DifferentpeoplehavedifferentopinionsaboutthenecessityofatestofspokenEnglishintheCollegeEnglishTest.SomepeoplebelievethatatestofspokenEnglishisnecessarybecausespokenEng[ishisanimportantpartofthelanguage.OnlywhenonespeaksfluentEnglishcanwesaythathehasreallyacommandofthelanguage.Soatestoughttobedevisedtoassessthelearner'sabilityinspokenEnglish.
Otherpeople,however,thinkthatatestofwrittenEnglishisenoughandtestofspokenEnglishisnotnecessaryatall.Theyholdthatone'scompetenceinEnglishcanbeshowninatestofwrittenEnglish,andatestofspokenEnglishwillbedifficulttocarryout,andwill,moreover,addtotheburdenofthestudents.
Inmyopinion,atestofspokenEnglishisabsolutelynecessary,becauseIbelieveitisofgreatimportanceforeveryforeignlanguageleanertospeakthelanguagewithfluency.Foronething,moreandmoreforeignerarecomingtoChinaeveryyear,alargenumberofpeoplewhocanspeakEnglishfluentlyarebadlyneededinallwalksoflife.Foranother,thefourskills,listening,speaking,readingandwritinginlanguagelearningarecloselyrelated.AtestofspokenEnglishwillstimulatetheotherskillsinEnglishlearning.
