本文首先讨论大学英语教学的语言能力目标和课程定位、中国人的英语能力以及中国人英语学习的目标语等，接着讨论大学校本英语水平考试设计中的几个核心能力构念，即语言能力的可分性、语言能力的工具性与人文性、跨文化交际语言能力与思辨能力等。认为，如果考试设计成员对这些核心理念或者能力构念模糊不清、观点不明，就会直接影响考试设计的质量和考试效度。

This paper first addressed the fundamental issues in college English teaching including appropriate objectives of students’ college English ability development and position of college English as a course in current domestic higher education system, as well as definitions of English ability and target language of English learning for English learners in China. Then it expounded on the key linguistic competence constructs, namely, separability of language ability, instrumentality and humanities attribute of language ability, intercultural communication competence and critical thinking ability, which underpin the design of an institutional college English proficiency test. Without an unequivocal understanding of these fundamental issues or key linguistic competence constructs, hardly can test developers and test writers ensure the quality and validity of any institutional college English proficiency test.