Use of the TOEFL as a Standard for University Admission: A Position Statement by the Canadian Psychological Association

1998 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marvin L. Simner
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Position Statement ◽  
Considerable Evidence ◽  
Canadian Universities ◽  
Weak Relationship ◽  
University Admission ◽  
Canadian Psychological Association

Nearly all Canadian universities employ, as a standard for university admission, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). In light of considerable evidence indicating only a weak relationship between TOEFL scores and academic achievement, the Canadian Psychological Association recently issued a report containing a position statement that called upon Canadian universities to refrain from employing the TOEFL in this manner. Because the concerns raised in the report are likely to apply to many universities outside Canada, the entire report is reproduced in this article.

Reply to the Universities' Reaction to the Canadian Psychological Association's Position Statement on the Test of English as a Foreign Language

1999 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 284-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marvin L. Simner
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Present Report ◽  
Position Statement ◽  
Admissions Screening ◽  
Admission Decisions ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Educational Testing Service ◽  
Screening Device ◽  
University Officials ◽  
Canadian Psychological Association

Summary: The Canadian Psychological Association recently issued a position statement on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The purpose of the statement was to alert university officials to serious shortcomings in the use of the TOEFL as an admissions screening device for nonnative English speaking applicants. The present report, written in response to reactions from several universities, contains a detailed critique of the evidence cited by the Educational Testing Service in favor of the TOEFL and therefore provides further reason for exercising considerable caution when making admission decisions based primarily on TOEFL scores.

The Application of American Models to the Experiences and Outcomes of Canadian and International Students Studying in Canada

2005 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Paul Grayson
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
International Students ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Student Outcomes ◽  
First Year ◽  
Program Satisfaction ◽  
Canadian Universities ◽  
General Utility ◽  
American Students ◽  
The Us

In order to test the general utility of models developed in the US for explaining university outcomes of Canadian and international students, a three year study is currently underway at four Canadian universities. As a first step in this research, a pilot study with two objectives was conducted at York University in Toronto. The first objective is to compare the experiences and outcomes of domestic and international students in their first year of study. The second objective is to test the applicability of a parsimonious general model of student outcomes derived from examinations of American students to Canadian and international students studying in Canada. The specific outcomes examined are academic achievement, credit completion, and program satisfaction in the first year of study.

scholarly journals Deberes escolares y rendimiento académico en Educación Primaria

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Valle ◽  
Irene Pan ◽  
José C. Núñez ◽  
Pedro Rosário ◽  
Susana Rodríguez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Mathematics Achievement ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Primary Education ◽  
Predictive Variables ◽  
Time Optimization ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Educación Primaria ◽  
The Relationship

This paper analyzes the relationship between homework behavior and academic achievement using a sample of students from the last three years of primary education. The variables associated with student involvement in homework were the <em>amount of homework completed</em>, <em>the time spent on</em><em> homework,</em> and <em>homework time optimization</em>, while <em>academic achievement</em> was estimated based on the grades in mathematics and foreign language (english). The possible effect of the course and gender when calculating the level of predictive variables concerning the homework on academic achievement was analyzed. The results indicated that the amount of homework done and the optimization of the time dedicated at homework significantly and positively predicted academic performance in both subjects.  However, the amount of time spent on homework was not relevant. Finally, while gender was not statistically significant in predicting academic achievement, the course itself was statistically significant: as the course advances the mathematics achievement tends to diminish.

scholarly journals Exploring the Unknown: The Autonomy of Saudi EFL Learners

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fakieh Alrabai
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
T Test ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Saudi Students ◽  
Standardized Achievement Tests

This study addresses a new area of research in Saudi Arabia. Using a sample of 630 Saudi students, it investigates learners’ level of autonomy and its relationship to academic achievement in English as a foreign language (EFL). Learners’ level of autonomy was measured by a survey, whereas their achievement was evaluated using standardized achievement tests. The data were analyzed using descriptive analyses and a t-test. The findings revealed that learners were non-autonomous, with a mean autonomy score of 2.35 out of 5; and also low language achievers (M = 66 out of 100). Gender had a significant effect on autonomy and achievement. These findings emphasize the vast lack of awareness of the vital role of learner autonomy in the Saudi EFL setting. The study suggests that Saudi learners and teachers alike require increased awareness of the importance of the concept of autonomy and that practical means to promote Saudi EFL learner autonomy should be sought and practiced.

The Effect of Homework Assignment on Preparatory School Students’ Achievement in Learning English as a Foreign Language

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-67
Author(s):  
Dr. Ramadan Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Study Habits ◽  
Homework Assignment ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
School Students ◽  
Preparatory School ◽  
Positive Study ◽  
Home And School ◽  
Learning English

The practice of assigning homework assignment is a polarizing issue that has been extensively studied in different countries and at various levels of education. Despite the massive amount of research on this particular topic, there is still debate about its effectiveness on students’ achievement. This study therefore, was aimed to investigate this issue and determine its impact on academic achievement of preparatory school students. To collect the data required, six preparatory school teachers were interviewed in a semi-structured way. Analysing the data obtained came up with a number of interesting and fascinating findings. Homework assignment has a direct and influential influence on students’ progression in learning a second/foreign language. It helps students to strengthen the skills they learn at school, build on that their understanding and knowledge and use it in preparation for future lessons. Moreover, doing homework assignment regularly helps in establishing positive study-habits which in turn help in creating self-dependent learners. Another interesting finding is that homework assignment can be exploited to establish an efficient and beneficial link between home and school.

Is the relation between phonological memory and foreign language learning accounted for by vocabulary acquisition?

1995 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabet Service ◽  
Viljo Kohonen
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Phonological Memory ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Essay Writing ◽  
Fixed Order

ABSTRACTIn an earlier study, Service (1992) found that phonological short-term memory, reflected in the ability to repeat English-sounding pseudowords, was a good predictor of learning English as a foreign language over a period of three school years. This study attempts to find out to what extent foreign vocabulary learning is the critical learning process related to pseudoword repetition accuracy. Regression analyses on repetition data and learning measures revealed significant correlations between pseudoword repetition and foreign language learning, even after a measure of general academic achievement had been partialed out. In a fixed-order multiple regression analysis – with predictors entered in the order of general academic achievement, foreign language vocabulary, and pseudoword repetition – no additional variance in any foreign language measure studied could be accounted for by pseudoword repetition in the third step. When vocabulary in the second step was replaced by performance in foreign language essay writing or the correct reproduction of dictated discourse – both highly related to overall foreign language performance – repetition significantly increased the proportion of accounted variance, especially for two foreign language vocabulary tasks and a listening comprehension task. Phonological memory may, therefore, be specifically related to foreign vocabulary learning.

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