Issues in Testing Business English: The Revision of the Cambridge Business English Certificates

by Barry O'Sullivan

Overview

Demand is steadily growing for language tests with a specialized focus which will suit the needs of key professional domains as diverse as business, law, the airline industry, and teacher education. This book explores the testing of language for sepcific purposes (LSP) from a theoretical and a practical perspective, with a particular focus on the testing of English for business purposes. A range of tests - both past and present - is reviewed, and the development of business English testing at Cambridge ESOL is discussed. The description of the revision of the Business English Certificates (BEC) forms a major part of the book and offers a unique insight into an approach to large-scale ESP test development and revision.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521013307
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	01/26/2006
Series:	Studies in Language Testing , #17
Edition description:	1ST
Pages:	410
Product dimensions:	5.94(w) x 9.06(h) x 0.98(d)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements     ix
Series Editors' note     x
Abbreviations     xii
Introduction to the testing of language for business purposes     1
The revision of BEC     82
Major changes to the suite     119
Changes in the BEC papers     130
Conclusions and the way forward     174
Appendices
JOCT Evaluation Criteria     96
CEFLS Pilot Test     197
CEIBT-Test of Reading and Writing-June and November 1992     205
BULATS - Standard Test English     225
BULATS - Speaking Test     241
BULATS - Standard Test German     244
ALTE Work Typical Abilities     260
BEC 1 Sample Paper     261
BEC 2 Sample Paper     277
BEC 3 Sample Paper     291
BEC Preliminary Sample Paper     302
BEC Vantage Sample Paper     328
BEC Higher Sample Paper     353
Additional information on tests of language for business purposes     378
References     381
Index     393