Score Use and Interpretation of First Signed Language Assessments

This chapter provides a critical examination of the different uses of test scores; their interpretation by test administrators, educators, professionals, and researchers; and the implications these scores may have for test-takers. Before discussing the issues of test scores, an overview of the complexities involved in defining the L1 of deaf signers will be shared. Understanding the potential pitfalls of signed language assessment with a diverse background of L1 users is emphasized. Four sections address critical issues on scoring and interpreting assessments: purpose, consistency, norming and scoring, and interpreting the results beyond the score. Conducting valid and reliable language assessment is critical to establishing a baseline for intervention, education or research, monitoring an individual’s language competency and growth, justifying the need for additional language support, and providing accurate reporting to parents and administrators.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE PROFESSIONAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE COMPETENCY OF A FUTURE SPECIALIST

The article is devoted to the study of the content and structure components of the professional foreign language competency of a future specialist. Based on the research of pedagogical, psychological and methodological sources related to the problem and practical experience, it is established that the issue of the professional foreign language competency, its structure has not been sufficiently investigated yet. It has been noted that the process of training of a future specialist to obtain a high level of foreign language for professional activities performance is becoming an urgent requirement of the modern world. Thus, the formation of the professional foreign language competency of a future specialist in higher education institutions is one of the strategic directions of reformation of the system of education in Ukraine, which determines the relevance of the scientific research. The purpose of the article is to interpret the term and define structure components of the professional foreign language competency of a future specialist. Theoretical (analysis of scientific sources, pedagogical, psychological literature, educational and methodological manuals, comparison, generalization of pedagogical experience) methods were used to research the problem and identify difficulties associated with foreign language learning, motivation to learn a foreign language in the context of its application in future professional activities. It has been revealed that the process of formation of the professional foreign language competency of a future specialist is complex and multi-stage and involves mastering many types of competences. Authors have substantiated the content and structure components of the professional foreign language competency of a future specialist, namely: motivational, cognitive, active and reflexive, which, in turn, provide motivation and purposefulness, meaningfulness and integrity, efficiency and effectiveness of actions to achieve the goal of communicative activity.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LANGUAGE COMPETENCY AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

The article reviewed the relationship between language competency and business opportunity in five global regional trading blocs. By having the language competency may facilitate the business opportunity but language differences may create frictions between the business partners and/or the workers. Besides for the purpose of communication, language use in the business world may enhance trust and loyalty between business partners and from the customers. Different linguistic landscapes are formed and dominated by different language communities in the global business world. Five important languages used in the global business world which are English, Mandarin, Spanish, German and Portuguese, are reviewed according to their regional trading blocs. Malaysian authority specifically the Malaysian Education Ministry is suggested to design and adapt more practical and relevant education language plan to produce graduates with different language competencies for the future human resource market. The authority is also suggested to create a favourable institutional environment for variant language use in the country.

The Challenges Facing Arab Researchers in Using English References in Research

This study investigates why Arabic researchers do not employ English references and citations in their studies. Even though many colleges and universities teach English in their undergraduate and postgraduate stages, Arabic researchers face real challenges in using English language references. This is due to apparent weakness in their English language competency, and teaching, learning, and assessing at schools, colleges, and universities. As a result, graduates with poor English language skills from colleges and universities with various scientific credentials and specialties, particularly the humanistic specialization, are produced. This, in turn, has a significant impact on the quality of the research and studies they perform both before and after graduation. This weakness is also due to their independence and general ignorance of the English language, so they rely primarily on Arabic references, rarely using English language references. As a result, they miss out on a significant amount of information, valuable studies, significant research, and a vast amount of scientific areas. The study data consisted of 76 Arabic journals to determine to what extent Arabic researchers employ English references in their studies compared to Arabic ones. The findings revealed that the researchers depend on Arabic references when they do their research. Indeed, this will impact the overall quality of Arabic research and development, resulting in a frail motivation towering over the world's correspondences. Some recommendations were made to develop remedies and enhance researchers in the Arab world.

Methodological Support in the Formation of the Language Competency of the «Aircraft And Helicopter Structure» Profile Students

The necessity of the innovation of the language education in a technical highest school was conditioned by the present-day development of the international industrial relations and business contacts between specialists of various countries. The purpose of technical profile students’ language training nowadays is the mastering of a language competency in the sphere of professional communication. The article aims at the description of peculiarities of a methodological support in the formation of the language competency of the technical profile students. The article represents the scientific literature review on the problem of the language education efficiency raising in a highest school; grounds the necessity of creating the methodological support as a means of the successful formation of the foreign language competency; describes researching approaches. The results view the content specifications and didactical structure of a teaching guide, which provides the language competency of the 24.05.07. Aircraft and Helicopter Construction profile students during the professional education. The theoretical and practical relevance is stated in the end of the article.

Analysis of Grade 10 English Textbook with Reference to Curriculum and Examination

This paper entitled “Analysis of Grade 10 English textbook with reference to curriculum and examination” was an attempt to explore the relationship among curriculum, text book and examination system. It aims to explore the contents in the textbook which were assumed by curriculum and evaluation procedures specified in the examination system. The contents and exposure sufficiency to develop intended language competency in learners were attempted to analyze. Another important concern of this paper was to explore the opinions of school level English teachers, who are the keys to materialize the textbook in relation to curriculum and examination system. Phenomenological research design was used in the study and the data was collected through interview, group discussion and interaction. The collected data were critically analyzed by developing themes. The findings of the study depict that there is insufficiency of the contents in the prescribed textbook for grade 10 in the experience of teachers and students. Similarly, they also noted that the contents are not suffice to achieve the objectives of the curriculum.

Building blocks of language

Articulate language is a form of communication unique to humans. Over time, a spectrum of researchers has proposed various frameworks attempting to explain the evolutionary acquisition of this distinctive human attribute, some deploring the apparent lack of direct evidence elucidating the phenomenon, whilst others have pointed to the contributions of palaeoanthropology, the social brain hypothesis and the fact that even amongst contemporary humans, social group sizes reflect brain size. Theologians have traditionally (largely) ignored evolutionary insights as an explanatory paradigm for the origin of humankind. However, an increasing number are, of late, contributing to a worldview of humanity which accommodates both the epistemological realities of evolutionary biology as well as insights from theology. This includes reviewing and assessing the origins of articulate language and the physiological attributes necessary for its development. It is in this sense that the evolution of language is relevant from a theological perspective. The association between mental capacity and articulate language, already noted by Darwin, is relevant in explaining the larger group sizes found amongst humans, as is the incipient role played by the evolution of laughter in triggering the neuroendocrine system promoting bonding, to the eventual development of articulate language. Our aim is to review a selection of contemporary perspectives on the evolution of language, amongst others, reasons for the ease with which young children acquire language competency, and whether we may be hardwired for language from birth. Further reading is suggested in the footnotes.Contribution: This article is part of a special collection reflecting on the evolutionary building blocks of our past, present and future. It is based on historical thought and contemporary research with regards to the evolutionary emergence of language. It fits well with the intersectional and trans-disciplinary nature of this collection and journal.