| Traditional language proficiency scales tend to describe the language proficiency of learners/users from a macro perspective,failing to deliver fine-grained information about the strengths and weaknesses of individual learners.Based on the China’s Standards of English Language Ability(CSE),this study adopts the qualitative and quantitative methods to construct a diagnostic rating scale for college students’ English writing ability and verify its validity.First of all,a diagnostic assessment framework is constructed based on Shahsavar’s modified version of Kim’s EDD Writing Checklist and the CSE.Then,5 CET-4 and CET-6 writing raters are invited to score 90 writing samples on the task of CET-4 in 2018 based on the diagnostic rating scale.Qualitative and quantitative analysis are used to validate the scale.The findings of this study are as follows: 1)the diagnostic rating scale for college students’ English writing ability mainly includes four dimensions: the structure of discourse organization,the content,language use and writing strategies;2)the diagnostic rating scale for college students’ English writing ability has good validity and can effectively distinguish the writing ability of the subjects.This scale can be popularized in the teaching of English writing,guide teachers to teach students in accordance with their aptitude,refine the teaching process,help students find the root of writing difficulties and improve their English writing ability. |
