Exploring a Feasibility of a Large-Scale Computer-Based Speaking Test of English: Focusing on the Validity

WonKey Lee 한국영어평가학회 2012 영어평가 Vol.7 No.1

The high demand for speaking tests of English has led to the materialization of large-scale speaking tests. However, this speaking test that requires the use of a computer has an inherent limitation in validity, in that it is difficult to assess satisfactorily the interactional use of language in speaking. This paper attempts to explore the feasibility of a large-scale computer-based speaking test of English in Korea, focusing on the issue of test validity. For this research, 100 test-takers of the OPIc, a large-scale internet-based speaking test of English conducted in Korea, were surveyed about their perceptions of the validity of the test. The survey results demonstrated that a large-scale computer-based speaking test of English is feasible and sufficiently valid.

초등영어 학습부진아의 발생 요인과 대책

이완기(Lee, WonKey) 한국초등영어교육학회 2014 초등영어교육 Vol.20 No.1

The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the causes for low achievements of low achievers in primary English learning, and to provide some suggestions that can help in alleviating the low achiever problem at schools. For this purpose, 78 experienced primary school teachers specializing in primary English education at the postgraduate level were given a delphi-type questionnaire that required writing up their responses, and asked to give their frank opinions about the low achievers they experienced at their schools. Their stated responses were carefully analyzed and categorized and discussed, to reveal the true picture of the low achiever problem, and to offer some helpful suggestions to mitigate the graveness of the low achiever problem in primary English education.

수능영어 절대점수제의 건설적 발전 방향 모색

이완기(Lee, WonKey) 한국영어평가학회 2015 영어평가 Vol.10 No.1

The purpose of this paper is to suggest a constructive reform measure for the absolute scoring system of the Korean scholastic ability test, which the Ministry of Education announced would be implemented from the 2018 school year. A close look at the MOEproposed score report system of the KSAT revealed that the proposed score report system is far from a genuine criterion-referenced system. In this paper, it is strongly argued that the national curriculum should include the overall English proficiency standards to make the KSAT and school education more effective and more educational. Thus, a suggestion is made on how to create the overall English proficiency standards for Korean students.

영어 말하기 능력 평가척도 비교 연구: ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines를 중심으로

이완기(Lee, WonKey),최인철(Choi, Inn-Chull),조동완(Cho, Dongwan),차경환(Cha, Kyungwhan) 한국영어평가학회 2011 영어평가 Vol.6 No.1

As the testing of English speaking ability is becoming necessary and important in Korea today, the speaking rating scales are also drawing attention from people concerned. The rating scales are a point of reference in assessing test takers’ speaking performance. Raters are required to refer only to the pre-published rating scales in order to reduce the subjectivity in rating. In this paper it is attempted to compare seven of widely-used English speaking rating scales with each other and align the proficiency level that each scale is representing. As the base of the comparison, the ACTFL proficiency guidelines-speaking is going to be used, and 6 other scales are going to aligned with the ACTFL proficiency guidelines-speaking. The comparative places of each rating scale are presented in this paper.

초등영어 읽기·쓰기 교육의 적정성 연구

이완기,윤보경 서울교육대학교 2003 한국초등교육 Vol.14 No.2

This research is an attempt to raise an issue about the alleged imbalance between the literary skills and the oral skills of the current elementary English education. For this purpose, first, the current national curriculum of elementary English (the 7th revised version), and elementary school English textbooks and teacher's guides were investigated in terms of the amount of class hours designed to be used for reading & writing skills and listening & speaking skills Second, 22 elementary English teachers' perceptions about the issue were surveyed by questionnaire and interview. The analysis of the four textbooks and four teacher's guides for years 3, 4, 5. 6, revealed that the average ratio of the amount of class hours designed to be devoted to reading & writing skills and listening & speaking skills was 1858 to 8142 More specifically, the ratio for the year 3 was 0 to 100, for the year 4, 625 to 9375, for the year 5, 2265 to 7735, and for the year 6, 2995 to 7005 The teachers' perceptions surveyed were summarized, and some practical suggestions to rectify this imbalance were made.

An investigation into teachers’ perceptions of the national achievement test of primary English

Shim,KyuNam,Lee,WonKey 한국초등영어교육학회 2011 초등영어교육 Vol.17 No.3

The purpose of this study is to investigate how primary school teachers of English perceive the national achievement test of primary English (hereafter NATPE). It also aims to investigate to what extent the washback effect of NATPE has on teachers' practice in their teaching. For these purposes, the teachers’ usual way of teaching was surveyed, and an NATPE test contents were analyzed from the perspectives of teachers. From this analysis, some critical issues were raised, such as the dissonance between what the teachers do before and after the test implementation, and the impact of the test on the teachers' perception and their practices. To carry out the research, a questionnaire consisting of some open-ended questions and some close-ended ones was administerd to over 100 teachers from different areas. An in-depth interview was also conducted to 15 questionnaire respondents in order to consolidate the data obtained from the questionnaire. The results indicate that teachers do not have enough information about the NATPE in terms of the four level distinctions of English achievement, and the differences between the neighbouring levels, the way of determining the cut-off point of each level. The results also show that teachers made efforts by employing a number of methods and strategies to help students prepare for the test, and compensate for their weakness after the test.

스마트 원격 영어수업 프로그램의 운영 효과 분석

김진석(Kim, Jin-Seok),이완기(Lee, WonKey) 한국초등영어교육학회 2014 초등영어교육 Vol.20 No.2

The online smart English teaching program is kind of a video-conference type two-way English teaching system, in which one Korean teacher, one native-English speaking teacher, and a dozen of students interact real time through internet. The purpose of this research is to analyze the effectiveness of the online smart English teaching program implemented by the Kyungnam Office of Education in 2013. To achieve the purpose, a questionnaire was implemented to the main stakeholders such as students, parents, native English teachers and Korean English teachers who were involved in the program. The responses from 74 teachers and 1,080 students were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Most respondents demonstrated their satisfaction about the program. In particular, both teachers and students were generally satisfied with the provision of a variety of interesting activities, and of the real-time speaking opportunities with the native English teachers. On the other hand, the respondents were rather unsatisfied with the learning materials, and with the way of placing the students of different level in the same class. On the basis of the analysis, the current paper suggests that some points discussed in the paper ought to be rectified and improved in order to achieve the original purpose of the online smart English teaching program.