A systemic functional approach to EFL writing assessment

The present study aims to describe theme choices in students＇ writing with a systemic functional approach. The analysis of a student＇s written work chosen at random shows the student writer can apply various theme types in writing after receiving instruction in reading class. The author hopes to propose the pedagogical implication of teaching functional linguistics knowledge to advanced learners, because it gives the view to the students to write cohesive and coherent texts.

＂Reading and Writing Assessment＂： An Effective Model of the Student-based Education

Student-based education is a teaching method targeted in students＇ willingness to learn. Teachers must not only know how to change their teaching philosophy, more importantly, to explore the specific implementation methods in practice. ＂Reading and Writing Assessment＂ can effectively reflect this teaching philosophy. Students, in the whole learning process, through independent reading, writing, communication and evaluation, can achieve active learning and creative learning, It is proved that this is a good way of teaching.

A Validity Investigation of Writing Assessments Using Picture Prompts

The present study investigates the validity of two writing tests respectively using one picture and a series of pictures to elicit writing samples. The study reveals the representativeness of writing assessment based on writing samples elicited by only one picture is under reasonable suspicion, and the other approach seems to have preferable validity and discriminatory power.

Research on Portfolio-based English Writing Assessment

This paper focuses on portfolio-based English Writing Assessment used in Grade 12, Yangzhou Xinhua Middle school.The paper introduces the reason why to choose portfolio-based English writing assessment is that portfolio assessment is a means of assessing the students' strengths and weaknesses, not only in test-taking abilities, but in a variety of skills such as planning, revising, and presenting a sample of writing. The paper also deals with how to design a writing portfolio, which includes 6 steps.

Chinese EFL Learners' Perceptions of Their Experience with Portfolio-Based Writing Assessment:A Case Study

In a case study investigating Chinese EFL university majors＇ perceptions of a portfolio-based writing assessment （PBWA） project, English majors were sampled to find out whether the portfolio method made them more interested in writing and/or improved their writing process and writing strategies. Four sophomores were chosen from among an experimental group at a local university in China. Analysis of data from student journals, interviews and reflective essays showed that taking part in portfolio writing empowered them to take charge of their own learning and motivated them to write better. The students welcomed PBWA as a fairer assessment tool than timed, one-shot essay tests. They held more interest in English writing, improved their writing strategies and shifted their attention from products of writing to process of writing and, thus, preferred scores from PBWA as a more satisfactory indicator of their writing ability.

The Impact of Portfolio-based Writing Assessment on EFL Writing Development of Chinese Learners

本研究探索基于文件夹的写作形成性评估(portfolio-based writing assessment,PBWA)对中国学生EFL写作能力发展的影响。本文报告了受试为英语专业学生的一项对比研究的结果。受试分为实验组(PBWA experimental class)和控制组(non-PBWA class)。两组的其它条件相同,实验组进行PBWA。一个学期之后的写作测试结果表明,实验组的写作能力在准确性和连贯表达等方面优于控制组,但在复杂度和流利度方面两组没有显著差别。文章还指出了本研究的局限和未来研究的方向。

Technology-enhanced English Language Writing Assessment in the Classroom

Technology-enhanced formative assessment integration in classrooms transforms traditional teaching, learning and assessment. This paper introduces a pilot study as part of a three-year research project funded by China＇s Ministry of Education on the use of technology-enhanced formative assessment in the classroom. Initial pilot-study results from nine elementary schools and three junior high schools showed positive writing gains with the experimental group and revealed that students became more motivated and autonomous and tended to write and revise more, and teachers switched their roles from spoon-feeding to that of a supporter and facilitator.

Optimizing Teacher-Student Collaborative Assessment in the Production-Oriented Approach:A Dialectical Research

Teacher-student collaborative assessment(TSCA)aims to address the challenges of responding to students’work in the Production-Oriented Approach:low efficiency and poor effectiveness.As part of a bigger project carried out in a Chinese university over a period of three years,the present study explored how the teacher prepared and implemented TSCA in class,especially with a focus on how she determined the assessing objective and worked collaboratively with her students in class to achieve it,using the students’written and translated texts as examples.By adopting the dialectical research(DR)method,this paper collected qualitative data such as teaching plans,classroom recordings,and reflective journals of the teacher-researcher(the author),along with students’written drafts and translated texts.TSCA theory and classroom practice have been refined simultaneously by means of putting theory into practice and reflecting upon it.The optimized pre-class and in-class procedures may shed some light on applying TSCA to L2 classrooms.

TEST METHOD EFFECT ON WRITING PERFORMANCE

The main objective of this paper was to investigate the test method effect of two writing tests on the performances of sixty sophomore English majors from China University of Mining and Technology, who were divided randomly into two experiment groups and took a reading-integrated writing test and a timed impromptu essay test respectively. Their essays were rated anonymously by two independent raters using the same rating scale with categories that measured content, organization, accuracy and vocabulary. Besides examination of the reliability, Many-Faceted Rasch analysis was applied to probe into the influence of domain difficulty and rater severity. Results of the comparison revealed four important findings. First, both two tests were reliable to be fair measures for assessing writing abilities. Second, significant difference was found between two groups in content, organization, and vocabulary, but no difference was observed in accuracy. Third, the reading tasks facilitated participants in generating ideas, organizing essays and using vocabularies. Finally, compared with the participants in the reading-integrated writing test, participants in the timed impromptu essay test met difficulties in using their vocabularies in the writing process. Findings implicated that 1) a reading-integrated writing test could be an alternative to a timed impromptu essay test in academic contexts, and 2) much more investigation was still needed to probe into the writing process and read-to-write process.

ASSESSING STUDENTS' WRITING FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF TEXTUAL METAFUNCTION

The traditional method of assessing students' writing puts too much emphasis on the grammatical errors, which often frustrates and bores student writers. In view of this situation, this paper, employing systemic functional approach, puts forward a new perspective on assessing writing — a textual metafunction perspective, by analyzing the Thematic structure both above and at the clausal level and uncovering the strengths and weaknesses of the student's writing, and giving it a full functional analysis from the three metafuncitons. In the end, the paper points out the pedagogical implications of this method in English writing assessing and teaching.

EFFECT OF ESSAY-TEST TOPICS ON LANGUAGE OUTPUT

The result of a web-based writing assessment shows inconsistent dispersion of means across different test topics. 101 samples from 404 submitted essays are analyzed for fluency, lexical and syntactic complexity. The study suggests that topics of different discourse modes affect test candidates' language output in both fluency and complexity.