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Cambridge English: Proficiency, also known as the Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE), is an English language examination provided by Cambridge English Language Assessment (previously known as University of Cambridge ESOL). It is the most advanced qualification offered by Cambridge English Language Assessment and has been developed to show achievement of an extremely high level of English. The Certificate of Proficiency in English was originally introduced in 1913 and was the first English as a Foreign Language qualification to be offered by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES). Today Cambridge English: Proficiency continues to test English ability at the highest possible level and demonstrates that a candidate can communicate with fluency approaching that of a native English speaker. Cambridge English: Proficiency assesses at Level C2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and is accepted worldwide by many businesses and educational institutions as proof that a candidate has mastered English to an exceptional level.〔() http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/images/21952-cpe-proficiency-leaflet.pdf Retrieved 15 April 2014〕 == History == The Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) was first introduced in 1913 ‘for Foreign Students who desire a satisfactory proof of their knowledge of the language with a view to teaching it in foreign schools.’〔UCLES (1913) ''Regulations for the Examinations for Certificates of Proficiency in Modern Languages and Religious Knowledge.''〕 The exam took 12 hours and cost £3 (approximately £293 in 2012 prices〔.〕) and was open only for candidates aged 20 or over. The exam was divided into two sections: written and oral. Written # Translation from English into French or German (2 hours) # Translation from French or German into English, and questions on English Grammar (2 ½ hours) # English Essay (2 hours) # English Literature (3 hours) # English Phonetics (1 ½ hours) Oral # Dictation (½ hour) # Reading and Conversation (½ hour). In 1913, the English Essay topics were very Anglocentric: # The effect of political movements upon nineteenth century literature in England. # English Pre-Raphaelitism # Elizabethan travel and discovery # The Indian Mutiny # The development of local self-government # Matthew Arnold.〔; ( UPBO excerpt ).〕 The first exam in 1913 was taken by just three candidates, who all failed. For the next 15 years the Certificate of Proficiency in English ‘teetered along with 14 or 15 candidates a year.’〔Roach, J. O. (1956) Part copy of JOR’s report on Examinations as an instrument of cultural policy. Cambridge Assessment Archives〕 By 1929 it was in danger of being discontinued and UCLES decided to introduce some changes to the exam. By 1926 the length of the exam had been reduced to 11 hours and the translation paper included Italian and Spanish options. In 1930 a special literature paper for foreign students was provided for the first time. The 1930 essay topics were more general and suitable for a variety of candidates: # The topic that is most discussed in your country at the present time. # Fascism # The best month in the year # Good companions # Any English writer of the twentieth century. # Does satire ever effect its purpose, or do any good?〔Cambridge English Language Assessment (November 2002) Research Notes, Issue 10. () http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/images/23124-research-notes-10.pdf / () http://www.upbo.com/servlet/file/store6/item2373702/version1/item_9780521013314_excerpt.pdf Retrieved 15 April 2014〕 In 1932 the phonetics element of the exam was dropped and the target candidature was widened beyond that of prospective teachers to all ‘foreign students who desired to obtain evidence of their practical knowledge of the language both written and spoken, and of their ability to read with comprehension standard works of English literature.’〔Hawkey, R. & Milanovic, M. (2013) ''Cambridge English Exams: The First Hundred Years'', Cambridge University Press, p.25〕 Candidature began to rise, from 66 candidates in 1933 to 752 candidates in 1939. Furthermore, the University of Cambridge and University of Oxford began accepting the Certificate of Proficiency in English as the standard of English required of all students. Another new syllabus for the exam was introduced in 1945, with literature and translation equally weighted. Further changes took place in 1953, when the length of the exam was further reduced to 9 hours and candidates could choose to take a ‘Use of English’ paper as an alternative to ‘Translation’. Use of English questions remain to this day, although in a changed format. The early 1960s saw the beginnings of a shift in the Cambridge language testing methodology towards a separation of language testing from the testing of literary or cultural knowledge. In 1966, a new syllabus was proposed which reflected a new emphasis on language-based assessment. The structure of the 1966 Certificate of Proficiency in English exam was as follows: Written Candidates must offer (a) English Language and two other papers chosen from (b), (c), or (d). No candidate may offer more than one of the alternatives in (b). a. English Language (composition and a passage or passages of English with language questions. The choice of subjects set for composition will include some for candidates who are specially interested in commerce.) (3 hours) b. Either English Literature or Science Texts or British Life and Institutions or Survey of Industry and Commerce (3 hours) c. Use of English (3 hours) d. Translation from and into English (3 hours) Oral a. Dictation, Reading and Conversation. The exam continued to evolve, reflecting thinking and developments in communicative language assessment and second language acquisition (SLA). By 1975 it included separate listening and speaking tests, finally adopting a format familiar to modern-day candidates with papers in Reading, Use of English, Writing, Listening and Speaking/Interview. In 1984, exam time was reduced to less than 6 hours – half the amount of the original 1913 exam. Revisions in 2002 continued to reflect developments in communicative language assessment, as first evidenced in the 1975 and 1984 revisions. A paired speaking test was introduced following research into the relative effectiveness of a test with a single candidate or a pair of candidates, with the latter shown to produce a wider range of functional language use. The exam also introduced wider ranges of: sources in reading and text-based tasks, tasks in the writing paper and real-life contexts in the listening paper.〔Cambridge English Language Assessment (November 2002) Research Notes, Issue 10. () http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/images/23124-research-notes-10.pdf / () http://www.upbo.com/servlet/file/store6/item2373702/version1/item_9780521013314_excerpt.pdf Retrieved 15 April 2014〕 In 2013, Cambridge English: Proficiency celebrated its 100th anniversary and another set of revisions were introduced, which aimed at ensuring its continued suitability for higher education study and career enhancement purposes. The Use of English paper was subsumed into the Reading paper and the revised exam is now 4 hours in length.〔Hawkey, R. & Milanovic, M. (2013) ''Cambridge English Exams: The First Hundred Years'', Cambridge University Press, p.325〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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