Judith Runnels

University of Bedfordshire, UK

Abstract

Since its release in 1979 the TOEIC® (Test of English for International Communication) has been consistently and widely used by educational institutions and companies of Japan despite criticisms that it provides little useable information about language ability. In order to both reduce the extreme focus on and also aid with the practical interpretability of TOEIC® test scores, other approaches to the assessment of language proficiency have started to gain popularity. One notable shift seems to be towards the usage of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), which is purported to provide a highly learner-centered approach to the teaching, learning and assessment of languages. The CEFR promotes the development of learner autonomy and supports learner self-assessment through the usage of can do statements, which describe the communicative actions learners are able to perform at any given time. Due to the increasing interest in using the CEFR as an assessment tool for learning in Japan, further study of the relationship between language proficiency and self-assessment is required. The current study thus explored the relationship between Japanese English language learners' self-assessment scores on listening and reading can do statements from the Common European Framework of Reference-Japan (CEFR-J, a modified version of the CEFR) with test scores from the TOEIC. Moderate correlations between the TOEIC and can do self-assessment scores were found for listening, while no correlations were found for reading. The factors that may influence a learner's self-assessment tendencies, the efficacy of a self-assessment system for Japanese learners and the interpretability of TOIEC® scores are discussed.

Key Words: TOEIC® , CEFR, CEFR-Japan, self-assessment, language proficiency can do statements

日本的英語學習者使用CEFR-J 的自我評量及 多益英語測驗分數相關性研究

Judith Runnels  

英國貝德福德大學

摘要

多益英語測驗 TOEIC® （國際職場英語溝通測驗），自 1979 年發行以來持續為日本教育機構及各大公司廣泛地使用。但是該測驗也一再被質疑，其測驗結果未能有效說明受試者的語言能力。為避免片面強調多益測驗成績高低，也為了能更有效地解讀多益測驗成績。相關單位也開始使用其他的語言能力評量方式。其中一項顯著的轉變就是採用 CEFR（歐洲語言共同參考架構）。「歐洲語言共同參考架構」係以學習者為中心，針對語言的教與學、以及評量所提出的一套參考標準。CEFR 不但可以提升學習者的自主學習，也能透過「能力指標說明」（can do statements）的使用，來幫助學習者完成自我評量。「能力指標說明」描述語言學習者在特定場合的語言溝通能力。由於日本愈來愈重視 CEFR 在語言學習上的評量功能，因此探究語言能力以及自我評量之間關連性的研究需求也隨之增加。本研究旨在探討以日文為母語的英語學習人士的聽讀自我評量分數，以及多益測驗成績之間的關連性為何。該自我評量表為 CEFR-J （Common European Framework of Reference-Japan）乃歐洲語言共同參考架構 CEFR 的修改版。研究結果發現自我評量分數與多益測驗成績略相關，但在閱讀方面並無相關。文中並探討影響下列事項的可能因素：學習者的自我評量意願、自我評量系統用於日本的英語學習者的功效，以及 TOIEC®分數的解讀。

關鍵字: 多益英語測驗、歐洲語言共同參考架構、CEFR-J、自我評量、語言能力、能力指標說明

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Self-Assessment Accuracy: Correlations Between Japanese English

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