Can integrated skills tasks change students’ learning strategies and materials?
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| Title: | Can integrated skills tasks change students’ learning strategies and materials? |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Wei, Wei1 (AUTHOR) weiweitesting@hotmail.com |
| Source: | Language Learning Journal. Oct2017, Vol. 45 Issue 3, p336-351. 16p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Educational testing services, *Foreign language education, *Learning strategies |
| Abstract: | The use of integrated skills tasks in language tests has been debated for many years and international English test developers such as Educational Testing Service (ETS) and Pearson Tests of English (PTE) already use such tests to assess English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ language proficiency. Empirical research has rarely investigated the influence of the integrated skills task on test takers’ preparation strategies. The study presented here set out to investigate the extent to which the introduction of integrated skills tasks may change students’ test preparation strategies and the resources that they choose to use. The research focused on two integrated test types developed by PTE Academic: ‘repeat-sentence’ and ‘re-tell lecture’, which assess both speaking and listening skills concurrently. Data on test-takers’ strategies and resources were collected by using Oxford's (1990) Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL). The findings indicated that the integrated skills test influenced participants in relation to both their choice of preparation strategies and the resources chosen. These choices seemed to vary in line with participants’ awareness of different aspects of the new test. Thus, there appeared to be an association between participants’ choices of learning strategies and resources and their awareness of which skills were being assessed and the nature of the audio input in the new formats. Finally, despite evidence that the new integrated skills test had some impact on participants’ approaches to their language learning, this did not necessarily mean that the participants completely abandoned existing learning strategies and resources, in particular those appropriate to the previous test formats. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER] |
| Copyright of Language Learning Journal is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 125185226 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Can integrated skills tasks change students’ learning strategies and materials? – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wei%2C+Wei%22">Wei, Wei</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> weiweitesting@hotmail.com</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Language+Learning+Journal%22">Language Learning Journal</searchLink>. Oct2017, Vol. 45 Issue 3, p336-351. 16p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+testing+services%22">Educational testing services</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+language+education%22">Foreign language education</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learning+strategies%22">Learning strategies</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: The use of integrated skills tasks in language tests has been debated for many years and international English test developers such as Educational Testing Service (ETS) and Pearson Tests of English (PTE) already use such tests to assess English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ language proficiency. Empirical research has rarely investigated the influence of the integrated skills task on test takers’ preparation strategies. The study presented here set out to investigate the extent to which the introduction of integrated skills tasks may change students’ test preparation strategies and the resources that they choose to use. The research focused on two integrated test types developed by PTE Academic: ‘repeat-sentence’ and ‘re-tell lecture’, which assess both speaking and listening skills concurrently. Data on test-takers’ strategies and resources were collected by using Oxford's (1990) Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL). The findings indicated that the integrated skills test influenced participants in relation to both their choice of preparation strategies and the resources chosen. These choices seemed to vary in line with participants’ awareness of different aspects of the new test. Thus, there appeared to be an association between participants’ choices of learning strategies and resources and their awareness of which skills were being assessed and the nature of the audio input in the new formats. Finally, despite evidence that the new integrated skills test had some impact on participants’ approaches to their language learning, this did not necessarily mean that the participants completely abandoned existing learning strategies and resources, in particular those appropriate to the previous test formats. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Language Learning Journal is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=125185226 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1080/09571736.2014.905970 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 16 StartPage: 336 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Educational testing services Type: general – SubjectFull: Foreign language education Type: general – SubjectFull: Learning strategies Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Can integrated skills tasks change students’ learning strategies and materials? Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Wei, Wei IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 10 Text: Oct2017 Type: published Y: 2017 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 09571736 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 45 – Type: issue Value: 3 Titles: – TitleFull: Language Learning Journal Type: main |
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