Search results for "Language test"
showing 10 items of 51 documents
A case study of Primary Progressive Aphasia: improvement on verbs after rTMS treatment.
2006
This case-report shows that high frequency repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (hf-rTMS), applied to the left prefrontal cortex, may improve the linguistic skills in Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA). The patient's performance was evaluated on a battery of language production and memory span tasks, before and after two hf-rTMS treatments and one SHAM treatment. We observed a significant and lasting improvement of the patient's performance on verb production following the application of hf-rTMS versus Baseline and SHAM conditions. This finding suggests that hf-rTMS may directly strengthen the neural connections within an area of metabolic dysfunction and encourages the use of rTMS a…
Item transformation for computer asisted language testing: The adaptation of the Spanish University entrance examination
2010
Since the Spanish Educational system is changing and promoting the use of online tests, it was necessary to study the transformation of test items in the 'Spanish University Entrance Examination' (IB P.A.U.) to diminish the effect of test delivery changes (through its computerization) in order to affect the least the current model. The purpose of this study was to describe and suggest the properties of a new test item taxonomy for the Spanish University Entrance Examination. After a convenient study and piloting by using previous research in computer-based language testing, the researchers created a taxonomy of test items for the I.B. PAU Keywords: Language test; item design; computers; edu…
Cuatro años de la versión computerizada del Examen de Inglés como segunda lengua (TOEFL)
2009
Este artículo trata señalar las dificultades a las que se enfrentan los candidatos cuando realizan el examen de inglés como lengua extranjera (TOEFL) basado en Internet. El objetivo es doble: por un lado ver cómo se puede sugerir cómo evitar problemas similares en plataformas que ya se están diseñando en España (Proyecto PAULEX, MEC HUM2007-66479-C02-01/FILO) y, por otro, poner de relieve el tipo de preparación que necesitan los estudiantes que realicen este examen para poder superar ciertos problemas estratégicos que actualmente encuentran dichos candidatos.
ERP denoising in multichannel EEG data using contrasts between signal and noise subspaces
2009
Abstract In this paper, a new method intended for ERP denoising in multichannel EEG data is discussed. The denoising is done by separating ERP/noise subspaces in multidimensional EEG data by a linear transformation and the following dimension reduction by ignoring noise components during inverse transformation. The separation matrix is found based on the assumption that ERP sources are deterministic for all repetitions of the same type of stimulus within the experiment, while the other noise sources do not obey the determinancy property. A detailed derivation of the technique is given together with the analysis of the results of its application to a real high-density EEG data set. The inter…
Puhetta arvioinnista : yleisten kielitutkintojen arvioijien käsityksiä arvioinnista
2016
This paper focuses on raters’ beliefs and views of assessment and the factors influencing their judgments and performance as raters in the National Certificates of Language Proficiency (NCLP) Finnish language test. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews (N=18) and content analysis was used to classify the responses. Findings suggest that raters’ experience and training have positive effects on rater performance and the use of assessment criteria. Experienced raters seem to be more familiar with different language proficiency levels and their view of language is more holistic today than during the first years of their rating experience. There are some external factors and lingu…
Puheen ymmärtämisen tehtävien taitotasoille asettaminen Yleisissä kielitutkinnoissa
2016
The aim of this study is to explore rater effects, such as consistency and severity of the judgements of 12 expert judges, and to report the extent of assessment criteria used by them. The data of the study are based on the three different phases of the standardization procedure which were analyzed using the MFRM model. In addition, feedback gathered from the expert judges was used to find out their opinions about the procedure and to validate the results of the standardization. The results of this study indicate that general discussion on and statistical information about the items influenced judges’ consistency and severity and their adaptation of the assessment criteria. The judges thems…
Kielitutkinnot ja muu laajamittainen kielitaidon arviointi Suomessa
2016
This paper describes the development, current state and expected future development of the assessment systems that most of the papers in the present volume cover. Our focus is on the systems serving general education, particularly the Matriculation Examination and national evaluations of educational achievement in languages, as well as the National Certificates of Proficiency aimed at adult language learners. We describe how changes in our understanding of what language proficiency is have affected these assessment systems and discuss the impact that some of them have been expected to have and what is known about that impact. We also discuss how the Common European Framework of Reference ha…
Spoken-Word Segmentation and Dyslexia
2002
We used magnetoencephalography to elucidate the cortical activation associated with the segmentation of spoken words in nonreading-impaired and dyslexic adults. The subjects listened to binaurally presented sentences where the sentence-ending words were either semantically appropriate or inappropriate to the preceding sentence context. Half of the inappropriate final words shared two or three initial phonemes with the highly expected semantically appropriate words. Two temporally and functionally distinct response patterns were detected in the superior temporal lobe. The first response peaked at approximately 100 msec in the supratemporal plane and showed no sensitivity to the semantic appr…
English language needs and language proficiency of academic professionals as a basis for developing language training : a case study of environmental…
2016
Suomalainen työelämä on monilla aloilla kansainvälistynyt ja sen myötä työtekijöiden kielitarpeet ovat lisääntyneet. Erityisesti tieteellisen tutkimuksen tekeminen vaatii tekijältään laadun ylläpitämiseksi kansainvälistä yhteistyötä ja tutkijat työskentelevät usein tieteellisen tuotoksen julkaisemiseksi englannin kielellä. Euroopassa ja Suomessa, kuten muuallakin maailmassa, lingua franca–asemassa oleva englanti toimii tutkijayhteisöissä tieteellisen kanssakäymisen välineenä. Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli kartoittaa suomalaisten ympäristöalalla toimivien tutkijoiden englannin kielen käyttöön liittyviä tarpeita sekä verrata niitä heidän kielitaitoonsa. Vertailua käytettiin lähtökohtana…
Usability of the testing criteria for English proficiency in competence tests : assessor perceptions
2010
Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on selvittää arvioijien näkemyksiä englannin kielen taidon arvioimiseen laadittujen näyttökriteerien käytettävyydestä hotellivirkailijan ja matkailun ohjelmapalvelujen ammattitutkinnoissa. Ilman ammatillista pätevyyttä pitkään työssä olleet aikuiset voivat hankkia ammattitutkinnon Suomessa osoittamalla ammattitaitonsa näyttötutkintojen avulla. Näyttöä vastaanottava oppilaitos laatii näyttökriteerit tutkinnon perusteissa määriteltyjen arviointikriteerien pohjalta. Tarkastelun kohteina tässä tutkimuksessa eivät ole vain arvioijien yleiset näkemykset näyttökriteerien käytöstä pitkällä aikavälillä, vaan myös heidän mielipiteensä hyödyllisistä ja hyödyttömistä kriteerei…