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Hurburun, Anita L. Jibodh. "An exploratory study aimed to determine the efficacy of an assessment battery designed to examine oral English language acquisition in refugee and migrant children." Click here to access this resource online, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10292/436.
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The process of migration has resulted in population growth and contributed to the transformation of New Zealand. Migrant and refugee children face many adjustment factors and their ease in resettling in New Zealand is largely dependent on their ability to learn English. Migration stress, change, trauma and loss may result in psychological difficulties which in turn may affect their resettling and learning. The Ministry of Education and other professionals work together to enhance the quality of their service provision to facilitate easier adjustment, resettlement and effective learning for these children. An adequate assessment battery for speech language therapists to assess migrant and refugee children, is presently lacking in New Zealand. Therapists currently use various assessments, with the assistance of interpreters. The New Zealand Speech Therapists’ Association (NZSTA), in accordance with speech therapists in Group Special Education (GSE), strongly supports the need for research with these groups and the development of an appropriate assessment battery. This exploratory study aimed to determine an assessment battery for use in examining English language acquisition in refugee and migrant children and to highlight the benefit of using measurement tools that determine incremental change over time in contrast to the use of monolingual psychometric tests. The study explored a selected assessment battery and gathered data in five main focus areas, namely: cognition, language, trauma, classroom behaviour, developmental and birth information. Eligible children were those who did not have physiologically - impaired cognitive abilities. Eight cases, four refugee and four migrant students, were selected by convenience sampling. All participants were children selected from primary school 1 (three refugees and three migrants) and primary school 2 (one refugee and one migrant) primary schools, aged approximately (5-8 years). Participants included four male and four females, refugee and migrant children, and those with both high and low English ability. Based on the study’s results, recommendations were made to refine the test battery, which included test modification. For example, the use of the trauma measurement tool only if there is prior evidence of trauma, the inclusion of a larger test population who have a common primary language to allow for cost effective interpreter use and to also allow for generalisations to be made, the inclusion of an assessment of the children’s primary language in order to determine the relationship, development and acquisition of the child’s second language with reference to his/her development and skills in his native language. All of the refugee children and 3 migrant children displayed slower processing time during the administration of the tests. Migrant parents were quicker in test completion as compared to refugee parents. They displayed differences in family size, contact with extended family, socioeconomic status and educational level. Migrant children produced sentences that included correct word order and sequence whilst refugee children produced sentences that lacked adequate word order or lacked articles and determiners. The study found the proposed test battery was an effective choice for use in the assessment of both migrant and refugee children, as the battery allows for dynamic assessment of children from diverse groups and this proved to be an unbiased means of assessing their English language and cognitive skills. Recommendations are made for future, more-extensive research. These findings provide information about appropriate and reliable language acquisition tests that measure incremental change with time. This study will contribute to a developing knowledge base for speech-language therapists who work with migrant or refugee children. Effective assessment on which to base tailored language programmes will assist them to optimise their experience in New Zealand schools and enhance their English language skills.
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Yuen, Hon-ming Jacky. "Implementing peer assessment and self-assessment in a Hong Kong classroom." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1998. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B19883535.
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Muller, Pieter F. de V. "Automatic oral proficiency assessment of second language speakers of South African English." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/4165.
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Thesis (MScEng (Electrical and Electronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The assessment of oral proficiency forms an important part of learning a second language.
However, the manual assessment of oral proficiency is a labour intensive task requiring specific
expertise. An automatic assessment system can reduce the cost and workload associated
with this task. Although such systems are available, they are typically aimed towards assessing
students of American or British English, making them poorly suited for speakers of South
African English. Additionally, most research in this field is focussed on the assessment of
foreign language students, while we investigate the assessment of second language students.
These students can be expected to have more advanced skills in the target language than
foreign language speakers.
This thesis presents a number of scoring algorithms for the automatic assessment of
oral proficiency. Experiments were conducted on a corpus of responses recorded during an
automated oral test. These responses were rated for proficiency by a panel of raters based
on five different rating scales. Automatic scoring algorithms were subsequently applied to
the same utterances and their correlations with the human ratings determined.
In contrast to the findings of other researchers, posterior likelihood scores were found to
be ineffective as an indicator of proficiency for the corpus used in this study. Four different
segmentation based algorithms were shown to be moderately correlated with human ratings,
while scores based on the accuracy of a repeated prompt were found to be well correlated
with human assessments.
Finally, multiple linear regression was used to combine different scoring algorithms to
predict human assessments. The correlations between human ratings and these score combinations
ranged between 0.52 and 0.90.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die assessering van spraakvaardigheid is ’n belangrike komponent van die aanleer van ’n
tweede taal. Die praktiese uitvoer van sodanige assessering is egter ’n arbeids-intensiewe
taak wat spesifieke kundigheid vereis. Die gebruik van ’n outomatiese stelsel kan die koste
en werkslading verbonde aan die assessering van ’n groot aantal studente drasties verminder.
Hoewel sulke stelsels beskikbaar is, is dit tipies gemik op die assessering van studente wat
Amerikaanse of Britse Engels wil aanleer, en is dus nie geskik vir sprekers van Suid Afrikaanse
Engels nie. Verder is die meerderheid navorsing op hierdie gebied gefokus op die assessering
van vreemde-taal sprekers, terwyl hierdie tesis die assessering van tweede-taal sprekers ondersoek.
Dit is te wagte dat hierdie sprekers se spraakvaardighede meer gevorderd sal wees
as di´e van vreemde-taal sprekers.
Hierdie tesis behandel ’n aantal evaluasie-algoritmes vir die outomatiese assessering van
spraakvaardighede. Die eksperimente is uitgevoer op ’n stel opnames van studente se antwoorde
op ’n outomatiese spraaktoets. ’n Paneel van menslike beoordelaars het hierdie opnames
geassesseer deur gebruik te maak van vyf verskillende punteskale. Dieselfde opnames is deur
die outomatiese evaluasie-algoritmes verwerk, en die korrelasies tussen die beoordelaars se
punte en die outomatiese evaluerings is bepaal.
In kontras met die bestaande navorsing, is daar gevind dat posterieure waarskynlikheidsalgoritmes
nie ’n goeie aanduiding van spraakvaardighede gee vir ons datastel nie. Vier
algoritmes wat van segmentasies gebruik maak, is ook ondersoek. Die evaluerings van hierdie
algoritmes het redelike korrelasie getoon met die punte wat deur die beoordelaars toegeken is.
Voorts is drie algoritmes ondersoek wat daarop gemik is om die akkuraatheid van herhaalde
sinne te bepaal. Die evaluerings van hierdie algoritmes het goed gekorreleer met die punte
wat deur die beoordelaars toegeken is.
Laastens is liniˆere regressie gebruik om verskillende outomatiese evaluerings te kombineer
en sodoende beoordelaars se punte te voorspel. Die korrelasies tussen hierdie kombinasies
en die punte wat deur beoordelaars toegeken is, het gewissel tussen 0.52 en 0.90.
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Balizet, S. "Sha" G. "A dynamic simulation assessment of english as a second language students' academic readiness." Scholar Commons, 2005. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/2970.
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AR is hypothesized to comprise above-threshold academic language proficiency, personal characteristics, topical knowledge, academic skills, and academic auxiliaries (motivation, study skills, engagement, work drive, emotional stability, affective schemata, and metacognitive strategies).The participants were 36 international adults, studying pre-university academic English at intensive institutes in Florida who volunteered to take the CLEAR during the summer of 2004. Data were collected via the CLEAR multiple-choice knowledge test and essay test, teacher ratings, examinee feedback, and external measures.Results showed the CLEAR knowledge test functions well at the item level although overall scores are only moderately consistent.
The essay scoring consistency was satisfactory, perhaps partly due to the purpose-built scoring tool Good support for content-related validity claims was found for the dynamic simulation overall, for the stimulus materials, for the knowledge test items, for the essay prompt, and for the essay scoring tool. The concurrent measure of teacher ratings correlated with the knowledge test, but not with the content-based essay. Concerning construct-related claims of validity, support was evinced through the literature review as well as through inter-subtest correlation. External measures suggested some discriminant evidentiary support. Examinees perceived that the CLEAR closely resembled the target environment, they judged the CLEAR quality to be a key feature, and they would recommend the CLEAR to a friend for the growth experience.
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Jia, Yueming. "English as a second language teachers' perceptions and use of classroom-based reading assessment." Texas A&M University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/3102.
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The purpose of this study was to explore ESL teachers perceptions and use of
classroom-based reading assessments. The research questions underpinning this
study were: 1) What types of classroom-based reading assessments are used in ESL
classrooms and how are they used? 2) What are ESL teachers perceptions regarding
the function and effectiveness of classroom-based reading assessments? 3) What and
how do external factors influence ESL teachers use of classroom-based reading
assessments? 4) What and how do internal factors influence ESL teachers use of
classroom-based reading assessments?
The participants of this study were six middle school ESL teachers and seven
elementary school ESL teachers. Data consisted of interviews with the participating
ESL teachers, classroom observations, and assessment materials.
The finding of this study indicated that there were three kinds of classroombased
reading assessments commonly used by ESL teachers in the classrooms: tests,
observation, and using writing to assess reading. These classroom-based reading
assessments served ESL teachers in two ways: helping teachers make decisions about
individual students and helping teachers make decisions about instruction. In addition,
classroom-based reading assessments were viewed as effective instructional
instruments. ESL teachers highly valued classroom-based reading assessments,
considered them accurate and valuable, and thought these assessments could provide
great help to the daily teaching of reading. Students, statewide mandated
standardized tests, and districts were three major forces that influenced this
assessment process.
Four conclusions can be drawn from this study. First, classroom-based
reading assessments played a central role in ESL teachers teaching and assessing of
reading. Second, ESL teachers highly valued classroom-based reading assessments,
considering them valuable, accurate, and efficient. Compared to statewide mandated
standardized testing, ESL teachers preferred classroom-based reading assessments.
Third, ESL teachers use of classroom-based reading assessments was largely under
the control of districts or school authorities and there were many disagreements on
the ways of assessing reading of ESL students between teachers and the districts or
schools. Finally, statewide mandated standardized testing had distorted ESL teachersÂ
use of classroom-based reading assessments in practice.
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Moloi, Lisemelo. "Exploring the perceptions of English second language teachers about learner self-assessment in the secondary school." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/27828.
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The main purpose of this study was to investigate English second language(ESL) teachers' perceptions about learner self-assessment in the secondary school. The study also examined the factors that might influence the perceptions that teachers hold about self-assessment. The participants of this study were 163 ESL teachers who are teaching at secondary schools in Gauteng Province; they were from 94 randomly selected schools. The data was collected through questionnaires and the response rate was approximately 53%. The literature review was utilized to identify the main perceptions. The studies led to a 57-item teachers' perceptions of learner self-assessment questionnaire based on the following main perceptions: the value of self-assessment in the teaching and learning processes, the use of self-assessment as an alternative assessment technique in English second language learning, the accuracy and reliability of self-assessment and the role of teachers in the effective implementation of self-assessment in their classrooms. The data for the study were analysed using quantitative techniques. the findings for the study showed that teachers have a strong feeling about the value of learner self-assessment; they showed that it helps in the improvement of teaching and learning. The results also indicated that teachers agree that self-assessment should be used in English second language teaching as an alternative form of assessment as it enhances learners' linguistic skills. Teachers perceive that they have an important role to play in ensuring that the implementation of self-assessment becomes successful in their classrooms. However, some have indicated that learners are not objective enough when assessing themselves and therefore the results derived from self-assessment cannot be reliable and accurate. Teachers' perceptions correspond with their classroom self-assessment practice because most of them also indicated that they employ self-assessment to enhance learners' performance. Majority of teachers also indicated that factors such as class size, availability of materials, teacher professional training and development, formal teacher training, years of experience, classroom experience with self-assessment, and time available for self-assessment played a significat role in influencing their perceptions. The conclusions were drawn from the results and the recommendations were made for further research. The limitations of the study were also discussed.<br>Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2009.<br>Curriculum Studies<br>unrestricted
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Bailey, Stacey M. "Content Assessment in Intelligent Computer-aided Language Learning: Meaning Error Diagnosis for English as a Second Language." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1204556485.
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Camacho, Sally A. "The Struggle that ESL Teachers in the USVI Face with ELLs Not Passing the Smarter Balanced Assessment." Thesis, Northcentral University, 2018. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10936528.
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<p> In St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands (USVI), the growing population of English language learners (ELLs) are expected to meet the standards of the Smarter Balanced assessment and take the test during their first year of school on the island. However, meeting the accountability measures while acquiring academic language proficiency is overwhelming. The lack of language proficiency in English prevents ELLs from achieving academic success in high-stakes standardized testing. For this reason, it was necessary to study this phenomenon. This study addressed the problem of educational policies concerning strategies to help ELLs to demonstrate success on standardized assessments (Modiga, 2013). Results will give leaders and teachers a voice regarding ways to improve practices to assist ELLs on standardized assessments. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the struggle of ESL teachers in the USVI to meet not only the language needs of ELLs but also the requirements for them to pass the Smarter Balanced assessment in the St. Croix School District. Eight themes emerged from the data analysis: lack of professional development (PD), language support, commonly used assessments, language proficiency, cultural diversity, language background experience and expectations, district and school-wide initiatives, and lack of understanding how to meet the provisions of the constructivism theory or ESSA. The first recommendation is to extend the scope of the research to involve more mainstream middle school teachers across the USVI who also serve ELLs and must prepare them for the Smarter Balanced assessment. The second recommendation is to identify instructional practices that can best meet the needs of ELLs in content-area classes in the USVI. The third recommendation is to compare the perceptions of best practices of mainstream teachers from two districts in the USVI, one not making statistically significant gains with ELLs and the other making statistically substantial gains on the Smarter Balanced assessment. The last recommendation is to conduct a study in the USVI on the alignment of the core curriculum with English language proficiency and Common Core State Standards with mainstream teachers using ESL strategies to serve ELLs’ language needs to see if there is improvement on standardized test scores.</p><p>
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Cano, Urena Araceli Berenice. "The role of a school psychologist| Non-discriminatory assessment of English language learners." Thesis, California State University, Long Beach, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10147324.
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<p> Given the disproportionate numbers of English Language Learners (ELLs) in Special Education, the method by which students are being assessed for Special Education must be examined further. Because these practices have real consequences for students’ educational placements in schools, it is necessary to understand what factors are important in conduction a non-discriminatory assessment.</p><p> Currently, there is literature on how to conduct a non-discriminatory assessment; however, there is very little information known about how these practices are or are not being implemented in the schools. As such, the purpose of this study is to utilize a survey study to gain an understanding of what is the school psychologist’s role in the evaluation of Spanish speaking English Language Learners for Special Education in the schools.</p><p> Based on the findings of this study, there is a need for a formal training for school psychologist once they are out in the field. Currently, the majority of the training received was through their graduate program. Furthermore, there is a need for a formal training or certification for bilingual school psychologists. Due to the limited number of bilingual school psychologist in the field, formal training must also be developed for interpreters working with monolingual school psychologists on non-discriminatory assessments.</p>
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Kittidhaworn, Patama. "An assessment of the English-language needs of second-year Thai undergraduate engineering students in a Thai public university in Thailand in relation to the second-year EAP program in engineering." Morgantown, W. Va. : [West Virginia University Libraries], 2001. http://etd.wvu.edu/templates/showETD.cfm?recnum=2020.
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Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2001.<br>Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 122 p. : ill. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 92-97).
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Rowan, Paul A. R. "Flipping Assessment: Formative Peer Feedback Activities in Second Language English Writing Using Web 2.0 Applications." Thesis, NSUWorks, 2015. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/fse_etd/57.
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This applied dissertation compared traditional peer feedback activities, where students comment and edit a peer’s work using red pen on the document, with learner derived feedback critiques based on the task requirements provided by the instructor. The feedback rubrics were created using a Web 2.0 application wiki. Framed by the experiential learning theory in an anagogical learning setting, this task-based approach focused on instructing students how to self-correct and edit their work in English language classes at the university level in Japan. The objective of the investigation was to also identify learner preference for the approach they attempted, to how they conducted peer feedback, and whether or not student preferences were demonstrated in their efforts to meet the required outcomes. No specific preferences for the type of feedback could be clearly identified based in a quantitative survey of the participants. The results for the assigned task did show significance in learner performance: vocabulary, F(1, 85) = 4.055, p = .047; grammar, F(1, 85) = 7.720, p = .009. For content, the p = .143 was not significant; however, scores for the treatment group were stronger than those shown by the control group. The flipped assessment or peer derived feedback/critique approach to peer feedback activities, based on this research, is recommended in second language English writing classes and is a suggested activity in other educational disciplines.
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Perea-Hernandez, Jose Luis. "Teacher Evaluation of Item Formats for an English Language Proficiency Assessment." PDXScholar, 2010. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/436.
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An abstract of the thesis of José Luis Perea-Hernández for the Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages presented February 11, 2010. Title: Teacher Evaluation of Item Formats for an English Language Proficiency Assessment. Language testing plays a significant role in the collection of systematic information about English Language Learners' ability and progress in K-12 public schools in Oregon. Therefore, the following thesis reports on a process of the development of this assessment as I was at some point one of the members in the test development team and then drew upon teachers' opinions and judgments to compensate for a gap in this process. For instance, despite the fact that Oregon item-writers produced test items in summer 2004, they identified some deficiencies as they followed the process. Therefore, the need of more examples of item formats in order to develop better items, a proper identification of materials for reading and listening and mainly the lack of detailed item test specifications was imminent. Unfortunately, item writers did not posses a guiding document that would allow them to generate items. The item writing process was not `spec-driven'. Hence, these drawbacks in this test (larger project), provide the basis and rationale for this thesis. Thus, the aim of the present study was to identify what item formats worked best based on professional teacher judgment. Then, once identified these were used to detect what items could potentially be reverse-engineered into specifications for future studies or developmental stages of this assessment. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to analyze through professional teacher-judgment the suitability of item formats, test items and the construct in a way that would be helpful for future item-writing sessions, but most importantly to the better understanding of teachers devising items for this test. Teachers determined what items and item formats were more suitable in a testing situation for the diverse English language learners according to their relationship to the construct of the test, practicality, cognitive level, appropriateness, and similar tasks as used in classroom instruction. Finally, the outcomes based on teacher feedback allowed the required data to establish a process to reverse-engineer test items and item formats into item test specifications. Thus, based on this feedback a more systematic process was illustrated to demonstrate how item formats can be the basis to reverse-engineer item test specifications.
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Reineman, Juliana Theresa. "Examining English as a second language: Textbooks from a constructivist perspective." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2002. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2946.
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Al-Hazmi, Sultan Hasn. "The effect of peer feedback and self-assessment on the quality of wordprocessed ESL compositions." Thesis, University of Essex, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.242230.
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One, Feather Monica. "Test Accommodations and Standardized Assessment for Students with Learning Disabilities who are Second Language Learners." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/194234.
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Federal mandates require that all students participate in large-scale assessments. A population of students with learning disabilities and who are second language learners are emerging within the schools. The purpose of this descriptive study was to gain additional knowledge about accommodation use by determining what accommodations were provided and whether the accommodations used were related to student achievement. Information was collected on accommodation use by 6th and 7th grade students who participated in a large-scale assessment. A post hoc data analysis was conducted to investigate accommodation use during the AIMS-DPA reading assessment. The collected data indicated a high percentage of accommodations were provided to English language learners, who have learning disabilities in 6th grade than 7th grade. A higher number of non-linguistic accommodations were provided than language-related accommodations. Language-related accommodations were provided more frequently to 6th grade students. Analyses indicated that reading performance and accommodations were not significantly related.
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Saville, N. D. "Developing a model for investigating the impact of language assessment within educational contexts by a public examination provider." Thesis, University of Bedfordshire, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10547/134953.
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There is no comprehensive model of language test or examination impact and how it might be investigated within educational contexts by a provider of high-stakes examinations, such as an international examinations board. This thesis addresses the development of such a model from the perspective of Cambridge ESOL, a provider of English language tests and examinations in over 100 countries. The starting point for the thesis is a discussion of examinations within educational processes generally and the role that examinations board, such as Cambridge ESOL play within educational systems. The historical context and assessment tradition is an important part of this discussion. In the literature review, the effects and consequences of language tests and examinations are discussed with reference to the better known concept of washback and how impact can be defined as a broader notion operating at both micro and macro levels. This is contextualised within the assessment literature on validity theory and the application of innovation theories within educational systems. Methodologically, the research is based on a meta-analysis which is employed in order to describe and review three impact projects. These three projects were carried out by researchers based in Cambridge to implement an approach to test impact which had emerged during the 1990s as part of the test development and validation procedures adopted by Cambridge ESOL. Based on the analysis, the main outcome and contribution to knowledge is an expanded model of impact designed to provide examination providers with a more effective “theory of action”. When applied within Cambridge ESOL, this model will allow anticipated impacts of the English language examinations to be monitored more effectively and will inform on-going processes of innovation; this will lead to well-motivated improvements in the examinations and the related systems. Wider applications of the model in other assessment contexts are also suggested.
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Moloi, Lisemelo. "Exploring the perceptions of English second language teachers about learner self-assessment in the seconday school." Pretoria : [s.n.], 2009. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-09082009-144620.
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Tsai, Tzu-Ru. "Innovative literacy content, methods, and assessment in English-as-a-foreign language primary instruction." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2006. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2878.
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The primary goal of this project is to offer Taiwanese teachers diverse innovative literacy instruction and assessments to motivate students' reading processes. Sample curriculum/lesson plans are included.
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Kenworthy, Roger C. "Lexical signatures in the assessment of L2 writing." Thesis, Swansea University, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.678566.
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Barsalou, Froio Lydia. "Needs assessment and formative evaluation in the development of a college-level English second language placement test." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp01/MQ40162.pdf.
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Karlsson, Therése, and Hanna Lawrence. "English as a Second Language for Kenyan Children in Primary School : A Trial of the Spoken Language Assessment Profile – Revised Edition." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för klinisk och experimentell medicin, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-119193.
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Sub-Saharan Africa is a multilingual environment and there is a lack of materials available for speech and language assessment in this area (Hartley & Krämer, 2013). The norms for assessment material cannot be used for both monolinguals and bilinguals, since bilinguals may have different levels of knowledge in their languages (Kohnert, 2010). The Spoken Language Assessment Profile – Revised edition (SLAP-R) is an assessment that can be used to evaluate English as a second language (ESL) in Sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this instrument is an attempt to fill the gap of suitable speech and language assessment tools that can be used for all those involved in setting up clinics, schools or speech and language assessment tools (Hartley & Krämer, 2013). The aim of the present study was to assess English as a second language for Kenyan children in primary school based on their result on the SLAP-R. The present study consisted of 68 participants with reported typically developed language and hearing that attended first or second grade in a public school in western Kenya. All participants were between six and nine years old, had a Bantu language as their first language and had been exposed to English for less than one year up to eight years. They had also attended preschool at their current school. The independent variables in the present study were grade, age and exposure to English. SLAP-R consists of six subtests that test expressive and receptive phonology, semantics and grammar. These parts constituted the dependent variables. In addition there is a part called ultimate expressive language skill (UELS) that consists of picture sequences where the participant should tell a story of what is happening in the pictures. The result indicated that grade had the largest effect on the participant’s performance in English as a second language. Grade two had significantly higher results regarding receptive phonology as well as expressive and receptive semantics and grammar than the participants in grade one. Most of the incorrect answers were made in the subtest expressive grammar. These answers were mainly incorrect due to other reasons than an answer in Kiswahili.<br>Sub-Sahara Afrika är en flerspråkig miljö och det finns en brist på material för tal- och språkbedömningar inom detta område (Hartley & Krämer, 2013). Normerna för ett bedömningsinstrument kan inte användas för både enspråkiga och tvåspråkiga barn, eftersom tvåspråkiga barn kan ha varierande kunskapsnivåer inom språken (Kohnert, 2010). Spoken Language Assessment Profile – Revised edition (SLAP-R) är ett bedömningsmaterial som är avsett att utvärdera engelska som andraspråk i Sub-Sahara Afrika. Syftet med detta instrument är att försöka fylla tomrummet av lämpliga tal- och språkbedömningsmaterial som kan användas av samtliga inblandade vid att starta upp kliniker, skolor eller logopedmottagningar (Hartley & Krämer, 2013). Syftet med föreliggande studie var att undersöka engelska som andraspråk för Kenyanska barn i grundskolan baserat på deras resultat i SLAP-R. Föreliggande studie bestod av 68 deltagare med rapporterad typisk hörsel och språkutveckling som gick i klass ett eller två i en kommunal skola i västra Kenya. Alla deltagarna var mellan sex och nio år, hade ett bantuspråk som förstaspråk och hade exponerats till engelska i mindre än ett år upp till åtta år. De hade även gått i den förskolan som tillhörde deras nuvarande skola. De oberoende variablerna i föreliggande studie var klass, ålder och exponeringstid till engelska. SLAP-R består av sex deltest som testar expressiv och receptiv fonologi, semantik och grammatik. De här delarna utgör de beroende variablerna. Det finns ytterligare en del som kallas för ultimate expressive language skill (UELS) som består av sekvensbilder där deltagaren ska berätta en historia om vad som händer på bilderna. Resultatet indikerade att klass var variabeln som hade störst inverkan på deltagarnas prestationer i engelska som andraspråk. Klass två hade signifikant högre resultat gällande receptiv fonologi, såväl som expressiv och receptiv semantik och grammatik än deltagarna i klass ett. De flesta felsvaren gjordes i deltestet expressiv grammatik och var i huvudsak på grund av andra skäl än svar på kiswahili.
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Peters, Sabine U. "Exploring the effectiveness of collaborative assessment preparation with immediate feedback in an intensive adult English as a second language classroom." Thesis, The Florida State University, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3705904.
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<p> Learning to speak a foreign language can be a difficult and time-consuming endeavor, involving verbal exchanges in a target language. It is a process that includes learning about, understanding, and to some extent identifying with members of another culture who speak a different language. The inclusion of collaborative activities in the language classroom provides a natural setting for conversation and increases the learners' opportunity to use the target language. When working in small groups or in pairs, students are practically forced to communicate to accomplish a learning task. Students learn together so they are subsequently able to perform better individually. </p><p> The primary purpose of the current study was to examine if a collaborative assessment preparation strategy with immediate feedback used in an intensive adult English language program at the Defense Language Institute English Language Center (DLI) had an effect on achievement, confidence and satisfaction with the learning experience. A secondary purpose was to examine the relationships among students' entry proficiency level, language anxiety, confidence, satisfaction and achievement when DLI students used the collaborative strategy. DLI provides English language training to members of foreign militaries from over 100 countries. This quasi-experimental study included 76 participants from 21 different countries, enrolled in upper-intermediate General English courses at DLI. The instructional intervention used by participants in the experimental group included individual and pair completion of practice quizzes using immediate feedback assessment technique (IF AT) answer sheets. Participants in the control condition went through the same lesson plans as their experimental group peers but without completing any of the practice quizzes. Data were collected over the course of one week using test scores, survey instruments, interviews and classroom observations. </p><p> Results showed that there was no significant difference between control group and experimental group on the outcome measures. However, the relationship between confidence and achievement was significant. Analysis of learner perceptions of the instructional strategy revealed three overarching themes: (1) students valued collaborating and discussing with peers during quiz completion; (2) the feedback they received; and (3) learning from their mistakes. Students perceived making mistakes and disagreements with their partners as less enjoyable. Instructors mentioned the immediate feedback learners received, the active learner engagement, and learner confidence as the most beneficial attributes of the intervention. The overarching concern of instructors was the time it took to complete the quizzes, due to the already limited time available to cover course content. </p><p> Limitations of the study include the short data collection period resulting in limited exposure to the intervention, the uniqueness of the participants, and the inclusion of only upper-intermediate level books in the experiment. Future research should include all levels of the General English curriculum, participant scores from practice quizzes, and learner perceptions by culture group.</p>
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Kim, Youn-Hee 1979. "An investigation into variability of tasks and teacher-judges in second language oral performance assessment /." Thesis, McGill University, 2005. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=111931.
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Ziegler, Nathan E. "Task Based Assessment: Evaluating Communication in the Real World." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1192757581.
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Cox, Troy L. "Investigating Prompt Difficulty in an Automatically Scored Speaking Performance Assessment." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2013. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/3929.
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Speaking assessments for second language learners have traditionally been expensive to administer because of the cost of rating the speech samples. To reduce the cost, many researchers are investigating the potential of using automatic speech recognition (ASR) as a means to score examinee responses to open-ended prompts. This study examined the potential of using ASR timing fluency features to predict speech ratings and the effect of prompt difficulty in that process. A speaking test with ten prompts representing five different intended difficulty levels was administered to 201 subjects. The speech samples obtained were then (a) rated by human raters holistically, (b) rated by human raters analytically at the item level, and (c) scored automatically using PRAAT to calculate ten different ASR timing fluency features. The ratings and scores of the speech samples were analyzed with Rasch measurement to evaluate the functionality of the scales and the separation reliability of the examinees, raters, and items. There were three ASR timed fluency features that best predicted human speaking ratings: speech rate, mean syllables per run, and number of silent pauses. However, only 31% of the score variance was predicted by these features. The significance in this finding is that those fluency features alone likely provide insufficient information to predict human rated speaking ability accurately. Furthermore, neither the item difficulties calculated by the ASR nor those rated analytically by the human raters aligned with the intended item difficulty levels. The misalignment of the human raters with the intended difficulties led to a further analysis that found that it was problematic for raters to use a holistic scale at the item level. However, modifying the holistic scale to a scale that examined if the response to the prompt was at-level resulted in a significant correlation (r = .98, p < .01) between the item difficulties calculated analytically by the human raters and the intended difficulties. This result supports the hypothesis that item prompts are important when it comes to obtaining quality speech samples. As test developers seek to use ASR to score speaking assessments, caution is warranted to ensure that score differences are due to examinee ability and not the prompt composition of the test.
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Saito, Yukie. "Effects of Prosody-Based Instruction and Self-Assessment in L2 Speech Development." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2019. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/597863.
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Teaching & Learning<br>Ph.D.<br>The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of form-focused instruction (FFI) on prosody with or without self-assessment on the prosodic and global aspects of L2 speech by Japanese EFL learners using a pre-post design. In addition, native English speaking (NS) and non-native English speaking (NNS) raters with high levels of English proficiency were compared to examine the influence of raters’ L1 backgrounds on their comprehensibility ratings. Sixty-one Japanese university students from four intact English presentation classes participated in the study. The comparison group (n = 16) practiced making one-minute speeches in class (45 minutes x 8 times) without explicit instruction on prosody, while the two experimental groups (n = 17 for the FFI-only group; n = 28 for the FFI + SA group) received FFI on word stress, rhythm, and intonation, practiced the target prosodic features in communicative contexts, and received metalinguistic feedback from the instructor. In total, the experimental groups received six-hours of instruction in class, which was comparable to the comparison group. Additionally, the experimental groups completed homework three times; only the FFI + SA group recorded their reading performance and self-assessed it in terms of word stress, rhythm, and intonation. Three oral tasks were employed to elicit the participants’ speech before and after the treatment: reading aloud, one-minute speech, and picture description. The speech samples were rated for comprehensibility by NS and NNS raters and were also analyzed with four prosodic measurements: word stress, rhythm, pitch contour, and pitch range. Instructional effects on prosody were observed clearly. The FFI-only group improved their controlled production of rhythm and pitch contour, while the FFI + SA group significantly improved all of the prosodic features except pitch range. Moreover, the instructional gains for the FFI + SA group were not limited to the controlled task but transferred to the less-controlled tasks. The results showed differential instructional effects on the four prosodic aspects. The FFI in this study did not help the participants widen their pitch range. The FFI on prosody, which was focused on the cross-linguistic differences between Japanese and English, tended to be more effective in terms of improving rhythm and pitch contour, which were categorized as rule-based, than an item-based feature, word stress. The study offered mixed results regarding instructional effects on comprehensibility. The FFI-only group did not significantly improve comprehensibility despite their significant prosodic improvements on the reading aloud task. Their significant comprehensibility growth on the picture description task was not because of the development of prosody, but of other linguistic variables that influence comprehensibility such as speech rate. The FFI + SA group made significant gains for comprehensibility on the three tasks, but the effect sizes were small. This finding indicated that the effects of FFI with self-assessment on comprehensibility were limited due to the multi-faceted nature of comprehensibility. The data elicited from the post-activity questionnaires and students’ interviews revealed that not all the participants in the FFI + SA group reacted positively to the self-assessment practice. Individual differences such as previous learning experience and self-efficacy appeared to influence the learners’ perceptions of the self-assessment practice and possibly their instructional gains. The two groups of raters, L1 English raters (n = 6) and L2 English raters with advanced or native-like English proficiency (n = 6) did not differ in terms of consistency and severity. These findings indicated that NNS raters with high English proficiency could function as reliably as NS raters; however, the qualitative data revealed that the NS raters tended to be more sensitive to pronunciation, especially at the segmental level, across the three tasks compared to the NNS raters. This study provides evidence that FFI, especially when it is reinforced by self-assessment, has pedagogical value; it can improve learners’ production of English prosody in controlled and less-controlled speech, and these gains can in turn contribute to enhanced L2 comprehensibility.<br>Temple University--Theses
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Schultz, Lorie G. "Using The ABLLS with English Language Learners: Implications for Students and Teachers." Scholar Commons, 2003. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/1469.
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English language learners are traditionally behind in academics such as reading, math and science. Hispanics, who make up the vast majority of English language learners, tend to not enroll in pre-school or higher education, have higher dropout rates and as adults earn less than whites. Common instructional strategies used in public schools are not meeting the needs of these students. The field of TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) has typically offered a wide variety of poorly defined teaching strategies that are not based on empirical research. Within public schools, assessment tends to serve the purpose of qualifying students for ESOL services rather than being used to guide instruction. The present study examined using the Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills (ABLLS) with three English language learners in an elementary public school setting to discern its usefulness for teachers and students. Results showed that the ABLLS could be used for English language learners, and teachers generally liked the assessment information, although the current assessment may be too lengthy and time intensive to be practical for regular education settings. Also, it did not appear that reviewing the ABLLS assessment had much effect on teacher behavior in terms of changes in instructional strategies used for the three students, although teachers did indicate that they would target different skills as a result of viewing the assessment. Suggestions are made for developing a modified version of the ABLLS for use with English language learners. Possible trends in student data are examined, as well as possible teaching strategies that may be suggested by the ABLLS.
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Riddle, Shayna Auerbach. "Orthographic Skills in English Language Learners and Students with Learning Disabilities." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2017. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/443403.
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Special Education<br>Ph.D.<br>This study investigates orthographic skills in students with learning disabilities (LD), English Language Learning (ELL) students and their typical-achieving, native-English speaking (TYP) peers to help in the differentiation of these groups, and ultimately improve LD assessment for linguistically diverse students. A repeated-measures ANOVA was conducted to compare the effect of Group Type (LD, TYP, ELL) on the orthographic skills of 108 children as measured by the Words Their Way Primary Spelling Inventory on three administrations over the course of a school year. There were statistically significant differences between groups with medium and large effect sizes in all spelling inventory measures: Feature Points, Words Spelled Correct and Spelling Inventory Stage scores. In each grade and administration, the students in the LD group consistently had the lowest means and students in the TYP group had the highest means. On the Words Spelled Correct measure, there was a triple interaction with a medium to large effect size between the three groups by grade and over time. This interaction showed that in Kindergarten, both ELL students and students with LD score significantly lower than the TYP group. ELL students made substantial progress and by spring of first grade, they had similar scores to those of the TYP group. The LD group continued to have significantly lower scores than both other groups in first and second grades. A comparison of spring stage scores indicated significant differences between the ELL group and the TYP group in the number of students that were on or above grade level. There was also a significant difference between the number of students with spring spelling stages on or above grade level in the LD and the TYP group. However, there was not an equivalent difference between the LD and ELL groups. An analysis of student progress over the course of the school year found the rates of improvement in all three groups to be comparable, though the group means are consistently ranked with the LD group underperforming the ELL group and TYP group (LD <ELL <TYP). These important variations in how diverse students perform by grade and over time can inform both the instruction and assessment of students. In doing so, more well-designed pre-referral interventions can begin to correct problems of disproportionality of linguistically diverse students in special education.<br>Temple University--Theses
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Webb, Elizabeth L. "Improving the Academic Achievement of English Learners through Valid Interpretation and Use of Standardized Assessment Results." Thesis, University of West Georgia, 2018. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10977505.
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<p> This quantitative, quasi-experimental, <i>ex post facto</i> analysis examined the relationship between the English proficiency level (ELP) attained by English Learners in the state of Georgia in 2016 and 2017 and their performance on standardized core content assessments administered entirely in English. From the theoretical perspective of validity theory, the researcher investigated the alternative hypothesis that the results of standardized content assessments administered in English to English Learner students yield little meaningful data that can be interpreted and used with validity in and of themselves. To investigate this interpretation, the researcher analyzed 176,941 individual 2016 and 2017 Georgia Milestones Assessment System (GMAS) assessment records (N = 102,312 for 2016; 74,649 for 2017) matched to the corresponding ACCESS for ELLs scores (N = 34,420 for 2016; 35,805 for 2017), employing linear regression to quantify the degree to which ELP influenced English Learner students’ performance on standardized assessments in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies and to define the threshold proficiency level at which the preponderance of English Learners were able to score at the Developing and Proficient levels on the content assessments. </p><p>
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Chavez, Gina. "Examining the Reliability and Validity of ADEPT and CELDT: Comparing Two Assessments of Oral Language Proficiency for English Language Learners." Digital Commons at Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School, 2013. https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd/208.
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Few classroom measures of English language proficiency have been evaluated for reliability and validity. Researchers have examined the concurrent and predictive validity of an oral language test, titled A Developmental English Language Proficiency Test (ADEPT), and the relationship to the California English Language Development Test (CELDT) in the receptive/listening and expressive/speaking domains. Four years of retroactive data representing 392 student records were obtained from a local urban school district in Los Angeles County with a significant proportion of English language learners. After preparing the data file for analysis, data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) system. Cronbach’s alpha was used to analyze the internal consistency of ADEPT. Pearson r analysis was performed to examine concurrent validity and predictive validity. Findings indicated moderate to high correlation coefficients of internal consistency in the first three levels of ADEPT. Concurrent validity results varied depending on the school year. In the most recent school year, 2012–2013, positive moderate to strong correlations were found. This relationship was weaker in each previous year. Overall, correlations increased and remained positive as sample size increased but predictive validity was weak for all three sets of comparative years. These findings support the use of ADEPT as a multiple measure, as a monitoring tool and to inform instruction.
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Peng, Jui-ching Fion. "Peer assessment of oral presentation in an EFL context." [Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2009. http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3380148.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Literacy, Culture, and Language Education, 2009.<br>Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Jul 14, 2010). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-12, Section: A, page: 4650. Adviser: Larry Mikulecky.
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Iwamoto, Noriko. "Effects of L2 Affective Factors on Self-Assessment of Speaking." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2015. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/317188.
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Teaching & Learning<br>Ph.D.<br>This study was an investigation of the validity of students' self-assessment of L2 oral performance, the influences of L2 affective variables on their self-assessment bias, and the degree to which the influences of L2 affective variables differ between high and low proficiency learners. The participants were 389 science majors from two private Japanese universities. A questionnaire was administered using items based on the Attitude/Motivational Test Battery (Gardner, 1985), the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (Horwtiz et al., 1986), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965), Sick and Nagasaka's (2000) Willingness to Communicate Scale, and items designed to measure motivation adapted from Gardner, Tremblay, and Masgoret (1997), Yashima (2002), Irie (2005), and Matsuoka (2006). A factor analysis identified seven factors in the questionnaire data: Self-Esteem, L2 Speaking Anxiety, L2 Willingness to Communicate, Attitude Toward Learning to Speak English, L2 Speaking Motivational Intensity, Desire to Learn to Speak English, and L2 Speaking Self-Confidence. The scales were further validated using the Rasch rating scale model. Student oral interviews were recorded and rated by five English teachers using an oral assessment scale based on the Kanda English Proficiency Test (Bonk & Ockey, 2003).Immediately after the interviews were completed, the participants were asked to consider how they perceived their own speaking performance and they rated their own performance from their memory using the same oral assessment scale that the teacher raters used. The oral assessment scale included the descriptions of the oral performances that match each level. The participants read the descriptions of each level and chose a level that they thought matched their own performance. The study produced four main findings. First, a multi-faceted Rasch analysis revealed that the participants rated their own L2 speaking more severely than the teacher raters and that the students' self-assessments were neither reliable nor consistent. Second, self-assessment bias measures were calculated and used to test a hypothesized structural model of how affective factors influenced self-assessment bias. The hypothesized model showed poor fit to the data, possibly due to the poor reliability of the self-assessment measures. Multiple regression analyses conducted as a follow-up analysis revealed that participants with greater Desire to Learn to Speak English tended to underestimate and those with greater L2 Speaking Self-Confidence tended to overestimate their own speaking performance. Third, 106 participants whose self-ratings were similar to the teachers' ratings were compared with other students in order to examine their distinctive features. However, no significant differences in L2 oral proficiency or affective variable measures were found between the two. Therefore, those whose self-assessments agreed with teachers could have resulted in some agreements that occurred by chance alone. Finally, 100 higher proficiency students were compared with 100 lower proficiency students and the results showed that the higher proficiency students with greater Desire to Learn to Speak English generally underestimated their L2 speaking proficiency, while those with higher Self-Esteem and greater L2 Speaking Self-Confidence tended to overestimate it. Lower proficiency students with greater L2 Speaking Self-Confidence tended to overestimate their L2 speaking proficiency. The results suggest that the self-assessment of L2 speaking might not be a sufficiently reliable or consistent assessment tool. Therefore, if teachers are considering including self-assessment in a speaking class, self-assessment training should be conducted. Additionally, giving L2 learners more opportunities to speak the L2 can help them notice gaps between their productions and those of proficient speakers, which might lead to more accurate self-assessment. Second, although some studies utilized only one teacher-rater, five teacher raters in this study displayed a great deal of diversity and exhibited unique bias patterns, so multiple raters should be employed and Facets analyses should be employed because the multi-faceted Rasch model provides person ability estimates that are adjusted for rater bias. Finally, the use of multi-faceted Rasch analysis is useful for examining oral data because unlike raw scores, multi-faceted Rasch analysis provides detailed information concerning speaker ability, rater severity, and category difficulty. Moreover, while most researchers have utilized self-assessment raw scores, in this study bias measures of self-assessment were calculated using Facets, which indicated that the bias measures produced different outcomes compared with self-assessment scores.<br>Temple University--Theses
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Clayton, Christina Dick. "The Effect of Parent English Literacy Training on Student Achievement." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2005. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4973/.
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When the Bush administration set out to revolutionize public education through the requirements commanded by No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), framers of the legislation chose language that appeared inclusive of all students in U.S. schools. The law demands that English language learners take the mandated exams early in their academic careers in the United States even though research indicates most will fail due to lack of time to acquire sufficient language proficiently to demonstrate their learning on the exams. Viewed through a critical theory lens, the inclusive nature of NCLB is in fact, oppressing ELL students. One district in Texas The study involved ELL students in grades 1-12 in a school district in North Central Texas that uses its family literacy center as an intervention to aid ELL families in English language acquisition. Students fell into three categories: students and parents who attend the family literacy center English classes, students whose parents attend the family literacy center English classes but the students do not attend, and students and parents who do not attend the family literacy center English classes. The quantitative data for the study were reading and math Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) and Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) scores of ELL students administered by the district in spring 2005. The independent variable was attendance at the family literacy center English classes. A series of one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) and descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, homogeneity of variance) was applied to the data and significant differences were observed on only two measures of the TELPAS. The qualitative data were phenomenological interviews of teachers at the district-run family literacy center. Data derived from in-depth phenomenological interviews were between August and September 2005.
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Tatman, James J. "Culturally Responsive Leadership: Critical Pedagogy for English Language Proficiency." Youngstown State University / OhioLINK, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1616614308056987.
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Beckham, Semra. "Effects of Linguistic Modification Accommodation on High School English Language Learners’ Academic Performance." Thesis, NSUWorks, 2015. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/fse_etd/3.
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This applied dissertation was designed to explore the relationship between the language complexity of high school academic assessments and the language proficiency of English Language Learners (ELLs) in their academic achievement levels and to examine what accommodation strategies would be the most effective in reducing performance gaps between ELLs and non-ELLs that are due to language factors. Students designated ELL by the school where the study took place scored significantly lower than non-ELL students in teacher-created content area assessments and state-standardized tests. English for speakers of other languages accommodations, such as extended time in completing tasks and assessments and the use of dictionaries and glossaries, seemed to narrow the gap between ELLs and non-ELLs; however, the effect was not substantial.
Research was conducted to determine whether providing English for speakers of other languages linguistic modification accommodations increased student scores. Two groups of students participated in this research: the control group received the standard test, and the experimental group received the modified test. An original 10th-grade reading comprehension test normed on English-speaking students was administered to the control group and the linguistically modified version of the original test was administered to the experimental group. A comparison of the outcomes was assessed to find out whether there was a significant difference in academic achievement between the two groups. This quantitative study was followed by a qualitative study through student interviews to examine whether there was a relationship between the perceptions of ELLs on the usefulness of the accommodation types and their test scores.
An analysis of the data revealed that students with low English language proficiency may not understand the test questions they are expected to answer. As a result, their test scores may not be an accurate measure of the test item construct, but a measure of their limited English skills.
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Ando, Kimihito, and n/a. "Spoken communication and its assessment in large classes n upper secondary schools in Japan." University of Canberra. Education, 1987. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060601.151239.
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There is awareness and concern in Japan that
the process of teaching and learning English as a
foreign language in the school system does not produce
students who can communicate in the target language.
This is especially true of communication in the spoken
mode.
Attempts have been made to move towards more
communicative language teaching, despite constraints
such as large class size, compulsory use of
structurally-organized textbooks, and grammar-based
university entrance examinations. However, such
attempts do not seem to have been particularly
successful.
The purpose of this study is to suggest
modifications to the teaching of English in upper
secondary schools in Japan which could enable students
to develop their communicative competence and also to
consider implications for the assessment of spoken
communication.
Chapter I describes the scope and background of
the study.
Chapter II looks at the teaching of English in
upper secondary schools in Japan, discussing aspects
such as the place of English in the total school curriculum and constraints on the introduction of
spoken communicative activities.
Chapter III discusses the theory and practice of
the Communicative Approach to Language Teaching in the
English teaching context in Japan.
Chapter IV offers suggestions for incorporating
spoken communication in English lessons at upper
secondary school level.
In Chapter V, the problem of assessing oral
communicative performance is considered in practical
terms.
The final chapter highlights major constraints
and points to recent developments which may give an
impetus to a move towards more communicative teaching
of English as a foreign language in Japanese schools.
It is intended that this Study Report will
provide guidelines for the feasible introduction of
spoken communicative activities in large classes at
upper secondary level and that it will offer
practical suggestions for assessing students'
performance in such activities.
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Gustavsson, Sanna. "Assessing and grading pupils with dyslexia in English language teaching : A case study of English Language Teachers' insights on the matter." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för språk (SPR), 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-27679.
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This essay focuses on what impact developmental dyslexia has on assessment and grading in the second language teaching of English in the Swedish educational system. The data presented in this essay are based on six semi-structured interviews with English language teachers of lower and upper secondary schools from the south-eastern parts of Sweden. The interviews were conducted in Swedish, and the collected data have been translated into English. The inquiries of the interviews focused on the teachers' awareness of dyslexia and its impact on learning and teaching, as well as how they worked with and their considerations made when assessing and grading dyslexic pupils. The interviews specifically enquired what particular challenges arose in the assessment and grading process, what provided aid, and what could be done to provide further relief during this process. The results show that the assessment and grading of dyslexic pupils is similar to the general practice. The teachers do, however, accommodate the dyslexic pupils' needs in the teaching and carefully consider their difficulties when assessing and grading. The teachers use, for example, spelling programs and such technical aids to help them, to some extent, disregard dyslexic difficulties while assessing. However, results show how the teachers are not able to transfer their awareness of dyslexia and its implications into the assessment and grading situation, suggesting that the teachers' own ability to assess dyslexic pupils is somewhat inadequate.
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Yuen, Hon-ming Jacky, and 袁漢明. "Implementing peer assessment and self-assessment in a Hong Kong classroom." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1998. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31944966.
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Nave, Patience. "English as a Second Language: Evaluation of a Language Program Designed for & Implemented in the Colombian Oil Company's Research Institute." TopSCHOLAR®, 1989. https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/2692.
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An incredible proliferation of knowledge has generated a critical need for professionals in all fields to have access to current information and research results. Costs for study and research are extremely high, particularly in science fields, and most professionals seek to minimize loss in time and funds by avoiding duplication of efforts. Language is often a handicap, preventing the voluntary sharing of valuable information between individuals and countries, and many recognize the establishment of a universal language as a means of eliminating this unnecessary barrier. English is rapidly becoming accepted as a universal means of communication, but those who seek the skill often cannot afford the time to commit themselves to years of study to acquire it. To meet the needs of such a group of scientists in Bucaramanga Colombia, a program for study in English communicative competence was designed, implemented and evaluated in 1988, through the cooperative efforts of Western Kentucky University and Instituto Colombiano del Petroleo.
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Li, Ka-pui, and 李家珮. "The role of teacher feedback in enhancing student motivation in English school-based assessment." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2010. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B45175846.
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Balizet, S. ("Sha") G. "A dynamic simulation assessment of english as a second language students' academic readiness an initial validation of a university admissions tool /." [Tampa, Fla.] : University of South Florida, 2005. http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/SFE0001245.
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Sundqvist, Pia. "Extramural English Matters : Out-of-School English and Its Impact on Swedish Ninth Graders' Oral Proficiency and Vocabulary." Doctoral thesis, Karlstads universitet, Avdelningen för språk, 2009. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-4880.
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The present study examines possible effects of extramural English (EE) on oral proficiency (OP) and vocabulary (VOC). The study is based on data collected from Swedish learners of ESL in grade 9 (aged 15-16; N=80; 36 boys, 44 girls) over a period of one year. EE was defined as linguistic activities that learners engage in outside the classroom in their spare time. EE was measured with the help of a questionnaire and two language diaries, each covering one week. In the diaries, the learners recorded how much time they had spent on seven given EE activities (reading books, reading newspapers/magazines, watching TV, watching films, surfing the Internet, playing video games, listening to music). There was also an open category. Speech data were collected with the help of five interactional speaking tests; learners were in random dyads on each occasion. Each student performance was assessed by three raters with the help of a profile scheme, resulting in an overall grade. Based on these grades from the tests, a mean grade for OP (the OP grade) was calculated for each student. OP was defined as the learner’s ability to speak and use the target language in actual communication with an interlocutor. Learners’ VOC was measured with an index variable based on the scores on two written vocabulary tests. For a selection of ten learners, additional analyses were made of oral fluency and the use of advanced vocabulary in speech. A mixed methods research design was used, but the lion’s share of data was analyzed using inferential statistics. Results showed that the total amount of time spent on EE correlated positively and significantly (p < .01) both with learners’ level of OP and size of VOC, but that the correlation between EE and VOC was stronger and more straightforward than the one between EE and OP. The conclusion drawn was that although EE impacts both OP and VOC, the causal relationship is more salient in the case of VOC. Results also showed that some activities were more important than others for OP and VOC respectively; i.e., the type of EE activity mattered. EE activities that required learners to be more productive and rely on their language skills (video games, the Internet, reading) had a greater impact on OP and VOC than activities where learners could remain fairly passive (music, TV, films). An important gender difference was identified. Boys spent significantly more time on productive EE activities than girls; therefore, EE had a greater impact on OP and VOC for boys than for girls. Four background variables were also studied. The conclusion was that EE is an independent variable and a possible path to progress in English for any learner, regardless of his or her socioeconomic background.
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Colby, D. Christian. "Using "assessment for learning" practices with pre-university level students of English as a Second Language: a mixed methods study of teacher and student performance and beliefs." Thesis, McGill University, 2011. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=103517.
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The use of assessment to foster learning has become established in classroom settings in recent years, where it has drawn considerable research interest, as learners have come to take more responsibility for their learning. The Language Testing (LT) community has recently called for more research into advances in alternative assessment practices (Brookhart, 2005; Fox 2009; Harlen & Winter, 2004; McNamara 2001a, 2001b; Pellegrino et al., 2001; Poehner and Lantolf 2005; Rea-Dickins 2004; Shohamy, 2004; Turner, 2009). The present research reports on an exploratory study incorporating treatment and control groups, in which assessment for learning (AFL) principles were applied in two pre-university English for academic purposes (EAP) classes. The study focussed on student learning of a grammatical feature (the use of would and will in contingent use contexts) as a vehicle for investigating AFL. The study has sought to (a) interpret AFL by developing AFL procedures appropriate to a second language (L2) classroom, (b) apply these AFL procedures in an L2 classroom setting, and (c) investigate their effect on learning, and in addition, to investigate for evidence of the assessment bridge (AB), the area of classroom practice linking assessment, teaching, and learning. An AFL methodology for L2 settings was developed for the study in the form of teacher training. The AFL pedagogical materials included computer-assisted language learning (CALL), an online individual, group and teacher-class concept mapping exercises. The data collection instruments included the concept maps produced, classroom observation field notes, transcribed group and class discourse, teacher and student survey questionnaires, and pre- and post-treatment tests to indicate trends. The data were analyzed by mixed methods and the results triangulated. The results found evidence of several instances of the AB and suggest that the application of AFL procedures may have enhanced student learning of the modal usage in question. This study reporting concludes with a call for a research agenda in the LT community for further study of applications of an AFL approach in EAP classroom settings.<br>Dans les dernières années, le recours à l'évaluation pour favoriser l'apprentissage est devenu une pratique courante dans les salles de classe. Cela a eu pour effet de créer un intérêt grandissant pour la recherche, puisque les apprenants prennent davantage leur apprentissage en main. La communauté des chercheurs en évaluation des langues a récemment demandé que plus de recherches soient faites sur les progrès dans le domaine des pratiques d'évaluation alternatives. (Brookhart, 2005; Fox 2009; Harlen & Winter, 2004; McNamara 2001a, 2001b; Pellegrino et al., 2001; Poehner et Lantolf 2005; Rea-Dickins 2004; Shohamy, 2004; Turner, 2009). La présente recherche fait état d'une étude exploratoire qui incorpore des groupes expérimentaux et contrôles, dans lesquels les principes de l'évaluation pour l'apprentissage (EPA) ont été appliqués et ce, dans deux cours d'anglais pour des études au niveau préuniversitaire. L'étude s'est appuyée sur l'apprentissage par les étudiants d'un trait grammatical (l'utilisation de would et will dans un contexte hypothétique) comme véhicule pour étudier l'EPA. Cette étude a cherché à (a) interpréter l'EPA en développant des procédures d'EPA appropriées pour une classe de langue seconde, (b) appliquer ces procédures dans une classe de langue seconde, et (c) étudier leur effet sur l'apprentissage, en plus de chercher des cas de pont évaluatif (PE), cette zone de la pratique pédagogique faisant le lien entre l'évaluation, l'enseignement et l'apprentissage. Dans le cadre de cette étude, une méthodologie de l'EPA dans un contexte de langue seconde a été développée sous la forme d'une formation des enseignants et le matériel pédagogique qui a été utilisé, incluait l'enseignement assisté par ordinateur (EAO), ainsi que 3 exercices de schématisation conceptuelle: individuel en-ligne, en petits groupes et en classe avec la participation de l'enseignant. Les instruments de collecte de données incluaient les schémas conceptuels produits, les notes d'observation prises en classe, la transcription des discussions de groupe et de classe, les questionnaires de sondages menés auprès des étudiants et des enseignants, ainsi que les prétests et les post-tests afin de démontrer certaines tendances. Les données ont été analysées utilisant une méthodologie mixte et les résultats triangulés. Ces derniers ont mis en évidence plusieurs occurrences du PE et ont suggéré que l'application des procédures d'EPA aurait aidé les étudiants dans leur apprentissage de cette forme grammaticale. Ce rapport d'étude recommande donc à la communauté des chercheurs en évaluation des langues de mener des recherches plus exhaustives au sujet des applications d'une approche de l'EPA dans le domaine des cours d'anglais.
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Nadjafi, Yagana. "Understanding the Knowledge Requirements for English 6 -Four Teachers’ Interpretations of the Terms "Relatively Varied" and "Well-grounded and Balanced" in Students’ Written Production." Thesis, Örebro universitet, Institutionen för humaniora, utbildnings- och samhällsvetenskap, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-75548.
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This paper presents a qualitative study with semi-structured interviews investigating 1) How teachers in the course English 6 interpret the terms "relatively varied" and "well-grounded and balanced", and how their interpretations differed, 2) How do the teachers interpret the terms in relations to the National Agency for Education’s commentary material?, and 3) What kind of resources do the teachers use to understand those terms? The reason for conducting this research is to gain a greater understanding of how teachers in the course English 6 in upper secondary school interpret the terms in the requirements. The terms in our requirements leave a lot of room for interpretations, and I want to find out how teachers with experiences of teaching interpret the terms in order to better understand how they can be interpret. My finding revealed that three out of four of the interviewed teachers did not mention the terms in their description of them, they brought in other aspects from the requirements, and did not address neither of the terms clearly. This applied to all the teachers, except for T4. The teacher that did address the terms was the only one who read the National Agency’s commentary material, therefore T4’s interpretations of the term aligned closest to the description in the commentary material. From the answers the teachers provided me with, they seemed to interpret the requirements in their own way and this is a validity and reliability issue when assessing the students’ texts. The teachers answers are also discussed from a norm-referenced perspective.
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Morgan, Leanne. "Grade one teachers methods of teaching pre-reading skills to second language learners in an inner-city school." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/62892.
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Education is a fundamental precondition for progress and growth in South Africa (Spaull, 2011, p. 1). Literacy opens the doors to better livelihoods, improved health and expanded opportunity (UNESCO, 2011). Illiteracy is a serious constraint to improving education standards in South Africa. Prominent research studies stress the low levels of reading ability across the country. At the onset of Grade One, pre-reading skills are taught. Pre-reading skills are foundational skills and essential for later reading success. Teachers in English Second Language environments face the daunting challenge of teaching learners to read in a foreign language. This qualitative research study, which was conducted at a low-fee private school in Pretoria Central Business district, aimed to explore the methods that educators were using to teach second language English Learners (ESL) pre-reading skills. Data collected from semi-structured interviews, lesson observations and document analysis revealed that educators had a limited theoretical knowledge of pre-reading skills due to a lack of tertiary education and curriculum training. Numerous methods of teaching pre-reading skills were identified during pre-reading lesson observations. The synthetic phonics approach, multisensory teaching, using dramatization and subtractive bilingualism were methods of instruction used to develop phonemic awareness and English oral language competency. The study highlighted the numerous challenges faced by ESL teaching working in a low-socioeconomic environment and the ways in which the teachers overcame these challenges. Based on this study’s results, recommendations are provided to enhance the teaching of pre-reading skills to ESL learners.<br>Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2017.<br>Educational Psychology<br>MEd<br>Unrestricted
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Lindqvist, Robert, and Jesper Shuja. "Attitudes to Assessment." Thesis, Malmö högskola, Lärarutbildningen (LUT), 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-35838.
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This explorative research paper looks at the attitudes and experiences of four EFL teachers towards assessment of English as a foreign language. The study was carried out using qualitative research with semi-structured interviews. The paper discusses factors that impact attitudes towards assessment. Our findings show that assessment is affected by a variety of factors, including colleagues, the head teacher and guiding documents. Furthermore, this paper identifies the need for more teacher education regarding the process of assessment, specifically formative assessment.
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Greer, Brittney. "Assisting Novice Raters in Addressing the In-Between Scores When Rating Writing." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2013. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/4066.
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In the research regarding rating ESL writing assessments, borderline writing samples are mentioned, but a solution has yet to be addressed. Borderline samples are writing samples that do not perfectly fit a set level within the rubric, but instead have characteristics from multiple levels. The aim of this thesis is to provide an improved training module in the setting of an Intensive English Program by exposing new raters to borderline samples and rating rationale from experienced raters. The purpose of this training is to increase the confidence, consistency, and accuracy of novice raters when rating borderline samples of writing. The training consists of a workbook with a rubric and instructions for use, benchmark examples of writing, borderline examples of writing with comments from experienced raters defending the established scores, then a variety of writing samples for practice. The selection of the benchmark and the borderline examples of writing was informed by the fit statistic from existing datasets that had been analyzed with many-facet Rasch measurement. Eight experienced raters participated in providing rationale based upon the rubric explaining why each borderline sample was rated with its established score, and describing why the sample could be considered at a different level. In order to assess the effectiveness of the training workbook, it was piloted by 10 novice raters who rated a series of essays and responded to a survey. Results of the survey demonstrated that rater confidence increased following the training, but that they needed more time with the training materials to use them properly. The statistical analyses showed insignificant changes, which could be due to the limitations of the data collection. Further research regarding the effectiveness of this training workbook is necessary, as well as an increased discussion in the field regarding the prevalent issue of rating borderline samples of writing.
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Dunstan, Jason A. "Creating a New, Level-based Composition Placement Test at a Growing IEP." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1413992871.
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Henriksson, Johan. "Self-regulation and the motivation to achieve : A quantitative study on the effects of self-regulation strategies and motivation on learning English at an upper secondary school in Sweden." Thesis, Stockholms universitet, Engelska institutionen, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-144051.
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The Swedish National Agency for Education recently begun explicitly promoting teaching through self-regulation strategies in national steering documents intended for teachers, following a number of other countries world wide (Skolverket, 2012; LGY 11; Dalland & Klette, 2016). The goal of self-regulation strategies is for the students to take control of their own learning process, and though there is research on the benefits of self-regulation strategies and motivation, these ideas are based on abstract concepts and biological processes in the brain, that are very difficult to measure (Zimmerman, 1990; Hattie, 2012; Simpson & Balsam, 2016; Schumann, 2004). As such, more research on these strategies is warranted, and little has been done to evaluate their effects on Swedish upper secondary school students. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to attempt to operationalize the theoretical concepts of self-regulation strategies in order to calculate the correlation between students perceived usage of self-regulation strategies, and English performance, with a special focus on motivation. This was done by operationalizing motivation and self-regulation strategies into six variables based on previous research, and then surveying 40 English 05 (year one) students at Enskilda Gymnasiet upper secondary school in Stockholm, and then running correlation tests with their grades from a grammar test the week after the survey, as well as with their overall grade from the previous year. The results showed almost no statistically significant correlations between the students´ grades, and the students self-reported usage of self-regulation strategies. The exception was a statistically significant positive correlation between high levels of intrinsic motivation and good grades. The causes of these results are not specified within the parameters of this research project, however, it could be that there simply were no correlations between the perceived usage of self-regulation strategies and performance due to the strategies not having an effect on performance, or because the strategies were not being used properly. However, it could also be that the operationalizing of the variables in the questionnaire did not generate accurate levels of usage of these strategies. Either way, the results of this essay stress the need for further research that evaluates the effect of self-regulation strategies and motivation on learning English.
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Al, Ismaili Anwar A. S. "Ensuring the context validity of English reading tests for academic purposes (EAP) in Oman." Thesis, University of Bradford, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/15710.
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Students entering academic programmes are frequently overwhelmed by the demand for extensive reading and comprehension of information derived from multiple and contrasting sources. This entails both careful and expeditious reading. The latter has been generally neglected in research and has not been the focus of many tests. Both types of reading were investigated in this study through a validation process of the summative English reading test for academic purposes taken at the end of the Foundation Programme in Oman. In particular, context validity was established through focusing on the interaction between the linguistic demands and task setting parameters and also the cognitive processes through which the students engaged with the test tasks. To establish the context validity of the test, this study adopted Khalifa and Weir’s (2009) model which not only embraced the complex and multi-componential nature of reading but also provided a workable validation framework. A multi-strategy approach was adopted. A natural experiment utilising Verbal Protocol Analysis captured the cognitive processes through which students engaged in reading. Automated analysis software and opinions of expert judges were used to compare test passages with text extracts drawn from first year academic courses. Correlation tests and factor analysis revealed these cognitive processes and established the robustness of the Khalifa and Weir (2009) model, which was thus validated in a second language context. Passages in the foundation tests were found to be generally representative of academic texts although certain features such as abstractness were under-represented.