300 likes | 392 Views
Student perceptions of TL use in the secondary classroom. Bernadette Brouwers. The Assessment of Language Competence. Annual international certificate program Listening and reading comprehension tests Multiple choice format Six languages – CH, FR, GE, IN, IT, JA
E N D
Student perceptions of TL use in the secondary classroom Bernadette Brouwers
The Assessment of Language Competence • Annual international certificate program • Listening and reading comprehension tests • Multiple choice format • Six languages – CH, FR, GE, IN, IT, JA • Three levels – Certificates 1-3 • Some questions in TL at level 2 and 3
Research Methodology Data • 2010 ALC student results • Certificates 2 & 3 listening & reading tests in Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Italian and Japanese • Approx 20, 000 students • Student survey data
Research Methodology • Research question • How does students’ perceived use of the target language in the classroom and school/community environment affect their results on the ALC?
Why is this interesting or useful? • Queries about nature of language programs • Expectations about use of TL • Developments in the national curriculum • Development of professional standards • Focus on intercultural language learning
Assumptions • The purpose of language learning is to be able to communicate proficiently in the target language • learners learn a language best when they are provided opportunities to use the target language to communicate in a wide range of activities … in meaningful situations … . P 41, ACTFL Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century • teacher use of the target language is crucial as it provides the learners’ principal, even only, source of live, scaffolded input … p 7, Crawford in RELC Journal 35:1
Research Methodology Analysis • Item calibration using Rasch modelling • Item discrimination and test reliability index • Relationship between perceived TL use and purpose and student performance in ALC tests
Discussion • Small but significant correlations • Strongest for community in • Chinese 2 • French 3 • German 3 • Italian 2 and 3 • Japanese 2 and 3
Discussion • Instructional use • Chinese 2 • French 2 and 3 • German 2 • Indonesian 2 • Italian 2 and 3
Discussion CommunityStudents Chinese 2 French 2 German 3 German 2 Italian 3 Indonesian 2 Japanese 2 Teachers Japanese 3 Italian 2
Discussion • Instructions Discuss French 2 Chinese 2 German 2 French 3 Indonesian 2 Social Italian 2 German 3 Italian 3 Explain Japanese 3 Japanese 2
Limitations • Data not triangulated • Teacher background not taken into account
Summary • Some variance according to language • Positive correlation with performance on ALC tests • Effect greater at Certificate 2 than at Certificate 3 level • Effect slightly greater for listening than for reading
How can I use this information in my school? • to stimulate discussion with colleagues • What are my school’s views/practices on the use of the TL? • Does the practice in my school reflect the ALC data? • Do we expose students to authentic interactions optimising the use of the TL? • How does the use of the TL relate to our understandings of our own professional knowledge and practice? • to review the languages program and look at any underlying assumptions about the use of the TL • as supportive data demonstrating the link between use of the TL and student performance on the ALC