YUKIKO AKIBA (KANDA UNIVERSITY OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES)

EXAMINING THE EIKEN ENGLISH PROFICIENCY TEST FROM PERSPECTIVES OF VALIDITY, RELIABILITY, AND WORLD ENGLISHES : LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION

The results of large-scale English language proficiency tests are used around the world to make high-stakes decisions regarding university admissions, job offers, promotions, immigration, and citizenship status. Many researchers and educators have reviewed such major tests as TOEFL (Alderson, 2019), IELTS (Pearson, 2019; Reed, 2022), TOEIC (Im & Cheng, 2019), and Duolingo Test (Wagner, 2020) for its validity and reliability. However, the reviews of the EIKEN test, another popular English proficiency test that is widely used in Japan, are still limited. Considering that the EIKEN test is used as proof of English proficiency not only by domestic schools, universities, and workplaces in Japan but also by over 400 international colleges and universities (EIKEN, n.d.), conducting a comprehensive and critical review of the test is essential. This presentation will present a review of the EIKEN Grade 1 Test, the most advanced level of the EIKEN test that is mostly targeted for adult learners. The test itself consists of five sections (Vocabulary, Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking), which were examined for the validity, reliability, and World Englishes perspectives. The new test format (2024 summer test), as well as the previous version test (2022 summer test), were both examined and compared. The presenter will offer several possibilities to improve the test, considering how it can be more reflective of the current use of the English language around the world and the level-associated can-do statements posted on the EIKEN test website.

Yukiko Akiba is an English lecturer at Kanda University of International Studies in Japan. She has experience teaching English at high schools in Japan and at a university level in the US. Her research interests include World Englishes, language testing, academic writing, and language teacher identity.