Some key issues in vocabulary test
词汇测试应考虑的几个关键问题

摘要

词汇在语言习得中的重要性不言而喻，词汇测试也被广泛用来衡量学习者的整体语言水平以及探讨其与听说读写等分项语言技能之间的相关程度；词汇习得在语言习得的整个周期中占有很大比例，需要学习者投入大量的时间和精力，因此词汇习得的研究仍需要学界的广泛关注。词汇具有多维的特点, 测试工具和方法也日趋多元化；对词汇测试结果的解读应考虑一些具体细微的指标。本文基于国内外近二十年来对词汇测试的研究，梳理了以往研究的概况，指出了这些研究中存在的不足。本文从词汇量的具体划分、历时与共时测试、测试词的选取、测试方法和计量单位等五个方面进行了较为详细的论述，旨在更好地发挥词汇测试对于词汇教学的反拨作用，提高词汇教学的效率。

Abstract

It is widely acknowledged that vocabulary plays a vital part in language acquisition. Vocabulary test has been widely adopted to evaluate learners’ overall language competence and correlation to specific language skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing. Vocabulary acquisition takes up a big proportion in the whole cycle of language acquisition and learners need to spend much time and energy on it, therefore studies in this field still deserve much attention. As vocabulary is a multi-dimensional construct, test tools and methods are becoming increasingly diversified. The outcome of vocabulary test should be interpreted taking some minor indexes into consideration. Based on studies in the past 20 years, this paper first briefly summarizes their major findings and points out the inadequacies. Then this paper gives a detailed statement of vocabulary test including five aspects: specific indexes of vocabulary size, diachronic and synchronic tests, selection of test items, test methods and units of counting. This paper aims at improving the backwash effect of vocabulary test on vocabulary teaching and raising the efficiency of vocabulary teaching.