Self-assessment of English listening competence as future interpreters' reflection

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Self-assessment of English listening competence as future interpreters' reflection

Yaroslava Krapchatova,

Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences,

Docent

Nataliia Nazarenko,

Senior Teacher

National Academy of Security Sevice of Ukraine

Kyiv

ABSTRACT

The article discusses the theoretical preconditions for organizing selfassessment of English competence in listening, clarifies the concepts of reflection, types of self- and peer assessment, self-evaluation, a test task, and an answer key. The use of a test task as a means of self-and peer assessment is substantiated.

According to our research, we offer computer testing for improving students' listening skills. We suppose the computer tests will help them understand the main idea of the text, the details and the specific information. For the reason mentioned above, we suggest using computer test tasks, which are supposed to estimate the learners' level of English as well as help them improve their listening skills. The Hot Potatoes software may be used by English teachers to create their own tests for assessing the learners' listening skills. It is not necessary for language teachers to know the computer programming. Hot Potatoes is freeware, and teachers may use it for any purpose or project they like.

The article identifies three types of self- and peer control of the level of English language competence in listening. Predictive (planning) self-assessment - the purpose of which is to implement linguistic antithesis, to predict the content of the text in the ability to plan educational activities, to identify and analyze areas of difficulty, to plan the results of activities, to compare future activities with the planned result, to assess predictive activities. Procedural (by process) self-assessment - the task of which is to learn the standard speech activities that are implemented in the process of listening. Procedural self-control is an organic component of the speech activity and is formed in parallel with it and integrated with it. A sign of such self-control in listening is the level of listening comprehension. Effective (final) self-assessment - the student must learn learning activities aimed at checking the level of understanding of the listener, namely, comparing the results of speech activity with the standard, therefore the control over the result of the action.

Key words: reflection, self-assessment, peer assessment, self-evaluation, a test task.

АНОТАЦІЯ

САМОКОНТРОЛЬ РІВНЯ СФОРМОВАНОСТІ АНГЛОМОВНОЇ КОМПЕТЕНТНОСТІ В АУДІЮВАННІ ЯК РЕФЛЕКСІЯ МАЙБУТНІХ ПЕРЕКЛАДАЧІВ

Ярослава КРАПЧАТОВА, кандидат педагогічних наук, доцент

Наталія НАЗАРЕНКО, старший викладач

Національна академія Служби безпеки України

м. Київ

Стаття полягає в розгляді теоретичних передумов організації самоконтролю англомовної компетентності в аудіюванні для майбутніх перекладачів та уточнення таких понять: рефлексія, само- і взаємоконтроль, самооцінка, тестове завдання, а також обґрунтування використання тестового завдання як ефективного засобу для перевірки навичок та вмінь в аудіюванні.

Визначено чотири рівні самоконтролю. І рівень. Студент припустився помилки, сам її не помічає й самостійно на неї не реагує; СК як механізм зіставлення, відсутній. ІІ рівень. Студент, який припустився помилки, самостійно її не виправляє, але після зауваження викладача робить це досить швидко. Зовнішній контроль викладача слугує запуском самоконтролю. ІІІ рівень. Студент самостійно реагує на припущену помилку, тобто включається самоконтроль. IV рівень. Студент виправляє помилку в момент її виникнення, іноді навіть не закінчуючи помилкової дії. Повний прояв самоконтролю.

У статті визначаються три види само- і взаємоконтролю рівня сформованості англомовної компетентності в аудіюванні. Прогностичний (планувальний), мета якого полягає в здійсненні мовної антиципації, передбаченні змісту аудіо тексту, у вмінні планувати аудитивну та навчальну діяльність, визначенні й аналізі зон труднощів, плануванні результатів діяльності, порівнянні майбутньої діяльності із запланованим результатом, оцінці прогнозуючої діяльності. Процесуальний (за процесом), завдання якого полягає в необхідності засвоєння еталонних мовленнєвих дій, які реалізуються в процесі аудіювання. Процесуальний самоконтроль є органічним компонентом мовленнєвої навички та формується паралельно і комплексно з нею. Ознакою сформованості такого самоконтролю в аудіюванні є рівень розуміння прослуханого. Результативний (підсумковий) - студент має засвоїти навчальні дії, спрямовані на перевірку рівня розуміння прослуханого, а саме, зіставлення отриманого результату мовленнєвої діяльності з еталоном, тобто контроль за результатом дії.

Для визначення рівня сформованості англомовної компетенції в аудіюванні ми використовуємо тестові завдання, зокрема електронну тестову програму «HotPotatoes», оскільки вона включає основні типи тестових завдань, що використовуються нами для самоконтролю, зручна й проста у використанні, легко наповнюється і доступна для викладача, який не володіє мовою програмування.

Ключові слова: рефлексія, само- і взаємоконтроль, самооцінка, тестове завдання.

INTRODUCTION

listening english competence translator

International cooperation in the spheres of education, culture, science and technology promotes training efficient translators who are able to hear, understand and interpret the information into the foreign language and vice versa; adapt to the English-speaking environment; facilitate the professional communication.

Therefore, while teaching future interpreters, it is necessary to pay special attention to listening comprehension. Moreover, students can check and assess their listening skills on their own with the help of a computer, a special software programme and their reflection. It is evident that even the first-year students have to use their self-assessment abilities or, in other words, reflection since it is an integrated part of the speech activity. We can easily observe how reflection works if we deal with the productive speech activities like speaking and writing. A person is able to control his or her own speech with the help of his thinking processes, his hearing and his speech apparatus. While writing a man can also control himself with the help of mechanical movements of his hand as well as his sight. Listening comprehension is an inner process, which is difficult to follow or reflect. Nevertheless, we can adequately assess whether we understood everything we heard in details, globally or just some pieces of information. Therefore, reflection is the process of tracing one's own speech activities consciously. Moreover, students can be taught how to use their reflection skills with the help of self-assessing tools like computer tests (Borisko, 2000).

Various aspects of self-assessment and self-evaluation like elaborating different language portfolios are widely observed by the European Center for Modern Languages (ECML) of the Council of Europe, whose aims are to improve teaching and learning foreign languages. Besides, J. Van Ek and J. Trimm have studied self-assessment as an integral and essential part of learning. A lot of portfolios for self-assessment have been worked out like European portfolio for student teachers of languages (D. Newby, R. Allan, A. Fenner, B. Jones, H. Komorowska, K. Soghikyan). Listening competence has been studied by Ukrainian researhers such as MatsnevaO. A., SivachenkoO. O. and foreign scholars like K. Morrow, J. Morley, D. Nunan, and many others.

Therefore, the purpose of the article is to consider the theoretical preconditions for organizing self-assessment of English-listening competence for future translators and clarify the following concepts: reflection, types of self- and peer assessments, self-evaluation, a test task, as well as justify the use of a test task as an effective means for peer-assessment.

Methods of research. The outlined tasks involved the use of the following research methods: theoretical (critical analysis of psychological, pedagogical and methodological literature on the problem of study; study of the requirements of the current program in English for universities / institutes to the level of English listening competence for students of linguistic specialties; study of the requirements of the European recommendations mastering the English listening competence at the levels B2.1 and B.2.2; determining the means of the English listening competence, the substantiation of test control and the model of organization of the study, empirical (survey of teachers and students of linguistic specialties of the Kyiv National Linguistic University in order to identify the level of reflection of the latter; experimental- theoretical (experimental verification of the effectiveness of the developed method of organization of the English listening competence level in the Kiev National Linguistic Year 2012-2013).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Reflection has become the subject of special studies since the beginning of the 20th century. Until then, this matter was considered within the framework of philosophical science and played supplementary role for the knowledge of psychological and philosophical categories. In modern psychology, reflection is considered, firstly, as a process of cognition by a subject of his internal mental states and processes, secondly, in the form of a subject's awareness of how he or she is perceived and evaluated by other individuals in the processes of cooperation and communication (Pashko, 2005: 97-102). So, the ability of self-analysis and self-evaluation of each student allows us to understand more clearly the level of listening competence in English, own results and advances.

Reflection (from lat. reflexio appeal back) - this is understanding, selfawareness, the desire to understand their own feelings and actions. In social psychology reflection is understood as an individual's awareness of how he or she is perceived by communication partners (Shchukin, 2007: 270).

Depending upon the object on which reflection is directed, its various forms are distinguished: intellectual, cooperative, communicative, personal. While mastering the English-listening competence, the objects of intellectual reflection are knowledge, skills, abilities, listening abilities (components of the English listening competence). Intellectual reflection performs the functions of awareness of speech performance, as well as monitoring and regulating such process. The result of intellectual reflection is to obtain new knowledge, skills, abilities and capabilities by a student.

The objects of personal, cooperative, communicative reflection are internal mental states and processes, cooperative activities and communicative processes, consequently. Considering that along with selfassessment, you can use peer assessment, cooperative reflection reflects the process of peer activities: checking the results of a partner, their analysis, correction and evaluation. Thus, reflection provides "feedback" in the relationship of an individual with a partner using peer assessment and helps to realize the correct results.

Consequently, the essence of reflection is the future translator's comprehension of his speech and educational-controlling activities, discussion of its process and result, recognition of the reasons for success and failure with further self-correction in achieving the intended goal. Reflective thinking helps the student to realize his own level of formation of listening skills, to realize his achievements through self-and peer assessment, looking at himself from the partner's point of view.

Reflection creates the ground for the allocation of peer assessment types of the level of English- listening competence formation. In psychological and methodological works, this aspect was researched by N.F. Borisko, M. Derkach, T.A. Pashko and others. Following L.M. Derkach (Derkach, 1997: 29) we distinguish three types of self- and peer assessments:

1) prognostic - the purpose of which is to implement language anticipation, provide for the content of the audio text, the ability to plan communicative and educational activities, identify and analyze areas of difficulty, plan the results of activities and evaluate predictive activities. In other words, the result of the action, the prospects of its implementation are already presented in an ideal way in someone's imagination;

2) procedural (or internal) - takes a leading place in the development of English-listening competence of future translators. The task of this type of self-assessment is the need to master the reference speech and training activities that are implemented in the listening process. Procedural selfassessment is a component of speech skill and is formed in parallel and comprehensively with it. An indication of the formation of such selfassessment in listening is the level of listening comprehension.

3) effective (or external) - with the help of which the student must learn the training activities aimed at checking the level of listening comprehension, namely, comparing the result of speech activity with the standard, i.e. control by the result of the action.

Therefore, the self-assessment of the English-listening competence level is an internal activity, while the peer assessment of the English-listening competence is a method of control. Thus, using the peer assessment, you can check the activity of the internal self-assessment: prognostic, procedural and effective.

It should be highlighted that the results of peer assessment are, as a rule, self- and mutual correction, which is supervised either by the student himself / herself or by a work partner. Self-correction is a person's mental ability to independently correct a mistake made and realized by him / her. It is based on previously acquired experience in language and speech. However, self-correction is not always the same. It depends on many psycholinguistic factors. Developing the ideas of P. P. Blonsky about the levels of self-assessment, scientists

I.O.Zimnya, I.I.Kitrosskaya, K.A.Michurina identified 4 levels of formation of the mechanism of auditory self-assessment in the process of foreign language activity, in speaking particularly (Zimnya, 1991: 144-153).

Level I. The student, who made a mistake, doesn't realize it and doesn't react to it on his own; self-assessment - as a comparison mechanism, is absent. Therefore, careful, corrective and timely control by the teacher, who supports the self-assessment action program and its implementation by the student, is of primary importance.

Level II. The student, who made a mistake, doesn't correct it on his own, but after the teacher's remarks, he does it rather quickly. The external supervision of the teacher serves as if the launch of the student's selfassessment. Self-assessment is not fully formed yet, although all the components for this are worked out.

Level III. External control is inferior to self-assessment. The student independently, but somewhat late, responds to a mistake made, i.e. selfassessment is turned on. The teacher should create the best conditions for the functioning of the student's self-assessment.

Level IV. The student corrects the mistake at the time of its occurrence, sometimes not even ending with the erroneous action, i.e. the current matching and full manifestation of self-assessment are in progress.

So, a sign of the formation of an internal or procedural self-assessment in speaking is the correction of mistakes described above. Since listening is an internal, unexpressed outwardly verbal activity, we can assume that the level of formation of listening skills: global, detailed and selective understanding of audio texts can be a sign of the formation of an internal (procedural) self-assessment. Thus, students' reflexive activity should be stimulated, with the help of which they can check their level of understanding of the audio text, make corrections by comparing the result with the standard, and analyze and acknowledge their mistakes in order to improve the results.

Therefore, in addition to the fact that reflection performs the function of activating peer assessment, reflective thinking acts as an important regulator of ideas about the subject of correction and is functionally responsible for deciding on the need for correction. Reflection also provides an analysis of the results of correction and makes a decision on its correctness. We consider the mutual correction of the level of English-listening competence formation as mutual corrections by students of mistakes made and deliberate by them with the aim of a general increase in the level of implementation improvement of all educational and monitoring activities.

On the basis of self-and mutual correction, self-evaluation is naturally and painlessly formed. By A. N. Shchukin's definition, self-evaluation is an assessment of his qualities, of himself, as a person and an important regulator of behavior. Self-evaluation develops under the influence of external evaluations, as well as comparing the image of the real with the ideal image (Shchukin, 2007: 294).

Considering the specific nature of our study, self-evaluation is viewed by us as an assessment of the peer assessment actions. Self-evaluation can be adequate and inadequate. In turn, inadequate self-evaluation with respect to self-evaluation with which it is compared may be overestimated or underestimated. In psychology, two factors are determined that influence the formation of self-evaluation. Firstly, it is an assessment by others (in our case classmates, teachers). Secondly, comparing the results of their activities with those of other people. This means that the teacher's or a work partner's assessment is the foundation due to which an adequate student's selfevaluation is based. Criticality, the demands of himself, attitude to successes and failures depends on self-evaluation. Thus, self-evaluation affects the effectiveness of human activities and the further development of his personality. Therefore, it is important that the teacher's assessment, peer assessment and self-evaluation coincide, which is ensured by a combination of the teacher's and the peer assessments.

The level of claims is a steady desire of an individual to achieve a certain goal. Psychologists have proved the provision on increasing the level of claims after success and decreasing it after failure. Therefore, the ability to evaluate your knowledge, skills, abilities is the impetus for further achievements, subject to success, or, conversely, to implement selfcorrection, subject to failure.

The results of an experimental study conducted by the psychologist V.I. Spivak indicate that a sense of confidence and self-assessment are in a certain relationship. Therefore, on the one hand, a decrease in self-confidence leads to additional activation of the self-assessment in order to verify the correctness of the actions performed, and on the other hand, excessive selfconfidence correlates with minimal use of the self-assessment, the tendency to make quick decisions, which, however, do not always lead to positive results. (Spivak, 1997: 121-137).

The capabilities of self and peer assessment are not fully realized in the conditions of a language university. We believe that these opportunities can be realized in the context of the current control of future translators in practical English classes. We consider, first of all, test tasks as the means of implementing the self and peer assessment of the English listening competence, since they have a controlling nature, require absolute independence from the test person and provide for strict time limitations.

Following O.G. Kvasova, we note that both exercises for training and control, and test tasks for testing and assessing the level of formation of certain knowledge, skills and abilities have a similar three-phase structure: instruction or heading (rubric), task execution, control self and peer assessment. The difference is that the optional component of the exercise is an example or a sample of the assignment, while in test tasks this component is mandatory, since it visually summarizes all the information presented in the section. Usually it is indicated by the number zero, given in brackets and is highlighted in bold italics (Kvasova, 2009: 23-24).

Another difference between test tasks and control exercises is the presence of a standard or key and, due to this, the ability to measure your own results and the results of a work partner, which is an unconditional advantage for the implementation of the self and peer assessment of the English listening competence. Test task is a more objective means of assessment compared to control exercises. Due to the objectivity of the test control, we obtain more reliable indicators of student performance by the formation of their English listening comprehension competence. In addition, students themselves can check, analyze, evaluate and realize their level of knowledge, skills and listening skills, which removes the assessment problem, which is often the subject of disagreement between the teacher and the student.

By V.A. Kokkota, a test task is the minimum unit of the test, which provides for the verbal or non-verbal reaction of the test (Kokkota, 1989: 8). Test task is aimed at one object of test control and allows you to assess the level of formation of the corresponding skill or ability.

Note that we differentiate combinations of types and kinds of test tasks for self and peer assessment. Therefore, for the self-assessment of English listening competence, we will use test tasks in electronic form, included in the universal computer program "Hot Potatoes". Feedback is carried out using a computer. The main advantage of computer test tasks is that they are designed to activate the educational process due to the dialogue nature of work and interactivity, i.e. ability to instantly respond to questions or actions of a student, offering him / her an answer, a notification of the correctness of his educational actions or a new task. By clicking the "Check" button, the student instantly receives points for the completed test tasks, and thereby carries out self control and, as a result, self-correction, if mistakes are made.

To implement the peer assessment, we use test tasks in printed form with the keys. Students exchange completed test tasks and verify them using the provided keys. Then put points for verified test tasks according to the evaluation criteria. All test tasks for the self and peer assessment of the English listening competence by the method of conducting are collective, i.e. students simultaneously perform the same test tasks. Both test tasks for self assessment in electronic form and test tasks for peer assessments with keys in printed form are designed to provide reflection, a look at oneself from the outside.

Each test task checks the level of formation of an individual speech skill or speech listening ability. Test task, in turn, consists of several questions (test items). The question is understood as each unit, the point of verification - statement, question, missing word. For each question, the student receives a certain point provided either by the developers of the "Hot Potatoes" program, if these are computer test tasks, or by us if these are printed test tasks with keys for peer assessment.

CONCLUSION

When developing test tasks, we adhere to the requirements regarding their presentation, the so-called external validity of test tasks (face validity). It refers to the formulation of test tasks in the correct form (without spelling errors and typos), in a language close to authentic. The type of test tasks should not leave doubts about the ability to test exactly the skill that is indicated in the instruction.

In addition, developing test tasks for the self and peer assessments of the English listening competence, we adhere to the basic requirements for them in the methodology of teaching foreign languages:

1. compliance with the complexity of test tasks program requirements;

2. the presence of situational and problematic test tasks;

3. ensuring the highest possible degree of communicativeness of test tasks, i.e. test tasks directs the testee to solve a specific communicative task, which would be adequate to the nature of speech communication in a real communicative situation;

4. ensuring a sufficient level of motivation (target setting, interesting content, attractive form, etc.);

5. a clear, understandable, unambiguous wording of the instructions;

6. authenticity of test tasks (language and speech material);

7. the focus of test tasks on checking one self and peer assessment facility.

When researching and developing test tasks for peer assessment, you should dwell in more detail on the keys or standards for answers. Perceiving the audio library, the student compares the patterns that are stored in long-term memory with the words that he or she hears. With experience, these actions become minimized, instantaneous. Performing test tasks to check the level of formation of one or another listening skill, the student again turns to long-term memory, removing standards for performing test tasks. In order to verify the correctness of the completed test task, students turn to the keys. The key is an integral part of the test task (exercise) control apparatus, which makes it possible to better understand the structure and content of each operation.

By structure and character, a key-hint (for example, a specific speech situation), a key-rule (support, algorithm), a key-model (sample), a key-extra linguistic factor (figure, diagram), a key-ready answer (a kind of a hint) are distinguished. The key should be simple, accessible to the learner, unambiguous and clearly visible. To check the test task in the case of a unique, univariate, only acceptable answer, we use only key-ready answers. Thus, with peer assessment, the student checks the test tasks performed by the work partner, compares the partner's response with the key, and concludes that the test task is correct / incorrect and that correction is necessary. At the same time, the one who checks usually remembers his answers and mentally compares them with the standard and with the answers of the work partner. Thus, there is a double reflection of speech actions: both the partner and his own. Keys for peer assessment are offered to students in written and oral forms only after completing the test tasks. So, for the peer assessment of English listening comprehension competence formation level, we use test tasks with keys-ready answers, since in this study we set the goal to develop reflective thinking of future translators who could use the keys to make corrections, realize the correct result and find out the causes of the error.

Thus, the formation and improvement of self and peer assessment in students requires special training organized on the basis of systematic and objective control by the teacher, as well as a conscious approach to their speech activity of the students themselves.

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