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The Korean Association for the Study of English Language and Linguistics
[ Article ]
Korea Journal of English Language and Linguistics - Vol. 24, No. 0, pp.460-482
ISSN: 1598-1398 (Print) 2586-7474 (Online)
Print publication date 31 Jan 2024
Received 16 Mar 2024 Revised 11 Apr 2024 Accepted 02 May 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15738/kjell.24..202405.460

Language Assessment Ecology of a Localized Task-based Classroom: The Case of Korean EFL Pre-service Teachers

Soo Jung Youn
Associate Professor, English Education Department Daegu National University of Education 219 Jungang-daero, Nam-gu Daegu, Korea, Tel: 053) 620-1425 sjyoun@dnue.ac.kr


© 2024 KASELL All rights reserved
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

This mixed-methods study explores Chong and Isaacs’ (2023) notion of Language Assessment Ecology in the context of Korean EFL pre-service English teacher education while implementing localized task-based language teaching and assessment. In particular, this study examined engagement, learner, and contextual factors that mediate pre-service teachers’ engagement with language tasks and classroom assessment. Data included pre- and post-semester questionnaires and focus group interviews on their perceived speaking proficiency and engagement with task-based language classroom. According to the quantitative data from the questionnaires, the pre-service teachers reported that the one-semester-long learning helped them gain confidence and lower anxiety of English speaking, although not enough for speaking proficiency development. The comments from the questionnaires and the focus group interview data revealed the complex dimensions of being a language learner and a pre-service teacher enacted in response to the multi-layers of language assessment ecology. The meaningful language tasks and classroom assessment practices played a positive role in developing the pre-service teachers’ speaking proficiency. However, the participants reported the challenges in professional identity shift and language learning practices influenced by their previous assessment experiences. Based on the findings, I discuss the importance and implications of understanding the ecosystems to advance pre-service English teacher education.

Keywords:

language assessment ecology, task-based language teaching and assessment, classroom assessment, pre-service teacher education

Acknowledgments

이 논문은 2021년도 대구교육대학교 학술연구비 지원으로 연구한 것임

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