Objectives, Goals, and Formative Assessment in the Oral English Proficiency Program

Mark Haugen, Purdue University

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the local context of assessment in the Oral English Proficiency Program (OEPP), the support program for prospective international teaching assistants (ITAs). It provides a unique opportunity to understand international graduate students’ language needs, individualized practice strategies, and improvement goals. Analysis of three assessment documents, (1) the Oral English Proficiency Test (OEPT) Review, (2) the Pronunciation Diagnostic, and (3) the Midterm/Final Evaluation, was conducted. The OEPT Review was analyzed for what and how initial student language needs were identified. The Pronunciation Diagnostic was analyzed for segmental pronunciation issues. The Midterm/Final Evaluation was analyzed for: (i) the extent to which language needs were carried over from the OEPT Review and the Pronunciation Diagnostic, (ii) the practice strategies for language needs, and (iii) the goals for language needs based on specificity, clarity, and observability. In addition, instructor’s indication of student progress on their goals was included. On the OEPT Review, grammar and vocabulary were noted as in need of improvement for more than two thirds of students. More than four out of five OEPT Reviews indicated an intelligibility issue. Common grammar issues were bound morphology and verb use. Common vocabulary issues were idiomaticity and range of vocabulary. Common intelligibility issues were fluency, pronunciation, and prosody. The Pronunciation Diagnostic identified common segmental issues that tended to be low functional load (FL) indicating they do not distinguish between words frequently and/or do not contrast in commonly occurring words (Brown, 1991; Catford, 1987). The Pronunciation Diagnostic results indicated one common pronunciation issue for this population that was high functional load, the tense vowel /i/, as in seat. The Midterm/Final Evaluation indicated that approximately two thirds of the language skills addressed in the goals were needs on the OEPT Review. The Midterm/Final Evaluation practice strategies mostly targeted specific language skills and identified how often the students should practice. Goals on the Midterm/Final Evaluation consistently targeted a specific language skill, for example idiomatic vocabulary (specificity). Goals did not always articulate how improvement in the language skill would be demonstrated, for example use of five collocations in a presentation (clarity). Nor did they always indicate when the student would demonstrate improvement, for example in the final presentation (observability). Final evaluations of goals indicated that 65% of student goals were met. This dissertation concludes by providing appropriate practice strategies and goals and suggesting improvements to assessment in the OEPP.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Ginther, Purdue University.

Subject Area

English as a Second Language

COinS