4.2 Task Characteristics of TEM 8 Mini-Lecture Comprehension....
Douglas (2000) summarized two aspects of language testing that could distinguish
specific purpose language testing from more general purpose language testing:
authenticity of task and the interaction between language knowledge and specific
purpose content knowledge. Academic listening can also be viewed as a
specific-purpose testing in the light of its specific use domain compared with
general listening. Therefore, the listening material used in the test must match the
criteria of authenticity and deployment of interaction between language knowledge
and content knowledge used in an academic context. Douglas (2000: 35) also
proposed a framework of components of specific purpose language ability which
covered three aspects:
Language knowledge: grammatical knowledge; textual knowledge; functional knowledge
and sociolinguistic knowledge
Strategic competence: assessment of situation and response; goal-setting; planning for
researching an established goal; control of execution as retrieving language knowledge to
carry out a plan.
Background knowledge: discourse domains; frames and reference based on past experience
used to make sense of the current input and make predictions about what is to come. (p. 35)
Douglas’framework is adapted from Bachman’s framework (1990) of com-
municative language ability to the extent of integrating background knowledge in
particular. Given the fact that TEM 8 tests test-takers’academic listening ability,
Douglas framework can be applied to the analysis of abilities targeted by TEM 8
academic listening.
To students in mainland China, TEM 8 is widely acknowledged as a valid
national test that has integrated lecture comprehension to its listening subtest. TEM
8 is designed as a criteria-referenced test for English Majors only, so candidates
with the aim to pass the test are not only expected to understand authentic con-
versations in various social situations, foreign radio or TV feature reports on topics
such as politics, economy, culture, education, and science and technology, but also
to comprehend speeches related to those topics, and to be able to ask and answer
questions on the spot, andfinally, to understand dialogues in TV series. The
required speed for TEM 8 listening is 150–180 words per minute and students who
can comprehend 60% of the given information can be granted a pass (Syllabus for
TEM 8 2004).
Therefore, thefirst section of TEM 8 listening subtest is a mini-lecture with
about 900 words in an academic setting and in this section the test-takers are
required to complete a gap-filling task after a mini-lecture.
34 4 Task Characteristics of TEM 8 Mini-Lecture...