English Language Assessment Practices in ASEAN

7/28/2019 English Language Assessment Practices in ASEAN

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English language assessment

practices in ASEAN

Richard Watson Todd

King Mongkuts University of Technology Thonburi

http://arts.kmutt.ac.th/crs/workshop.htm


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English in ASEAN

English as an Official

Language (EOL)

Brunei

Malaysia Philippines

Singapore

English as a Foreign

Language (EFL)

Cambodia

Indonesia Laos

Myanmar

Thailand

Vietnam


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English in ASEAN

English as an Official

Language (EOL)

High average scores on

TOEFL (e.g. Singapore:

99) High ratings for general

English (e.g. on EF EPI,

Malaysia is High)

Widespread use of English

Some English-as-L1speakers

English as a Foreign

Language (EFL)

Low average scores on

TOEFL (e.g. Vietnam: 70)

Low ratings for generalEnglish (e.g. on EF EPI,

Indonesia is Very Low)

Little use of English outside

major cities and academic

and international businessenvironments


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English and education

How do the different roles and different

general proficiency levels of English in

EOL and EFL countries affect English

language education?

Observe classrooms

Examine policies

Investigate assessment practices (reflective ofeducational philosophies)


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Assessment in EOL countries

Case 1: Singapore

Test-centric system

Promoting meritocracy and social mobility?


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Case 1: Singapore

High-stakes tests using variety of item types

E.g. reading comprehension measured

through short-answer questions and summary

writing


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Case 1: Singapore

Increase in open-ended assessment

Introduction of holistic assessment

The ongoing gathering of information ondifferent facets of a child from varioussources, with the aim of providing quantitativeand qualitative feedback to support and guide

the childs development E.g. drama, role-plays, show-and-tell activities

Teacher, self- and peer- assessment


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Case 2: Malaysia

Similar to Singapore: test-centric, variety of

item types


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Assessment in EFL countries

Case 1: Thailand

National Education Act

Education institutions shall assess learners

performance through observation of their

development; personal conduct; learning

behaviour; participation in activities and

results of the tests accompanying theteaching-learning process commensurate with

the different levels and types of education.


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Case 1: Thailand

Influence of university entrance exam

Secondary school teachers rate the influence of

the university entrance exam as their most seriousproblem

School exams are based on the university

entrance exam (e.g. 2006)

Only multiple-choice items Multiple-choice accounts for about half of

secondary school scores


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Case 1: Thailand

The effects of multiple-choice testing

Practicality

Reliability

Content validity

Predictive validity

Washback


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Case 1: Thailand: Washback effects of

multiple-choice testing

Restricting what to learn

Less higher-order thinking

Promoting rote learning

Ignoring productive skills


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Cases 2 and 3: Indonesia and Vietnam

Similar test-centric education systems

Similar dominance of multiple-choice testing

Single major exception is Vietnamese B-level

exam


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Comparing assessment in EOL and

EFL countries

Nearly all ASEAN countries have test-

centric education systems

Regular national-level exams with major

impact on students future

EOL countries: mix of item types

EFL countries: heavy reliance on multiple-

choice testing


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EFL countries: Testing speaking Malaysia

Individual presentation

Situation: Your class has organised aforum to discuss the topic Stressamong teenagers. Each member ofthe team is to focus on one aspect oflife which is stressful.

Task: You are to focus on the stressarising from relationships with yourpeers. You may want to talk about peerpressure and girl-boy relationships.

Thailand Situation:A secretary is talking to a

caller.

Caller: This is Jim Smith. Can I talk toMr. Johnson please?

Secretary: __A__

Caller: __B__

Secretary: Ill tell him as soon as I seehim.

A.1. Pardon me. I dont know him.

2. Can you talk to him now?

3. Im afraid hes just gone out.

4. Sorry. He doesnt want to speak toyou.

B.1. Could I hold on?

2. Can you call me later?

3. Can you ask him to return my call?

4. Could I return his call later?


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EFL countries: Testing writing

Malaysia

Read the following

passage carefully. Based

on the information given,

summarise the passageabout dangers in the

home in about 100 words

Thailand

In most countries around the world,

__A__ to school __B__.

A.1. children having to go

2. children must go 3. every child has been

4. every child must have been

B.1. when they reach a certain age

2. as they are growing old enough 3. since they reached a certain age

4. if they are too old to learn


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EFL countries

EOL countries

Prioritise validity over

reliability

Focus on languageuse

English is a living

language to be used in

the future

EFL countries

Prioritise reliability

over validity

Focus on languageknowledge

English is an

academic subject to

be studied


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English in ASEAN

With the ASEAN economic community cominginto effect in 2015 and with English the de factolanguage of ASEAN, EOL countries will have anadvantage over EFL countries

Need to change view of English in EFL countriesfrom an academic subject to a living language

Changing assessment practices (to includemore open-ended items) may help to change

view of English EOL countries can help EFL countries by actingas model and mentor

Documents

English Language Assessment Practices in ASEAN