Adequate English Proficiency Research Articles

Practical considerations when building concordances between English tests

Applicants must often demonstrate adequate English proficiency when applying to postsecondary institutions by taking an English language proficiency test, such as the TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic, or Duolingo English Test (DET). Concordance tables aim to provide equivalent scores across multiple assessments, helping admissions officers to make fair decisions regardless of the test that an applicant took. We present our approaches to addressing practical (i.e., data collection and analysis) challenges in the context of building concordance tables between overall scores from the DET and those from the TOEFL iBT and IELTS Academic tests. We summarize a novel method for combining self-reported and official scores to meet recommended minimum sample sizes for concordance studies. We also evaluate sensitivity of estimated concordances to choices about how to (a) weight the observed data to the target population; (b) define outliers; (c) select appropriate pairs of test scores for repeat test takers; and (d) compute equating functions between pairs of scores. We find that estimated concordance functions are largely robust to different combinations of these choices in the regions of the proficiency distribution most relevant to admissions decisions. We discuss implications of our results for both test users and language testers.

Korean language teachers’ vulnerability over English competency in Korean-only classrooms

The recent trend of the internationalization of higher education has increased the significance of English as a medium of instruction and communication on campus in non-English speaking countries. Within this context, this study explores emotional vulnerability of teachers of Korean as a second language (KSL) over their foreign language competency, particularly English. Analysis of interviews of twelve KSL teachers demonstrates these teachers’ divergent ways of interpreting and implementing Korean-only instruction, a prevalent norm within the language program, according to their perceived foreign language competency and relevant emotional vulnerability. KSL teachers with proficiency in other foreign language(s) tended to challenge the monolingual norm by utilizing their bilingual skills and experiences as resources for their teaching. Monolingual KSL teachers interpreted Korean-only narrowly and supported a monolingual immersion approach as a way to secure their teacher authority. Regardless of their attitudes towards the Korean-only instruction, however, most teachers experienced various levels of anxiety concerning their perceived lack of adequate English proficiency in the KSL classroom. The results suggest how second language teachers struggle to maintain legitimacy and authority against the hegemony of English in non-English second language contexts, providing implications for the language teacher education.

Autonomous Language Learning Perceptions and Practices in the Japanese Context

Sakai and Takagi (2009) argue that Japanese students are very keen to achieve high scores in exams, which often determine their future and, therefore, they study outside of class, as well as in class to acquire adequate English proficiency. Accordingly, Japanese students need to take responsibility for their own learning to succeed in an exam-oriented culture. Thus, students’ success in language tests is related to learner autonomy. During the process of autonomous learning, students have more opportunities of experiencing significance, personal relevance, emotional engagement, and internalization. The purpose of this mixed methods study is to examine how Japanese students of English as a foreign language (EFL) perceive their own roles in autonomous language learning as well as their teachers' roles, how effectively they can make decisions while learning a foreign language, and what they do to acquire EFL outside the classroom settings. Quantitative data were collected and analysed from 148 college students who completed an online questionnaire. In addition, interviews were conducted with some of the participants. Students at higher levels of English as a foreign language assumed a greater share of responsibility for their education and were more driven than those at the intermediate level. Therefore, the study clearly demonstrates the necessity of incorporating autonomous learning into L2 language instruction.

INTERACTIVE MODEL IN TEACHING READING TO HELP STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND ENGLISH TEXTS

To understand English text, students need to have adequate English proficiency background, at least in understanding the grammar and having many vocabularies to understand the text. For those who do not have good proficiency background in such areas, will have difficulties to comprehend every sentence they read on that text. Teachers who face this kind of situation, must have appropriate approach to handle this problem. Interactive model that was applied in this research has an aim to help students to understand the text by understanding the parts of each sentence on the text they read. To find the findings in this research, the writer used mix method of quantitative and qualitative. The method was applied to find out how the interactive model helps students to comprehend the texts they read. There were 25 students who joined this research after they are considered could fulfill its requirements. The research shows that the students who were taught by interactive model developed their understanding of sentence analysis, felt comfortable with the teaching model, but had less development in understanding the text. Based on the findings from this research, it is concluded that the method gives comfortable teaching atmosphere but does not give significant development on students’ reading skill. The method will be able to give more significant result if it is applied to the students who have higher English Proficiency Level, such as in intermediate and advance levels.

Assessing Mobile Phone Digital Literacy and Engagement in User-Centered Design in a Diverse, Safety-Net Population: Mixed Methods Study.

BackgroundHealth care systems are rapidly deploying digital tools for disease management; however, few studies have evaluated their usability by vulnerable populations. To understand the barriers to app usage among vulnerable populations, we employed user-centered design (UCD) methods in the development of a new text messaging app.ObjectiveThe study aimed to describe variations in patients’ engagement in the app design process, focusing on limited health literacy (LHL), limited English proficiency (LEP), and limited digital literacy (LDL).MethodsWe conducted 20 in-depth semistructured interviews with primary care patients at a public health care system, used open-ended discussions and card sorting tasks to seek input about mobile phones and text messaging, and used open coding to categorize the patterns of mobile phone usage and to evaluate engagement in the card sorting process. We examined qualitative differences in engagement by examining the extensiveness of participant feedback on existing and novel text messaging content and calculated the proportion of patients providing extensive feedback on existing and novel content, overall and by health literacy, English proficiency, and digital literacy.ResultsThe average age of the 20 participants was 59 (SD 8) years; 13 (65%) were female, 18 (90%) were nonwhite, 16 (80%) had LHL, and 13 (65%) had LEP. All had depression, and 14 (70%) had diabetes. Most participants had smartphones (18/20, 90%) and regularly used text messaging (15/20, 75%), but 14 (70%) of them reported having difficulty texting because of inability to type, physical disability, and low literacy. We identified 10 participants as specifically having LDL; 7 of these participants had LEP, and all 10 had LHL. Half of the participants required a modification of the card sorting activity owing to not understanding it or not being able to read the cards in the allotted time. The proportion of participants who gave extensive feedback on existing content was lower in participants with limited versus adequate English proficiency (4/13, 30% vs 5/7, 71%), limited versus adequate health literacy (7/16, 44% vs 3/4, 75%), and limited versus adequate digital literacy (4/10, 40% vs 6/10, 60%); none of these differences were statistically significant. When examining the proportion of patients who gave extensive feedback for novel messaging content, those with LHL were less engaged than those with adequate health literacy (8/16, 50% vs 4/4, 100%); there were no statistical differences by any subgroup.ConclusionsDespite widespread mobile phone use, digital literacy barriers are common among vulnerable populations. Engagement in the card sorting activity varied among participants and appeared to be lower among those with LHL, LEP, and LDL. Researchers employing traditional UCD methods should routinely measure these communication domains among their end-user samples. Future work is needed to replicate our findings in larger samples, but augmentation of card sorting with direct observation and audiovisual cues may be more productive in eliciting feedback for those with communication barriers.

“I Cannot Dance Upon My Toes”: A Case Study Into Teacher Learning Through Participating in an English Teaching Contest in China

AbstractThe professional development of College English (CE) teachers in China has received considerable attention due to their responsibility in preparing university graduates for adequate English proficiency. Many continuous professional development (CPD) activities have been conducted (e.g., national teaching contest) to improve CE teachers’ teaching effectiveness, an essential component of teacher learning. However, it has remained unknown concerning how teacher learning takes place in these well-intended CPD activities, and what mediating factors play an important role in teacher learning. To address this gap, this case study reports on a CE teacher’s (Janna, pseudonym) experience in preparing for and participating in an English teaching contest. Drawing upon multiple sets of data such as teacher reflective journals, interviews, observations of group discussions, and video-recorded teaching demonstration and lesson plan presentation, the findings reveal that teacher learning takes place at a superficial level through legitimate peripheral participation, yet at a deeper level through identity crisis. Vulnerable teacher learning is also identified in the CPD activity, with differentiated learning possibilities created by the tensions between resources and power relations within the community and the teacher’s conceptions of teaching and learning. The study concludes with implications for research of teacher learning and practice for teacher professional development.

Disparities in Hypertension Associated with Limited English Proficiency.

Limited English proficiency (LEP) is associated with poor health status and worse outcomes. To examine disparities in hypertension between National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) respondents with LEP versus adequate English proficiency. Retrospective analysis of multi-year survey data. Adults 18years of age and older who participated in the NHANES survey during the period 2003-2012. We defined participants with LEP as anyone who completed the NHANES survey in a language other than English or with the support of an interpreter. Using logistic regression, we estimated the odds ratio for undiagnosed or uncontrolled hypertension (systolic blood pressure (SBP) > 140mmHg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) > 90mmHg) among LEP participants relative to those with adequate English proficiency. We adjusted for sociodemographic, acculturation-related, and hypertension-related variables. Fourteen percent (n = 3,269) of the participants had limited English proficiency: 12.4% (n = 2906) used a Spanish questionnaire and 1.6% (n = 363) used an interpreter to complete the survey in another language. Those with LEP had higher odds of elevated blood pressure on physical examination (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.47 [1.07-2.03]). This finding persisted among participants using an interpreter (AOR = 1.88 [1.15-3.06]) but not among those using the Spanish questionnaire (AOR = 1.32 [0.98-1.80]). In a subgroup analysis, we found that the majority of uncontrolled hypertension was concentrated among individuals with a known diagnosis of hypertension (AOR = 1.80 [1.16-2.81]) rather than those with undiagnosed hypertension (AOR = 1.14 [0.74-1.75]). Interpreter use was associated with increased odds of uncontrolled hypertension, especially among patients who were not being medically managed for hypertension (AOR = 6.56 [1.30-33.12]). In a nationally representative sample, participants with LEP were more likely to have poorly controlled hypertension than those with adequate English proficiency. LEP is an important driver of disparities in hypertension management and outcomes.

Computer use, language, and literacy in safety net clinic communication.

Objective: Patients with limited health literacy (LHL) and limited English proficiency (LEP) experience suboptimal communication and health outcomes. Electronic health record implementation in safety net clinics may affect communication with LHL and LEP patients.We investigated the associations between safety net clinician computer use and patient-provider communication for patients with LEP and LHL. Materials and Methods: We video-recorded encounters at 5 academically affiliated US public hospital clinics between English- and Spanish-speaking patients with chronic conditions and their primary and specialty care clinicians. We analyzed changes in communication behaviors (coded with the Roter Interaction Analysis System) with each additional point on a clinician computer use score, controlling for clinician type and visit length and stratified by English proficiency and health literacy status. Results: Greater clinician computer use was associated with more biomedical statements (+12.4, P = .03) and less positive affect (−0.6, P < .01) from LEP/LHL patients. In visits with patients with adequate English proficiency/health literacy, greater clinician computer use was associated with less positive patient affect (−0.9, P < .01), fewer clinician psychosocial statements (−3.5, P < .05), greater clinician verbal dominance (+0.09, P < .01), and lower ratings on quality of care and communication. Conclusion: Higher clinician computer use was associated with more biomedical focus with LEP/LHL patients, and clinician verbal dominance and lower ratings with patients with adequate English proficiency and health literacy. Discussion: Implementation research should explore interventions to enhance relationship-centered communication for diverse patient populations in the computer era.

Influence of Sociocultural Context on Language Learning in Foreign Countries

Abstract Professional foreign language training is offered to cultivate the ability to master cross-cultural communication in the sphere of future professional activity. By means of intercultural competence of foreign language we are raising professional competence, too. In countries where English is the native language, it is taught to speakers of other languages as an additional language to enable them to participate in all spheres of life of that country. In many countries where it is an official language and language of instruction, as most communication outside school is in the local languages it is taught as language to learn other disciplines. These are two contrasting contexts for enhancing the English language skills. In both settings there are concerns about students’ difficulties in developing adequate English proficiency to successfully learn content through that language. This paper analyzes the influence of sociocultural factors on the students’ motivation to learn English in different countries, reveals main problems and difficulties in oral English teaching practice, illustrates the relationship between oral English teaching and cross-cultural communication competence. On the one hand, cross-cultural communication plays an essential role in oral English teaching; besides, oral English teaching promotes cross-cultural communication competence. On the other hand, in some countries English is not the prerequisite of future successful career. But anyway the author insists on consistency of English teaching concept with that of the world. Improving the students’ cross-cultural oral communication ability is impossible without laying equal stress on cross-cultural communication competence and oral English teaching.

Can Harry Potter still put a spell on us in a second language? An fMRI study on reading emotion-laden literature in late bilinguals

In this fMRI study we contrasted emotional responses to literary reading in late bilinguals' first or second language. German participants with adequate English proficiency in their second language (L2) English read short text passages from Harry Potter books characterized by a “negative” or “positive” versus “neutral” emotional valence manipulation. Previous studies have suggested that given sufficient L2 proficiency, neural substrates involved in L1 versus L2 do not differ (Fabbro, 2001). On the other hand, the question of attenuated emotionality of L2 language processing is still an open debate (see Conrad, Recio, & Jacobs, 2011). Our results revealed a set of neural structures involved in the processing of emotion-laden literature, including emotion-related amygdala and a set of lateral prefrontal, anterior temporal, and temporo-parietal regions associated with discourse comprehension, high-level semantic integration, and Theory-of-Mind processing. Yet, consistent with post-scan emotion ratings of text passages, factorial fMRI analyses revealed stronger hemodynamic responses to “happy” than to “neutral” in bilateral amygdala and the left precentral cortex that were restricted to L1 reading. Furthermore, multivariate pattern analyses (MVPA) demonstrated better classifiability of differential patterns of brain activity elicited by passages of different emotional content in L1 than in L2 for the whole brain level. Overall, our results suggest that reading emotion-laden texts in our native language provides a stronger and more differentiated emotional experience than reading in a second language.

The English you need to know: Language ideology in a citizenship classroom

This study examines the discursive construction of adequate English proficiency through error correction in citizenship classrooms. In particular, the microanalysis of corrective sequences demonstrates that such proficiency is viewed narrowly – as a practical tool for passing the naturalization interview and not necessarily a tool for broader functioning in the society. Hearable grammatical and phonological accuracy is constructed as a major component of the adequate command of English. The views on what it means to speak English well enough for the purposes of naturalization appear to be deeply rooted in the ideological notions of language for citizenship in the U.S.