Basic principles of testing and assessing the language skills based on cefr

1.2. Language skills which we use in English language
When we learn our native language, first we listen, then we speak, then we read and finally we write. Listening, speaking, reading and writing are the four language skills we need to develop for complete communication.
Listening and reading are receptive: input, i.e. the exposure you have to authentic language in use. Speaking and writing are productive: output, i.e. the action of producing language as part of the process of second language learning.
To achieve these four basic language skills, you need to surround yourself with English: make English part of your life at home, at work, during your free time.
Read on to find tips that will help you overcome the difficulties you might be experiencing to improve your English skills.
Expose yourself to the language as much as possible:
practice makes perfect, which means that if you want to improve a certain skill you have to practice it. As a beginner learner you will need to achieve all 4 language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Listening:
It plays a very important part in learning any language. Effective listening ensures understanding and it helps improve accuracy when speaking , among other things. How can you improve your listening skills? By listening actively, i.e. paying attention not only on what is said, but also how it is said. So, listen:
1. To music –old or modern; the type you prefer, but pay attention to the lyrics. sometimes reading the lyrics may help you understand the song
2. To movies, TV shows, news, entertainments, the radio – try the classics. If you can watch DVD’s you can watch the movie several times. Watching with subtitles and then, when you feel more comfortable, without them. You can have English radio at home or on your mobile phone. Even if are not actually listening to it, your ears will be getting used to the sounds of the language.
3. Attend plays, exhibitions, talks, etc. in English organized by English speaking schools or communities.
Speaking:
It is often the hardest of the four language skills, but as soon as you can speak a little English there are lots of ways to improve quickly and have tons of fun.
4. Join voiced chats. Technology has advanced a lot in terms of social networks so, wherever you live, you’ll find a chat-room to join.
5. Talk and record yourself. This may sound funny, but it will help you realize how you can improve by repeating the recording several times till you feel happy with the results.
6. Talk to your classmates in English when you are not in class. You can even make a group to play games, have a meal or just chat together.
Reading:
It is a process of the brain and it takes time to develop: your mind has to attach meaning to the words, phrases and expressions represented by symbols, plus get to understand the grammar and structure of the language used in the passage to read. If you develop strong reading skills, it’ll be very helpful to your future. You can read:
7. Books in English and articles on the web. Maybe, books you have already read in your mother tongue or which have been turned into movies. Try to start with easy books, even children’s books and comics: The images will help you understand even if you don’t know all the words
8. Switch the operating system of your mobile phone, your PC or tablet into English. Associating a function with a certain word, will improve your vocabulary.
Writing:
Even though it may be intimidating to a lot of people, anyone can get used to writing with a little discipline and a willingness to learn.
9. Write down words or expressions you think useful with their meaning and examples. If you see them in sentences you will remember them better. You can use them if you keep a diary.
10. Write comments in English blogs. At present blogs are websites that resemble journals. Lots of people use them to expose their ideas on a certain topic or to explain things – from how to knit a scarf, to very complicated ones where technical or philosophical topics are dealt with. One common feature of all these blogs is that they are interactive: the readers can make comments or debate the ideas stated in the blog. Even if you are not a blog fan, you may find some that really encourage you to take part. So, just do it. You don’t need to be an expert to write a few sentences about what you think or feel about the content of the blog.
All the above mentioned tips can be reduced to just one: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!! Whatever learning style you have, whatever your native language is, the key to acquire and master a foreign language is PRACTICE it as much and as often as possible.
The results of the research on comprehension-based ESL also appear to pro­vide support for Krashen's comprehensible input hypothesis. It is important to keep in mind, however, that the learners in the comprehension-based studies are beginner-level learners and it is far too early to know how their second language skills will continue to develop. It is certainly possible indeed probable that learners in comprehension-based programs, like the Native language immersion learners, will have considerable gaps in their linguistic knowledge and performance over time. And, like the Native language immersion learners, they too will probably need and benefit from opportunities to use the language interactively as well as from some careful form-focused intervention later in their development.
The TPR results also show great benefits for learners in the early stages of development. Krashen says of TPR that it prepares learners to go out into the target language community to get more comprehensible input which, he says, will carry their language acquisition further.
In summary, comprehension-based programs appear to be beneficial in the development of basic comprehension and communicative performance in the early stages of learning particularly in situations where learners have no other contact with the target language apart from in classroom situations. But they may not be sufficient in getting learners to continue to develop their second language abilities to advanced levels.
The proposal referred to as 'Teach what is teachable' is one which has received increasing attention in second language acquisition research in recent years. The researcher most closely associated with this view is Manfred Pienemann. He and his associates are concerned with being able to explain why it often seems that some things can be taught successfully whereas other things, even after extensive or intensive teaching, seem to remain unac-quired. They claim that their research provides evidence that some linguistic structures, for example, basic sentence word order both simple and complex develops along a particular developmental path. Thus, for example, any attempt to teach a word order pattern that is a 'Stage 4' pattern to learners at 'Stage 1' will not work because learners have to pass through 'Stage 2' and get to 'Stage 3' before they are ready to acquire what is at 'Stage 4'. The underlying cause of the stages has not been fully explained, but there has been considerable research showing that they may be based at least in part on learners' developing ability to process unconsciously analyse and or­ganize certain elements in the stream of speech they hear.²
The last years increasingly raised the issue of using modern technologies in the educational process. It is not only new technical means, but also a new forms and methods of teaching, new approach to learning. The main goal that we set for ourselves, using modern technologies in learning a foreign language it ‘s to show how technology can be effectively used to improve the quality of teaching foreign language students, the formation and development of their communicative culture, learning the practical mastery of a foreign language
This paper aims to highlight the role of using modern technology in teaching English as a second language. It discusses different approaches and techniques which can assist English language students to improve their learning skills by using technology. Among these techniques are online English language learning web sites, computer assisted language learning programs, presentation software, electronic dictionaries, chatting and email messaging programs, listening CD-players, and learning video-clips.³
A case study has been done to appreciate the response of typical English language classroom students for using technology in the learning process. Upon this practical study, the paper diagnoses the drawbacks and limitations of the current conventional English language learning tools, and concludes with certain suggestions and recommendations.
The introduction of information and communication technology ICT to education creates new learning paradigms. We are dwelling in a world which technology has reduced to a global village and the breakthrough in technology is underpinning pedagogical submissions. It may become imperative therefore to have a rethinking on how to ameliorate the constraints of second language users through the applications of modern technologies. The interactions between new technology and pedagogical submissions have been found to an extent to be addressing the heterogeneous needs of second language learners and any global discovery which aims at minimizing learners’ constraints is a welcome development in a rapidly changing world of technology.
This paper therefore is an overview presentation of how modern technologies can be of assistance to both teachers and students of a second language setting. The rapid growth in ICT experienced by the technologically advanced nations of the world has helped them to overcome some of the barriers in teaching and learning. Applications of modern day’s technologies in the field of teaching and learning can make it possible for teachers, students and others to join communities of people well beyond their immediate environment to critically review, analyze, contribute, criticize and organize issues logically and contextually having professionalism and the transformations of the entire society in view. Now, new technologies such as the reported computer enhancements with new software and networking make it much easier for educators to conquer space and time, with the motive of ameliorating constraints and academic conflicting issues. We can now bring learning to virtually any place on earth anytime for the purpose of achieving the desirable learning outcomes.
English language education plays an important role all around the world as it is considered as the language of globalization.⁴This is for why, majority of the countries give priority to the EFL learning proces.Further, assessment is considered as one of the most important pieces of the EFL educational process which has key challenges and roles in the field of education. ⁵Generally, assessment should be implemented into the field of education by every EFL instructor.As it is believed, assessment process shouldn’t be considered only as a tool to provide learners a diploma, but it should also considered as a process that guides and helps the learner to boost their language learning performance, achievement and language proficiency level as well as, improved learning applications and conditions. Importantly, the CEFR provides a guideline with a good foundation for grouping and defining the procedures that should be taken into consideration for an effective assessment and instructional process. The CEFR has existed as a worldwide policy in language education that has been adopted or adapted by nations around the world. Majority of the nations, started to follow CEFR guidelines in order to revise and develop their countries’ educational and language policies as it provides scales and descriptors that enable the teachers to assess the language skills and performances of the learners.⁶ As it is agreed by the Fleckenstein, Leucht and Köller , the CEFR enables the instructors to become “fair judges of students’ EFL competence, tapping the full potential of criterion-referenced assessment”. In line with these, although the language assessment literacy is an indispensable part of language teacher education, EFL teachers have difficulties as they are not trained about the assessment process based on the CEFR principles during their educational process. In spite of, majority of the educators are not trained about the usage of CEFR for the assessment process, the CEFR has rapidly been implemented in instructor education, target language curriculum and instructional tools as the instructors are hoped to adapt and adopt CEFR for usage in curriculum development, pedagogy and assessment for the advancement of the target language performances and language proficiency level of the EFL learners⁷. As a consequence, there is a gap in the context of education about the administration of the assessment practices based on the CEFR principles in the teacher education process as well as, language education policies, curriculum, examination guidelines and also researches in the field of education ⁸. Additionally, as the CEFR influences the lives of millions, and many studies highlights the significance of the CEFR principles on the EFL assessment process there is a need for the research that will examine the effects of assessment procedures based on the CEFR principles regarding the academic achievement of the EFL learners. Moreover, the CEFR suggests that there are various assessment types that can be implemented into the assessment process and all types of assessment should be carefully examined and analysed in order to help instructors to figure out the particular or common, interior or exterior, personal or universal targets to be directed and in deciding which types are more convenient, applicable and suitable to the circumstances in that they are utilizing. In other words, although there are some researches about the usage of the CEFR principles for the assessment of the EFL learners, there is a lack of studies that will provide information about the most common types of assessment in the EFL classes based on the CEFR principles. As a result, this research purposes to find out information about the assessment procedures in EFL classes based on the CEFR principles, on account of providing useful insights into the field of EFL education process. In particular, this study intended to find out the most common types of assessment based on the CEFR principles and the effects of the assessment procedures based on the CEFR principles on the academic achievement of the EFL learners.