Proficiency Exam Needs Speaking Test

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Posted : 2010-04-07 18:12

Updated : 2010-04-07 18:12

A foreign student studying here under the Korean government-funded scholarship program has called for a reform of Korean language proficiency test. Vladislava Mazana, 25, from the Czech Republic, stressed that the state-run Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) exam needs to test applicants' speaking skills.

Vladislava Mazana, a Czech student studying at Korea University, talks about problems with the state-run Korean proficiency test in a recent interview.

/ Korea Times Photo by
Shim Hyun-chul

By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter

A foreign student studying here under the Korean government-funded scholarship program has called for a reform of Korean language proficiency test. Vladislava Mazana, 25, from the Czech Republic, stressed that the state-run Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) exam needs to test applicants' speaking skills.

``The test focuses on grammar and vocabulary rather than practical conversation skills. Sometimes, Chinese students who cannot speak Korean well are able to gain better scores than those who speak Korean fluently,'' Mazana told The Korea Times in an interview.

She added that students from countries where they use languages related to Chinese characters have an advantage in the test.

TOPIK consists of four parts; vocabulary and grammar, writing, listening and reading. Depending on the average score and minimum marks in each section, test takers can obtain grade 1 or 2 for beginner, grade 3 to 4 for intermediate and 5 to 6 for advanced level.

Although Mazana can speak fluent Korean and used to appear on the popular KBS show, ``Chat With Beauties,'' she has not achieved the highest level yet.

The Czech student also questioned the consistency of the test levels. ``The test scores fluctuate. I saw some foreign students, who once passed advanced level before, fail the intermediate level test,'' she said.

The 26-year-old, majoring in Korean and East European studies at university, came to Korea in 2007 for a year and then left for home. After being selected for the Korean government scholarship program, she came here again last September. She is now majoring in language studies at Korea University for a masters degree.

The test score is required for foreign students who want to participate in the state-funded scholarship program.

Lastly, she stressed that the test organizers must develop a better tool so that Korean language learners can be properly evaluated. ``I hope TOPIK can teach foreigners practical Korean language skills.''

TOPIK consists of 30 questions in the vocabulary and grammar part, 15 questions on writing, and 30 questions each for listening and reading.

The test comes in two formats; the Standard Test of Proficiency in Korean (S-TOPIK), for Korean language learners and international students, and the Test of Proficiency for Business in Korea (B-TOPIK) for jobseekers hoping to work in domestic and overseas-based Korean companies and public institutions.

A growing number of non-native Korean speakers apply for the test.

According to the Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation, the test organizer, the number of exam takers has continued to rise, up to some 180,000, last year from 142,816 in 2008 and 72,292 in 2007.

kswho@koreatimes.co.kr