Akhmad Farroby
112010072
“Final Synthesis Homework Skills
A-B-C-D”
In the last article, I will combine four articles
entitled “I didn’t get the grade I need”, “Using Habermas to Evaluate Two Approaches to Negotiated Assessment”,
“Assessment of Achievement in Foreign Language”, and “Self-Evaluations of the
‘Stream of Thought’ in Journal Writing”. Mostly, the articles have relate to
assessment which useful to know student’s ability. First, the article entitled “I didn’t get the grade I need”.
The article discuss about Language testing in the United States and the United
Kingdom. Both of the country has the different ways in give the technical
standard of EFL testing, especially in U.S. The article mentions that
specifically concern about testing English as a foreign language. The article
told that Many U.K. based examining boards offer tests in EFL/ESL to
international students, and some of these are “high stakes” tests in that entry
to a college or university course may depend upon the results. Companies and
organizations also frequently use external tests, provided by examining boards,
as screening instruments for appointments or promotions. The question which
gave in this article is: if a candidate for a British examination were to get a
grade which was lower than required, which resulted in his/her being denied
access to higher education, a job position or promotion, on what grounds could
he/she take the examining board to court? As such, this article is particularly
concerned with testing English as a foreign language as practiced in the U.K.,
although testing related legal issues in the U.S. is discussed. There is no
attempt to provide a comprehensive description of litigation on either side of
the Atlantic. Rather cases have been selected for discussion on the basis of
how well they represent the type of concerns which are relevant to language
testing. I think the article good and interesting to read even give the detail
information inside about language testing in the both of country. Talk to first
article entitled “I didn’t get the grade I need. Where’s my solicitor”,
Although the current move towards the production of “standards” and the
publication of a limited number of research projects sponsored by British
examination boards, I argued with Alderson and Buck that the answer necessarily
lies with bringing EFL testing within government control. Rather, a number of
successful legal challenges to test results which cannot be justified would do
much to force examination boards to rapidly improve their products and their
performance. I think that only when (most) examination boards in the U.K. face
the threat of litigation, as is the case in the U.S., it will begin to conduct
the appropriate research, follow necessary procedures, and publish all statistics
which external observers need to assess the reliability, validity and fairness
of their tests. Unfortunately, the first article is too crucial and only some
parts discuss about language testing in the U.S and the U.K.
Second, the article entitled “Using Habermas to Evaluate TwoApproaches to
Negotiated Assessment”. The article discuss about the extent to which two courses, both aimed
at staff in higher education, succeed in meeting the ideals of adult education
as outlined by writers deriving their outlook from Habermas and his theory of
communicative action. In particular, the article examines the rationale for two
different processes of negotiated assessment, how they operate in practice and
what staff and students think about the processes. An attempt will be made to
assess the extent to which, through the practices of negotiated assessment, the
Habermassian ideal is approached. The article also criticize about Habermas’s
theory tells that learning and teaching have been strongly influenced by phenomenographic
and psychological theories. There is expert that argued about theory of
Habermas. He is Popper or Foucault which used to examine the assumptions
underpinning the two courses under discussion, but he has chosen Habermas
because of the strong influence his theories have had on the course team and
their practices. Furthermore, it has been argued that “Habermas’s work is of
central importance for critical educational theory and practice”. I think the
second article is good and give much advantage for me to know about learning
and teaching based on phenomenograpchic and psychological theories and teaching
use communication action ways. Both of articles have different focuses and
purposes. The first article is focusing on Language testing in the United
States and the United Kingdom. Then, the second article is focusing on the
extent to which two courses, both aimed at staff in higher education, succeed
in meeting the ideals of adult education as outlined by writers deriving their
outlook from Habermas and his theory of communicative action. Although have different purposes
and focuses, these two articles still have relationship in how to give
assessment or grade to the student correctly. First, Language testing is very
important; because I think that it can make the people practice their language
in order to they can use their language correctly when they talk to each other.
Otherwise, the United States and the United Kingdom do examining language
testing for EFL/ESL to international student. It is very useful to practice
their ability in language testing. Second, the rationale for two
different processes of negotiated assessment also important, because in my
mind, it can train development of the student through learning and teaching
approach. Both of approaches are very good and useful for the participant or
student. The students feel comfort when they are approaching with their
teacher. I think the students won’t feel embarrassed and nervous if they’re
being close to with their teacher. The learning situation also being
comfortable and make the student more focus to the lesson. It can increase the
student’s competence in learning process. Although the second article talk too
much about Habermas’s Theory contain evaluate two approaches to negotiated
assessment, it also important to read, because it can help the student get much
information about how to approach with their teacher in order to can be succeed
in teaching learning activity. In Indonesia teacher is not tend to the method
like approaches to negotiated assessment. They just teach based on formal
situation of the school regulations. Overall, both articles are good and interesting,
but I think the second article is more interesting than first article. Both
articles are useful to the EFL students and EFL teacher.
Third,
the article entitled “Assessment of Achievement in Foreign Language”. Now, I
will talk about the content of the article. After I see the discussion by Mats
Oscarson, the article briefly tells that there is a Comprehensive Swedish
Program which examines condition and result that occur in the compulsory
school. The program focuses on English as a subject, teacher and student
attitudes, and attainment level reached. I think the program is very useful and
can help development and achievement of the student. According to discussion of
the article, Swedish add the program that provide teachers with information
about representative performance levels in core subject for the purpose of
achieving reliability and stability in the end-of-term or end-of-course grading
of pupils or the students. It is ‘Testing
Program’ that planned by Swedish as a different system. In my mind, I agree
with the program, because it is also useful for the student. It can measure
their ability when they follow teaching learning activity about study of
language. Then, the article gives the information about The 1992 English Study.
It contains some cores subjects that consist of English, Mathematics, and Swedish.
I argued that only English those become a core subject of the assessment. I
think other cores subjects like mathematics and Swedish also included in the
assessment. The purpose is make the student be able to learn other study and it
can help them in certain situation. It doesn’t matter that English become the
final year of compulsory school. The article shows that Subject specific goals
are described in quite general terms. As regards the subject of English as a
foreign language, it is specified that the pupil or the student, through their
studies, that they can be able to understand spoken English, I think it is
good, because it can increase their ability about speaking skill; make
themselves understood in spoken English, I think is useful, because it can make
their self-confidence when they speak with the foreigners; read and understand
passages of various kinds, I think it is good for the student, because it can
be able to train ability of pupils think critically about reading skill; and
use the written language in simple forms, I think is good, because it can make
the pupils write the language correctly and improve their mistake about the
grammatical error in writing skill. The article tells that the instruction
suggest for the people to want and dare to use the English language, I agree
with instruction, because it can make the pupil encourage to use English
language in the certain situation; to acquire a knowledge and interest in the
everyday life, working life, social conditions, and culture in the English
speaking countries, I think it is useful, because the pupil gain a good
knowledge that make them to study and use English language in the networking;
to realize the importance of English as a means of contact with people in
different parts of the world, In my mind, it is good, it can make the pupils
know that English is very important, because English language can be the
general language in the world.
The last article is entitled “Self-Evaluations of
the ‘Stream of Thought’ in Journal Writing”. The content is good and clear, but
it focuses on self-reflections on the purpose of journal writing. After I see
the discussions of James L. Myers, the article mention that journal writing can
be an effective method for them to independently discover and develop their
individual academic interests and their EAP writing capacities. I agree with
the statement, because the method can help the student can be able to increase
their ability in writing skills and can reach their target on English Academic
Purposes. In this article, James’s Contend describes that the stream of thought
as having five characteristics: (1) every thought is a part of an individual’s
consciousness; (2) each thought is always changing; (3) each is sensibly
continuous; (4) every thought is directed toward objects outside itself; (5)
and thought discriminates among those objects, including some while rejecting
others. I think it can motivate the student to think critically and create some
new idea of each student that think creatively is very important. So, the
student capable to train their ability when they make a journal and can appear
their own ideas based on their skills. The article also gives the information
about Journal Exchange. It is a
benefit thing for the students. We are aware that every people unconsciously
can make some mistakes when they do something. The purpose of journal exchange
can help the students to improve their mistake on journal writing. It is
influence about their value or grade. The student exchanges their work to
another student to correct each of the mistakes, for example about the
grammatical errors, forget to put to be,
coherence, or anything else. So, every student can aware their mistake and it
can help them to improve this, in order to them can change their grade to be
better. Some experts provide procedures that ask to the student to do
assignment of writing journals for 3 months, three times per week. Although not
every student in the class managed to faithfully write three entries per week,
the 15 random selections in this study fell into a range of 30– 34 entries over
the 3-month period. They told that the class that their grade would be based on
quantity, coherence, and interesting content rather than on grammar. I think I
argued about the suggestion, because I see the command ask to just examine the
student’s ability about quantity, coherence, and content not examine about the
grammatical. I think the grammar is very important, because if make a sentence
without the correct grammar, it can’t be an effective sentence. As I know that
‘stream of thought’ contains many advantages to help the students to think
creatively, critically, and discover their strength and weaknesses as a writer.
I hope the article is very useful for me, because it also help me to be careful
when I write a journal and pay attention the mistake. It is also useful to
self- monitoring of my skills writing. I
think both of the articles have difference inside. Both of these articles have
benefit of each others. I’m interested to the last article because it is an
obvious discussion and related to writing skills. It can help me to improve my
academic performance especially in writing skill. In my mind, the third article
is good and important. That article said that learn English as a foreign language
to be able train our language to communicate with foreigners from abroad.
All
of the articles have some advantages and useful for me. The fourth of the
articles give explicit information. I think from the fourth articles, I prefer
the last article entitled “Self-Evaluations of the ‘Stream of Thought’ in
Journal Writing”. The article is appropriate for me, because it can help me to
know that assessment of journal writing is very significant. It can help me to
enhancement academic performance especially in writing skill. But, all of the
articles is very important and benefit. The content is very complete and clear.
Some experts of the articles provide explicit statement which can help to get the
knowledge.
References
Huang,
J.Y., 2000. Effective journal writing: a pilot study. In: Huang, T., Katchen,
J., Dai, W., Leung, Y.
(Eds.),
Selected Papers from the Ninth International Symposium on English Teaching.
Crane Publishing,
Taipei,
pp. 348–358.
James,
W., 1950. The Principles of Psychology, Vol. 1. Dover, New York. (First
published in 1890).
