OF COMPLEX ASSESSMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

Introduction

The given scale of complex assessment represents the universal level collection of criteria of knowledge, abilities and skills which learners must possess.

All test materials are divided into two groups:

tasks which help to determine the depth of the knowledge of theoretical material; tasks which help to determine practical knowledge, skills and habits.

Final mark can be represented generally:

X·П

where X – the mark of theoretical knowledge on one of the five levels. This is an absolute mark and it is expressed according to the letter scale (A, B, C, D, F).

П – а relative characteristics of practical language knowledge which is expressed in percentages (from 0 to 100 %)

Accordingly, all tasks mentioned in the “Universal Criteria of Complex Assessment of Language Proficiency” are divided into two blocks.

The first block is the theoretical block, and it involves lexical and grammatical and lingua -geographical material which is given in the form of 20 closed tests for each level. Every each the 6^th test was taken from Database.

The second block is the practical block which reveals the level of practical language proficiency. The examination on the second block is conducted as an oral exam where the learner is given an exam card appropriate to his level. The tasks on 4 types of speech activity (TSA) are given in each exam card (30 cards): listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The oral part of the examination lasts 40 minutes: listening – 7 min, speaking – 10 min, reading – 9 min, writing – 14 min.

The answer is estimated in percentage from 0 to 100% which determines the practical level of language proficiency: 0-20% – Elementary level (I), 21-40% – Pre-Intermediate level (II), 41-60% – Intermediate level (III), 61-80% – Upper-Intermediate level (IV), 81-100% – Advanced level (V). The learner has an opportunity to pass the exam on next level. If the learner’s exam results correspondents to 10-15% (for I level), 30-35% (for II level), 50-55% (for III level), 70-75% (for IV level), 80-85% (for V level) he will stay at the same level. But he must pass on the upper level during the next semester.

It is necessary to give equal quantitative parameters to offering tasks for objective determination learner’s knowledge level of in all TSA. Each level has an identical quantity of the tasks in the practical block: two tasks in listening, two in speaking, two in reading and one in writing. For identifying the learner’s competence it is necessary to give the tasks of practical block in strict definite order. We mustn’t miss the tasks or change them.

It is necessary to define a differentiating point for presenting the priority of one (TSA) before another. It is called “sufficiency of significance” of TSA. According to the researches in the world it was proved that nowadays we listen – 40 %, speak – 30 %, read – 20 %, and write – 10 %. Listening is obviously seen to be the most important TSA and its “sufficiency of significance” is 0,4 in our criteria. The second speaking according to the significance is 0,3, the third reading is 0,2 and fourth writing is 0,1. Ready percentages were given in the criteria with counting “sufficiency of significance” of TSA. So it is easy to estimate the procedure.

Note: In Academy at the first semester the learners enter English on the I level / “Elementary”.

a) if the learner doesn’t have enough knowledge for studying on the 2^nd level he/she must study the discipline to reach Pre-intermediate level during seven weeks (dead-line is the first rating control); b) those who speak English on advanced level can have individual lessons in a consultative order during the whole academic year (he must take tasks from the tutor and pass them once two weeks).

Entering control is conducted on basis of materials and methodology of the given criteria.

The determination of learners’ language level, speech and communicative competence with the help of the “Universal Criteria of Complex Assessment of Language Proficiency” opens large horizons for objectivity of language knowledge assessment and proficiency, for creative activity of tutors and students in the process of studying languages. The given methodology let the tutors not only analyze and also replace accents in the building of educational process, using all-out personally and orientated approach in training. The learner gets the possibility to have a full imagination about his strong and weak sides of language having liquidated the gaps in his knowledge at Student’s Individual work and Student’s Individual work with Teacher.

Thus, during English training courses learners must improve their levels from intermediate to advanced within 6 credits according to state curriculum. The leaner, who hasn’t succeeded to master one level will get extra summer courses.

The structure of the manual is determined by level approach to the process of languages proficiency. The materials of manual have been tested in Kazakh Leading Academy of Architecture and Civil Engineering for definition of languages proficiency level. Practical application of criteria data in determination of language knowledge level showed that they are able to give the exact determination of language, speech and communicative competence, its objectivity and transparency of the process of language assessment.

Block I- theory, the learner answers on 20 closed tests from 120 test tasks according to his level. Time limit-20 min. With the help of the table 1 -it is possible to set the level of theoretical knowledge of the learner. At computer testing if the learner gets 50% and more (10 correct answers out of 20) he can pass the practical part of the examination.

Table № 1- Assessment of test results:

There is 1 sample of the card (from 30) in the practical part of the examination.

The content of the tasks on all TSA, regulations of time (time for preparation 30 min., time for answer 10 min.) are offered in table 2, as well as the regulation of time on each type of speech activity and for each task for learners. Total - 40 min.

Table 3 offers criteria of practical knowledge and skills of students on each type of speech activity. There are given the number of tasks, volume, the maximum assessment value in percentage for all 5 levels, on all TSA. This table determines the level of practical language proficiency of the learner.

EXAMPLES

Positive result

For example, the learner A chose IV level on theoretical block and answered 17 test tasks correctly. He got B+, which corresponds to the assessment of his theoretical knowledge. He passes also IV (Upper-intermediate) level on practical block.

It took him 7 minutes for listening:

According to the 1st task the learner listened to the text "Beautiful cities of the world", answered 4 test tasks correctly and got 16% from maximum 16% because he answered all test tasks correctly.

According to the 2nd task the learner retold the main idea of the text in compliance with logical sequence, but during the retelling he made some speech mistakes, that is why he got 14% from maximum 16%

Total: 30%. For listening practice the examinee got 30% from maximum 32%.

It took him 10 minutes for speaking: According to the 1st task the learner kept the conversation on living in foreign country, was able to prove his point of view and got 10% from maximum 10%. According to the 2nd task the learner made a connected monologue about computers in our life (10 sentences from 8) and got 12% from maximum 14%.

Total: 22%. For speaking practice the examinee got 22% from maximum 24%.

It took him 9 minutes for reading: the learner read a text "Feng shui decorating tips" fluently with observance of all orthoepical rules and got 4% from maximum 4%. According to the 1st task the learner made a plan to the text and got 4% from maximum 4%. According to the 2nd task the learner translated the second paragraph and got 7% from maximum 8%.

Total: 15%. For reading practice the examinee got 15% from maximum 16%.

It took him 14 minutes for writing:

According to the writing task the learner wrote an essay consisting of 80 words and got 8 % because he made 2 grammar mistakes in his essay.

Total: 8%. For writing practice the examinee got 8% from maximum 8%.

So, for the fulfillment of practical block the learner A got 75% and his final assessment on English corresponds to B + 75%. The learner is sent to the group with V level of training: B (+75).

THEORETICAL BLOCK

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