E-assessment: Wash-Back Effects and Challenges (Examining Students’ and Teachers’ Attitudes Towards E-tests)

[1] Alderson, J. C., & Wall, D. (1993). Does washback exist? Applied Linguistics, 14, 115–129. [2] Ali, M. M., & Hamid, M. O. (2020). Teaching English to the test: Why Does negative washback exist within secondary education in Bangladesh? Language Assessment Quarterly, 17(2), 129-146. [3] Cheng, L., & Curtis, A. (2004). Washback or backwash: A review of the impact of testing on teaching and learning. In L. Cheng, Y. Watanabe, & A. Curtis (Eds.), Washback in language testing: Research contexts and methods (pp. 3–18). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. [4] Da'asin, K. A. (2016). The attitude of Ash-Shobak University College Students to E-Exam for Intermediate University Degree in Jordan. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(9), 10-17. [5] Hughes, A. (1994). Backwash and TOEFL 2000. Unpublished manuscript, commissioned by Educational Testing Service (ETS). The University of Reading. [6] Hung, S. T. A. (2012). A washback study on e-portfolio assessment in an English as a Foreign Language teacher preparation program. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 25(1), 21-36. [7] Jiamin, X., Jinyan, L., & Tianyi, M. (2021). The wash-back effect of reformed CET 6 listening comprehension test. Asian Journal of Education and Training, 7(1), 70-73. [8] Johnson, M.& Shaw, S.(2019). What is computer-based testing washback, how can it be evaluated and how can this support practitioner research?, Journal of Further and Higher Education, 43:9, 1255-1270, DOI: 10.1080/0309877X.2018.1471127 [9] Meseke, Christopher A., Rita Nafziger, and Jamie K. Meseke. (2010). "Student attitudes, satisfaction, and learning in a collaborative testing environment." Journal of Chiropractic Education 24, no. 1: 19-29. [10] Messick, S. (1996). Validity and wash-back in language testing. Language testing. 13(3), 241-256. [11] Saglam, A. L. G. (2018). Can exams change how and what teachers teach? Investigating the washback effect of a university English language proficiency test in the Turkish context. Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 4(2), 155-176. [12] Tayeb, Y. A., Abd Aziz, M. S., Ismail, K., & Khan, A. B. M. A. (2014). The wash-back effect of the general secondary English examination (GSEE) on teaching and learning. GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies, 14(3),83-103. [13] Wall, D. (1997). Impact and wash-back in language testing. In C. Clapham & D. Corson (Eds.). Encyclopedia of Language and Education (pp. 291-302). Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers

Covid-19: An Impromptu or Trend-setting Factor in Research on Language and Education?

With the flood of research on Covid-19 in 2020 and 2021, pandemic-induced emergency is giving rise to new unprecedented challenges for all strata of the society, including science and education. The JLE editors focus on the first outcomes and hurdles the pandemic-caused research publishing has led to. The authors dwell upon the research on education in the context of COVID-19 constraints with a special accent on higher education and L2 teaching, considering the key trends as a response to the gaps in the field knowledge. Some attention is paid to emerging linguistic research and new word coinages to define the new phenomena. The editors summarize the obstacles that “fast-track” publishing and shortened peer review have built up, suggesting some estimates as of the Covid-19 effects of the research avalanche for science.

Neuropsychological Profile in Pediatric Migraine without Aura: A Pilot Study

Despite the high prevalence of headache in developmental age, current reports about its neuropsychological effects are still lacking. The aim of the present pilot study is to assess the neuropsychological skills among children affected by migraine without aura (MwoA). Fifteen children (7M/8F) (mean age 10.73 ± 2.13) with MwoA, consecutively referred to the Center for Childhood Headache at Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, underwent the Italian version of the NEPSY-2 after cognitive evaluation. Moreover, to assess the pain level and disability grade during daily activity, the VAS and PedMIDAS scales were used. MwoA children were comparable with the control group of 38 children with respect to age, gender, language, and education level. Written informed consent was obtained from all parents and from children directly, when appropriate. MwoA children differed from controls significantly among the NEPSY-2 subscales, with a relevant relationship between the frequency and intensity of the attacks. In conclusion, the results of the present pilot study may suggest that MwoA could impact significantly neuropsychological functioning in children.

Metacomprehension Awareness of Primary School Plurilinguals

Summary This qualitative-quantitative study examines the level of metacomprehension awareness in international primary school students before, while, and after reading narrative texts. The first part of the study brings a short overview of theoretical background and previous research pertaining to metacognition and metacognitive strategies, reading comprehension, and plurilingualism in the context of formal education. The second part describes the participants, along with their diverse personal experiences regarding language and education. Two tests and a brief questionnaire were used for collecting the majority of information. A semi-structured interview was conducted to inquire about the participants’ attitudes towards reading narrative texts and the languages to which they give preference while reading such texts. The findings reveal that, at the age of ten, plurilingual students demonstrate a certain amount of metacomprehension awareness while reading narrative texts in English. No major differences were found between two language-specific groups defined by the students’ mother tongues, but certain differences occurred between boys and girls. Established reading language and language preferences for reading narrative texts seem to play an important role in effective reading comprehension, whereas age seems to be a more critical factor in the development of metacomprehension awareness of plurilingual 10-year-olds.

Language and Education Policies Based on National/Plurilingual Identity in Autonomous Republics: A Case Study of the Gagauzia Autonomous Region

Autonomous Republics, although situated within the borders of a state, have the right to govern themselves within their own borders. The most concrete indicator of a state’s autonomy is its flag, its national language, its national culture and its national education. In this context, the language and education policies come into play in the building of a new political union and a national identity. For example, Gagauzia (or Gagauzia Autonomous Region), which was shaped by many historical periods from the Ottoman Empire (from the 16th century until 1812) to the Russian Empire (1721-1917) and to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1922-1991), is nowadays within the borders of the Republic of Moldova. It is an autonomous republic with the right to self-government. This paper aims to analyze the language and education policies determined and applied for the Gagauz Turks in Moldova. It is possible to argue that there is a relationship between the notions of “autonomous republic” and “language and education policy.” In the autonomous republic, this policy will be described as a policy-based not only on the national identity, but also the plurilingualism.

THE USE OF FIRST LANGUAGE IN ENGLISH AS FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

Discussions of the second language (L2) pedagogy have been studied not only in the language and education fields. Experts working in the psychology field also propose theories on applied linguistics because L2 acquisitions involve external and internal processes. However, despite numerous studies on the field, it appears that an issue regarding the use of first language (L1) still creates continuous debates. Although arguments opposing the use of first L1 present compelling theories as to their rationale, they appear to overlook the context in which teaching and learning process takes place. The studies were either conducted in English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as a Foreign Language (EFL), where teachers are native speakers who do not share the same L1 with students. Considering the uniqueness in classroom contexts, this paper is not going to argue or take sides on the conflicting views on the use of L1. Instead, it attempts to acknowledge the gap of the context in language teaching used in previous studies. Using a sociocultural theory, this article will describe the beneficial use of L1 with a focus on its use by teachers in an EFL context where teachers share the same L1 with students. Keywords: first language, English as a Foreign Language, sociocultural theory

Situating east Indonesia's EFL Learners attitudes toward the extensive listening practices

Learning English as a foreign language is very challenging for both teachers and students in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara of Indonesia. The challenges are primarily caused by their lack of exposure to the authentic environment of English. In dealing with this phenomenon, the appropriate listening practices expect to help the learners to obtain and construct their knowledge of English as well as to acquire more comprehensible input. This article reports an investigation on the EFL learners� attitudes toward the extensive listening practices. It applied mixed-method research procedures involving 55 students of the English language and education program of Universitas Katolik Indonesia Santu Paulus Ruteng. The data were collected through a survey coupled with Focus Group Discussions with 15 participants. This research revealed that the learners' attitudes are identified into two main categories called positive and negative attitudes. In this case, 38 % of the participants have positive attitudes toward extensive listening practices and 62% of the participant reflected the negative attitude toward the extensive listening practices. Learners with a positive attitude had a very strong awareness of the significance of listening skills in L2 learning. To improve their listening skills, they develop their listening practices outside the classroom consistently. Meanwhile, learners with negative attitudes were categorized as dependent learners who practiced their listening skills during the listening course only. This group of learners was less aware of the significance of listening skills in L2 learning and their listening practices were highly dependent on the teachers' instruction. It showcased that both of the learners� internal and external factors were strongly contributed to this poor extensive listening practices.� The EFL teachers are then strongly suggested to strengthen the learners� awareness on the significance of Listening Skills in L2 learning as well as design more instructed extensive listening practices outside the classroom.�