EFL Teachers’ Challenges on the Usage of Online Assessment Methods (Published)
The aim of this study is to investigate the challenges that EFL teachers face while assessing their students online and to find out some solutions EFL teachers can adopt to overcome the challenges of online assessments. The study has followed the descriptive approach by investigating some previous studies that shed the light on the online assessment that done by EFL teachers. According to most of previous studies, the results of this study show that most of EFL teachers face challenges when using online assessment methods. the severity of these challenges is the iinternet cost and connection all the studies which were investigated by the researchers have these findings. Then, comes lack of digital literacy, less motivated and discouraged students and academic dishonesty respectively. The study recommends that EFL teachers should improve their computer literacy to be able to manage computers well or to operate a basic online platform. In addition, teachers should adopt effective and interesting teaching materials and techniques to increase students’ motivation and enthusiasm for learning.
Keywords: Assessment, Challenges, EFL Teachers, Methods, online
Assessment for improving ESL learners’ writing skills among undergraduate students: A case study of Skyline University College (Published)
The present study seeks to investigate the main difficulties undergraduate students face in academic writing. The participants in the study are 52 randomly selected first year students from the School of Information Technology, Skyline University, Sharjah, UAE. Through assessing samples of the students’ assignments, the researcher will identify the main errors so that he can give constructive feedback and plan revision and remedial activities to help learners overcome those difficulties. In addition to using students’ assignments as an instrument for collecting data, questionnaire will be administered to students to explore types of problems they face in the English composition course, their view on the way English writing class is delivered, and to what extent they find classroom writing tasks relevant to their academic, personal, and professional life. By identifying the common issues UAE students face in writing, the aim is to enhance students ‘s writing skills and design a course book which can be a reference in teaching academic writing course in the UAE high education setting.
Keywords: Assessment, ESL Learners, English writing skills, writing errors
Application of Comics as Instructional Strategy in Language Skill Development: An Oracy Enhancement Paradiigm (Published)
English language is very important in Nigeria because it is used for education, commerce, governmental activities and in inter /intranational relations, among others. The teaching of English language is being faced by a lot of problems ranging from poor teaching methods, students’ weaknesses in pronunciation, poor reading abilities and bad writing, which amount to students’ poor performance. It is therefore important that the language is properly taught in order to enhance the communicative competence of students. This papers looks into the use of comics in pedagogy. Important areas highlighted include: English Language in Nigerian Schools; Oral Communication in English Language; Teachers’ Role in Enhancing English Language Teaching and Students’ Oral Competence Comics and Strategies for Using Comics to Enhance Oral Communication in English Language. Recommendations offered include: teachers should understand that oral language is at the base of literacy which involves risk taking through a willingness to confront more languages than what is presently owned. It therefore requires diligence and hard work on the teacher’s part to help students come across more words in their learning.
Keywords: Assessment, Comics, Oral Skill, Performance, Second Language
English Speaking Assessment: Developing a Speaking Test for Students in a Preparatory School. (Published)
This article discusses the format for the speaking exam developed for the School of Foreign Languages at a Turkish university. The introduction and literature review provide the rationale and arguments for the suggested changes to an existing format. The areas for review and redesigning are: the structure of the exam, assessment rubric, exam questions, and supporting manual for assessors and interlocutors. Each area is considered from the standpoint of best practices in speaking skills assessment and the ways those practices should be utilized in a particular learning community. A detailed description of the procedures, logistics, and sample questions follows.
Keywords: Assessment, interlocutor, speaking task specification, testing speaking skills