Research Article
The development of effective methods of reading is crucial for the process of language learning. In actuality, it is impossible to reach the language proficiency without well-developed reading skills. At the same time, the adequate of reading skills of students is also of the utmost importance because the adequate assessment of students achievements in reading can encourage him or her substantially. In this respect the study conducted by C. Brantmeier, “Adult Second Language Reading in the USA: The Effects of Readers' Gender and Test Method”. Forum on Public Policy: A Journal of the Oxford Round Table, is particularly noteworthy. The author focused her attention on the gender and test method and their effects on students’ reading skills and their assessment. In fact, the author has found out that gender does matter in the process of testing of students reading skills. Bratmeier argues that even though the mother language of students is very important but it still cannot fully eliminate gender differences which also affect students reading skills. At the same time, it is worth mentioning the fact that men and women have differences in comprehension, which may be a function of the type of assessment. Hence, men and women can have different results if different types of assessment are used.
Learning a foreign language, as well as learning at large, is a two-ways process, which involves not only students who learn the language, but also teachers. The role of educators can hardly be underestimated, but often professional educators ignore the fact that they should analyze and assess not only the work and achievements of students but also those of their own. At this point, it is possible to refer to the study conducted by R. Dresser, “The Effects of Teacher Inquiry in the Bilingual Language Arts Classroom” in Teacher Education Quarterly. The author mainly focuses on the teacher’s professional training and work. To put it more precisely, he argues that teachers should be reflective practitioners who assess their own teaching practices as a way to improve their instructions.
The use of audio-visual technologies in the process of learning the language is widely spread in the modern classroom. At the same time, the use of audio and visual testing may be a very complicated process for students. In this respect, students need to focus their attention on testing. In such a context, the amount of time they pay to a specific test. The study conducted by E. Wagner, “Are They Watching? Test-Taker Viewing Behavior during an 12 Video Listening Test” in Language, Learning & Technology, researched the behavior of students who took listening test composed of six separate video texts. The researcher found out that the participants oriented to the video monitor 69% of their time while the video text was played.
Finally, it is important to take into consideration the cultural background of students while teaching and assessing their language competence. L .Valli, L. and others “Initiating and Sustaining a Culture of Inquiry in a Teacher Leadership Program” in Teacher Education Quarterly, have revealed the fact that teachers should be aware of cultural background of their students and encourage culture inquiry among students. At the same time, teachers should understand that different cultural background may need different approaches to assessment since students’ reaction on one and the same assessment may differ in different cultural groups.
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Tags: Arts
