Proper use of source material in second language writing is an essential skill in the academic writing process. The present study investigates source use and plagiarism level in the essay writing process by the English as a foreign language (EFL) student in one of the international universities in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Thirteen first-year students who failed and then retook the language program were chosen for the purpose of the study. A mixed-methods research design was used to collect the data (i.e., language programs over two subsequent academic years were analyzed for their relevance to the process-based writing). To evaluate the students' opinions on both programs and correct academic citation, a paper-based questionnaire was circulated. The data analysis revealed a positive influence of program two on organizing ideas, incorporating source-text ideas, and using more academic and error-free sentences. A comparative analysis of the plagiarism level and writing performance in students' papers in both programs was performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, which showed a positive difference in the overall writing scores but an insignificant difference in the level of plagiarism. Findings of the study identified that the engagement of the EFL undergraduate students in process-based writing made a positive impact on writing from sources and overall performance.

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Language assessment is widely discussed by specialists in applied linguistics and higher education. A growing body of literature has investigated the selection of appropriate scoring scales to be used in different teaching contexts. Given the significance of assessment in higher educational institutions, the article considers main approaches to testing language skills. It is explained that in the norm-referenced approach, students’ scores are shown in the relationship to other students in the group, university, or country. In the criterion-referenced approach, learners’ skills are assessed against a set of specific criteria. The article discusses the scoring scales for language assessment. Specifically, the holistic marking is based on the lecturers’ overall impression of the language assignment. University teachers assess language tasks analytically when they address each criterion separately. The article provides several recommendations for language teachers and increases awareness about the importance of developing marking scales for ensuring quality assessment in the university.

Assessing students’ knowledge and skills has been widely discussed among educators. The present study investigates lecturers’ and learners’ views on the assessment practices implemented in two higher education institutions. Their perceptions on providing feedback, variety of assessment tasks, use of peer-evaluation, and promotion of learning through the assessment activities have been explored. Twenty-one students and thirteen teachers from the Uzbek university and ten students and eight lecturers from the Latvian university participated in the semi-structured interviews. The comparative analysis revealed participants’ similar opinions on the importance of varying assessment assignments and feedback-giving practices. However, different views on the peer review, assessment and students’ learning processes were observed. The study has identified that despite some differences teachers at both universities promote sustainable assessment practices.

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