Acknowledgements IntroductionI FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATIONPurposes 1 Foreign language education in context 2 Purposes for foreign language education Possibilities 3 Is language learning possible at school? 4 The intercultural speaker - acting interculturally or being bicultural 5 Intercultural competence and foreign language learning in the primary school 6 Analysis and advocacy: researching the cultural dimensions of foreign language education Perspectives 7 Nationalism and Internationalism in Language Education 8 Language learning in Europe 9 Foreign language teaching as political action II INTERCULTURAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATIOn 10 Language Education, Political Education and Intercultural Citizenship 11 Education for Intercultural Citizenship 12 Policies for intercultural citizenship education 13 Curricula for intercultural citizenship education 14 Assessment and/or evaluation of intercultural competence and intercultural citizenshipConclusionReferencesAppendix

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From foreign language education to education for intercultural citizenship : essays and reflections

In his introduction, Weir states, "The core of this book is concerned with exploring a framework for establishing the validity of the interpretation of scores on tests produced by Exam Boards or by teachers for use in their classrooms." The "evidence-based approach" in the subtitle alludes to the view that the process of validating the use of scores on any given test is much like a courtroom trial − requiring evidence to support arguments for or against a favorable verdict that the test was "fair". In first of the book's four parts, Weir introduces five ways to collect the evidence needed to make a convincing case; the first two are collected a priori, or in the design phase of a test, and consist of defining what abilities the test is supposed to measure as well as how the sample of tasks in the test represents the abilities in 'the real world' (outside the test itself) that test users are looking for. The remaining three types of evidence are empirical, collected a posteriori as statistical procedures to estimate or enhance the reliability of the test scores, studies of how well test scores correlate with external criteria such as other tests purported to measure the same abilities or actual performance in the real world, and lastly, the study of the backwash or social consequences of test use for the stakeholders: teachers, students, parents, administrators, and "the marketplace". Part two begins a detailed survey of frameworks for tests of reading, listening, speaking and writing. Each framework is presented as a flow-chart of boxes which detail the a priori considerations − test taker characteristics, test characteristics, theories of internal processes and resources − to the a posteriori considerations for investigating scoring characteristics, criterion-related evidence of score value and the impact of score interpretation. Six chapters present examples from actual research to illustrate how evidence of validity was obtained "in action". Part three could serve as a syllabus for a practicum on test validation methodology. It contains pointers for sound research procedures, checklists and questionnaires to help researchers collect each of the five types of evidence for valid test score use. This part alone would justify buying the book, as it can certainly encourage teachers to not only have more confidence in their own assessment practices, but would probably result in some pretty interesting presentations or publications. Part four of the book is entitled "Further resources in language testing", and is actually an up-to-date and comprehensive list of textbooks, journals, professional organizations, professional conferences, e-mail lists, bulletin boards and websites, databases and statistical packages − a list probably equal to a few years of word-ofmouth searches for answers to the questions that plague anyone who gets involved with testing and assessment. In conclusion, this book is highly recommended. It is the most readable and comprehensive treatment of validation that I have ever come across. It is as free of technical jargon as can be; important points are presented clearly through Weir's choice to enclose poignant quotes and concepts in boxes within the text which saves on magic markers or underlining, in addition to the other features of this book that have already been reported. Its 284 pages contain not a single mathematical equation or algorithm, so it's not a cookbook for number crunching, but it'll tell you where to go for that if you need it − plus much, much more.

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Language Testing and Validation: An Evidence-Based Approach

Common European Framework of Reference for Languagesの意義を考える : 日本の英語教育関係者の連携のために

본 논문은 대한민국에서 시티즌쉽(citizenship)이 어떻게 발전했는가를 살펴보고 있다 특히 본 논문은 시티즌쉽을 시민권을 보장하는 제도와 시민의식으로 구분해서 대한민국 수립 이후 현재까지 제도로서의 시민권이 어떻게 발전했는가를 분석하고, 그와의 관계 속에서 현재 시민의식을 실증적으로 분석하고 그 특징을 역사적으로 설명함으로써 우리나라 시민사회의 현주소를 객관적으로 이해하는데 이바지하고자 한다 본 연구에 따르면, 한국 시민권은 1987년 6월 항쟁과 그 이후 이루어진 민주화로 인해 1990년대 이후 상당히 발전했으면, 이처럼 시민의 투쟁으로 얻어진 시민권 제도의 발전은 한국 시민의식이 능동적이고 개방적이며 개인의 가치를 존중하는 방향으로 발전하는데 매우 긍정적인 효과를 미친 것으로 보인다

한국 시티즌쉽(citizenship)

Language testing and validation

This article describes how language policy is formed at a European level, focusing on the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR). The CEFR's prominent role in assessment has led to criticisms of its adequacy as a model for learning and fears that it is being used as an instrument of centralization and harmonization. First, we argue for studying the CEFR's effect on language policy as a case of impact, as this concept is understood within language assessment. We refer to experience with Asset Languages, developed as part of the United Kingdom's national languages strategy. Second, we agree with many commentators who insist on the framework's “flexible and context-amenable” nature. If use of the CEFR is made prescriptive and closed, it indeed becomes a straitjacket. What is needed is engagement with the complexity of specific contexts. We introduce the European Survey on Language Competences, a European Union (EU) initiative scheduled for 2011, which will further raise the profile of the CEFR as an assessment framework. This project should contribute to achieving comparability of measures and standards across languages. At the same time it underlines the need to develop contextualized, practical ways of realizing the CEFR's potential as a framework for teaching and learning.

European Language Policy: Assessment, Learning, and the CEFR

Test-task validation has been an important strand in recent revision projects for University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) examinations. This article addresses the relatively neglected area of validating the match between intended and actual test-taker language with respect to a blueprint of language functions representing the construct of spoken language ability. An observation checklist designed for both a priori and a posteriori analysis of speaking task output has been developed. This checklist enables language samples elicited by the task to be scanned for these functions in real time, without resorting to the laborious and somewhat limited analysis of transcripts. The process and results of its development, implications and further applications are discussed.

Using observation checklists to validate speaking-test tasks

This chapter describes the development of data collection instruments for
an impact study of the International English Language Testing System
(IELTS). The IELTS is owned jointly by University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), the British Council, and the International Development Program (IDP) Education, Australia. The test is currently taken by
around 200,000 candidates a year at 224 centers in 105 countries, most candidates seeking admission to higher education in the UK, Australia, New
Zealand, Canada, and the United States. The IELTS is a task-based testing
system which assesses the language skills candidates need to study or train
in the medium of English. It has four modules-listening, reading, writing,
and speaking-all calling for candidates to process authentic text and discourse (for a summary of the format of IELTS, see Appendix A).

Nick Saville

Papers

European Language Policy: Assessment, Learning, and the CEFR

Using observation checklists to validate speaking-test tasks

The IELTS Impact Study: Investigating Washback on Teaching Materials

Assessing speaking in the revised FCE

Setting Standards for Language Learning and Assessment in Educational Contexts: A Multilingual Perspective