A Review on the Application of Language Proficiency Scales in Speaking Tests

Abstract

This article begins with a review of Language Proficiency Scales (LPS) and established speaking-test scales, placing particular emphasis on how these frameworks conceptualize oral proficiency and how they are used to support consistent assessment across diverse learning contexts. The discussion covers major theoretical foundations related to the description of communicative language ability, including the functional interpretation of speaking performance, principles of rating-scale development, the hierarchical subdivision of speaking skills, and the increasing need for contextualized task design in oral assessment. Building on this theoretical background, the article then examines how proficiency scales can be systematically linked to speaking tests, using the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR) and China's Standards of English Language Ability (CSE) as practical cases that demonstrate alignment processes, scale interpretation, and challenges in operationalizing descriptors for real testing situations. In addition, the article provides an overview of emerging trends in research on speaking assessment, such as fine-grained performance profiling, the integration of multimodal evidence, and advances in technology-enhanced rating methods, and discusses how these developments may inform future applications, refinement, and innovation of the CSE in both pedagogical and assessment settings.