ABSTRACT
The chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the development and promotion of the first ever national standardized foreign language test in Vietnam—the Vietnamese Standardized Test of English Proficiency (VSTEP). A major goal of the chapter is to showcase a new glocal paradigm in language testing in Asia by contributing context-specific insights of test localization of VSTEP as a new locally developed EFL test in the region. By glocalization, the author explicates how VSTEP test developers create localized or contextualized features of their locally produced tests while adhering to global or international standards in test development and quality control. An emphasized vision of this assessment innovation project is to pursue fairness, equity, and sustainability in English education and assessment in Vietnam. A highlight of the chapter is the discussion of the concept of localization available in literature and its operationalizations to suit the socio-economic, cultural, and educational context of Vietnam. The author also elaborates on the strategies and action plans of the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (ULIS)—the flagship VSTEP developer and provider—to promote these local English tests and to gain international recognition in pursuit of their national objectives and missions.
