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Author: Anthony Green
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2007-11-29
Total Pages: 15
ISBN-13: 052169292X
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThis volume investigates the washback of the IELTS Writing test on English for Academic Purposes provision.
Author: Liying Cheng
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2004-02-04
Total Pages: 298
ISBN-13: 1135643032
DOWNLOAD EBOOKWashback refers to the influence of language testing on teaching and learning. This volume, at the important intersection of language testing and teaching practices, presents theoretical, methodological, and practical guidance for current and future washback studies. In the field of language testing, researchers' major interest has traditionally been focused on issues and solving problems inherent in tests in order to increase their reliability and validity. However, the washback effect goes well beyond the test itself to include factors, such as curriculum, teacher and learner behaviors inside and outside the classroom, their perceptions of the test, and how test scores are used. Only recently have researchers started to empirically investigate the phenomenon of washback. This volume of such research serves two essential purposes by: *providing an overview of the complexity of washback and the various contextual factors entangled within testing, teaching, and learning; and *presenting empirical studies from around the world that offer insights into the effects of washback in specific educational contexts and models of research on which future studies can be based. The extensive use of test scores for various educational and social purposes in society nowadays makes the washback effect a high-interest phenomenon in the day-to-day educational activities of teachers, researchers, program coordinators/directors, policymakers, and others in the field of education. Washback in Language Testing: Research Contexts and Methods is a valuable resource for those who are interested in the application of findings to actual teaching and learning situations or conduct washback research in their own contexts, including educational and psychological testing experts, as well as alternative assessment people in all fields, and for policy- and decision-makers in educational and testing organizations.
Author: Liying Cheng
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2005-10-06
Total Pages: 350
ISBN-13: 9780521544733
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThere has been growing interest in recent years in the influence of tests on teaching and learning - a phenomenon commonly referred to as 'washback'. Despite persistent assertions about its nature and scope, empirical studies investigating test washback are still limited in number, and few of these make use of both qualitative and quantitative methods in washback research. This volume presents a study of how the introduction of the 1996 Hong Kong Certificate of Education in English - a high stakes public examination - impacted on classroom teaching and learning in Hong Kong secondary schools. The washback effect was observed initially at the larger 'macro' level, among different stakeholder groups within the Hong Kong educational context; and also at the more local 'micro' level, in terms of teachers' attitudes, teaching content and classroom interactions. This study: provides a theoretical background to the washback concept, discusses the need for empirical investigation of washback, describes the use of a mixed methodology approach in washback research, offers insights into the role of tests as agents of innovation and change in the classroom and broader educational context. This volume will be of particular relevance to language test developers and researchers interested in the consequential validity of tests; it will also be of interest to teachers, curriculum designers, policymakers and others in education concerned with the interface between language testing and teaching practices/programs. Book jacket.
Author: Glenn Fulcher
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Published: 2021-12-15
Total Pages: 675
ISBN-13: 1000464660
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThis second edition of The Routledge Handbook of Language Testing provides an updated and comprehensive account of the area of language testing and assessment. The volume brings together 35 authoritative articles, divided into ten sections, written by 51 leading specialists from around the world. There are five entirely new chapters covering the four skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking, as well as a new entry on corpus linguistics and language testing. The remaining 30 chapters have been revised, often extensively, or entirely rewritten with new authorship teams at the helm, reflecting new generations of expertise in the field. With a dedicated section on technology in language testing, reflecting current trends in the field, the Handbook also includes an extended epilogue written by Harding and Fulcher, contemplating what has changed between the first and second editions and charting a trajectory for the field of language testing and assessment. Providing a basis for discussion, project work, and the design of both language tests themselves and related validation research, this Handbook represents an invaluable resource for students, researchers, and practitioners working in language testing and assessment and the wider field of language education.
Author: Anthony Green
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2013-10-01
Total Pages: 210
ISBN-13: 1134516622
DOWNLOAD EBOOKRoutledge Introductions to Applied Linguistics is a series of introductory level textbooks covering the core topics in Applied Linguistics, primarily designed for those beginning postgraduate studies, or taking an introductory MA course as well as advanced undergraduates. Titles in the series are also ideal for language professionals returning to academic study. The books take an innovative 'practice to theory' approach, with a 'back-to-front' structure. This leads the reader from real-world problems and issues, through a discussion of intervention and how to engage with these concerns, before finally relating these practical issues to theoretical foundations. Additional features include tasks with commentaries, a glossary of key terms, and an annotated further reading section. Exploring Language Assessment and Testing is a straightforward introduction to the field that provides an inclusive and impartial survey of both classroom based assessment by teachers and larger scale testing, using concrete examples to guide students to the relevant literature. Ranging from theory to classroom based scenarios, the author provides practical guidance on designing, developing and using assessments, with flexible, step by step processes for improving the quality of tests and assessment systems to make them fairer and more accurate. This book is an indispensable introduction to the areas of language assessment and testing, and will be of interest to language teachers as well as postgraduate and advanced undergraduate students studying Language Education, Applied Linguistics and Language Assessment.
Author: Dina Tsagari
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Published: 2016-03-07
Total Pages: 462
ISBN-13: 1614513821
DOWNLOAD EBOOKSecond language assessment is ubiquitous. It has found its way from education into questions about access to professions and migration. This volume focuses on the main debates and research advances in second language assessment in the last fifty years or so, showing the influence of linguistics, politics, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and psychometrics. There are four parts which, when taken together, address the principles and practices of second language assessment while considering its impact on society. Read separately, each part addresses a different aspect of the field. Part I deals with the conceptual foundations of second language assessment with chapters on the purposes of assessment, and standards and frameworks, as well as matters of scoring, quality assurance, and test validation. Part II addresses the theory and practice of assessing different second language skills including aspects like intercultural competence and fluency. Part III examines the challenges and opportunities of second language assessment in a range of contexts. In addition to chapters on second language assessment on a national scale, there are chapters on learning-oriented assessment, as well as the uses of second language assessment in the workplace and for migration. Part IV examines a selection of important issues in the field that deserve attention. These include the alignment of language examinations to external frameworks, the increasing use of technology to both deliver and score second language tests, the responsibilities associated with assessing test takers with special needs, the concept of 'voice' in second language assessment, and assessment literacy for teachers and other test and score users.
Author: Antony John Kunnan
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Published: 2024-10-01
Total Pages: 725
ISBN-13: 1394179596
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThe Concise Companion to Language Assessment provides a state-of-the-art overview of the crucial areas of language assessment, teaching, and learning. Edited by one of the foremost scholars in the field, The Concise Companion combines newly commissioned articles on innovations in assessment with a selection of chapters from The Companion to Language Assessment, the landmark four-volume reference work first published in 2013. Presented in eight themes, The Concise Companion addresses a broad range of language assessment methods, issues, and contexts. Forty-five chapters cover assessment conceptualization, development, research, and policy, as well as recent changes in language assessment technology, learning-oriented assessment, teacher-based assessment, teacher assessment literacy, plurilingual assessment, assessment for immigration, and more. Exploring the past, present, and future possibilities of the dynamic field, The Concise Companion to Language Assessment: Contains dedicated chapters on listening, speaking, reading writing, vocabulary, pronunciation, intercultural competence, and other language skills Describes fundamental assessment design and scoring guidelines, as well as advanced concepts in scenario-based assessment and automated performance scoring Provides insights on different assessment environments, such as classrooms, universities, employment, immigration, and healthcare Covers various qualitative and quantitative research methods, including introspective methods, classical reliability, and structural equation modeling Discusses the impacts of colonialism and discrimination on the history of language assessment Explores the use of AI in writing evaluation, plagiarism and cheating detection, and other assessment contexts Sure to become a standard text for the next generation of applied linguistics students, The Concise Companion to Language Assessment is an invaluable textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses in applied linguistics, language assessment, TESOL, second language acquisition, and language policy.
Author: Parisa Safaei
Publisher:
Published: 2023
Total Pages: 0
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThis study investigated the interactiveness of IELTS academic writing tasks and their washback on EFL teachers' test preparation practices. Adopting a convergent parallel mixed-methods research design, this study looked into the reality of academic writing in real-life contexts and examined the degree of consistency between the test, target language use requirements, and test preparation content. It further examined the teacher factor to explore the direction and intensity of IELTS washback effect on teachers' choice of materials, class activities, and teaching methodology in their test preparation courses. Eighteen teachers and 143 students from IELTS preparation courses in four language schools participated in this study. Qualitative data collection for this study involved an analysis of task characteristics conducted on sample IELTS academic writing tasks, representative academic writing tasks in the target context of use, and classroom tasks; classroom observations, and focus-group teacher interviews. Quantitative data collection included data from two teacher questionnaires and two student questionnaires. Data was analyzed in two phases and triangulated in order to respond to the research questions. Overall, it was seen that despite shared features between IELTS writing and real-life academic writing, there are major divergences between Target Language Use (TLU) and test tasks. It was argued that given the extensive scope of test-taker demographic and wide applicability of IELTS, adequate engagement of all TLU features would pose a practicality challenge for the design of IELTS. Findings pointed to prominent differences between IELTS and university writing at various levels as far as interactiveness was concerned, such as the degree of intended metacognitive engagement via task interdependence, affective engagement, and strategy use. With regards to washback, the interpretation linked some test design features to the teachers' exam preparation practices, highlighting the narrowing of the curriculum due to the pressures imposed by the exam, as well as beneficial outcomes of IELTS exam preparation on the teachers' behavior, which would ultimately benefit the learners. Factors such as teachers' opinions of the exam, their teaching philosophy, pressures from administration and student expectations, among others, caused washback variability, influencing the intensity and direction of exam effects on teaching practices. The implications of the study include the importance of research evidence and assessment literacy in shaping realistic expectations and fair practices in standardized language tests, particularly for admitting international students to universities. The study suggests adopting a comprehensive framework of academic literacy and considering multiple criteria, such as interviews, personal statements, and writing samples, for assessing applicants. It also highlights the need for assessment literacy among teachers and other stakeholders to understand the limitations and impacts of high-stakes exams. The implications further explore the potential for professional development opportunities, collaborative learning communities, and access to high-quality resources to enhance language assessment literacy. The findings also emphasize the role of teachers in guiding students and influencing the positive and negative effects of high-stakes exams.
Author: Shaila Sultana
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2020-12-17
Total Pages: 688
ISBN-13: 1000208842
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThis Handbook is a comprehensive overview of English language education in Bangladesh. Presenting descriptive, theoretical, and empirical chapters as well as case studies, this Handbook, on the one hand, provides a comprehensive view of the English language teaching and learning scenario in Bangladesh, and on the other hand comes up with suggestions for possible decolonisation and de-eliticisation of English in Bangladesh. The Handbook explores a wide range of diverse endogenous and exogenous topics, all related to English language teaching and learning in Bangladesh, and acquaints readers with different perspectives, operating from the macro to the micro levels. The theoretical frameworks used are drawn from applied linguistics, education, sociology, political science, critical geography, cultural studies, psychology, and economics. The chapters examine how much generalisability the theories have for the context of Bangladesh and how the empirical data can be interpreted through different theoretical lenses. There are six sections in the Handbook covering different dynamics of English language education practices in Bangladesh, from history, policy and practice to assessment, pedagogy and identity. It is an invaluable reference source for students, researchers, and policy makers interested in English language, ELT, TESOL, and applied linguistics.
Author: Lily I-Wen Su
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2019-11-19
Total Pages: 219
ISBN-13: 1351254006
DOWNLOAD EBOOKAs the demand for English language education grows in Asia, there has been a parallel growth in the development and implementation of standardized tests at the local level. Offering much-needed context on locally produced tests in Asia, contributors examine emerging models for English language assessment and the impact these large-scale tests have on the teaching and learning of English. Chapters address the following well-known and developing high-stakes tests in different regions across Asia: the GEPT, the TEPS, the VSTEP, the CET, the EIKEN and TEAP, and the ELPA. Brought together by world-renowned testing assessment scholar Cyril Weir and the Language Training and Testing Center (LTTC), one of Asia’s leading testing institutions based in Taiwan, this volume is a useful reference for evaluating, developing, and validating local tests of English and their societal impact. Comprehensive and research-based, chapters cover historic backgrounds, sociocultural contexts, test quality, international standing, and future considerations. Ideal for graduate students, researchers, and scholars in language assessment, TESOL/TEFL, and applied linguistics, this book will also be of interest to language teaching professionals, language test developers, and graduate students in Asian studies and international education, intercultural communication, and intercultural studies.
