Issues in Testing Business English: The

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.

Acknowledgements

ix

Series Editors' note

x

Abbreviations

xii

Introduction to the testing of language for business purposes

1

(81)

The revision of BEC

82

(37)

Major changes to the suite

119

(11)

Changes in the BEC papers

130

(44)

Conclusions and the way forward

174

(204)

Appendices

Appendix 1.1: JOCT Evaluation Criteria

196

(1)

Appendix 1.2: CEFLS Pilot Test

197

(8)

Appendix 1.3: CEIBT - Test of Reading and Writing-June and November 1992

205

(20)

Appendix 1.4: Bulats - Standard Test English

225

(16)

Appendix 1.5: Bulats - Speaking Test

241

(3)

Appendix 1.6: Bulats - Standard Test German

244

(16)

Appendix 2.1: ALTE Work Typical Abilities

260

(1)

Appendix 3.1: BEC 1 Sample Paper

261

(16)

Appendix 3.2: BEC 2 Sample Paper

277

(14)

Appendix 3.3: BEC 3 Sample Paper

291

(11)

Appendix 4.1: BEC Preliminary Sample Paper

302

(26)

Appendix 4.2: BEC Vantage Sample Paper

328

(25)

Appendix 4.3: BEC Higher Sample Paper

353

(25)

Additional information on tests of language for business purposes

378

(3)

References

381

(12)

Index

393

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

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials