Bridging the Gap for English Language Testing Study in Fiji: Proposing an Evaluation of the Writing Proficiency Level of Pre-first Year and Post-first Year Undergraduate Students

Goundar, Prashneel Ravisan

doi:10.17507/jltr.1103.02

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…e system includes information acquisition module, ad module, control module, host computer communication module, voice conversion module, receiving and sending module, bus control module, and man-machine interface module [32]. e information acquisition module of the automatic evaluation system of oral English pronunciation quality realizes the functions of voice signal acquisition and host computer communication [33,34]. e data forwarding control of oral English pronunciation information is designed under ARM network control protocol.…”

Section: Automatic Evaluation Of Spoken Englishmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study on Automatic Evaluation Method of Spoken English Based on Multimodal Discourse Analysis Theory

Ren

2021

Security and Communication Networks

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Aiming at the low confidence of traditional spoken English automatic evaluation methods, this study designs an automatic evaluation method of spoken English based on multimodal discourse analysis theory. This evaluation method uses sound sensors to collect spoken English pronunciation signals, decomposes the spoken English speech signals by multilayer wavelet feature scale transform, and carries out adaptive filter detection and spectrum analysis on spoken English speech signals according to the results of feature decomposition. Based on multimodal discourse analysis theory, this evaluation method can extract the automatic evaluation features of spoken English and automatically recognize the speech quality according to the results. The experimental results show that, compared with the control group, the designed evaluation method has obvious advantages in confidence evaluation and can solve the problem of low confidence of traditional oral automatic evaluation methods.

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Section: Automatic Evaluation Of Spoken Englishmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study on Automatic Evaluation Method of Spoken English Based on Multimodal Discourse Analysis Theory

Ren

2021

Security and Communication Networks

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“…The multidimensional and contested nature of language abilities means that it cannot be assumed that any two tests measure the same construct (Green, 2018, p. 61). The authors of the CEFR have responded to the criticism and limitations pointed out by stating that the initial intention of the framework is to provide a means of valuing and encouraging diversity (Goundar, 2020a(Goundar, , 2020bGoundar, 2023).…”

Section: The Common European Framework Of Reference For Languages (Cefr)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Application of Grounded Theory Methodology Using CEFR in the Field of Language Testing

Goundar¹

2023

RES

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The use of grounded theory methodology (GTM) is rare in the field of language testing as indicated by the literature survey. However, this study used GTM in a study on first year undergraduate students writing skills in Fiji. The study used the Common European Framework for Reference (CEFR) to evaluate student writing skills successfully at a university in Fiji. The CEFR is one of the most comprehensive frameworks for language evaluation that has been widely used by language testing organisations mostly in Western countries. This paper takes a methodological position rather than looking at empirical data from the research to engage novice users of GTM to apply it to the field of linguistics, specifically to language testing research. It provides step-by-step guide and a discussion of relevant literature that attest to the use of GTM in linguistics. The methodological contributions and the unique data set of the study will advance scholarly and social policy conversations on this topic. The study makes an original contribution to the body of knowledge on how grounded theory research methodologies can be applied to a longitudinal language testing research context. At present, language testing in higher education relies on data from conventional formative and normative assessments. Approaches such as grounded theory and longitudinal research design have rarely been used. The paper will benefit novice researchers such as Masters and PhD scholars as well as policy makers in applying the methodology to their studies.

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“…Fiji was ruled by the British for 96 years, from 1874 to 1970 (Chand, 2015b, p. 200). The country's colonial past resulted in English emerging as the lingua franca amongst various ethnolinguistic groups in the country, starting in the 1920s (Chand, 2015a, p. 82; Goundar, 2020, p. 351; Shameem, 2017, p. 255). Today, English functions as a home language primarily in families arising from intermarriage between people of different linguistic backgrounds (Goundar, 2023b).…”

Section: Context Of Language Issues Encountered By Higher Education S...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Language, educational inequalities and epistemic access: crafting alternative pathways for Fiji

Goundar

2023

QRJ

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PurposeThe goal of this article is two-fold. The first is to contribute new insights to inform education policies for addressing the underlying educational inequalities and injustices that are caused by lack of epistemic access in the context of Fiji higher education. The second is to explore how the Grounded Theory Methodology can be applied to longitudinal language testing research that seeks to reverse epistemic injustices and educational inequalities in Fiji and other comparable multilingual countries.Design/methodology/approachTo explore how the Grounded Theory Methodology can be applied to longitudinal language testing research that seeks to reverse epistemic injustices and educational inequalities in Fiji and other comparable multilingual countries. The study was conducted at a university in Fiji where 120 students were sampled at the beginning of the first year and at the end of their first year of university programme. The same cohort was tracked throughout the project, out of which 30 students were interviewed at the end of the first year.FindingsThe four indicators include: (1) lack of teaching and learning resources, (2) language barriers, (3) problems with the medium of instruction and (4) shortage of experienced teachers.Originality/valueAlthough widely acknowledged in previous studies from elsewhere, the indicators of educational inequalities identified in this study are worth reporting on due to the unique socio-cultural and linguistic context of Fiji.

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Bridging the Gap for English Language Testing Study in Fiji: Proposing an Evaluation of the Writing Proficiency Level of Pre-first Year and Post-first Year Undergraduate Students

Cited by 5 publications

References 17 publications

Study on Automatic Evaluation Method of Spoken English Based on Multimodal Discourse Analysis Theory

Study on Automatic Evaluation Method of Spoken English Based on Multimodal Discourse Analysis Theory

Application of Grounded Theory Methodology Using CEFR in the Field of Language Testing

Language, educational inequalities and epistemic access: crafting alternative pathways for Fiji

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