Minority language testing: the social impact of the Zhuang language proficiency test in China

The Zhuang language test (Vahcuengh Sawcuengh Suijbingz Gaujsi, VSSG) is the first minority in People’s Republic of China. It was designed with multiple goals including improving teaching, recruiting students for relevant majors tertiary study, identifying proficiency work-related applications, and piloting standardisation national languages. Informed by a use-oriented testing perspective that takes into account social consequences value implications, we examine attitudes stakeholders (i.e. testers an official capacity testees) toward consider how well VSSG meets its goals. Drawing on documents interviews, our study suggests falls short primary due to mismatch between stakeholder attitudes, functions tested language, attached language. As result, ineffective agent promoting status ways intended designers policymakers.