Iranian English As A Foreign Language Learners Research Articles

On the Relationship Between Listening Comprehension Motivation and Listening Comprehension Among the Iranian Efl Learners

The present study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between Iranian EFL learners’ listening comprehension (LC) and their English listening comprehension motivation (ELCM). It was also aimed at determining the role of gender and years of university study in LC and ELCM. Sixty four Iranian EFL students (32 males and 32 females), majoring in Teaching English as a Foreign Language at the Marvdasht Azad University participated in this study. They included freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Participants' listening comprehension motivation was measured by English listening comprehension motivation scale (ELCMS) developed by Hsu from Chang's Intrinsic Motivation Orientation Scale (2001). A portion of TOEFL test of language proficiency constructed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS, 2001) was used to determine listening comprehension proficiency level of the participants. The results revealed that the relationship between ELCM and LC was positive and significant. That is, the higher the level of ELCM of the students, the higher the score they attained on the LC test and vice versa. This result indicates that ELCM enhances foreign language listening. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that the years of university study contributed to the level of listening proficiency. That is, the level of LC proficiency increased as a function of years of university study. Concerning the relationship between ELCM and years of university study, no correlation was found. In addition, in this study the data showed no significant difference between males and females’ listening comprehension motivation scores. Keywords : Listening comprehension (LC), English listening comprehension motivation (LCM), L2 listeners, English as a foreign language (EFL), motivation.

Is the test constructor a facet?

Most modern language testers believe that the writing of a successful instrument begins with specifications, and that instruments constructed devoid of specifications are likely to go astray. The purpose of this study was to explore the relative impact of the test-developer on the performance of test-takers using multiple-choice reading comprehension tests that had no specifications. Traditional reading comprehension tests often consist of short prose passages followed by sets of multiple-choicecomprehension questions. The test constructor formulates the stem and the choices on the basis of his or her own renditions of the passage. The test-takers provide evidence of their comprehension in terms of their written responses to the items designed by the test constructor. Since the characteristics of the test method limit the responses the testees can provide, the expected response becomes part of the test method. Accordingly, it seems reasonable to suggest that there may be a facet associated with the test-developer.Six passages each with 3 different sets of multiple-choice items constructed by 3 (groups of) individuals were trialled on 335 Iranian EFL (English as a foreign language) learners. The results revealed differential performance on almost all sets, suggesting a test constructor effect.

Assessment of achievement through portfolios and teacher-made tests

The present study attempted to establish whether portfolio assessment contributes to English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' achievement and their feeling of responsibility towards monitoring their progress. A further concern of this study was to address the probable correlation between the scores of portfolio assessment and those of teacher-made tests. The subjects were 60 Iranian 16-year-old female high-school sophomores. The instruments utilized were a Nelson English Language Proficiency Test , portfolio assessment, a teacher-made achievement test and a satisfaction questionnaire. The assessment of achievement was through both teacher-made tests and portfolios for the experimental group,while it was through teacher-made tests only for the control group. Procedures were designed for preparing portfolios and a number of relevant goals were set. On the basis of these goals, grading checklists were drawn up, to be used by the raters. The portfolio contents included core and optional items, as well as written and recorded tasks, selected by the students to display their bestwork. Reflective comments on aspects of learning demonstrated by each piece of work were attached. At the end of the experiment, a teacher-made test with reasonable psychometric indexes was administered to both groups. The participants were also asked to fill in the satisfaction questionnaire to show their attitudes towards their learning experiences. The findings indicate that portfolio assessment, which was received positively by the subjects, contributed to Iranian EFL learners' achievement and their feelings of responsibility towards monitoring their progress. The portfolio assessment scores correlated significantlywith those of the teacher-made achievement test, and high inter-rater reliability was also achieved. Therefore it is concluded that portfolio assessment, as a promising testing and teaching tool for teachers in EFL classes, can be used in conjunction with teacher-made tests to provide the continuous, ongoing measurement of students' growth needed for formative evaluation and for planning instructional programmes.