English language assessment practices in ASEAN

Richard Watson Todd King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi http://arts.kmutt.ac.th/crs/workshop.htm

English in ASEAN

• English as an Official Language (EOL) – Brunei – Malaysia – Philippines – Singapore • English as a Foreign Language (EFL) – Cambodia – Indonesia – Laos – Myanmar – Thailand – Vietnam

English in ASEAN

• English as an Official Language (EOL) – High average scores on TOEFL (e.g. Singapore: 99) – High ratings for general English (e.g. on EF EPI, Malaysia is ‘High’) – Widespread use of English – Some English-as-L1 speakers • English as a Foreign Language (EFL) – Low average scores on TOEFL (e.g. Vietnam: 70) – Low ratings for general English (e.g. on EF EPI, Indonesia is ‘Very Low’) – Little use of English outside major cities and academic and international business environments

English and education

• How do the different roles and different general proficiency levels of English in EOL and EFL countries affect English language education?

– Observe classrooms – Examine policies – Investigate assessment practices (reflective of educational philosophies)

Assessment in EOL countries

• Case 1: Singapore – Test-centric system – Promoting meritocracy and social mobility?

Assessment in EOL countries

• Case 1: Singapore – High-stakes tests using variety of item types – E.g. reading comprehension measured through short-answer questions and summary writing

Assessment in EOL countries

• Case 1: Singapore – Increase in open-ended assessment – Introduction of holistic assessment – “The ongoing gathering of information on different facets of a child from various sources, with the aim of providing quantitative and qualitative feedback to support and guide the child’s development” – E.g. drama, role-plays, show-and-tell activities – Teacher, self- and peer- assessment

Assessment in EOL countries

• Case 2: Malaysia – Similar to Singapore: test-centric, variety of item types

Assessment in EFL countries

• Case 1: Thailand – National Education Act – “Education institutions shall assess learners’ performance through observation of their development; personal conduct; learning behaviour; participation in activities and results of the tests accompanying the teaching-learning process commensurate with the different levels and types of education.”

Assessment in EFL countries

• Case 1: Thailand – Influence of university entrance exam • Secondary school teachers rate the influence of the university entrance exam as their most serious problem • School exams are based on the university entrance exam (e.g. 2006) • Only multiple-choice items • Multiple-choice accounts for about half of secondary school scores

Assessment in EFL countries

• Case 1: Thailand – The effects of multiple-choice testing • Practicality • Reliability • Content validity • Predictive validity • Washback

Assessment in EFL countries • Case 1: Thailand: Washback effects of multiple-choice testing – Restricting what to learn – Less higher-order thinking – Promoting rote learning – Ignoring productive skills

Assessment in EFL countries

• Cases 2 and 3: Indonesia and Vietnam – Similar test-centric education systems – Similar dominance of multiple-choice testing – Single major exception is Vietnamese B-level exam

Comparing assessment in EOL and EFL countries • Nearly all ASEAN countries have test centric education systems • Regular national-level exams with major impact on students’ future • EOL countries: mix of item types • EFL countries: heavy reliance on multiple choice testing

• Comparing assessment in EOL and EFL countries: Testing speaking • Malaysia –

Individual presentation

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Situation:

Your class has organised a forum to discuss the topic ‘Stress among teenagers’. Each member of the team is to focus on one aspect of life which is stressful.

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Task:

You are to focus on the stress arising from relationships with your peers. You may want to talk about peer pressure and girl-boy relationships. Thailand –

Situation:

A secretary is talking to a caller.

– Caller: This is Jim Smith. Can I talk to Mr. Johnson please?

– Secretary: __A__ – Caller: __B__ – Secretary: I’ll tell him as soon as I see – him.

– A.1. Pardon me. I don’t know him.

2. Can you talk to him now?

– 3. I’m afraid he’s just gone out.

– – B.1. Could I hold on?

– 4. Sorry. He doesn’t want to speak to you.

2. Can you call me later?

– – 3. Can you ask him to return my call?

4. Could I return his call later?

Comparing assessment in EOL and EFL countries: Testing writing • Malaysia – Read the following passage carefully. Based on the information given, summarise the passage about dangers in the home in about 100 words • Thailand – In most countries around the world, __A__ to school __B__.

– A.1. children having to go – 2. children must go – 3. every child has been – 4. every child must have been – B.1. when they reach a certain age – – 2. as they are growing old enough 3. since they reached a certain age – 4. if they are too old to learn

Comparing assessment in EOL and EFL countries • EOL countries – Prioritise validity over reliability – Focus on language use – English is a living language to be used in the future • EFL countries – Prioritise reliability over validity – Focus on language knowledge – English is an academic subject to be studied

English in ASEAN

• With the ASEAN economic community coming into effect in 2015 and with English the de facto language of ASEAN, EOL countries will have an advantage over EFL countries • Need to change view of English in EFL countries from an academic subject to a living language • Changing assessment practices (to include more open-ended items) may help to change view of English • EOL countries can help EFL countries by acting as model and mentor