The International Language Testing Association announced the results of the Outstanding Achievement Award recently. Professor Jin Yan from the School of Foreign Languages of Shanghai Jiao Tong University won the 2021 International Language Testing Association Outstanding Achievement Award. A few days later, the Asian Language Testing Association announced the results of the Excellent Doctoral Dissertation Award. Sun Hang, a doctoral graduate of the School of Foreign Languages of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, won the 2020 Asian Language Testing Association Excellent Doctoral Thesis Award. Both teacher and student won the International Language Test Award.
 

The 2021 International Language Testing Association Outstanding Achievement Award, which was awarded to Professor Jin Yan, is sponsored by the Cambridge Examinations Institute, and aims to recognize professionals who have made outstanding contributions in the field of language testing. The award is highly recognized in the field of international language testing. Every year the International Language Testing Association invites nominated candidates to participate in the selection of the Outstanding Achievement Award every year. The selection criteria are 1) Excellent leadership in language testing academic research, professional work and administrative management; 2) Meaningful language testing academic research and remarkable academic achievements; 3) Train students and guide young scholars to engage in language testing research and practice; 4) Actively participate in the practical work of language testing development and use; 5) Enthusiastically participate in various activities of academic organizations in the field of language testing. Since its establishment in 2003, a total of 16 scholars have won the award (named the Lifetime Achievement Award before 2013), two of which were from Israel, and the rest were from Europe, America or Australia. This year is the first time a Chinese scholar has won. This is not only an affirmation of Professor Jin Yan's personal academic achievements, but also shows that my country's research and practice in the field of language testing has gained considerable international influence. The award ceremony will be held at the 2022 International Language Testing Symposium, where Professor Jin Yan will be invited to give a keynote speech.

Sun Hang, a doctoral graduate of the School of Foreign Languages, won the 2020 Asian Language Testing Association Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award. Every year, the award committee of the Asian Language Testing Association conducts the selection of excellent doctoral dissertations in the previous year, whose authors need to graduate from universities in the Asian region. At its annual international conference, the association presents awards and invites the winners to give keynote speeches. The judging criteria for an excellent doctoral dissertation is that it needs to make an academic or professional contribution to the field of language testing, can promote the development of Asian language testing, is original and innovative, and has excellent technical quality and expression, etc. To meet the above conditions, an award-winning doctoral thesis is necessary to have a high level of expression, innovation and academic level.

The two international awards is a full affirmation of the language testing of the School of Foreign Languages of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Since 1987, the language testing team of the School of Foreign Languages has conducted research on the validity of large-scale exams through the development, design and implementation of the National College English Test Band 4 and 6 and has formed a language testing theory and practice system with Chinese characteristics, and has exerted crucial influence over the development of our country’s large-scale language testing. In recent years, the team has actively explored advanced technologies in artificial intelligence scoring and computerized oral examinations, and has also achieved remarkable results in the construction of oral scales. At the same time, under the guidance of his tutor Jin Yan, Sun Hang, a doctoral graduate of the School of Foreign Languages won the Asian Regional Award, which is a recognition of SFL’s achievement in talent training in language testing.

In the future, School of Foreign Languages will continue to deepen the study of language testing, seize development opportunities, make full use of the practical experience accumulated over the past 30 years, continue to reform and innovate, and make due contributions to Band 4 and Band 6 exams and the national foreign language proficiency evaluation system.