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The General English Proficiency
Test (GEPT), developed and administered by the LTTC, targets English
learners at all levels in Taiwan. This test corresponds to Taiwan's
English education framework, meets the specific needs of English
learners in Taiwan for self-assessment, and provides institutions or
schools with a reference for evaluating the English proficiency levels
of their job applicants, employees, or students. The GEPT promotes a
balanced English learning process, covering the four language skills of
listening, reading, writing, and speaking with the goal of improving the
general English proficiency level of Taiwanese learners.
In 1997, the LTTC invited scholars and experts in English language
teaching and testing from tertiary institutions around Taiwan to form a
Testing Research Committee and a Testing Advisory Committee. In 1999,
the project received support from the MOE, which recognized that the
LTTC's work on the GEPT was in accord with its goal of promoting
lifelong learning and encouraging the study of English. With the MOE's
support, guidance from consultants and research committee members, and
the administration of multiple pilot tests, the GEPT development project
came to completion in July 2002.
Since its launch, the GEPT has
reliably tested the English proficiency of over 5.1 million test-takers.
The test is not only administered at over 100 different venues in
Taiwan¡¦s major cities, but also on the outlying islands of Penghu,
Kinmen, and Matsu, thus allowing test-takers to choose the test location
most convenient for them. The GEPT has generated positive washback
effects on English learning and teaching in Taiwan and resulted in
increased emphasis on communication skills and the nurturing of speaking
and listening skills.
Acknowledging the excellence of
the GEPT, more than 300 junior high schools or high schools, and
hundreds of universities, private enterprises, and government agencies
in Taiwan recognize GEPT scores. In recent years, an increasing number
of universities around the world, including prestigious institutions in
Hong Kong, Japan, France, Germany, the U.K., and the U.S., have begun to
adopt the GEPT as a means of measuring the English language ability of
Taiwanese applicants, thus benefitting students who are interested in
pursuing further study overseas.
To further improve the quality
of the GEPT and to ensure that the test is in line with the highest
international standards of language testing, the LTTC conducts research
projects and regularly shares research results with the international
language teaching and testing community. The LTTC also provides research
grants to external researchers who investigate GEPT-related topics to
gain a deeper understanding of the reliability and validity of the GEPT
and its relationship with other English language tests.
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