A Text-based Analysis Of Culture Representation In English Testing Materials

The cultivation of students’ cross-cultural consciousness is increasingly highlighted in education today in the context of globalization era.According to the interrelatedness of language and culture,English testing materials are surely believed to convey and transmit cultures.However,existing previous domestic studies on language testing and culture have focused more on college-level English tests than on college entrance examination of English(i.e.NMET,National Matriculation English Test).The present thesis,based on views of English and its cultures,culture representation in English testing and washback effect of language testing,investigates the issue of culture representation in NMET materials autonomously designed in East China’s Anhui,Jiangxi,Shandong and Jiangsu Province.By the means of text-based and statistical analysis,this thesis addresses the following research questions:1)What is the overall situation of cultural representation of the text materials of the college entrance examination of English in the four provinces?2)What is the situation of the distribution of the cultural content types of the text materials of the college entrance examination of English in the four provinces?3)What is the situation of the distribution of the cultural regional types of the text materials of the college entrance examination of English in the four provinces?4)What is the washback of the cultural reflection of the text materials of the college entrance examination in the four provinces?In the present study,the research results show:1)Cultural representation exists in the text materials of the college entrance examination in the four provinces of East China,and is distributed mostly in English reading materials but rarely in English listening materials and Chinese reading materials.In general,cultural texts in college entrance examination of English of the four provinces in East China are not many in number.2)Cultural content types are unevenly distributed in cultural text materials for college entrance examination in four provinces of East China.According to eight categories(historical and geography,local customs,traditional customs,life style,literature and art,norms of conduct,values and popular science techniques)of cultural content types,it is found in this study that the text materials are more inclined to the representation of culture of lifestyle while the cultures of other types of content are less involved in text materials.3)Cultural regional types are also unevenly distributed in cultural text materials for college entrance examination in four provinces of East China.According to the theory of three circles of World English,cultural regional types are divided into inner circle culture,outer circle culture and extended circle culture.But it is discovered in this study that the regional type of the culture texts is biased towards the inner circle culture,particularly the foreign culture dominated by the United States and Britain,while the outer circle culture and extended circle culture are rarely represented.In addition,the representation of Chinese culture,which is part of extended circle culture of World English,is found to be revealed not enough both in text materials number and culture represent text.4)In view of existing testing is certainly argued to play a leading and guiding role in follow-up language testing,teaching and learning in the future,the problems existing in the cultural representation of the text materials found in the study are considered to have negative washbacks on future testing,teaching and learning respectively.Based on the above research findings,some practical suggestions are put forward for future English testing design,teaching and learning,particularly in materials choosing and using.It is expected that this empirical study can attract attention to the issued of culture representation in text materials of college entrance examination of English and provide some reference for the future research.