Estimating intra-rater reliability on an oral english proficiency test from a Bilingual Education Program

Este estudio tiene como objetivo presentar los resultados de una investigación la cual pretendía estimar el nivel de confiabilidad intra-evaluador en un examen de suficiencia oral en inglés, y determinar los diferentes factores internos y externos que afectan la consistencia del evaluador. Los participantes involucrados en el desarrollo de este estudio fueron dos profesores encargados de evaluar la sección de habla de un examen de suficiencia administrado en la Licenciatura en Bilingüismo con énfasis en inglés. Se calculó un coeficiente de correlación con el fin de establecer la consistencia de los evaluadores mientras que un protocolo verbal retrospectivo fue llevado a cabo para recopilar información acerca de los factores que influyen en la confiabilidad del evaluador. Los resultados sugieren que hay un alto nivel de confiabilidad intra-evaluador en el examen de suficiencia en cuanto el coeficiente de correlación arrojó valores superiores a .80. No obstante, aspectos relacionados con la falta de adhesión a los criterios de la rúbrica, la relación evaluador-estudiante, las condiciones físicas, y la presión y responsabilidad del evaluador para dar una nota precisa fueron identificados como factores que afectan la consistencia del evaluador. Finalmente, se proporcionaron algunas implicaciones procedentes de esta investigación

Trialing project-based learning in a new EAP ESP course: A collaborative reflective practice of three college English teachers

Currently in many Chinese universities, the traditional College English course is facing the risk of being ‘marginalized’, replaced or even removed, and many hours previously allocated to the course are now being taken by EAP or ESP. At X University in northern China, a curriculum reform as such is taking place, as a result of which a new course has been created called ‘xue ke’ English. Despite the fact that ‘xue ke’ means subject literally, the course designer has made it clear that subject content is not the target, nor is the course the same as EAP or ESP. This curriculum initiative, while possibly having been justified with a rationale of some kind (e.g. to meet with changing social and/or academic needs of students and/or institutions), this is posing a great challenge for, as well as considerable pressure on, a number of College English teachers who have taught this single course for almost their entire teaching career. In such a context, three teachers formed a peer support group in Semester One this year, to work collaboratively co-tackling the challenge, and they chose Project-Based Learning (PBL) for the new course. This presentation will report on the implementation of this project, including the overall designing, operational procedure, and the teachers’ reflections. Based on discussion, pre-agreement was reached on the purpose and manner of collaboration as offering peer support for more effective teaching and learning and fulfilling and pleasant professional development. A WeChat group was set up as the chief platform for messaging, idea-sharing, and resource-exchanging. Physical meetings were supplementary, with sound agenda but flexible time, and venues. Mosoteach cloud class (lan mo yun ban ke) was established as a tool for virtual learning, employed both in and after class. Discussions were held at the beginning of the semester which determined only brief outlines for PBL implementation and allowed space for everyone to autonomously explore in their own way. Constant further discussions followed, which generated a great deal of opportunities for peer learning and lesson plan modifications. A reflective journal, in a greater or lesser detailed manner, was also kept by each teacher to record the journey of the collaboration. At the end of the semester, it was commonly recognized that, although challenges existed, the collaboration was overall a success and they were all willing to continue with it and endeavor to refine it to be a more professional and productive approach

Foreign language learning needs in higher education: Reasons for convergence and accountability

Needs analysis is a relevant issue in language teaching as its final aim is to enhance the language learning process by setting realistic course objectives. This paper briefly reviews past and present approaches to the concept of “needs” and “needs analysis” in foreign language (FL) methodology with particular reference to the higher education context and the post-Bologna reform. It discusses the complex interplay of addressing target and learning FL needs by gathering data from different stakeholder groups and making use of different data collection instruments. Then, it explores current trends in needs analysis research and explains how “competences” and “profiling” have surpassed “needs” and “needs analysis” in the educational systems under the European Space of Higher Education. Last, this study addresses the implications of adopting a more critical, quality-driven approach to FL needs analysis with a view to attaining a more participatory and accountable higher education

Re-envisioning L2 hybrid and online courses as digital open learning and teaching environments: Responding to a changing world

This article begins with a summary of the research literature that has been carried out over the last ten years regarding second language (L2) learning and teaching issues in college-level hybrid and online course environments. Next, I explore the open education movement and highlight characteristics that are shared between open educational resources and practices as well as open access scholarship and the interactions, activities, materials, and digital tools that are commonly used in L2 hybrid and online courses. As such, the primary focus of this article examines how L2 hybrid and online course environments can be conceptualized as—and are increasingly becoming—digital open learning and teaching ecologies (van Lier, 2004). Re-envisioning L2 hybrid and online courses as digital open learning and teaching environments presents both opportunities and challenges for L2 learners and teachers and the language education field as a whole. I therefore conclude with an overview of future empirical, pedagogical, and curricular issues and questions that will need to be addressed related to L2 digital open efforts as they continue to expand

Negotiating cultures in cyberspace

In this paper we report findings of a multidisciplinary study of online participation by culturally diverse participants in a distance adult education course offered in Canada and examine in detail three of the study's findings. First, we explore both the historical and cultural origins of "cyberculture values" as manifested in our findings, using the notions of explicit and implicit enforcement of those values and challenging the assumption that cyberspace is a culture free zone. Second, we examine the notion of cultural gaps between participants in the course and the potential consequences for online communication successes and difficulties. Third, the analysis describes variations in participation frequency as a function of broad cultural groupings in our data. We identify the need for additional research, primarily in the form of larger scale comparisons across cultural groups of patterns of participation and interaction, but also in the form of case studies that can be submitted to microanalyses of the form as well as the content of communicator's participation and interaction online

Bilingual negotiation via e-mail: an international project

This article examines selective results of an international e-mail project between 24 students studying law with German (in England) and English (in Germany).1 It refers to outcomes as manifested in the students' written reports and oral assessments, but concentrates on samples of bilingual negotiation between partners as expressed in their e-mails. The article focuses on the design of the project and the socio-cultural environment in which it is situated. Taking into account the relevant research in computer-mediated communication, the design of the project follows two primary objectives: the acquisition of (1) language and (2) content as part of a task-based e-mail exchange

The journey of Chinese students from English 106 maintstream composition courses to the Purdue Writing Lab: An institutional needs analysis of Chinese students

According to the Purdue University International Students and Scholars Enrollment & Statistical Report 10-year Enrollment Trends (2014), over the past ten years there has been an 85% growth in the number of international students matriculating at Purdue. As stated in the Purdue University Fall 2014 International Student and Scholar Enrollment & Statistical Report (2013), Purdue University now enrolls 9,080 international students representing 123 countries. This being the case, Purdue University is among the first five top institutions in the nation hosting international students (Open Doors Report-Institute of International Education, 2014). In recent years, Chinese students make up the largest international student population. At the moment, a total of 4,617 Chinese students are enrolled at Purdue, 3,241 of which are undergraduate students (International Student and Scholar Enrollment & Statistical Report, 2014). While the increase in international student numbers may be a positive step towards diversity on campus and a contribution to the local and state economy, it has brought on challenges in many educational settings at Purdue. The ENGL 106 mainstream first-year composition course is one of them. There is a need to reconsider the existing one-size-fits-all curriculum and pedagogies used in ENGL 106 so as to better meet the needs of Purdue\u27s ever-growing diverse international student population more generally and the large percentage of Chinese students more specifically enrolled in this course. In order to do that, conducting a needs analysis of undergraduate international students is crucial. ^ In my dissertation, I conducted a needs assessment specific to a subgroup: Chinese students\u27 in ENGL 106 courses at Purdue University, a large land grant R1 research university in the Midwest. The needs analysis involved two educational settings: the Introductory Composition at Purdue (ICaP) ENGL 106 courses offered at Purdue over one semester and the Purdue Writing Lab, which both cater to large numbers of Chinese students. ^ Using a mixed methods research design, I investigated the needs of Chinese students in ENGL 106 mainstream composition courses in the context of the Purdue Writing Lab. The conceptual framework informing this study was descriptive research study. In this study, I conducted a survey and an interview with three Chinese ENGL106 students who used the Writing Lab in order to identify their varying writing needs in ENGL106. I also conducted a survey and interviews with three Purdue Writing Lab tutors to determine tutors\u27 perceptions of the varying needs of Chinese students more generally. Finally, I analyzed the writing in 11 samples of student essays collected from Chinese students who took ENGL 106. ^ The research questions explored in this study were (1) What are Purdue University Writing lab tutors\u27 perceptions of Chinese students\u27 rhetorical, linguistic, and strategic needs in ENGL106 mainstream composition courses? (2) What are Chinese students\u27 perceptions of their own rhetorical, linguistic, rhetorical, and strategic needs? (3) Do triangulated study findings from tutors and students match up? ^ The findings reveal that Chinese students are in need of more rhetorical, linguistic, and strategic support in ENGL106 mainstream composition courses. The major linguistic needs are in areas related vocabulary use, verb tenses, articles and prepositions; rhetorical needs are observed in the areas of genre and audience awareness. The strategic needs are ample as the students do not seem to make use of any of the writing strategies that would scaffold their writing activities. Implications for these results related to instructor and tutor training will also be addressed

Distance learning of foreign languages

doi: 10.1017/S0261444806003727This article provides a critical overview of the field of distance language learning, challenging the way in which the field is often narrowly conceptualised as the development of technology-mediated language learning opportunities. Early sections focus on issues of concept and definition and both theoretical and pedagogical perspectives on the field. Emphasis is placed on evident shifts from a concern with structural and organisational issues to a focus on transactional issues associated with teaching/learning opportunities within emerging paradigms for distance language learning. The next section reviews choices and challenges in incorporating technology into distance language learning environments, foregrounding decisions about technology made in particular sociocultural contexts, the contribution of ‘low-end’ technologies and research directions in developing new learning spaces and in using online technologies. The investigation of learner contributions to distance language learning is an important avenue of enquiry in the field, given the preoccupation with technology and virtual learning environments, and this is the subject of section six. The two final sections identify future research directions and provide a series of conclusions about research and practice in distance language learning as technology-mediated interactions increasingly come to influence the way we think about the processes of language learning and teaching

Comparative Analysis Of Instructional Strategies To Improve Student Engagement In An Online Introductory Undergraduate French Course

In the past decades, online course enrollment has steadily increased in popularity. In 2020, the Covid-19 global pandemic suddenly shifted most teaching and learning into the virtual world. The entire education system tried to quickly learn how to cope in this environment. Given the clear benefits of online learning, such as flexibility and versatility, coupled with instructors being more capable because of the pandemic, it is projected that online learning will continue to remain a popular option for students. Knowing how to best engage students in an online environment is crucial to student success. Their engagement in the course positively correlates with academic success and satisfaction. This study assesses which instructional strategies are most engaging according to participants’ self-reported levels of engagement, as measured by motivation, enjoyment, and benefit to learning. This research assesses seven comparative sets of instructional strategies: three for writing online in the target language, three for speaking interpersonally in a breakout room, and one for peer presentational interaction. The participants were 19 undergraduate students in the second semester of introductory French at a liberal arts college in the Midwest. Results indicate that all strategies assessed in comparative sets were at least somewhat engaging, with all engagement averages between 3.2 and 4.4 on a 1 to 5 Likert scale. Although there were preferences for and against certain strategies, the positive results of this study result in a toolkit of instructional strategies that engage students in an online, synchronous course. This study culminates in an interactive website that explains the instructional prompts assessed and associated quantitative and qualitative results