Standardized English Language Research Articles

Challenges and opportunities of English as the medium of instruction in diploma midwifery programs in Bangladesh: a mixed-methods study

BackgroundEnglish is generally recognized as the international language of science and most research on evidence-based medicine is produced in English. While Bangla is the dominant language in Bangladesh, public midwifery degree programs use English as the medium of instruction (EMI). This enables faculty and student access to the latest evidence-based midwifery content, which is essential for provision of quality care later. Yet, it also poses a barrier, as limited English mastery among students and faculty limits both teaching and learning.MethodsThis mixed-methods study investigates the challenges and opportunities associated with the implementation of EMI in the context of diploma midwifery education in Bangladesh. Surveys were sent to principals at 38 public midwifery education institutions, and 14 English instructors at those schools. Additionally, ten key informant interviews were held with select knowledgeable stakeholders with key themes identified.ResultsSurveys found that English instructors are primarily guest lecturers, trained in general or business English, without a standardized curriculum or functional English language laboratories. Three themes were identified in the key informant interviews. First, in addition to students’ challenges with English, faculty mastery of English presented challenges as well. Second, language labs were poorly maintained, often non-functional, and lacked faculty. Third, an alternative education model, such as the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) curriculum, has potential to strengthen English competencies within midwifery schools.ConclusionsESP, which teaches English for application in a specific discipline, is one option available in Bangladesh for midwifery education. Native language instruction and the middle ground of multilingualism are also useful options. Although a major undertaking, investing in an ESP model and translation of technical midwifery content into relevant mother tongues may provide faster and more complete learning. In addition, a tiered system of requirements for English competencies tied to higher levels of midwifery education could build bridges to students to help them access global evidence-based care resources. Higher levels might emphasize English more heavily, while the diploma level would follow a multilingualism approach, teach using an ESP curriculum, and have complementary emphasis on the mother tongue.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying!”: My (In)capability to Perform the Standardized English Language

ABSTRACT In this critical postcolonial autoethnography, I share my lived experiences growing up as a subordinate middle-class Indian who was (un)able to perform the language of English despite his exposure to English medium education and hence, was deemed (in)capable of any future aspirations. In this paper, I use my body as a site of struggle to analyze how the performance of the standardized English language which was initially encouraged by British colonizers to ensure systemic manipulation of the colonized has now been normalized as an absolute necessity that automatically ensures upward mobility. In this process, I also examine how the hegemony of the foreign language regulates and disciplines the societal aspirations of the Indian middle class. Ultimately, I use this paper to reflect on my journey – from my (in)capability to perform the English language to embracing my subordinate Bengali middle-class identity and how I negotiate my (in)capability as my critical intersectional identity.

Deconstructing gender stereotypes in standardized English language school textbooks in Algeria: Implications for equitable instructional materials

The pressing need to promote gender equality in today’s globalized society is underscored in Sustainable Development Goals and juxtaposed with the goal of cultivating global citizenship. Despite these efforts, mainstream post-colonial discourse on Maghrebi women categorizes them as less citizens neglecting ‘the complexity’ of their lives and experiences. The scarcity of research that depicts Algerian women’s experiences along with the treatment of the topic of gender as ‘taboo’ restricted opportunities on researching this important category of society. While there are numerous studies conducted in the Algerian context on female’s stereotypical depiction and invisibility in school textbooks, the discussion of the topic remains ahistorical. It relegates the status of women as ‘the oppressed’ which runs the risk of reproducing colonial epistemologies. Guided by Goffman’s gender stereotype theory and Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis conceptual framework, the paper draws on data collected from four standardized English language school textbooks that are currently used in Algeria. The textbooks content affirms the ‘subaltern’ categorization of Algerian women through emphasizing their deagentialization, dependence, and disempowerment. These findings have implications for gender equity in Algeria, the Maghreb, and the broader North Africa contexts.

The Socratic method in developing spoken English discussion discourse markers: A case study

Socratic pedagogy is a systematized method that encourages learners to question themselves and each other - without being judgmental. It aims at boosting empathy and developing an ability to reach informed conclusions. It supports the acquisition of social skills and fosters collaboration while helping them to think critically, deepen their understanding, and find reality in equilibrium. In reaching for insights, students acquire vital skills, knowledge, and practices. Socratic learning depends on how participants can use systematic dialogue. This study monitored the effects of students' use of specific discourse markers (DMs) over a series of speaking tasks undertaken in Socratic seminars. Each task was devised to support the learning objectives of a standardized English language course given to pre-service English teachers in Turkey. Recordings were used to provide feedback to ten participants and then analyzed for appropriate use of spoken DMs. The findings of the study revealed solid evidence of accurate and contextually appropriate DM usage as the number of appropriate DM use increased significantly in the seminars conducted at the end of the intervention period.

Executive Functioning and Adolescents’ Academic Performance on Standardized Exams

Executive functions (EFs) help regulate and direct thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. They also play vital roles in many areas of life. However, few studies address the role EFs play in adolescents’ lives, including their academic performance. We investigated the effects of EFs on standardized exams in mathematics, reading, and English language arts. The main findings were that: 1) adolescents’ EFs—especially when measured by their current teachers—predict performance on standardized academic assessments throughout the middle and high school grades; 2) this effect existed among a rather diverse sample of students both with and without diagnosed disabilities; 3) the predictiveness of EFs tended to increase across these grades when measured by the teachers, but not those gauged by the students themselves; and 4) EFs were somewhat more strongly associated with performance on standardized reading and English language arts exams than on math exams. In addition, students who identified as female tended to show stronger EFs; race/ethnicity showed some significance, but not in easily interpreted ways; and age was reliably associated with performance on these standardized exams such that older students tended to do better even though the exam scores were standardized by grade level. The results illustrate the contributions of EFs to standardized assessments for students with and without diagnosed disabilities.

Aligning English Language Proficiency Assessments to Standards: Conceptual and Technical Issues

AbstractAlignment between standards and assessments is a fundamental component of the larger effort to ensure appropriate and fair use of standards‐based assessments and achievement of successful standards‐based reform. This article focuses on conceptual and technical issues as well as potential strategies in evaluating alignment between large‐scale, standardized English language proficiency assessments and English language proficiency standards in the U.S. K‐12 education context, as these assessments are used in high‐stakes decisions about English language learners. Areas for future research are also discussed.

Epistemological Beliefs of NNEST’s based on the NEST-NNEST Dichotomy

Abstract The purpose of this study was to understand graduate and post-graduate EFL teachers’ epistemological beliefs based on the standardized English language and their beliefs on the NEST/NNEST dichotomy. In order to gain a deeper understanding two different group of teachers were formed consisting of graduate and post-graduate level of education. The aim was to understand whether or not the level of education affect EFL teachers’ beliefs based on the knowledge concept of standardized English and native speakerism. As a data collection methodology for this mixed methods research design, metaphors and the epistemological belief questionnaire (adapted from Hofer, 2000) were used. The results show that there was a significant difference between the two groups’ epistemological beliefs. While the post-graduate group was more critical about the issue, the graduate group of teachers seemed to highly accept the standardized language concept. The analysis of the metaphorical conceptions also supported the findings of the questionnaires.

Community violence and academic achievement: High-crime neighborhoods, hotspot streets, and the geographic scale of "community".

Numerous studies have demonstrated a negative relationship between community violence and youth academic achievement, but they have varied in their geographic definition of “community,” especially as it relates to proximity to students’ residences. We extend this by considering the independent relationships between academic achievement and violent events (from 911 dispatches; e.g., gun shots) at the neighborhood (i.e., census tract) and street-block levels. We use data from standardized Math and English Language Arts (ELA) tests from Boston, MA for 2011–2013. Exposure to community violence was partially independent between streets and tracts, with some students living on low-crime streets in high-crime neighborhoods or high-crime streets in low-crime neighborhoods. Initial regression models found that differences in a neighborhood’s violent crime predicted up to a 3% difference in test scores on both Math and ELA tests. Students living on high-crime streets scored an additional 1% lower than neighbors on safer streets. Subsequent models with student-level fixed effects, however, eliminated these relationships, except for the effect of neighborhood-level violence on Math scores. These findings suggest that future work should consider community violence at both geographic scales, but that in this case the impacts were only consistent at the neighborhood level and associations at the street level were seemingly due to spatial segregation of households.

An Exploration of the English Exit Examination Policy in Thai Public Universities

ABSTRACT One of the many education reforms in Thailand is a policy aimed at improving English language proficiency among university students. One direction in this policy requires that each university administer a standardized English language test to their students before they graduate, and that the students’ scores should be aligned to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) or other standards. This research study examined the English exit examination systems in Thailand by analyzing how all 81 public universities have implemented this policy. Secondary sources of data, including official documents, government statistical reports, and related research studies, were collected and semi-structured interviews via phone were also conducted. Summative content analysis was used to analyze the data. The results showed six approaches for creation and selection of tests for policy implementation. Among these universities, different benchmarks were established. These approaches and benchmarks were developed appropriate to their management readiness and academic contexts. Also, although the policy allows for different standards to be followed, the CEFR is the only one being used. In summary, English exit examinations policy and practice might raise awareness of the importance of English and motivate students to improve their ability, but it is not likely to guarantee expected English proficiency levels.

Non-linguistic cognitive measures as predictors of functionally defined developmental language disorder in monolingual and bilingual children.

Given that standardized language measures alone are inadequate for identifying functionally defined developmental language disorder (fDLD), this study investigated whether non-linguistic cognitive abilities (procedural learning, motor functions, executive attention, processing speed) can increase the prediction accuracy of fDLD in children in linguistically diverse settings. We examined non-linguistic cognitive abilities in mono- and bilingual school-aged children (ages 8-12) with and without fDLD. Typically developing (TD) children (14 monolinguals, 12 bilinguals) and children with fDLD (28 monolinguals, 12 bilinguals) completed tasks measuring motor functions, procedural learning, executive attention and processing speed. Children were assigned as fDLD based on parental or professional concerns regarding children's daily language functioning. If no concerns were present, children were assigned as TD. Standardized English scores, non-verbal IQ scores and years of maternal education were also obtained. Likelihood ratios were used to examine how well each measure separated the fDLD versus TD groups. A binary logistic regression was used to test whether combined measures enhanced the prediction of identifying fDLD status. A combination of linguistic and non-linguistic measures provided the best distinction between fDLD and TD for both mono- and bilingual groups. For monolingual children, the combined measures include English language scores, functional motor abilities and processing speed, whereas for bilinguals, the combined measures include English language scores and procedural learning. A combination of non-linguistic and linguistic measures significantly improved the distinction between fDLD and TD for both mono- and bilingual groups. This study supports the possibility of using non-linguistic cognitive measures to identify fDLD in linguistically diverse settings. What is already known on the subject Given that standardized English language measures may fail to identify functional language disorder, we examined whether supplementing English language measures with non-linguistic cognitive tasks could resolve the problem. Our study is based on the hypothesis that non-linguistic cognitive abilities contribute to language processing and learning. This is further supported by previous findings that children with language disorder exhibit non-linguistic cognitive deficits. What this paper adds to existing knowledge The results indicated that a combination of linguistic and non-linguistic cognitive abilities increased the prediction of functional language disorder in both mono- and bilingual children. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? This study supports the possibility of using non-linguistic cognitive measures to identify the risk of language disorder in linguistically diverse settings.

An Indonesian EFL Student’s Perception and Experiences in repeating English Language Proficiency Test

This work aims to investigate an Indonesian EFL student’s perceptions and experiences in repeatedly doing standardized English language proficiency test: TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). This standardized test has a significant role in the academic and professional lives of students (Anam, 2019); it contributes positively to students’ language proficiency and their future employment if they have higer and valid score in the test (Hsieh, 2017). This present study interviewed an Indonesian EFL student at a National University in Taiwan running an international program. The study participant passed the exam, but she did it repeatedly before she could pass it. This study used a qualitative phenomenological approach with an in-depth interview. The relevant findings illustrate that the participant reveals the reasons for failing the test: lack of self-awareness, lack of self-confidence, and the distance of the test venue from her dormitory. On the contrary, she passed the test by doing online simulation exam individually and modifying her study skills while preparing for the test. The failure process had a positive impact on her in making her to know her ability.

Analysis Level of Satisfaction Student P3d for Distance Learned Based End-User Computing Satisfaction (Eucs) Method in the COVID-19 Era

This work aims to investigate an Indonesian EFL student’s perceptions and experiences in repeatedly doing standardized English language proficiency test: TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). This standardized test has a significant role in the academic and professional lives of students (Anam, 2019); it contributes positively to students’ language proficiency and their future employment if they have higer and valid score in the test (Hsieh, 2017). This present study interviewed an Indonesian EFL student at a National University in Taiwan running an international program. The study participant passed the exam, but she did it repeatedly before she could pass it. This study used a qualitative phenomenological approach with an in-depth interview. The relevant findings illustrate that the participant reveals the reasons for failing the test: lack of self-awareness, lack of self-confidence, and the distance of the test venue from her dormitory. On the contrary, she passed the test by doing online simulation exam individually and modifying her study skills while preparing for the test. The failure process had a positive impact on her in making her to know her ability.

Access and outcomes of children with special education needs in Early French Immersion

Abstract This study investigated access to and outcomes of Early French Immersion (EFI) for students with special education needs (SEN) attending a large school board in Canada. Data analysis was carried out on: provincially mandated achievement test scores for all Grade 3 students with SEN participating over a three-year period (n = 705) who attended either EFI or English programs; standardized French and English language and reading scores for a small subset of students (n = 20); and interviews with parents of Grade 4 students in EFI (n = 9). Results revealed lower participation but higher English academic and language performance for students with SEN in the EFI program as well as development of French language and reading skills. Interviewed parents often believed children with SEN ‘could not handle’ EFI and that withdrawal should be an option in response to learning difficulties. Implications for inclusive practices in EFI are discussed.

The use of MOOCs in learning English: Rwaq as an example: مدى استفادة المتعلمين من منصات التعلم الإلكترونية في تعلم اللغة الإنجليزية – رواق نموذجاً

This study aimed to examine how effective using MOOCS in learning English, and how a number of factors, such as age, gender, education level, occupation and number of courses taken, can influence this effect, if any. In particular, this study sought to answer the following question: To what extent the use of MOOCS can enhance English learning? A number of English learners (n = 336) were recruited from an online English course initiative (English Mastery) at Rawq (An Arabic online platform offering open courses). Two sets of questionnaire were distributed among the learners. The first set was designed to obtain some demographic information from the participants (age, gender, education level, occupation, and number of Rwaq English Mastery courses taken). The second set contained 33 items designed to examine whether the learners benefited from the offered online English courses in terms of both: knowledge and skills. The results indicate that the use of the online English courses provided by the English Mastery Initiative at Rawq was effective in increasing the learner’s knowledge and skills of the English language. The factors age, gender, education level, and occupation were found not to have any effect on the results. Only the number of online courses taken was found to be effective in enhancing the learners’ knowledge and skills of the English language (from 3 to five courses). The study recommends the following: 1) online English language courses at Rwaq should be increased in number, 2) Rwaq should survey English leaners’ needs before offering their courses, 3) Rwaq should offer courses specialized in training English learners for taking standardized English language tests (e.g., IELTS, TOEFL, STEP), and 4) Saudi Universities should have their own MOOCs.

International Graduate Students’ Perspectives on High-Stakes English Tests and the Language Demands of Higher Education

The internationalization of higher education in Canada has given rise to the increased use of standardized English language proficiency tests as gatekeeping measures in university admission policies. However, many international students who are successful on these tests still struggle with the academic and language demands of their programs. Drawing on a thematic analysis of life story interviews with five international graduate students at a major Canadian university, this study examines students’ perceptions on the skills elicited by the IELTS and TOEFL, the language demands and pragmatic norms of their graduate program in language education, and the university’s language support programs.

The Effect of Strengthened Physical Education on Academic Achievements in High School Students: A Quasi-Experiment in China.

Objectives: Evidence of school-based physical activity (PA) on academic performance in children and adolescents was inconsistent, especially in high school students who face a high academic burden. In this study, we tested the efficacy of a strengthened physical education (PE) program on academic outcomes in Shanghai. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was conducted to investigate the effect of strengthened PE on academic scores by calculating the grade-cohort difference before and after the intervention. PE curriculum switched from traditional short duration (40 minutes) general fitness training to long duration (90 minutes) specialized sports (e.g., football, aerobics). A total of 460 high school students (236 pre-intervention and 224 post-intervention) were enrolled in grade 10 and followed for two and three semesters. The academic outcome was assessed by district-standardized test scores. A difference-in-difference approach was employed. Results: After two semesters, the standardized Chinese language scores and English language scores for the post intervention group were increased by 0.61 SD (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.44, 0.78, p < 0.001) and 0.28 SD (95% CI: 0.09, 0.47, p = 0.01). However, the standardized math scores for the post intervention group were decreased in girls. After three semesters, standardized Chinese language scores for the post intervention group were increased by 0.27 SD (95% CI: 0.06, 0.48, p = 0.01). Math scores and English language scores decreased by 0.18 SD (95% CI: −0.36, −0.01, p = 0.04) and 0.23 SD (95% CI: −0.38, −0.09, p = 0.00), respectively. Conclusion: A school-based physical education program had mixed effects on academic scores in high school students.

Test-takers\u2019 perspectives on a global test of English: questions of fairness, justice and validity

Although language test-takers have been the focus of much theoretical and empirical work in recent years, this work has been mainly concerned with their attitudes to test preparation and test-taking strategies, giving insufficient attention to their views on broader socio-political and ethical issues. This article examines test-takers’ perceptions and evaluations of the fairness, justice and validity of global tests of English, with a particular focus upon the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Based on relevant literature and theorizing into such tests, and on self-reported test experience data gathered from test-takers (N = 430) from 49 countries, we demonstrate how test-takers experienced fairness and justice in complex ways that problematized the purported technical excellence and validity of IELTS. Even as there was some evidence of support for the test as a fair measure of students’ English capacity, the extent to which it actually reflected their language capabilities was open to question. At the same time, the participants expressed concerns about whether IELTS was a vehicle for raising revenue and for justifying immigration policies, thus raising questions about the justness of the test. The research foregrounds the importance of focusing attention upon the socio-political and ethical circumstances that currently attend large-scale, standardized English language testing.

ОБУЧЕНИЕ АНГЛИЙСКОЙ РАЗГОВОРНОЙ РЕЧИ В РАМКАХ ПРОСТРАНСТВЕННО-ВРЕМЕННОГО ПОДХОДА

The article considers the opportunity to attract the main regulations of the space-time approach in the English-language education process. Special attention is paid to the space-time reference points of the standardized English language and its regional standards and socio-cultural dialects. Adequate communicatively oriented behaviour in the English-language communicative space is provided by the knowledge of the key attributes of the standardized, regional and socio-cultural use of verbal/nonverbal communication means that act as communicative reference points.

From mythical ‘standard’ to standard reality: The need for alternatives to standardized English language tests

This position paper builds on three of our earlier publications on the same subject (Jenkins &amp; Leung 2014; Leung, Lewkowicz &amp; Jenkins 2016; Jenkins &amp; Leung 2017), as well as a number of conference papers we have given both jointly and individually. However, what we have not done up to this point is to propose alternatives to the large-scale standardized English tests administered by the major international examination boards, of which we have been so critical, despite the fact that we have been discussing other possibilities among ourselves for several years. The opportunity to publish a position paper on English language assessment therefore provided an ideal opportunity to present our alternatives, and this we do in the final part of the paper.

Strategic Processing of Chinese Young English Language Learners in an International Standardized English Language Test.

Strategic competence is acknowledged to be able to explain variations in language test performance. Research with adult language test-takers has shown that strategic competence has dual components: strategic knowledge and strategic processing. Of the two components, strategic processing, which is state-like, unstable, and tends to fluctuate from contexts to contexts, is more closely related to language test performance. To date, none of the existing studies investigates strategic processing with children English language learners (ELLs) and explores the relationship between strategic processing in all the four skills of language learning and the test performance. Addressing these gaps, the current study examined the nature of strategic processing in listening, reading and writing, and speaking of 138 Chinese young ELLs in an international standardized English language test – Cambridge Young Learners English Tests – Flyers test. The three questionnaires regarding strategic processing were administered to the participants immediately following the completion of the test. The confirmatory factor analyses verified that the strategic processing construct in the four skills comprised of a cognitive and a metacognitive dimensions, which resembles the strategic processing of the adult language test-takers. The participants adopted significantly more metacognitive than cognitive strategies consistently in the three sections of the test, possibly due to the status of the test. Both cognitive and metacognitive strategic processing were moderately related to the test performance, explaining from 7 to 31% of the variance in the total shields of the test. Across the four skills, high-performing test-takers used both cognitive and metacognitive strategies more frequently than the moderate- and low-performing test-takers, even though whether such differences were due to their richer strategic knowledge or processing skills was unknown. The study contributes to strategic processing in language testing literature and also provides practical implications for English trainers of the young ELLs in China.