scholarly journals Teacher Subjectivity Regarding Assessment: Exploring English as a Foreign Language Teachers’ Conceptions of Assessment Theories that Influence Student Learning

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kinley Seden ◽  
Roman Svaricek

Evidence shows that teachers’ beliefs about the purpose of assessment are relevant with regard to how assessment is planned and implemented in classroom settings. Using a range of data sources, this qualitative interpretive study examined how 10 English as a Foreign Language teachers in Czech lower secondary schools perceived their assessment beliefs (subjective theories) and how these beliefs influenced their assessment practices within the classroom. The findings showed that although the majority of the teachers used a wide range of sources to construct their subjective theories of assessment, most of their assessment practices are still based on old-fashioned routines and in contradiction of previous research findings. An analysis of the importance of assessment practices revealed that grading, testing, questioning, and verbal feedback were used often, while self-, peer, written, and portfolio assessments were the least exercised options. Furthermore, the results indicated that the majority of the teachers used assessment for managing behaviour and for certification rather than to improve teaching and learning. The results also suggested that introducingtargeted professional development courses that aim to create innovative assessment practices could contribute to transforming teaching and learning for better student learning. 

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (72) ◽  
pp. 832
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Nascimento de Queiroz ◽  
Douglas Altamiro Consolo

<p>O presente artigo aborda questões relativas ao efeito retroativo em torno da experiência durante a aplicação do Exame de Proficiência para Professores de Língua Estrangeira (EPPLE). O debate está ancorado nos seguintes princípios: a) a avaliação no ensino e aprendizagem de línguas; b) a proficiência linguístico-comunicativo-pedagógica (PLCP) de professores de línguas; e c) as experiências materializadas como efeitos retroativos na prática avaliativa. A abordagem qualitativa auxilia na interpretação das narrativas de dois professores de Língua Inglesa (LI). A análise interpretativa dos aspectos discursivos indica que os impactos possibilitam o resgate da consciência reflexiva inter-relacionada com as memórias da formação profissional, assim tornando a experiência concreta e válida para o processo de socialização dos conhecimentos específicos do contexto pedagógico de professores de LI.</p><p>Formação de Professores; Língua Inglesa; Proficiência Linguístico-Comunicativo-Pedagógica; Exame de Proficiência.</p><p> </p><p>El efecto retroactivo de un examen de competencia para profesores</p><p>El presente artículo aborda temas relativos al efecto retroactivo en torno a la experiencia durante la aplicación del Examen de Competencia para Profesores de Lengua Extranjera (EPPLE). El debate se basa en los siguientes principios: a) la evaluación en la enseñanza y aprendizaje de idiomas; b) la competencia lingüístico-comunicativo-pedagógica (PLCP) de profesores de idiomas; y c) las experiências materializadas como efectos retroactivos en la práctica evaluativa. El abordaje cualitativo auxilia en la interpretación de las narrativas de dos profesores de Lengua Inglesa (LI). El análisis interpretativo de los aspectos discursivos indica que los impactos posibilitan el rescate de la consciencia reflexiva interrelacionada con las memorias de la formación profesional, haciendo de esta forma que la experiencia sea concreta y válida para el proceso de socialización de los conocimientos específicos del contexto pedagógico de profesores de LI.</p><p>Formación de Profesores; Lengua Inglesa; Competencia Lingüístico-Comunicativo-Pedagógica; Examen de Competencia.</p><p> </p><p>Washback effect of an application of a proficiency examination for teachers</p><p>This paper deals with some issues related to the analysis of two narratives written by in-service and pre-service English language teachers, following an application of a Proficiency Examination for Foreign Language Teachers [Exame de Proficiência para Professores de Língua Estrangeira – EPPLE] in a public university located in the western Amazon. The discussion is based on the following principles: (i) the implications for assessment in the teaching and learning of foreign languages related to the reconstruction and promotion of socialized practices; (ii) the quality of a linguistic, communicative and pedagogical proficiency of foreign language teachers underlying the elements of validity and reliability of EPPLE; and (iii) the intersection of experiences materialized as washback effects from a process of assessment practices. The analysis of the teachers’ discourses indicates an intersection between teachers’ memories and professional experiences.</p><p>Teacher Training; English Language; Linguistic, Communicative and Pedagogical Proficiency; Proficiency Exam.</p>


2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-72
Author(s):  
Darío Luis Banegas

This paper investigates the conceptions of research held by English as a foreign language teachers in Argentina. Quantitative data from 622 participants from an online questionnaire were followed by qualitative data from online interviews with 40 of those participants. Results show that the teachers conceptualised research through conventional notions closer to a quantitative paradigm. They felt research was not part of their job, and a lack of time was the main reason for not engaging in/with research. Teacher development, agency, empowerment, and autonomy could be sought by engaging teachers with forms of research which are meaningful to them, such as action research.


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 768
Author(s):  
Yinghao Li

The paper discusses the status quo of the English culture teaching and learning in Chinese colleges. In the pedagogical level, most foreign language teachers have very vague idea of what the culture should be and what should be taught in terms of English culture. Lacking in the principled methodology in promoting students’ intercultural awareness, teachers either turn deaf to the new trend or frustrated by the communicative approach, somehow falling back to the more traditional but effective grammar-translation approach. The changing scenario of language teaching has constituted new challenges for the English educators in China. The paper proposes that more research should be channeled to the research of the paradigm of the English as an International Language (EIL) through intercultural awareness.


Author(s):  
Carlos Eduardo De Araujo Placido

O acesso ao texto literário é um direito de todos (CANDIDO, 1995). Entretanto, há ainda pouco uso do texto literário para o ensino e aprendizagem de línguas estrangeiras, tanto no Ensino Médio quanto em escolas de idiomas no Brasil. Por isso, o objetivo principal deste artigo é o de investigar a aplicabilidade do uso de textos literários em aulas de língua estrangeira, mormente em língua inglesa por meio de técnicas de Escrita Criativa (MANCELLOS, 2000; MURRAY, 2003; POPE, 2005) com base direta na teoria do ensino desenvolvimental de Davydov (1988). A primeira parte deste artigo esboça rapidamente a pedagogia de Davydov (1988) e sua importância para o ensino de língua estrangeira nos dias atuais. Já a segunda parte foca na relevante contribuição da teoria do ensino desenvolvimental davydoviana e suas seis principais ações que podem ser usadas no ensino de língua estrangeira. A terceira e última parte traz exemplificações tanto de teoria de Davydov (1988) quanto indicações de websites os quais podem ser utilizados pelo professor de língua estrangeira dentro (e fora) da sala de aula.Abstract: The access to the literary text is a right of every human being (CANDIDO, 1995). However, there is still little use of literary texts for teaching and learning foreign languages, both at high schools and at language schools in Brazil. Therefore, the main objective of this article is to investigate the applicability of using literary texts in foreign language classes, especially in the English language ones through Creative Writing techniques (MANCELLOS, 2000; MURRAY, 2003; POPE, 2005) based directly on the theory of developmental teaching by Davydov (1988). Thus, the first part of this article briefly outlines the pedagogy of Davydov (1988) and its importance to foreign language teaching today. The second part focuses on the relevant contribution of the Davydovian theory for education as well as its six key actions that may be used for teaching foreign languages. The third and final part brings exemplifications of both Davydovian theory (1988), through a ciberliteray short story, and indications of websites, which may be used by foreign language teachers inside (and outside) the classroom.


2018 ◽  
pp. 41-58
Author(s):  
Emilia Munteanu

A l’ère de la mondialisation, l’accès illimité à l’information modifie de plus en plus le rapport des jeunes gens mais surtout la vision des adultes du troisième âge à l’égard des barrières de l’apprentissage. De nos jours, de nombreuses institutions d’enseignement et des ONG proposent aux derniers une large panoplie d’activités dans le but de leur faire acquérir de nouvelles compétences et capacités linguistiques, culturelles, techniques, artistiques, etc. En tant que formateurs en FLE, nous avons cherché à briser les barrières qui séparent les générations et à favoriser la communication entre adultes au-delà des frontières géographiques, culturelles, linguistiques à travers un projet européen PLALE. Réunies autour du coordinateur italien de Pavie, cinq autres institutions partenaires se sont proposé de partager leur expérience dans l’enseignement-apprentissage des langues par le jeu théâtral. Pendant deux années, des professionnels et des apprentis de la langue provenant du système formel universitaire se sont servis de leurs compétences didactiques et de leur expérience liée à l’emploi du jeu théâtral pour transformer le contexte non formel de l’Ecole populaire d’arts et de métiers de Bacau en Roumanie en un laboratoire pour l’expérimentation de nouvelles techniques et méthodes d’acquisition par les adultes des connaissances en L2.  Le déroulement du projet et la création d’un spectacle théâtral joué à Bacau par les apprenants par les apprenants adultes des six partenaires nous ont permis de faire l’apprentissage d’une pédagogie vivante mais aussi de l’andragogie et de prendre conscience du rôle des relations intergénérationnelles pour assurer la santé de la société actuelle. Breaking barriers, or teaching and learning French by playing drama In the era of globalization, due to unlimited access to information, the relationship and the attitude among the young people have increasingly modified. In addition, the adult’s point of view regarding traditional limits of learning has also changed. Nowadays, more and more institutions of teaching and NGOs are proposing to them a variety of activities which offer them a possibility to develop not only their computer skills but also linguistic, artistic and cultural abilities. As foreign language teachers, we have tried to create a connection between generations, so as to ease the communication between adults which would not have been possible without the existence of a European project. Entitled PLALE or Playing for Learning, it integrates five partners from France, Spain, Portugal, Germany and Romania coordinated by an Italian specialist from Pavia. The specialists’ purpose is to share their experience in the field of foreign language teaching and learning through drama. Key words: European project; pedagogy; andragogy; language teaching and learning; theatre performance; relations between generations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 269-278
Author(s):  
Олександр Леонідович Шумський

The article substantiates that large-scale implementation of information technologies will facilitate methodological support of future foreign language teachers’ linguistic self-education. The main functions and advantages of the author’s multimedia training package “English for Self-Education”, designed to support future foreign language teachers’ linguistic self-educational activities, are characterized. It is defined that the package is an open-ended multipurpose programmatic learning system, containing didactic, methodological, informational and reference materials. The package is based on general pedagogical, ergonomic and specific principles of informatization of education. It has a dual structure, which includes two levels. The first level contains 1) lexical-informational component that provides working with lexical and theoretical material, 2) training element, which enables practicing knowledge and skills, as well as mastering methods and means of autonomous managing, regulating and correcting the process of linguistic self-education, 3) control aspect, which allows realizing independent monitoring and evaluating the degree and quality of acquired knowledge and skills. The second level considerably extends didactic possibilities and educational resources of the package. It covers a wide range of extra learning materials of theoretical and practical nature that are available both in the package itself and beyond its limits through providing the access to the “virtual reality” within external resources of global network. All the above not only makes for activating students’ cognitive activity but also significantly enriches their language and sociocultural practice. The package enables comprehensive independent study of a foreign language, exercising self-diagnostics in order to detect gaps in the student’s foreign-language competence, performing intensive linguistic self-educational activities, constant monitoring the level of autonomously mastered foreign-language material, carrying out search for information, etc. Thus, the package provides optimal conditions for future foreign language teachers’ linguistic self-educational activities. Students have an opportunity to actualize the adaptive algorithm of building the individual trajectory of linguistic self-education in accordance with their psychological features and personal educational needs. It is shown that working with the package results in students’ receiving an external and internal educational products, namely improving foreign-language knowledge and skills, along with gaining personal experience of linguistic self-educational activities. It is grounded by the example of the proposed package that comprehensive use of IT significantly optimizes the process of linguistic self-education.


Neofilolog ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 155-169
Author(s):  
Mirosław Pawlak

Becoming a foreign language teacher involves meeting a range of requirements which have mainly been specified in the Decree of the Minister for Science and Higher Education issued on January 17th, 2012, concerning the standards that have to be complied with in teacher education. Education of this kind is still most frequently offered in the course of BA or MA programs in foreign languages, with the crucial caveat that, primarily as a result of decreasing demand for foreign language teachers, this component has been eliminated in many institutions of higher education or students are required to pay for an additional module providing such training. It is assumed that on completion of a BA or MA program as well as obtaining credits for the required courses focusing on pedagogy, a student will have the requisite qualifications to teach a particular foreign language at appropriate educational levels. This implies that, by this time, he or she should have acquired the necessary knowledge, skills and competences, both in the foreign language and in psychological and pedagogical issues, which can ensure effective teaching and learning. The paper aims to subject such assumptions to critical scrutiny, demonstrate that they blatantly fail to take into account the real situation in Polish education, as well as offer some tentative proposals that could enhance the quality of foreign language teacher training in our country.


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