Ôèëîëîãè÷åñêèå íàóêó. Ìåòîäû è ïðèåìû êîíòðîëÿ óðîâíÿ âëàäåíèÿ èíîñòðàííûì ÿçûêîì.
Tleuova A.Zh., Bulatkulova Yu.N.
L.N. Gumilyev Eurasian National University, Kazakhstan
International certification in English language learning
Nowadays, a number of school
students, university students and adults, who learn English has significantly
increased. The desire to learn English may be associated with the work, the
desire to travel, personal interest in the language, but one of the most common
causes is preparing for exams or tests. There are two categories of
examinations, the first on the standards established within the country, the
so-called state exams, and the second - international, recognized around the
world.
Particularly noteworthy is the
international exams, as they provide an opportunity to enroll in prestigious
universities, to get a job in the big Western companies and even get a
residence permit in the desired country. International exams are entitled to
receive a certificate, confirming the knowledge of the language and recognized
educational institutions and employers in many countries. International
certification is the provision of written confirmation (certificate) by an
independent body that the product or service meets the requirements. [3] Given
definition refers to the general term of “International certification”, used in
all fields.
As for the international
certification in foreign language, there is a great number of them. We have
decided to pay more attention on Cambridge ESOL exams, which were made for assessment of foreigners in English
language knowledge. Their results are accepted by employers and state
educational institutions of Great Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
The reason of wide recognition is, above all, the subdivision UCLES (University
of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate), which developed the tests and
coordinates them all over the world.
Cambridge ESOL Exams include
several types of tests. Cambridge Young
Learners Tests are for children. They appeared quite recently and are designed
for children from 7 to 12 years. Each of the three levels - Starters, Movers è Flyers – includes three sections: Listening, Reading
and Writing, Speaking. First section takes 20 minutes, second - 20-40 minutes
according to the level, the third section lasts about 5-9 minutes. Thus, the
entire test lasts 45-69 minutes. The results of each section is assessed
according to five-point scale.
Key English Test (KET) is
checks the language proficiency at the elementary level, basic knowledge to
communicate in English. This test consists of the same three parts, just a
little more complex in terms of the used vocabulary. The first part, designed
for about an hour, consists of about 60 exercises in which you need to select
the desired answer, insert the missing word or write a response.
The second part takes about 25
minutes, requires answers to the questions about the text in Listening. The
last part is a conversation for 8-10 minutes with two teachers on various
topics on personal as well as on abstract themes.
As a result bidder fills three
separate examination papers. There are four types of marks: "passed",
"passed perfectly", "Narrow Fail" and "Fail". More sophisticated test called Preliminary
English Test (PET). Its level is defined as a threshold, or "survival
rate", when you have enough knowledge not to go to pieces in English
speaking country and even to work.
There are four sections in this test, because Reading and Writing are
separated. Targets are more complex, so section "Writing" includes
writing an essay of about 100 words. Rating system which is used is the same as
in the case of KET.
The next test is First
Certificate of English or FCE is the most popular test of the entire series.
For example, in 1997 it was passed by 260 thousand people all over the world.
Successful passing this test indicates that you have reached the level of
"independent user of the English language," and with this formulation
can qualify for a more interesting job or continue their education abroad. In
some countries, such as Greece, this test has long been a must for every high
school graduate.
There are four sections in
this, such as Reading, Writing, Use of English, Listening and Speaking. The
novelty compared to the previous stage is that one of the blocks of the second
part involves the reading of one of the five English books of the time-tested
classics of English, like Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens. Part of the Use of
English differs FCE from TOEFL test and contains 65 questions on the
understanding of the English language. Writing consists of two parts: the first
- writing text in a specific format, second - preparing articles, reflections
on a particular book. People who received A, B and C are entitled to a certificate.
If you get a D or E, you will have to be content with only memories of how you
take the exam.
The fourth stage is called CAE
- Certificate in Advanced English. It consists of the same parts and evaluated
in the same way, just offer more challenging assignments. For example, the
composition should have a volume of about 250 words, and the four sections of
the text in Reading "pull" for a total of 3,000 words.
The highest level is
Certificate of Proficiency in English. It is divided into five blocks, which
are called Reading Comprehension, Composition, Use of English, Listening
Comprehension and Interview. This level is usually available only for students
who finished language high school.
This set of the Cambridge
exams are not exhaustive, but others either check the holdings of individual
skills, or focus on specific tasks. For example, there are special examinations
in Business English, which is called Business English Certificates. It has
three levels of complexity: BEC 1 related test to PET, BEC 2 - FCE, and BEC 3 - CAE. Finally, IELTS (International
English Language Testing System) is an analogue of TOEFL. This exam is of two
kinds for academic purposes and general training. The first is designed for those
who are going to enter universities in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and
Canada, or participate in an international educational program. The second need
those who dream to master the profession in England, as well as anyone who has
decided to legally emigrate to Australia. IELTS is developed and adopted by
UCLES, in collaboration with the British Council and the International Program
for the Development of Education in Australia (IDPEA). [4]
Another well known type of
certification is TOEFL (The Test of English as a Foreign Language). TOEFL test
was established in 1960s and it has a prestigious status as a standardized
test, which is used widely across the world.
TOEFL can be categorized as a proficiency test. According to Brown
“Proficiency test as the test that has the function to assess the general
knowledge or skills commonly required or prerequisite to entry into (or
exemption from) a group of similar institutions”.[1]
There are three types of TOEFL
exam. The first is The Computer-Based TOEFL (CBT) exam. When students choose
this type of TOEFL test, they read seven-step tutorial teaching, connected with
the computer skills, which later help them how to take the test correctly. All four sections (Reading, Listening,
Structure, Writing) are covered in the tutorial. Thus, after finishing reading
the information, learners will be prepared for passing the test.
The paper-based TOEFL (PBT)
test is the second type of TOEFL, which consists of three sections (Listening,
Structure, Reading). The PBT contains only multiple-choice questions. All answers
are printed in special booklet, but the learners should fill in the answers on
computer-scored answers sheet.[2]
"The TOEFL iBT test, administered
via the Internet, measures a test taker's ability to combine listening,
reading, speaking and writing skills, making it the most comprehensive
English-language proficiency test. With unmatched scoring procedures and
security measures, the TOEFL® test is the industry standard in
English-language assessment.” [5]
Thus, nowadays, society has
become increasingly aware that the knowledge of a foreign language gives
indisputable advantages: the best chance to integrate into the fast-paced
society of open-market economies, prospective employment, and understanding of
the world and the world's problems. The document that can assess and prove
students’ level of foreign language knowledge is an international certificate,
whose variety is sufficiently huge. These types of certificates can be proposed
according to fields, in which learners are interested in.
Literature:
1.
Brown, James D. 2005. Testing in Language Programs: A Comprehensive
guide to Testing language Assessment. New York: McGraw-Hill.
2.
Gunadi H. Sulistyo, Article “TOEFL IN A BRIEF HISTORICAL OVERVIEW FROM
PBT TO IBT”, BAHASA DAN SENI, Tahun 37, Nomor 2,Agustus 2009.
3.
http://www.iso.org/iso/ru/home/standards/certification.htm