requirement. Results and conclusions: Findings indicate that although these employers were favorably disposed towards this policy, only 13% of them required English certificates as a hiring criterion. Another finding was that 53% of employers regarded the certificates as evidence that applicants who possessed them were diligent and likely to be hard-working employees. These informants interpreted tests differently from testers, focusing on cultural notions of what personal qualities tests highlight rather than on language ability. Due to this and other factors, the impact of the test remained weak. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01