Designing Proficiency Tests to Accredit Previous Knowledge in American and British Literature in a Bilingual Education Program

Abstract

This article aims at identifying the kind of American and British literature tests that can be designed to allow students who enter a bilingual education program at a private university in Colombia to have their previous knowledge in these two subjects accredited through a proficiency test. Students' needs, opinions, beliefs, existing commercial tests, the University's (specifically, the one where the study was conducted) literature programs, several anthologies, and competences required in the education program were all taken into consideration. Then the tests were developed, piloted, and validated with a focus group composed of ten students of said program. The results indicated that students require previous knowledge, literary competence, and command of the English language because those are determining factors in successfully passing the tests.

Keywords

• Previous knowledge
• proficiency tests
• American and British literature
• competences