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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Assessment in EOL countries
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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Assessment in EOL countries
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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Assessment in EOL countries
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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Assessment in EFL countries
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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Assessment in EFL countries
Case 1: Thailand
The effects of multiple-choice testing
Practicality
Reliability
Content validity
Predictive validity
Washback
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Assessment in EFL countries
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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Assessment in EFL countries
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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Comparing assessment in EOL and
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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Comparing assessment in EOL and
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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Comparing assessment in EOL and
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