Evaluating Listening and Speaking Activities (Published)
This paper comprises two merged assignments that reflect upon teaching practices and methods regarding the skills of listening and speaking. In the first comprehensive analysis, the focus is on a listening input designed for young learners in a language education context. The assignment focuses on the listening skill, and it provides a comprehensive overview of the teaching context, the listening input, and related activities, offering insights into the effectiveness of the instructional approach and proposing enhancements for a more engaging and inclusive learning experience. Also, the listening input and the listening activities are evaluated based on certain criteria as well as the students’ level of proficiency. The second assignment aims to critically evaluate a coursebook’s speaking activities and design a new lesson focused on specific criteria for developing the speaking skill. The evaluation scrutinizes the coursebook’s communicative competence, linguistic, strategic, semantic, and sociolinguistic aspects, examining activities based on Nation’s features and Johnson’s principles. Furthermore, it delves into the design and detailed evaluation of a lesson plan, encompassing pre, while, and post-stages, developed to enhance students’ speaking skills. Overall, both assignments underscore the significance of considering diverse criteria in the design of speaking and listening activities and the continuous refinement of instructional approaches.
Keywords: EFL, Evaluation, Foreign Language, Language, Listening, Speaking
Evaluation on the Implementation of Continuous Professional Development Program: The Case of EFL Teachers (Published)
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the implementation of Continuous Professional Development program the case of EFL teachers. The study investigated the attitude of teachers towards CPD program, the role of CPD in terms of delivering new knowledge and experience, the leadership support in promoting CPD and the major impediments for the implementation of CPD. The subjects of the study were 18 EFL teachers from selected Secondary schools. In addition, high schools directors and supervisors were also involved in the study. The data was collected through four tools: reflective writing, focus group discussion, interview and document analysis. The collected data were analyzed qualitatively and case study method was employed. The findings of the study revealed that there is a great difference between the teachers’ beliefs and actual experiences in the practice of CPD. The study suggested that lots of challenges impede the proper implementation of CPD. Among them are heavy work load, lack of appropriate training facilities to practice CPD, shortage of financial and expert support, poor management of the program and poor initiatives to implement knowledge and awareness gained in the CPD program. Hence, it is recommended that to enhance the practice of CPD activity, teachers should get plenty of training opportunities to experience their professional activity. Moreover, financial and expert support should be given due attention to improve the current status of CPD.
Keywords: Continuous Professional Development, Evaluation, Experience, Leadership
An Evaluation of Early Childhood Reading Strategies in a Second Language in Ghanan: A Case Study of Effutu Municipality (Published)
The study is an evaluation of two common methods employed in the teaching of reading in the second language (English) at the early grade vis-a-vis the simple view of reading. The work examines the appropriateness of the common teaching strategies employed by early grade teachers in teaching reading in the second language (English) in public schools in Ghana. Data for this work was gathered through interview, observation, instruction and assessment of 30 lower primary school pupils of three public schools in the Central Region of Ghana, as well as one hundred teachers selected from ten regions of Ghana. The thirty (30) pupils were put in three (3) groups of ten (10) and instructed using the look and say method, word association, and the simple view of reading for groups A, B and C respectively. The effectiveness of the various methods was assessed using the trends in the scores from the test. The study showed that while pupils who were instructed using the look and say method and the word association could not actually read, pupils instructed using the simple view of reading were able to read.
Keywords: Evaluation, Second Language, early grade, reading Ghanaian, teaching methodology
Testing and Evaluation in English Language Teaching – A Case of O level English in Nigeria (Published)
One of the ways through which feedback can be obtained from the learners on what the teachers had taught them is evaluation. Students’ achievement in a particular course of study can be determined through evaluation. This work observed various aspects of Ordinary Level English in which students’ achievement are often assessed in Nigeria with a view to assisting students in overcoming problems often encountered during such tests and evaluations. Purposes and forms of language tests were briefly discussed. This was followed by a discussion on characteristics of a good language test. The aspect of tests and examinations in West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO) was exhaustively discussed to give insight into what both teachers and learners are expected to focus on. It was recommended that students should be encouraged to possess all the recommended textbooks and change their reading habits. Teachers were also encouraged to always make themselves available for the students and be willing to assist them in the areas of difficulties in O Level English.
Keywords: English language teaching, Evaluation, Nigeria, O Level English, Testing