Cognitive-linguistic aspects of assessment the level of knowledge and quality of provided educational services in Ukrainian language learning

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Cognitive-linguistic aspects of assessment the level of knowledge and quality of provided educational services in Ukrainian language learning

Garnyk Liudmyla Petrivna Garnyk Liudmyla Petrivna PhD (Political Science), Master of Psychology; Honorary professor and research team member of International Institute for Peace and Religion; Guest researcher of the Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (Germany); Postdoctoral Student, Expert of International Relations Department in State Biotechnological University (Ukraine), Snihurova Irina Ivanivna Snihurova Irina Ivanivna Philologist, teacher of Ukrainian language and philological disciplines, PhD student (specialty 011 - educational, pedagogical sciences) of Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs (Ukraine)

Abstract

The article is devoted to highlighting the main cognitive- linguistic aspects of assessing the mastery level of Ukrainian language by students (foreigners and our compatriots) considering to its compliance with requirements of national and international language standards in accordance with the provisions of the Law of Ukraine “On ensuring the functioning of Ukrainian language as state language” and recommendations provided by Council of Europe on language education. Prevailing law of Ukraine requires that persons who intend to acquire Ukrainian citizenship or enter the civil service must pass an appropriate exam for a certain level of proficiency in state language. Providing the educational services in study of Ukrainian language and/or preparation of applicants to take the language exam is carried out by state and private educational institutions, and exam is held at accredited examination sites, usually located on basis of higher education institutions or using other cultural infrastructure facilities that have required equipment (i.e. Libraries). Last time have become widespread such motivated violations of admission and/or testing conditions as: falsification of documents (certificates, diplomas on the acquired education and/or level of higher language training of the applicant, etc.); receiving illegal benefits by third parties from implementation of various manipulations and abuses. Therefore, the problem of comprehensive assessment of Ukrainian language proficiency level and quality of provided educational services for language training is still essential for today. Summing up theoretical and practical developments in this area will contribute, on the one hand, to strengthening up of security component, and on the other hand, to create natural obstacle to performance of public duties for persons who do not possess a sufficient level of Ukrainian language, demonstrate weakness of their communicative and sociocultural competences, as well as weak culture of business communication. Proposed conceptual and methodological principles of language training consider psycho-linguistic features of systematization and assimilation of language material.

Keywords: cognitive linguistics, Ukrainian language learning, semantic memory, machine learning, independence of knowledge level and quality of provided educational services assessment, academic integrity.

Анотація

Когнітивно-лінвістичні аспекти оцінки рівня знань та якості наданих освітніх послуг із вивчення української мови

Гарник Людмила Петрівна кандидат політичних наук, економіст- міжнародник, перекладач, магістр психології, почесний професор і дослідник Міжнародного інституту миру та релігій, запрошений дослідник Центру сходознавчих досліджень імені Лейбніца (Німеччина), докторант, експерт відділу міжнародних зв'язків, Державний біотехнологічний університет (Україна)

Снігурова Ірина Іванівна філолог, викладач української мови та філологічних дисциплін, аспірантка, Харківський національний університет внутрішніх справ, спеціальність 011 - освітні, педагогічні науки (Україна)

Статтю присвячено висвітленню основних когнітивно- лінгвістичних аспектів оцінювання рівня оволодіння українською мовою здобувачами освіти (іноземцями та нашими співвітчизниками) щодо його відповідності вимогам національних і міжнародних мовних стандартів згідно з положеннями Закону України «Про забезпечення функціонування української мови як державної» із урахуванням рекомендацій Ради Європи з мовної освіти. Чинне законодавство України вимагає, щоб особи, які мають намір набути українське громадянство або вступити на державну службу, повинні скласти відповідний екзамен на певний рівень володіння державною мовою. Надання освітніх послуг із вивчення української мови та/або підготовки претендентів до складання мовного іспиту здійснюється державними й приватними освітніми установами, а екзамен проходить на акредитованих іспитових майданчиках, зазвичай розташованих на базі закладів вищої освіти чи інших обладнаних необхідним устаткуванням об'єктів освітньо-культурної інфраструктури (наприклад бібліотеках). Останнім часом розповсюдження набула тенденція мотивованих порушень умов допуску та/або проведення іспиту: фальсифікація документів (сертифікатів, дипломів про здобуту освіту та/або рівень попередньої мовної підготовки претендента тощо); отримання неправомірної вигоди третіми особами від впровадження різноманітних маніпуляцій і зловживань. Тому актуальною й досі залишається проблема комплексного оцінювання рівня оволодіння українською мовою та якості надання освітніх послуг із мовної підготовки. Узагальнення теоретичних і практичних розробок у цій царині сприятиме, з одного боку, посиленню безпекового компоненту, а з іншого - створенню природної перепони до виконання державних обов'язків для осіб, які не володіють на достатньому рівні мовними, мовленнєвими й соціокультурними компетентностями, а також культурою ділового спілкування. Запропоновано концептуально-методичні засади мовної підготовки з урахуванням психо-лінгвістичних особливостей систематизації та засвоєння мовного матеріалу.

Ключові слова: когнітивна лінгвістика, вивчення української мови, семантична пам'ять, машинне навчання, незалежність оцінювання рівня знань та якості наданих освітніх послуг, академічна доброчесність.

Introduction

Nowadays Ukrainian community has directly faced with civilizaional challenges due to deepen of Russian-Ukrainian confrontation not only on battlefield: mental, cultural, economic, linguistic differences as like as political drifts and many other aspects relevant to national defense and safety issues should be deeply rethink.

Nowadays nobody doubts that each contemporary postmodern state of 21^st century as societal entity has Janus-like face [15, p. 250-251] that defines the spectrum and scale of its symbolic capitals implemented in different social institutions and practices as like as social inclusion (like requirements for getting citizenship [6] or procedures of selection candidates for civil service [7].

One of the main preconditions of social inclusion and selection candidates for civil service is level of communicative competences and Ukrainian language proficiency proved by state language exam certificate [8].

Statement of article problem. Since 2019 sphere relevant to state language examination accompanied by rising range of proposals on consulting and educational services becomes fruitful area for various kinds of illegal practices. Such practices includes but not limited by falsification of documents and different forms of corruption. In light of resent debates on national defense and security aspects any criminal practice relevant to mentioned above issue can being observed also as potential threat: non-controlled migration flows, illegal penetration and transits through Ukrainian territory to Europe, facilitation to legalization of terrorists and representatives of religious extremist groups in Ukraine etc. Anyhow digitization of examination process has facilitated implementation of academic integrity main principles on practice, but there are still open questions about general methodology of Ukrainian language learning and approaches of evaluation the quality of relevant educational services. If academic integrity belongs to field of corporate ethics, then general methodology of Ukrainian language learning gravitates to interdisciplinary field of cognitive linguistics, which promotes use of qualitative and quantitative analytical tools to evaluate learning progress and quality of provided relevant services.

Observing resent relevant literature on cognitive linguistics and language teaching models we should pay attention to such categories as: (1) works devoted to cognitive linguistics and translation [1, 13]; (2) experimental and statistical applications of cognitive linguistics [9, 11]; (3) cross-cultural and comparative studies on language learning techniques [3, 12, 15]; (4) earlier published papers by our research team on issues of learning progress and teaching methodology [2] and (5) some of national and international standards relevant to language proficiency and quality assurance for educational services [7, 8, 10].

Purpose of our research meets current national need in popularization of Ukrainian language learning and improvement of personal communicative skills including the expansion of vocabulary on profession. Aim of our research is to analyze theoretical and empirical papers on research subject and propose ways of facilitation to wider enrollment of individuals and educational institutions in Ukrainian language learning on professional level ensuring quality and integrity of teaching and learning evaluation progress.

Presentation of main research results

Discussing subjective field of cognitive linguistics we should pay attention to different implementation of it into national educational spaces of some European countries like Poland, where cognitive linguistics semantically close to glottodidactics, a scientific discipline focused on teaching and learning of foreign languages, as well as language acquisition, issues on providing trainings for language teachers as well as teaching materials design. Representatives of glottodidactic branch make accent on humanizing language and linguistics by joining its core elements psycho-, neuro- and sociolinguistics in holistic science.

They argued that “... language can be observed as practical knowledge serving people to create substantialise (manifest) structures of utterances, use them to realise specific aims, to subscribe certain values to them and to identify analogous utterances expressed by other people” [12, p. 119]. Discussing conceptual changes in teaching and learning of languages trigged by Corona Pandemics and current war on Ukrainian territory, we can underline great shift on national level in Ukraine from classical teaching to attempts of its total digitization and redundancy of Ukrainian language teachers especially in technical universities of Eastern regions and we can illustrate this using elements of Byram's model [4] (see figure 1). Other significant element just briefly remarked by this model is knowledge. Knowledge as balanced system has own structure consisted of kinds and levels that we can describe as set of skills obtained by individuals during learning process. Learning process is divided on fragments (semesters) and levels. Therefore requirements for passing of each educational level is fixed in form of national and international educational standards, whose requirements can be compared focusing on set of obtained by learners skills and competences.

F&. 1. Coherence between factors of forming intercultural communicative competence.

If level of language proficiency can be described as combination of learned by student information and skills to apply it in proper way, then categories of knowledge in light of cognitive linguistics should be represented as factual, comparative, causal, classified, algorithmic, systematized, associative, strategic- technological, evaluative and worldview ones (see table 1).

Table 1.

Knowledge and skills categories in light of cognitive linguistics.

Also language proficiency level according to Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) traditionally is related with such dimensions as accuracy, fluency, interaction and coherence that focused on evaluation of different qualitative aspects of language use (see table 2).

Table 2.

Common reference levels and qualitative aspects of spoken language use in CEFR [9].

Earlier, discussing temporal and didactic aspects on foreign language teaching in Ukrainian higher educational institution [2, p. 210], we have found out that learners often are faced with casual deficit due to lack of information (lack of vocabulary, weak intercultural communication skills and level of basic knowledge, etc.) to establish causal links between phenomena, logical cognition of which is complicated by many factors of different nature. Key role here also plays temporal factor. For example, foreigner-learner needs approximately 12-14 years to reach required level of proficiency in Ukrainian language: start studying in preparatory faculty, then successfully pass Bachelor and Master levels, start PhD studies and only after passing previous steps continue his/her career as postdoctoral researcher. Comparing requirements of national and international standards on language proficiency, also time period needed for getting higher education (for Ukrainian citizens and foreigners studying in Ukraine) with required for this knowledge and skills categories in light of cognitive linguistics, we have got conceptual scheme (figure 2).

Fig. 2. Language learning process and categories of learners.

Analyzing previous Ukrainian experience (like distance language teaching and learning under conditions of COVID-19 pandemic) we can emphasize that so-called “classical” (off-line) teaching-learning process has being replaced on institutional level by online ones but without consideration of technical (digital literacy level, digital inequality, limited Internet access in rural areas, etc.), methodical or even psychological readiness of learning process participants for quality and productive work. Described situation has defined new risk zone (see figure 3) for universities as key providers of educational services, where competitive business environment requires innovative solutions [4] and approaches to constructing individual learning trajectory depending on personal professional needs of each learner in the frameworks of Ukrainian language national proficiency standards.

Fig. 3. Issue of individual learning trajectory in language learning.

Discussing issue of individual learning trajectory for language learners we have faced with polemics between two camps of scholars on application of quantative methods for corpus linguistics. Corpus linguistics is defined as study of language based on large collection of “real life” language use stored in corpora (or corpus) - computerized databases created for linguistic research. This approach are also known as corpus-based studies and allows to use it as a research tool or methodology for building interactive distance learning resources. Anyhow editor of “International journal of corpus linguistics”, Wolfgang Teubut, argues against using software for corpus linguistics because despite of methods for coding linguistic information to process we will work with numbers not with linguistic categories [3, p. 7]. education ukraine language student speech

Nobody doubts that learning as like as teaching languages requires effective instruments for validation and measuring of corpus linguistics considering different aspects of its discource and intercoherence with other spaces: we will need different measures that yeld the best results, but they can be totally useless if we stay fixed only on its humanity nature [3, p. 9-10]. Here would be helpful approach to language learning and teaching from viewpoint of cognitive linguistics and translation: “...if linguistic communication works through dynamic meaning construal, then how do these key consepts operate in an translational scenario?” [13, p. 37]. Usually translational activity deals with processing or interpretation various units of information represented in different forms (i.e. text, dialogue, monologue, voice records etc.): phonemes or labels we can associate with memory traces distribution in parametric space.

Thus, such theoretical case as cognitive representation of parametric phonetic space, according to opinion of Janet Pierhumbert, it can being observed on practice as aplication of graph theory (phonem is equivalent to graph), allows us to create approaches and instruments for evaluation of learner's knowledge, skills to work with anterior texts and self-learning progress using temporal frameworks [3, p. 17]. Mentioned above anterior text we can defined as close to “sourse text” or “original text” but with highlighted chronological aspect [13, p. 37-38]. Also we can to observe communication in general as creative process of dealing with dynamic meanings of constructs and their flexibility within translation. Here scholars prefer to work with category of anterior text and creative translation (or interpretation) that involves minimally:

(1) emerging and dynamic contextualized interpretation of the anterior text including knowledge of the relevant aspects of its discursive, historical and cultural contexts;

(2) constraints in situation of translation itself and descriptive situation for which emerging translation is destined including rich knowledge of the sort mentioned for the anterior text;

(3) translation act conceptualization as itself, also generally and in the specific present focusing on dynamic construction of a new text within learning process and aspects of its memorizing.

Anyhow, discussing issues relevant to language proficiency level or quality of learning-teaching process, we usually looking for instruments to detect coherence between language proficiency, communicative skills and intellectual potential of each learner to evaluate his or her progress. That is why, on our opinion, theory of cognitive models can pretend on role of better solution for mentioned above issue.

Theory of cognitive models or frame semantics represented introduced by George Lakoff is focused on studying of mental spaces and cognitive models that have structured this spaces. American linguist Charles J. Fillmore has named mentioned above spaces as “frames ” [5] Using category of frames professor Fillmore first time has recognized them from only linguistic viewpoint as system of language means choice - words, grammar rules and language categories - that are associated with typical situations or prototypical behavior models. Later, category of frame gets more cognitive interpretation as special unified construct of knowledge or schematized experience. Also professor Fillmore has defined frames as cognitive linguistic constructs contained inside knowledge in form of concepts that are represented by words. Other scholars also have recognized frame as structure representing stereotypical situations in our conscious (memory) and plays role in indication of new situation that bases on similar situational template.

Thus, frame semantics is applied semantics that operates with frames and close to them unified structures as like as schema, prototype, gestalt or graph [14], that are used for meanings representation of different language constructs. Usually during the planning of learning process we operate with different kinds of learner's memory (see figure 4) [11, p. 231] and structured or unstructured learning material represented in different forms (written texts, records, graphical materials and etc.).

Fig. 4. Human memory and individual learning trajectory.

Returning to earlier discussed issues of needed time and resources for mastering language (in our case it is Ukrainian language) dependent on required proficiency level and learner's needs (for getting Ukrainian citizenship or for candidates on civil service), we can find out one dilemma: for today we have only officially fixed criteria for each proficiency level but still haven't official free interactive educational resource that could help to learners to achieve desired proficiency level in Ukrainian language and in the same time thousands of Ukrainian language teachers (especially from universities of Eastern region where educational infrastructure are damaged or even totally ruined by russian bombings) have lost work due to minimization of learners contingent and changes in curricula.

Conclusions and perspectives for further research

Hence, there are some conclusions and perspectives for further research.

1) On the state level start educational project that should join university teachers and IT experts on applied linguistics to transfer knowledge into virtual educational environment.

Especially valuable would be experience of those teachers who specialize in teaching of foreign learners (staff of preparatory faculties for foreign students) because there are a lot of different peculiarities in learning material structuring and providing for Ukrainian citizens and foreigners.

Such project will be helpful not only for Ukrainian citizens who have got psychological trauma due to russian aggression but also support Ukrainian educators who have lost due to war their workplaces and opportunity to support own families.

2) Considering current situation in the country, we should pay additional attention to attestation of candidates for civil service: state language proficiency as essential basic condition for them together with relevant higher education and good command of national and European law expertise.

3) Basing on principles of frame linguistics and graph theory to create virtual data-bank of Knowledge, where will be visualized learning material in form of graphs-frames connected with each other by multilevel semantic connections (inter-coherence in whole of different independent elements).

Language teachers involved into this project will play role of educational content managers and mentors (not assistants of learners).

4) Individual learning trajectory is multi-graph consisted of elements - required for further learning elements (rules, texts, records) and learning progress records (results of systematically self testing).

Here quality of provided educational services correlates with candidate's results of official language proficiency test.

5) Academic integrity, fraud blocking and minimizing of corruption risks can be achieved by registration and personality verification in one virtual educational resource that can storage all records about temporal and learning progress of each learner.

References

1. Boas H. (2005). From theory to practice: Frame semantics and design of FrameNet. In: Langer S. / Schnorbuch D. (Eds.) Semantics Wissen im Lexikon. Tubingen: Gunter Narr. P. 129-160.

2. Garnyk L. & Snihurova I. (2021). Didactic component of teaching foreign languages for specific purposes: formation of communication and translation skills. Language and intercultural communication: theory and practice. / Ed. Sizonenko N. Kiev: Lira-K. P.205-216.

3. Gries S. (2017). Ten lectures on quantitative approaches in cognitive linguistics: corpus linguistics, experimental and statistical applications. Brill. 224 p.

4. Enhancing intercultural communicative competence in online collaborative assessment environment URL: www.researchgate.net/figure/Byrams-model-of-Intercultural- Communicative-Competence.

5. Fillmore Ch. (2020). Form and Meaning in Language: Papers on linguistic theory and construction / P. Gras, J. Ostman, J. Verschueren (eds.). Lecture Notes Series Vol. 3. Stanford University: Center for the Study of Language and Information. 371 p.

6. Law of Ukraine “On Citizenship of Ukraine” (current edition dated 04.02.2022). Gazette of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, No. 13(2001), p. 65. URL: zakon.rada.gov.ua/l aws/show/2235-14#Text.

7. Law of Ukraine “On Civil Service” (current edition dated 05.07.2022). Gazette of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, No. 4(2016), p. 43. URL: zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/889-19#Text.

8. Law of Ukraine “On ensuring the functioning of Ukrainian language as a state language” (current edition dated 05.07.2022). Gazette of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, No. 21(2019), p. 81. URL: zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2704-19#Text.

9. Qualitative aspects of spoken language use. URL: www.coe.int/en/web/common- european-framework-reference-languages/table-3-cefr-3.3-common-reference-levels- qualitative-aspects-of-spoken-language-use.

10. Examination program for the level of proficiency in the state language for persons who intend to acquire Ukrainian citizenship. URL: https://mova.gov.ua/storage/ app/sites/ 19/exam/gromadyanstvo.

11. Roediger H. & Craik F. (2014). Varieties of Memory and Consciousness: Essays in honor of Endel Tulving. New York: Psychology Press.464 p.

12. Rog. T. (2014). The shaping of applied linguistics and the emergence of glottodidactics. Lingwistyka Stosowana. Vol. 9:2014. P.117-131.

13. Rojo A., Ibarretxe-Antunano I. (Eds). (2013). Cognitive linguistics and translation: advances in some theoretical models and applications. Berlin: Walter de Gruytor GmbH. 433 p.

14. Sonawane S., Mahalle P. & Ghotkar A. (2022). Information retrieval and natural language processing: A Graph Theory approach. Pune: Springer Nature. 176 p.

15. Vodovnik Z. (2021). (Re)thinking the state in the 21th century. Teorija in praksa. Vol. 58 (2/2021). DOI: 10.5136/tip.58.2.249-267. P. 249-267.

Література

1. Boas H. (2005). From theory to practice: Frame semantics and design of FrameNet. In: Langer S. / Schnorbuch D. (Eds.) Semantics Wissen im Lexikon. Tubingen: Gunter Narr. P. 129-160.

2. Garnyk L., Snihurova I. (2021). Didactic component of teaching foreign languages for specific purposes: formation of communication and translation skills. Language and intercultural communication: theory and practice. / Ed. Sizonenko N. Kiev: Lira-K. P.205-216.

3. Gries S. (2017). Ten lectures on quantitative approaches in cognitive linguistics: corpus linguistics, experimental and statistical applications. Brill. 224 p.

4. Enhancing intercultural communicative competence in online collaborative assessment environment. URL: www.researchgate.net/figure/Byrams-model-of-Intercultural- Communicative-Competence.

5. Fillmore Ch. (2020). Form and Meaning in Language: Papers on linguistic theory and construction / P. Gras, J. Ostman, J. Verschueren (eds.). Lecture Notes Series Vol. 3. Stanford University: Center for the Study of Language and Information. 371 p.

6. Закон України «Про громадянство України» (редакція від 02.04.2022). Відомості Верховної ради України, №13(2001), ст. 65. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2235-14#Text.

7. Закон України «Про державну службу» (редакція від 07.05.2022). Відомості Верховної Ради, № 4(2016), ст. 43. URL: zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/889-19#Text.

8. Закон України «Про забезпечення функціонування української мови як державної» (редакція від 07.05.2022). Відомості Верховної Ради, №21(2019), ст. 81. URL: zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2704-19#Text.

9. Qualitative aspects of spoken language use. URL: www.coe.int/en/web/common- european-framework-reference-languages/table-3-cefr-3.3-common-reference-levels-qualitative- aspects-of-spoken-language-use.

10. Examination program for the level of proficiency in the state language for persons who intend to acquire Ukrainian citizenship. URL: mova.gov.ua/storage/app/sites/ 19/exam/gromadyanstvo.

11. Roediger H., Craik F. (2014). Varieties of Memory and Consciousness: Essays in honour of Endel Tulving. New York: Psychology Press.464 p.

12. Rog. T. (2014). The shaping of applied linguistics and the emergence of glottodidactics. Lingwistyka Stosowana. Vol. 9:2014. P.117-131.

13. Rojo A., Ibarretxe-Antunano I. (Eds). (2013). Cognitive linguistics and translation: advances in some theoretical models and applications. Berlin: Walter de Gruytor GmbH. 433 p.

14. Sonawane S., Mahalle P., Ghotkar A. (2022). Information retrieval and natural language processing: A Graph Theory approach. Pune: Springer Nature. 176 p.

15. Vodovnik Z. (2021). (Re)thinking the state in the 21^th century. Thematic section 1: The state capacity in the 21th century. Teorija in praksa. Vol. 58 (2/2021). DOI: 10.5136/tip.58.2.249-267. P. 249-267.

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