The National Education Examinations Authority of China and The British Council invite applications for the initial round of their jointly supported research grants: the English Assessment Research Grants Scheme (EARGS).
The EARGs are designed to help develop international language testing expertise on the application of the China’s Standards of English Language Ability (CSE), as well as the relationship between the CSE and either local or international examinations.
This joint project is aimed mainly at researchers from educational examination institutions, universities and research institutes. Appropriate research proposals from researchers with an interest in the CSE and well-known international language scales and with relevant experience in the theory and practical application of assessment research will be preferred.
Projects will be for a period of two years, and not exceeding three years if extended.
Research Topics
We are expecting research proposals closely related to the CSE. The research proposals can be, but not limited to the following topics.
- The application of the CSE in English assessment;
- The application of the CSE in English teaching;
- The application of the CSE in English learning;
- The impact of the CSE;
- Other topics related to the CSE.
National Education Examinations Authority of China and British Council - English Assessment Research Grants Scheme Selection List
| No | Category | Project title | Project lead | Institution |
| 1 | International Cooperation | Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of CSE-based Classroom Assessment | Weiqiang Wang | Guangdong University of Foreign Studies |
| 2 | International Cooperation | Adapting CSE for Assessment for Learning in College EFL Writing Classroom | Jiuliang Li | Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology |
| 3 | Key Project | Integrating CSE into the Academic Writing Program for EFL Learners | Jihua Dong | Shandong University |
| 4 | Key Project | Adopting CSE to the Cognitive Diagnosis of EFL Learners’ Reading Inferential Ability | Xiaomei Ma | Xi’an Jiaotong University |
| 5 | Key Project | CSE Application in District-level Reading Assessment and Teaching in Middle School | Ruilian Li | Beijing Haidian Teachers Training College |
| 6 | Key Project | Applications of CSE in Learning Arrangement and Motivation in an AI-driven Learning Environment | Jing Wang | Shanghai Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence in Learning and Cognitive Science, LAIX Inc. |
| 7 | Key Project | Validating Reading Scale in CSE through Annotated Materials | Linlin Cao | Guangdong University of Foreign Studies |
| 8 | Key Project | CSE3 in Rural Northwest China: Diagnosis and Dynamic Intervention | Yaru Meng | Xi’an Jiaotong University |
| 9 | Key Project | An Empirical Study into the Validity of a CSE-based Placement Test in China’s Transnational Higher Education | Xingang Liu | University of Electronic Sciences and Technology of China |
| 10 | Key Project | The Validation of Self-assessment Scale for Pragmatic Ability and Its Application for Assessment | Xiaoxuan Lv | Beihang University |
| 11 | Key Project | Aligning Hubei’s High School Academic Achievement English Test to China’s Standards of English Language Ability (CSE) | Meng Sun | Hubei Education Examination Authority |
| 12 | Key Project | Investigating Critical Discourse Features across Different Proficiency Levels of CSE | Lei Jiang | Northeastern University |
| 13 | General Project | CSE’s Implications for English Teachers’ Professional Development | Ping Wang | Xinjiang University of Finance & Economics |
| 14 | General Project | CSE Speaking Standards’ Impact on Second Language Teachers’ Speaking Assessment Literacy in China | Xuan Wang | Northwestern Polytechnical University |
| 15 | General Project | Using the CSE Self-assessment Scales in Tertiary English Language Classrooms for Cultivating Self-regulated Learners | Wenjing Yao | Zhengzhou Institute of Finance and Economics |
| 16 | General Project | Issues of Assessing Senior High Schools’ English Programs Based on China‘s Standard of English Language Ability from the Perspective of Curriculum Ideology | Kangzhou Peng | Chongqing Normal University |
| 17 | General Project | Formative Assessment in Senior High School English Writing Classes Based on China's Standards of English Language Ability | Juan Zhao | Beijing Daxing Teachers Training College |
| 18 | General Project | The Application of the CSE in Teaching Literary Texts in Primary and Secondary Schools | Shuzhe Tang | China University of Mining and Technology |
| 19 | General Project | The Application of the CSE Level 4 in Senior English Classroom Teaching | Fuhai Luo | Anshan No. 8 Middle School |
| 20 | General Project | An Empirical Study into the Use of CSE Level Descriptors in Raising Students’ Awareness of Speaking Skills in China’s Transnational Higher Education | Linyi Qi | University of Electronic Sciences and Technology of China |
| 21 | General Project | The Application of CSE in Junior High School Writing Portfolio Assessment | Bin Zheng | Luxun foreign language school |
| 22 | General Project | Applying CSE in Cognitive Diagnostic Assessment of EFL Learners’ Listening Sub-skills | Min Lei | Yangtze University College of Arts and Sciences |
| 23 | General Project | Applying the CSE for Developing Online Portfolios for Interpreting Learners | Yi Xu | Guangdong University of Foreign Studies |
| 24 | General Project | The Application of the CSE in Materials Development of College English | Fan Jia | Southwest Jiaotong University |
| 25 | General Project | Applying CSE-Interpreting Competence Scales in Interpreting Education: Perception and Practices among Interpreter Trainers in China | Weiwei Wang | Guangdong University of Foreign Studies |
| 26 | General Project | Applying CSE in Classroom-based Assessment in EFL Writing Courses | Wenxia Zhang | Tsinghua University |
| 27 | General Project | Identifying the Content-related Criterial Features of Different CSE Levels in Listening-to-retell Tasks | Hua Wang | Shanxi University |