Salah Mahajna
Methodology of the Final Oral English Language Assessment and Its Suitability to the Arab School Students in Israel.
University of Latvia. Institute of Psychology and Education, 1998
ABSTRACT
This study has been set out to state the extent to which the Oral assessment of the English language is appropriate for the Arab students in Israel. It aimed at investigating ethnic pecularities of Arab students and work out the theoritical background of the differencitiation of the English language assessment and recommendations for teachers and teaching methods.
At the beginning of 1970, a fundamental shift in the concept of foreign and second language skills causes a significant change in the approach towards foreign language teaching. In contrast with the previous concept in which skills were defined as the knowledge of a foreign language and their usage (Canale & Swain 1980, Shohamy 1983), the new approach concentrated on the practical application of the foreign language learner, with the new objective being the communicative production by the language speakers: the foreign language learner's ability to perform through the use of language in daily living.
In recent years, the teaching of English as a foreign language has been influenced by sociolinguistic and psycho linguistic research contribution which have changed the emphasis from didactic techniques to communication as its major aim. Today, it is agreed that the aim of learning a foreign language is the ability to communicate in that language.
In 1972, it was distinguished (by Clark) between direct language testing and indirect language testing. In recent years the tendency towards the direction of developing authentic language tests identical to real life language performance has increased, while the relationship between the examiner and examinee, constituting an integral part of the testing situation, is likely to cause variations in the results at the time of testing.
In 1978 (Clark) measured direct tests whose forms and method of communication are as identical as possible to normal language use. A direct speech test includes an examinee with at least another individual
involved in a communicative dialogue.
Talking about "communicative language", we need to define "communication" which is quite complicated. Canale and Swain defined communication as the negotiating and exchanging of information between two parties through the use of verbal and non verbal signs, oral and written forms.
Communicative competence is a system of required knowledge and skills for communicating. Knowledge refers to what a person knows. Skills refer to the extent one is capable to implement this knowledge in real communication. There are several components of the communicative competence as identified by Canale and Swain (1980): Linguistic competence, socio linguistic competence, discourse competence and strategic competence.
The concept of communicative competence is suitable for foreign language learning. Linguistic competence which was prevalent in foreign language studies in the 1960's is not suitable for contemporary purposes.
~ There is no doubt that foreign language methodology must take into account the fact that learners will acquire communicative competence in their native language and that this linguistic competence should be utilized. At the same time, caution must be taken against foreign language learners transferring the features of the communicative competence of the mother tongue in such away that would contradict with specific aspects of the second language, which could lead to negative results (Richards 1983).
Tests should reflect the approach used in teaching since there is a close link between the two. In general, tests are devised for measuring the effects of a teaching program and may possibly facilitate in the development of such a program. In addition, tests provide feedback to the teacher, as well as to the students.
Savignon (1983) believes that the purpose of tests is to measure the student's ability in actively using a language in order to achieve a
communicative objective. The need for examining communicative competence is recognized by most experts in the field of testing.
Communicative language tests measure the learner's ability to use language appropriately within a particular context (Morrow, 1979).
Carrol (1980) claims that indirect integrative tests, such as the cloze, do not represent pure communicative interaction, and therefore constitute only as an indirect measure for potential efficiency in dealing with daily communicative tasks. Carrol recommends authentic tests in which the language consists of everyday discourse, realistic context and performance pace based on verbal and non verbal criteria.
In conclusion, developments in the socio linguistic field have created the need for devising communicative tests. Currently, linguistics include not only the linguistic component of communicative competence of the language speaker, but also socio linguistic competence, strategic competence and discourse competence.
Therefore, tests which supposedly measure that learners' speech proficiency should also take into account the linguistic component. Tests which were once only linguistic in nature have over time come to address overall authentic communicative skills.
The development of oral exams which test communicative competence is not as advanced as the development of communicative teaching methods. This can be explained as a result of the complexity of the communicative test. Communicative competence has influenced methods of teaching and ways of learning, and has led to the growth of communicative testing. This investigation is intended to evaluate the extent to which communicative tests examine the communicative competence of the pupil, as well as his ability to use the language in natural everyday situations.
Since these communicative tests are intended to reflect reality and be authentic, the question arises as to what extent these tests reflect the "reality" of the Israeli Arab students and their everyday life.
The extensive reading program constitutes an integral part of the oral exam. It is intended to encourage the students to read and benefit from their reading. Students are required to do reading for pleasure and satisfaction. Reading is meant to develop the students' vocabulary and ~ enrich their language. Reading aims at broadening the student's horizons | culturally, educationally and linguistically.
The portfolio was employed to assess the student's achievement in general and the student's reading in particular. It is used as an alternative tool of assessing the student's progress. It empowers the student to take responsibility of his own work. Portfolio is a collection of the student's work assembled in a file. It is said to comprise everything that the student writes, draws and speaks.
it is considered to be a comprehensive instrument of assessment which reflects the students work, efforts, energy and progress.
Description of the test:
This study is designed to measure the speaker's ability to function effectively.
The format of the exam includes a structured interview and a modified role play at one station, and extensive reading program and questions on English (or American) literature at the other. At each station, the students were tested for nine minutes.
The components examined in the study are:
1. Cultural: to examine the relevance of the topics covered in the exam and state if they are familiar to the students and whether the topics are exposed to students in their daily life.
2. Educational: to examine the overlap between what is taught in class and the objectives of the exam.
3. Test preparation: to examine whether the teacher was properly trained to prepare the students for the test as well as the types of activities used in the preparation. This component relates to the teacher, the examiner and the students.
4. Attitude: to examine the extent to which the pupils are satisfied with the test. It is also concerned with how much the pupils are motivated, as well as their emotional experience towards the test.
5. Linguistic: to examine the linguistic difficulties encountered by the students during the test. This component relates to the teacher and the examiner.
6. Socio economic: to examine the extent to which the student's oral performance is influenced by the standard of the socio economic situation of the student's parents and family.
Six hundred and sixty students from six high schools in different parts of Israel and of different ethnic groups, urban, village and Bedouins participated in the study. The statistical sampling were randomly selected. I
It is important to point out that the proportion of female sample cases coming from the south (Bedouin) is relatively small, however the proportion of female sample cases coming from other regions is almost equal to the proportion of male cases. The sampling represents all strata of the Arab sector in Israel and accordingly includes Bedouin, villagers and urbanites. The sampling represents the different socio economical strata and reflects English studies in the Arab schools in Israel.
The urban students come from a relatively developed society. They have grown up in an environment which has afforded them direct contact with another culture (Judaic culture). The village students do not benefit by daily contact with another culture and lifestyle. They live in a traditional society which preserves relatively strict behavioral norms. Bedouin students live in an almost closed society and contacts with more open and developed societies are not permissible. Bedouin male and female students do not meet together and there is no mutual participation in most sectors.
We can thus conclude that Bedouin and village students benefit nither from a developed lifestyle, nor from various social activities as the urban students do. This is liable to negatively affect their linguistic functioning in normal communicative language.
The instruments used in the study include:
1. Questionnaires to pupils, teachers and examiners relating to all components.
2. Interviews with pupils, teachers and examiners.
3. Observations during the test.
4. Recording during the test.
The research questions regarding the different components, proved that the exam is neither adequately suitable nor does it reflect the reality of the Arab students. The results of the data analysis include the assessment of the responses of the pupils for the following components: level of preparation, cultural content, educational content, linguistics, attitudes and socio economic content.
The results obtained were based on information and data collected from the students. The results were illustrated and demonstrated by means of tables including the student's responses regarding many issues and questions presented to them. Moreover, the statistical element significance was added to explain the student's responses. In addition, different graphs were added to clarify the student's point of view and reaction concerning the various questions put forth to the students.
The findings are as follows:
1. The test does not reflect the reality of the Arab students in Israel.
2. Examiners and teachers were not adequately trained in order to handle the form and content of the oral test.
3. The students suffer from the discrepancy between their linguistic level and that of the examiner linguistic one.
4. The topics, situations and pictures used in the official test are not taken from the Arab students' environment and they are not accustomed to hearing about them in their daily life.
5. The exam is more appropriate for the urban students rather than for the village students and the Bedouin students.
6. Differences between the sexes were revealed in the Bedouin sector. The girls prefer to be tested with girls by female examiners, rather than with boys or by male examiners.
7. The students are enormously affected by the parents' education, family members, parents social status and economic situation.
8. Textbooks have to be highly considered.
Therefore the following activities in the respective areas are recommended:
The establishment of numerous and diverse in service training programs is recommended for high school teachers in the Arab sector in order to increase their awareness of the importance of innovative teaching methods focusing upon the objective of communicative activities which reflect the effective usage of English.
The traditional teaching methods used by Arab teachers should be modified.
Since the examiners constitute an integral part of the testing format, the establishment of in service training and workshop programs is recommended for the examiners.
It is recommended that teachers ascribe maximum importance to fluency and to emphasize upon it, and not attribute importance only to accuracy.
Discussion topics in the various exam activities should reflect the culture and everyday life of the Arab student, his close surrounding, and e society to which he belongs.
It is not recommended to impose tonics and pictures upon the students
and teachers, but rather to provide them with the freedom to choose topics l for the exam reflecting their surroundings, society and life world.
The recruitment of many more female teacher examiners is recommended for those carrying out the oral exam, since approximately one half of the examinees are females (especially among the Bedouin population) who are in need of this basic requirement.
In the light of these findings, a number of recommendations and suggestions are direct to examiners, teachers and the Ministry of Education and Culture: Reference should be made to the curriculum and textbooks and the exam should be adapted to the cultural background of the examinees, accordingly.
It is advisable to bring these recommendations to the attention of the inspectors, textbooks writers, as well as to material program developers. We also recommend conducting further studies which would explore other elements affecting the suitability of the test to the Arab students in Israel.