A Content Validity Study On Tem Listening Comprehension (2005-2009)

Test for English Majors (TEM) is a nation-wide large-scale criterion-referenced English proficiency test and achievement test for English major undergraduates in colleges and universities in China, administered by Instructional Committee of Higher Education Foreign Language Major of Ministry of Education (Zou,2005:14). Zou Shen (1998:1-21) conducted the content validity study on TEM listening comprehension from 1993 to 1996, and after that the content validity study on TEM listening comprehension is rare. Hence this thesis will focus on the content validity study on TEM listening comprehension after innovation from 2005 to 2009 in the three aspects:whether TEM listening comprehension corresponds to the requirements of teaching syllabus (2000 version) and testing syllabus (2004 version); how much TEM listening comprehension meets the requirements of teaching and testing syllabuses; what the differences between TEM-4 and TEM-8 are.Based on the framework of task characteristics proposed by Bachman and Palmer (1999), combining the nature of listening with the references of listening requirements of teaching and testing syllabuses, this thesis proposes a modified framework of task characteristics for listening assessment according to the actuality of TEM-4 and TEM-8 in China. And this thesis will analyze sixteen conversations, fifteen passages, forty-two news broadcast, five mini-lectures and four interviews in TEM listening comprehension from 2005 to 2009 in terms of input, expected response and the relationship between input and expected response.Through analysis, the content validity of TEM listening comprehension from 2005 to 2009 is very high. It can be reflected in the following two aspects. First, listening comprehensions in TEM-4 and TEM-8 highly meet the requirements of teaching and testing syllabuses as the length, readability, topic, speed and listening skills coverage are highly in accordance with the requirements in teaching and testing syllabuses. Second, TEM-8 is more difficult than TEM-4.While through analysis some problems are also found as follows. First, the range of deviation on length and speed of the listening materials has not been stated in the teaching and testing syllabuses. Besides, the average readability score of TEM-4 (36.2) is lower than TEM-8 (44.5). At last, the use of Multiple Choice Question is extensive.At last, some suggestions for TEM design, English teaching and testing for English majors are proposed.