China's Ministry of Education and the State Language Commission have jointly issued the country's first evaluation scale for English language ability (CSE) at the beginning of 2018. As the first evaluation standard for Chinese English learners, CSE is oriented on the usage of English and pays more attention to the cultivation of English practical ability.
On the 9th Meeting of the UK-China High Level People-to-People Dialogue in December 2016, the Ministry of Education of China and the British Council signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to confirm the cooperation on the mutual recognition between British English tests (including IELTS and Aptis) and China's Standards of English Language Ability. Aptis has become the first English test linked up with both the CEFR and the CSE.
With the launch of the standard, the linkage between Aptis and CSE is ongoing, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2018. Through Aptis, teachers and students could have a clear understanding of their English levels from both Chinese (CSE) and international (CEFR) standards, which better enhance the quality of English teaching and assessment, and improve the English practical ability effectively.
What is CSE?
CSE , referring to China's standard of English, defines three categories of English language ability-basic, intermediate and advanced-with nine levels altogether. the English proficiency standard lays down detailed requirements for listening, speaking, reading and writing. It also includes practical skills, such as translating, where standards are rare worldwide.