Oppilaiden käsityksiä englannin suullisesta kielitaidosta, sen oppimisesta ja arvioinnista

Abstract

This study investigated Finnish pupils’ beliefs about English oral proficiency, its learning and assessment in order to give voice to the pupils themselves as well as to better understand their views on English oral proficiency. The data consisted of nine semistructured interviews and self-evaluations and peer evaluations of nine 9th graders from three Finnish basic education schools. The study was qualitative in its nature, and the data were mainly analysed using content analysis. The results showed that the pupils understood English oral proficiency as an ability to speak and interact intelligibly in English. The most important components were seen to be pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar, of which pronunciation emerged as the most important and central skill in English oral proficiency. According to the pupils, English oral proficiency can be learned both implicitly and explicitly, and should be studied at school, at home and abroad. Studying English oral proficiency should concentrate on acquiring speaking and interactional skills, especially pronunciation, fluency and intelligibility. The assessment of English oral proficiency was viewed positively since it was seen to enhance learning. However, it was also seen negatively because people differ in their abilities and assessment might impose too narrow a view on acceptable ways of speaking or prove useless or demotivating. Assessment should focus on measuring intelligibility and pronunciation during classroom activities or in an oral test. Oral or written feedback specifying weaknesses and strengths was considered a good way to communicate the assessment judgement. The ability to speak English was seen as important to take into account when giving English school grades. The results of the study indicate that oral proficiency should be given more emphasis in Finnish basic education English teaching and assessment. Pupils’ beliefs about English oral proficiency, its learning and assessment showed many contextual features. The study encourages studying beliefs qualitatively and from a contextual point of view.