Self-assessment as the additional English language learning tool

Размещено на http://www.allbest.ru/

Размещено на http://www.allbest.ru/

Department of Foreign Languages and Culture of Professional Communication

Lviv State University of Internal Affairs

Self-assessment as the additional English language learning tool

Roksolana Zapotichna,

Candidate of Economic Sciences, Senior Lecturer

The present article aims to investigate the potential applications of self-assessment in the study of English language for professional purposes by economic students. The article categorizes self-assessment tools based on who designed the content and assessment criteria, and the format of the tools, including questionnaires with open-ended and close-ended questions, testing, and surveys. The literature review offers a comprehensive overview of the previous research on self-assessment in the context of teaching and learning English, highlighting its rising popularity among scholars and educators. The article discusses various aspects of self-assessment, including its connection with student-centered approaches and task-based methods. Furthermore, the study explores the advantages and disadvantages of self-assessment for students, educators, and higher education institutions. The article provides examples of self-assessment tasks that were developed for cadets and students of the «Law» specialty. These examples showcase how self-assessment can be practically applied in a professional setting to improve English language proficiency. The study concludes by offering suggestions for further research on the various facets of self-assessment in English language learning and teaching, highlighting the pedagogical implications of using self-assessment as an effective learning tool. Overall, this article highlights the potential benefits of self-assessment in the study ofEnglish language for professional purposes and provides insight into how self-assessment can be incorporated into language learning and teaching practices. The article emphasizes the importance offurther research in this field to improve the effectiveness of English language instruction for professional purposes.

Key words: self-assessment, English language for professional purposes, questionnaire.

Роксолана Запотічна, кандидат економічних наук, старший викладач кафедри іноземних мов та культури фахового мовлення Львівського державного університету внутрішніх справ

Самооцінювання як допоміжний інструмент вивчення англійської мови

У статті розкрито особливості організації самоконтролю у навчанні іноземної мови за професійним спрямуванням у закладах вищої освіти. У статті розглядається класифікація інструментів самоконтролю, яка базується на тому, хто розробляє зміст та критерії оцінювання завдань (викладач або здобувач вищої освіти), а також на форматі інструментів (тести з відкритими та закритими питаннями, анкетування, опитування). Досліджено раніше опубліковані дослідження самоконтролю у контексті навчання та вивчення англійської мови і виділено переваги та недоліки самоконтролю для здобувачів вищої освіти, викладачів та вищих навчальних закладів. У статті запропоновано приклади завдань для самоконтролю, розроблених для курсантів та студентів спеціальності «Право». Крім того, стаття містить рекомендації щодо можливих напрямків подальших досліджень різних аспектів самоконтролю у контексті навчання та вивчення англійської мови, які можуть бути педагогічно значимими для практики викладання та навчання мови. Дослідження самоконтролю у контексті навчання іноземної мови вказує на те, що цей підхід може бути корисним для здобувачів вищої освіти та викладачів. Для здобувачів вищої освіти самоконтроль може бути корисним інструментом для підвищення рівня мотивації та самодисципліни. Крім того, він може допомогти здобувачам вищої освіти зосередитися на тих аспектах навчання, які потребують додаткової уваги. Для викладачів інструменти самоконтролю можуть бути корисними для підвищення ефективності навчального процесу. Вони дозволяють викладачам перенаправляти увагу здобувачів вищої освіти на ті аспекти, які потребують додаткової уваги, а також забезпечують можливість надання здобувачам вищої освіти зворотного зв'язку щодо їхніх досягнень. Однак, у статті також вказано на недоліки самоконтролю. Наприклад, наявність завдань самоконтролю не завжди гарантує, що здобувачі вищої освіти відповідатимуть на них чесно і точно. Крім того, недостатня мотивація та навички самоконтролю можуть спричинити падіння якості навчання.

Ключові слова: самоконтроль, англійська мова за професійним спрямуванням, анкетування.

Introduction

Giving and receiving feedback is an essential component of formative assessment. However, most educators struggle to provide feedback to students for a variety of reasons, including the large number of students in class. Students, fortunately, can be excellent sources of feedback through self-assessment, in which they reflect on the quality of their work, judge the extent to which their work reflects explicitly stated goals or criteria, and revise their work. Under the right circumstances, student self-assessment can provide precise and useful data to enhance the quality of education. Self-assessment can also be effective in English language learning for a variety of reasons, including motivating students to learn and reflect on their own English learning, promoting critical thinking and reflective practices in learning English, developing a sense of autonomy in their own English learning, and fostering commitment in learning English, among many others. Thus, the purpose of this article is to investigate the possibilities of using self-assessment in English language learning. The concept and underlying principles of self-assessment will be introduced in this paper. Following that, a review of previous studies on selfassessment in the context of teaching and learning English language for professional purposes will be provided. The benefits and drawbacks of using selfassessment in the classroom will be discussed. The article concludes with pedagogical implications and future research recommendations on various aspects of self-assessment in English language learning and teaching.

Literature review

The usefulness of employing self-assessment in language acquisition is still being researched by academics and researchers in the field of education since it is a relatively new concept. On the other hand, there are several research studies that demonstrate the effective use of self-assessment in language learning. C. Cuesta-Melo, M. Lucero- Zambrano, and L. Herrera-Mosquera in their research gather information from students' reflective journals, focus group discussion commentaries, and an interview in order to analyze their reflections on their English learning process. The findings reveal that students favored self-assessment. Self-assessment, according to their comments, assesses more profound aspects of the self, such as autonomy, selfrecognition, critical thinking, persistence, and selfefficacy. They also emphasize on the importance of their first language, reflective journals, and focus group discussions as tools for in-depth self-evaluation and collective reflection. Furthermore, the study revealed drawbacks such as difficulties in self-recognizing one's own learning performance and a lack of objectivity and honesty with oneself when reflecting. The researchers conclude that self-assessment activities must be performed on a continuous basis, with constant guidance for learners and the materials used. Simultaneously, learners must understand selfassessment in order to carry out this procedure, otherwise, they will dismiss it as meaningless or perform it incorrectly (Cuesta-Melo, Lucero-Zambrano, and Herrera-Mosquera, 2021: 100).

C. Larenas examines 205 assessment tools developed by the English language educators. They conclude that traditional assessment was preferred over authentic assessment, and four distinct clusters show that language assessment principles manifest to varying degrees in each type of instrument. Interestingly, despite the fact that language learning is primarily about how people attempt to communicate with others, educators continue to emphasize the assessment of grammar and vocabulary knowledge rather than assisting students in developing the skill of foreign language communication through key authentic assessment, self-assessment, and peer-assessment techniques and procedures (Larenas, 2021).

M. Hosseini, V. Nimehchisalem provide a comprehensive overview of relevant studies on the use of self-assessment for teaching and learning English using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) analyses. They discovered 106 self-assessment-related studies published between 2010 and 2020. It was concluded that virtually all of the research on self-assessment revealed good benefits on students' learning processes, with only minor difficulties (Hosseini, Nimehchisalem, 2021: 866)

According to M. Jamrus and A. Razali, selfassessment is a novel idea with intriguing implications for education in general and English language acquisition in particular. Self-assessment may be utilized to address fundamental issues that instructors experience in the classroom, such as a shortage of time for assessment owing to classroom settings and a curriculum that must be completed. With correct execution, self-assessment can assist an educator manage his/her assessment effectively, allowing a big classroom to be tested without leaving any students behind. Self-assessment must be done correctly in accordance with the main concepts and aspects, or it can be damaging to students' learning as they can cheat their way through their own evaluation. Furthermore, English language for professional purposes students' lack of metalanguage and metalinguistic expertise might result in erroneous evaluation of their own work. In this regard, there are numerous strategies for successfully implementing self-assessment in English language for professional purposes classroom settings, such as employing progress cards, report keeping devices, questionnaires, rating scales, and checklists. However, sufficient educator training is also required to guarantee that self-assessment utilizing these tools is carried out successfully (Jamrus and Razali, 2019: 70).

D. Gardner states that where a significant number of learners are likely to desire to utilize a specific assessment and where it may be used by new learners each year, the work spent by an educator in developing an educator-prepared assessment may be worthwhile. Learner-produced assessments are a reasonable alternative if learners are very motivated or may consider producing assessments as a learning experience, especially if they can be utilized by other learners. However, in the majority of circumstances, general evaluations are likely to be the most successful in terms of balancing the benefits of self-assessment against the drawbacks (Gardner, 2000: 58).

The purpose of the article. The goal of this article is to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of selfassessment, to reflect on the role of educators in the process, and to consider the students' involvement. The following tasks were set to meet the purpose of the article:

- to ascertain the roles and stages of the selfassessment mechanism's development in foreign language acquisition;

- to examine self-assessment techniques;

- to explain the roles and features of the language questionnaire as a tool for self-assessment and reflective language learning.

Presentation of the main material

The concept of self-assessment is widely used in education. In higher education institutions self-assessment should be included into the teaching process and be reflected in the curricula of disciplines, including foreign languages, according to the Council of Europe's guidelines. Self-assessment is a skill that may be taught through a variety of ways and strategies, each of which needs some planning on the side of the educators and the students. Unfortunately, most students have a tendency to disregard self-assessment, with excuses such a lack of time and specific language skills required for its application. To become an independent learner, one must be able to evaluate their knowledge, learning, and performance.

In line with D. Gardner's assessment, we believe that there are three main groups of advantages to using self-assessment in the process of learning a foreign language for specific purposes: advantages for students, teachers, and higher education institutions themselves.

Individualizing learning is a key component of autonomous learning, and self-assessment enables students to keep track of their tailored development. Self-assessments assist students in tracking their degree of achievement in certain learning activities. A number of self-assessments can help track development toward certain learning objectives.

Self-assessment may also serve as a motivating factor. Confidence is bred by success. Even while self-assessment may not always show success, when it does, students' motivation will be raised. Educators must be aware of how well their students are progressing. They must assist students in their academic endeavors.

Self-assessments give students personalized feedback on the efficiency of their study techniques, learning tactics, and course materials. This feedback can be used by learners to assess their approach to language acquisition. This is a component of students' learning-related reflections. Students must unavoidably evaluate their objectives, plans, and successes while choosing, utilizing, and evaluating the outcomes of self-assessments. In the ongoing process of reflection that all independent learners are involved in, self-assessments serve as milestones.

Educators can improve their assistance of students by using assessment feedback. Learners can request assistance from educators or language counselors by using self-assessment to pinpoint particular areas where they require further guidance. When instructors and counselors are aware of the necessary supports, they may concentrate on the areas that demand their attention at the time when it is most required.

Self-assessments can contribute to formal assessment needs when properly managed. For students who desire or require certification to demonstrate their learning gain, this is advantageous.

Institutions that want to demonstrate the learning their students have accomplished might benefit from accreditation as well. The proof of the efficient use of resources that self-assessments provide to institutions is another advantage. This might help explain the use of money, resources, and educators' time while also giving reassurance that resources are being used effectively.

Concerns have been raised about a variety of difficulties experienced by students with selfassessment. The issue of reliability is the most evident and maybe the one that will discourage educators and students the most. The other concerns center on how introducing self-assessment has altered the responsibilities of educators and students.

The extent to which a certain level of unreliability may be accepted depends on the intended applications of the assessment. Absolute dependability might not be as important when utilized for individual progress tracking. Many of the advantages mentioned above are still available with assessments that are not completely trustworthy. Reliability is crucial whenever assessments are to be utilized for accreditation. It is crucial to guarantee fairness and accurate assessment of standards. One technique to ensure the accuracy of each student's self-assessment is to have an educator randomly verify a sample of the findings. This would support accreditation by motivating students to be truthful and practical in their self-assessment.

Self-assessment suggests that the roles of students and educators may be switched. Depending on how independent the students are already, there will be a modification to a certain extent. Less independent students (and educators unfamiliar with working with autonomous students) will require comparatively more support. Many of the problems in this area are connected to perhaps unfavorable impressions. First, there is the idea of value. Only when assessments are acknowledged as valid can they be of any value. Many students expect teachers to create and administer tests, as well as teachers, administrators, and potentially even the general public. They could find self-administered assessment intolerable because they think it will be simple to cheat on them, therefore they might disregard their value. If self-assessment is not to have their face validity called into question, awareness of their value must be increased. The possibility that selfevaluation will disturb the apparent power dynamic is the second issue. Assessment can be perceived as the responsibility of the instructor by both teachers and students. If students think that self-assessment is a ploy to shift some of the educators' burden onto them, they may oppose the additional effort and lose respect for them. Self-assessment may cause educators to fear for their careers or at the very least feel less powerful. Finally, it's possible for students to feel unprepared or reluctant to create, administer, and evaluate their own tests. However, self-administration and self-creation of tests differ significantly from one another. The former serves as the basis for self-assessment, whilst the latter is a more significant objective. Educators can aid students in developing the necessary abilities. As students ponder, interpreting exam findings will become second nature. The issue of self-consciousness is the last one. Similar to how some students experience selfconsciousness while speaking a foreign language, others may have negative reactions to the thought of doing their own assessments. It's probable that this will transfer into immature behavior in younger students. It could encourage process resentment among older students (Gardner, 2000: 52-55).

In our study, we propose a classification of selfassessment methods according to the following criteria: who designed the content and assessment criteria (educator-prepared, student-prepared), and format of the tools (questionnaires with open-ended and close- ended questions, testing, surveys).

An educator-prepared assessment is one in which the educator develops the method of assessment, prepares the material, creates the answer key, and provides a set of usage instructions. The test is used by students. The educator should be in charge of those activities that students cannot evaluate independently. Sentence completion, topic-specific monologues, visual descriptions, dialogue composition, and other activities targeted at gauging the level of acquisition of productive abilities are mostly included in these exercises. If keys are available, such exercises like «multiple choice», «fill in the gaps», «brief answers to questions», «true or false» can be done by students without further educators' check.

The opposite of this is a student-prepared assessment, in which the students completes all of the work. In our opinion, the proper balance between the educator-prepared assessment and student-prepared assessment is crucial in this situation. Self-assessment test items created by students have proven to be very successful in practice. Students get familiar with testing ideas, techniques, test assignment formats, and evaluation techniques during the test development process. They also learn to anticipate and foresee their own mistakes. We provide an example of an educator-prepared assessment of a newspaper article reading comprehension that we offer to cadets and law students after they complete their English study of the «crime and criminals» unit:

Did you read the article in its entirety?

How well do you understand the main idea of the article?

How many new words or expressions did you encounter while reading the article?

Did you have difficulty understanding any particular parts of the article? If so, which parts?

Can you summarize the main points of the article in a few sentences?

self assessment foreign language

Table 1

Questionnaire for assessing students' progress after completing a unit

The novelty of this self-assessment lies in its focus on reading comprehension, specifically related to a newspaper article about crime and criminals. This assessment allows for targeted evaluation of the effectiveness of English language instruction in developing reading comprehension skills related to law enforcement and criminal justice. Additionally, by including questions that focus on the cadets ' and law students' level of understanding, vocabulary acquisition, and ability to summarize the main points of the article, this self-assessment provides a comprehensive evaluation of their reading comprehension abilities.

Students' individual language-learning issues, as well as their strengths and weaknesses, are to be identified through questionnaires as a self-assessment technique. We provide an example of a self-assessment questionnaire that we offer to cadets and law students after they complete their English study of the «crime and criminals» unit (Table 1).

The novelty of this questionnaire lies in its focus on the specific topic of crime and criminals, which allows for targeted evaluation of the effectiveness of English language instruction in this area. Additionally, by including questions that focus on both the cadets' confidence in their language skills and their perception of the relevance and interest of the unit content, the questionnaire provides a more comprehensive assessment of the unit's impact on their language learning experience.

Unit test is employed as a self-assessment technique at the end of a particular module or section. This is a series of assignments created in accordance with guidelines and intended to assess students' development of linguistic and communicative skills. Keys and occasionally notes suggesting which part to reread if an erroneous response are provided with practice test items. They enable students to anticipate the outcomes of upcoming test controls, pinpoint knowledge gaps, and assess the viability and effectiveness of adopting particular test procedures.

Conclusions

The information presented above allows us to draw a number of conclusions. Firstly, students benefit the most and in the most diversified ways by using self-assessment techniques. The advantages to educators and institutions are less diversified, and the amount to which they may be realized is heavily dependent on their ability to access the findings of the self-assessments.

We concur with many academics who assert that the major advantage of self-assessment is that it encourages reflective thinking in language learners. The ability to exercise self-assessment is essential to the process of learning a foreign language. It may be done during the planning of students' autonomous extracurricular activities as well as in the foreign language classroom, and it can be complemented by educators control. The majority of approaches for maintaining self-assessment are similar to those employed by educators to maintain students' knowledge and abilities, including testing, questionnaires, surveys, and descriptive, rating, and monitoring procedures.

Students use the information and abilities they have learned to exercise self-assessment; they then assess how well their own educational activities have worked. They have a chance to consider their own accomplishments, issues, and strategies to do better. In light of the growing interest in educator assessment throughout the world, the study and analyses of self-assessment tools for educators of English can develop into a valuable subject for our future scientific research.

Bibliography

1. Cuesta-Melo, C., and Lucero-Zambrano, M., Herrera-Mosquera, L. (2022). The Influence of Self-Assessment on the English Language Learning Process of students from a public university in Colombia. Colomb. Appl. Linguistic. J., 24(1), p. 89-104.

2. Larenas C. (2021). Exploring the principles of English assessment instruments. Avaliagao e PolUicas Publicas em Educagao, vol. 29, no. 111, p. 461-483.

3. Hosseini, M. and Nimehchisalem, V. (2021) Self-Assessment in English Language Teaching and Learning in the Current Decade (2010-2020): A Systematic Review. Open Journal of Modern Linguistics, 11, p. 854-872. doi: 10.4236/ ojml.2021.116066

4. Jamrus M., Razali A. (2019). Using Self-Assessment as a Tool for English Language Learning. English Language Teaching, Vol. 12, No. 11.

5. Gardner D. (2000). Self-assessment for autonomous language learners. Links & Letters 7, p. 49-60/

References

1. Cuesta-Melo, C., and Lucero-Zambrano, M., Herrera-Mosquera, L. (2022). The Influence of Self-Assessment on the English Language Learning Process of students from a public university in Colombia. Colomb. Appl. Linguistic. J., 24(1), p. 89-104.

2. Larenas C. (2021). Exploring the principles of English assessment instruments. Avaliagao e PoUticas Publicas em Educagao, vol. 29, no. 111, p. 461-483.

3. Hosseini, M. and Nimehchisalem, V. (2021) Self-Assessment in English Language Teaching and Learning in the Current Decade (2010-2020): A Systematic Review. Open Journal of Modern Linguistics, 11, p. 854-872. doi: 10.4236/ ojml.2021.116066

4. Jamrus M., Razali A. (2019). Using Self-Assessment as a Tool for English Language Learning. English Language Teaching, Vol. 12, No. 11.

5. Gardner D. (2000). Self-assessment for autonomous language learners. Links & Letters 7, p. 49-60.

Размещено на Allbest.ru