Search results for "Language assessment"

Future language teachers’ pedagogical landscapes during their subject studies

2015

This article examines the experiences, attitudes and perceptions language students have regarding the use of ICT in language teaching. In addition, the article analyses the key characteristics of language students’ pedagogical designs. The data come from a pedagogically oriented subject-studies course that focuses on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and the European Language Portfolio. The data, which consist of language students’ reflections and course plans, have been analysed using qualitative content analysis. The findings imply that language students’ pedagogical landscapes reflect their own experiences as learners. Furthermore, the literacy practices in languag…

Foreign Language Anxiety in the Context of Foreign Language Oral Performance, Language and Pronunciation Learning Strategies

2016

The aim of this chapter is to provide a theoretical background for the concept of language anxiety, emphasising the context of L2 oral performance and pronunciation. Thus, the construct of general anxiety is first explored and the definition of anxiety is analysed. Subsequently, the term foreign language anxiety is examined for the purpose of establishing its working definition. Next, a typology of causes of language anxiety experienced by L2 learners is proposed in order to fully grasp the complexity of the construct.

A Sociocultural Approach to Young Language Learners' Belief about Language Learning

2003

English as a foreign language in Finland

1980

Can research into the diagnostic testing of reading in a second or foreign language contribute to SLA research?

2011

Language testing researchers have recently shown interest in diagnostic testing. However, diagnostic testing requires a better understanding of language abilities at a less general level than has been normal in language testing, and this has posed challenges to testers to define their diagnostic constructs both theoretically and operationally. In theory, second language acquisition (SLA) should be able to offer insights into the construct of reading in a second or foreign language (S/FL), and testing ought to be able to base diagnostic tests of S/FL reading on theoretical insights from SLA. It is, however, unclear whether this happens in practice. In this paper we examine the potential syne…

Investigations in Teaching and Learning Languages : Studies in Honour of Hanna Komorowska

2013

An analysis of the quality of english testing for Aviation purposes in Finland

2009

This article describes and analyses the development of a new test of aviation English by the Finnish Civil Aviation Authority (FCAA), as well as the overall situation in Finland as regards the testing of aviation English. The article describes the FCAA development project and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the new test and the whole testing system, often with reference to the framework of test usefulness proposed by Bachman and Palmer (1996). The quality of the overall system in Finland appears to be quite variable as it is based on the principle of decentralization, in which the FCAA evaluates and approves different tests to be used for certifying the English language skills of …

Comparing speaking situations in three different language tests

2013

The purpose of this study was to compare learner outcome when five similar speaking situations were offered in the speaking subtest in Finnish, Swedish and English intermediate level tests in the Finnish National Certificates language testing system. The overall aim was to investigate the tasks by comparing learner outcomes across the three tests and to seek explanations for the outcome in the learners’ selfreported demographic, language, educational and professional background.The speaking situations were selected from the NC item bank meaning that they have undergone the Item Response Theory based analyses which indicate that the tasks function well in all tests. More information was need…

Interaction of Language Policy and Assessment in Finland

2008

This paper reviews developments and future challenges in language policy, planning and assessment in Finland, where several important changes in legislation, curricula and assessment systems have recently taken place. Language proficiency requirement of immigrants and civil servants have been redefined, school curricula have been revised and new language examinations have been developed. The Common European Framework has been particularly influential. The paper also explores the tensions caused by changes, such as uncertainties in implementing new curricula in teaching and assessment, and differences between curricula and national examinations. The gate-keeping function of examinations also…

CLIL classroom discourse

2013

Under the label of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) the teaching of curriculum subjects through the medium of a foreign language has become a widely accepted feature in mainstream education systems in Europe and other parts of the world. After contextualizing its subject matter in CLIL research as a whole, this article focuses on research into classroom discourse. In order to unravel the complexities involved, three different takes on CLIL classroom discourse are discussed as an evidence-base for (a) language learning, (b) language use and social-interactional aspects of L2-interaction, and (c) processes of knowledge construction in and through a second or foreign language. T…