scholarly journals Standardised English Language Proficiency Testing for Seafarers

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-154
Author(s):  
Bernd Mönnigmann ◽  
Adelija Čulić-Viskota
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Professional Communication ◽  
Testing System ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
Maritime Education ◽  
Global Language ◽  
Maritime English ◽  
Maritime Education And Training ◽  
Aircraft Accident

This paper aims at pointing out the necessity of raising the levels of both communicative competence and Maritime English knowledge of seafarers, as well as of introducing a common language testing system into maritime education and training. It provides insight into the process of implementation of improvements in a different, but related practice of Aviation English and the relative regulations. Also, the paper presents the accounts of one aircraft accident, and two ship accidents due to the participants’ misunderstanding, or deficiency in English. This is followed by the results of an investigation into the reports published by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) about the sea accidents due to inadequate English language competence, or inadequate professional communication. Although there are commonly more than one cause which combine in each accident, these are usually fuelled by inadequate language competence. It is of utmost importance, especially in emergencies, that all the participants in the maritime venture are adequately competent in Maritime English to handle the emergencies to the benefit of all the persons involved. Therefore, the compulsory introduction of a uniform global language certification is suggested.

scholarly journals Critically Examining Perceptions of Different Englishes in the IELTS Speaking Section: Who Decides What is Acceptable?

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 08-15
Author(s):  
Colin Michell
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Language Testing ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Testing System ◽  
Native Speakers Of English ◽  
Fit For Purpose ◽  
International English

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) has become the worldwide benchmark for evaluating English language proficiency. However, the IELTS exam is not without its critics. It has been accused of being elitist and unaccommodating of test-takers who are not users of the prestige varieties of English, even though these people may need to take the exam for employment or immigration purposes. This study involved a focus group of experienced IELTS examiners who were given a number of listenings from non-standard yet still ‘native speakers’ of English to evaluate using the IELTS speaking bands. The focus group found that the IELTS speaking descriptors are not fit for purpose when dealing with non-standard or regional varieties of English. This study makes a case for the creators of the IELTS exam to adjust their grading criteria and examiner training to be more inclusive of all English varieties.

scholarly journals Enhancing Reading Skill Through Creative Technology – A Pilot Research

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4S4) ◽  
pp. 62-65
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Reading Skill ◽  
The World ◽  
Back Ground ◽  
Global Language ◽  
World English

- English is considered as global language as it is used in all parts of the world. English Language is realized as a link language with global significance and also world widely spread. This paper analyzes how to enhance the students Reading Skill in mixed ability classroom. The sample respondents were from Rural, Urban and Semi-Urban back ground. The technology based Reading has improvised the students reading skill is explicit from the Pilot study. A survey was conducted among the students and the data garnered clearly shows the improvement in enhancing their language proficiency especially in reading skill.

scholarly journals Sitting at 6.5: Problematizing IELTS and Admissions to Canadian Universities

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 160-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer J. MacDonald
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Testing System ◽  
Cut Scores ◽  
Canadian Universities ◽  
Canadian Higher Education ◽  
Admissions Criteria ◽  
International English

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) standardized English language proficiency (ELP) exam is widely accepted proof of ELP at Canadian universities. The majority of Canadian universities set very similar IELTS cut scores for admission; however, these differ from the IELTS-recommended minimum cut scores. The use of the IELTS exam as an admission tool is not unproblematic, with debates around where to set cut scores, the interplay of political and administrative concerns in setting admissions criteria, and the correlation between cut scores and student academic success. As well, the issue of essential academic skills and literacies and their relationship to the exam, curricula, and student academic success figure in the broader discussion around the IELTS exam and its use in Canadian higher education. L’évaluation standardisée des compétences linguistiques en anglais (ELP) du Système international de tests de la langue anglaise (IELTS) est largement reconnue comme preuve de compétence en anglais dans les universités canadiennes. La majorité d’entre elles établissent des notes de passage IELTS très semblables pour l’admission, mais celles-ci diffèrent des notes de passage minimales recommandées par l’IELTS. L’utilisation de l’examen IELTS comme outil d’admission n’est pas sans problèmes en raison des débats dont font l’objet la hauteur des notes de passage, l’interaction des préoccupations politiques et administratives qui entrent en jeu lors de l’établissement des critères d’admission, et la corrélation qui existe entre les notes de passage et la réussite académique des étudiantes et étudiants. La question des compétences et littératies académiques essentielles et de leur relation avec les examens, les programmes d’études et la réussite académique des étudiantes et étudiants entre elle aussi en ligne de compte dans le débat plus large qui porte sur l’examen IELTS et son utilisation dans l’enseignement supérieur au Canada.

Improving Maritime English Oral Communication Skills in an Online Environment

2021 ◽  
pp. 272-292
Author(s):  
Aydin Şihmantepe ◽  
Murat Selçuk Solmaz ◽  
Cihat Aşan
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Online Environment ◽  
Maritime Education ◽  
Minimum Requirements ◽  
Maritime English ◽  
Maritime Education And Training

Online education has been an option until the first half of the year 2020. After the outbreak of COVID-19, online learning has gradually become a must for education. In this period, institutions have had to transform and adopt not only their teaching approach and content, but also their technology. Maritime education and training inevitably has followed the same pattern. As English is the operational language of the sea, teaching maritime English has had its share from this transformation. This study focuses on improving maritime students' job-related communication skills in an online environment with online role-playing. The study firstly reviews general requirements and setbacks involved in online teaching and language requirements at sea. The focus of the study is on online oral communication role-playing to perform ship-based external communication. The study concludes by pinpointing minimum requirements for conducting such training, lessons learned from the sessions, as well as knowledge and experience achieved by the students.

scholarly journals Improving Refugee Well-Being With Better Language Skills and More Intergroup Contact

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda K. Tip ◽  
Rupert Brown ◽  
Linda Morrice ◽  
Michael Collyer ◽  
Matthew J. Easterbrook
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Intergroup Contact ◽  
Minority Group ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Path Modeling ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
Time Points ◽  
Majority Culture

The effects of intergroup contact on prejudice are well established. However, its effects on minority group well-being have been rarely studied. We hypothesized that contact with members of the majority culture will be related to better well-being, and that this is facilitated by majority language proficiency. We tested this hypothesis in a three-wave longitudinal study of refugees over 2 years ( N = 180). Cross-lagged path modeling confirmed that intergroup contact at earlier time points was associated with increased well-being at later time points; the reverse associations (from earlier well-being to later contact) were not reliable. Self-rated earlier English language competence was positively associated with later intergroup contact (but not the reverse), suggesting that improving majority language proficiency might be the key to better well-being of refugees, with intergroup contact being the mediator between language and well-being.

scholarly journals EFL Learners' Perspectives Towards Online Reading Module of IELTS: A Study at Tertiary Level

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 942-947
Author(s):  
Tanzina Halim ◽  
Sayyed Rashid Ali Shah
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Testing System ◽  
Online Classes ◽  
Online Reading ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Saudi Students ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
General Training

This paper seeks to investigate the attitude of students towards attending IELTS (Reading) classes online. The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a world-wide recognized test that students/ candidates have to take to assess their English language proficiency to study or work in an English- speaking context. They have to either take the IELTS Academic or the IELTS General Training modules. In recent times with the shift from face-to-face to online classes, the students face many challenges while attending online classes of IELTS, especially the reading module. This study aims to find out the problems which are faced by Saudi students while attending online classes. For this, 40 undergraduate students, both males and females of a public university in Saudi Arabia, were chosen as participants to carry out the study. A survey questionnaire was administered to the students who experienced challenges in online classes of IELTS. Based on the findings, the study concludes with some recommendations about how students can overcome the challenges they face while having online classes of the Reading module of IELTS.

scholarly journals Teaching grammar in context and multilingual environment

2021 ◽  
Vol X (3) ◽  
pp. 119-126
Author(s):  
Babulia (Khatuna) Akhobadze ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Lesson Plan ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Complex Method ◽  
Main Subject ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
High Level

The Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) method focuses on teaching the main subject through a foreign language. This method is already successfully used in various around the world no specific formula or textbook exists so far. Based on the study of the existing literature, the possibility of using CLIL at Universities of Georgia and its anticipated results are analyzed in the present thesis. Target language of CLIL is mostly English. In our country English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is successfully taught in many Universities. For example, at the Faculty of Economics and Business our students are taught Business using a special English textbook to learn some issues of economics and business. Teaching any curricular subject using CLIL will be twice as effective and convenient for both the student and the university than teaching English and this particular subject separately. CLIL ensures a comprehensive study of a specific subject and a high level of English language proficiency. CLIL has a significant positive impact on the growth of the students’ language competence. It helps them to achieve significant success in terms of various linguistic aspects, such as: vocabulary, terminology, academic English, etc. However, the assessment is made not in terms of language competence, but in terms of subject matter proficiency. Indeed, CLIL does not only mean language teaching - it is a complex method of using a foreign language to study a major subject. Consequently, knowledge is assessed within the competence of the main subject and thereby the language proficiency as well. With no database of textbooks for CLIL, everything is upon the teacher training, as a result of which the teacher must be able to compile a lesson plan based on different subject materials. We propose to use CLIL to teach different curricular subjects to the students of the Faculty of Economics and Business. To begin with economics, famous economists, e.g., Marshall, Robbins, Sandmo, etc. have different answers to the question "What is economics?" Therefore, the goal of the lecture course we suggest within CLIL will be to find the answer to this question.

scholarly journals Aligning a University English Language Proficiency Measurement Tool with the CEFR: A Case in Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (S3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurul Najwa Baharum ◽  
Lilliati Ismail ◽  
Nooreen Nordin ◽  
Abu Bakar Razali
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Continuous Process ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Measurement Tool ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
Language Proficiency Test ◽  
The University

The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) describes the capability of learners’ language skills at six reference levels. It is internationally recognised as the standard language proficiency framework for describing language learning, teaching and assessment. Many countries, including Malaysia, have attempted and invested tremendous efforts to adopt the CEFR as a reference for language ability at all levels of education. However, there are many ways of adopting CEFR, and it is a continuous process of alignment between curriculum and assessment. In this regard, this study is carried out to examine how a Malaysian university attempts to demonstrate this alignment by correlating the scores obtained from English language proficiency courses in the university, called the English Language Competence Score Average (ELCSA), to a CEFR-aligned English language proficiency test (Linguaskill). The results showed an overall significant positive correlation that varied in strength. The overall correlation was 0.371, a positive but weak correlation whereby the strongest correlation was seen between ELCSA and CEFR Writing score with a correlation of 0.417, which is positive and moderate in strength. Therefore, it could be identified that a score of 3.25 and 3.5 on the ELCSA can be considered equivalent to a Linguaskill score of 160 (CEFR Band B2). It could be considered that the B2 CEFR level could be subdivided into lower and higher B2. However, there is a need to correlate ELCSA with other CEFR-aligned tests and perform further revisions to the English language proficiency programme at the university to successfully benchmark the programme and its assessment tool, ELCSA, with the CEFR.

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