Testing and Assessment in ELT Essay Example for Free

Testing and Assessment in ELT Essay The notion that language tests have a damaging effect upon learning is reflected in much contemporary academic and media based criticism and speculation. This can be seen in relation to the meaning of the language being learned and the social context deemed crucial to understanding and developing language use. This is primarily because unlike many of the other educational disciplines, language is a cornerstone study as it is used in every study and forms the basis for all shared intellectual knowledge. That is to say, that every study uses the convention and medium of language as a basis for its knowledge. Furthermore, it is comparatively ambiguous in nature as it relates to the everyday development of the child and every stage of learning. It includes the very communicative and social reality of the individual and is used in thought itself. Other studies can be subsequently seen as having their own particular forms of language, which break from the socialised identity of the child in some respect. For instance, a studier of biology need not use the terms, words and knowledge they have come to learn in everyday life. Due to this, learning such technical forms of knowledge can be seen as something of a distinct formal language used for education. However, in the study of English language this is not possible as it incorporates the very understanding of language itself along with the identity of the child or learner. It is due to this that concerns have grown regarding the formalised testing of English. And it also due to this that we can agree with Hughes contention that such testing has a harmful effect on teaching and learning and fails to measure accurately whatever it is that they are intended to measure. Essentially, they do not measure the relevant foundational and social knowledge that forms an understanding of language itself. Subsequently, in this assignment we will be looking at some of the relative concerns in English tests and putting forward some of the theoretical and practical alternatives proposed and practised by educational theorists and researchers alike before presenting our conclusion. With this in mind, we shall turn to the role of the class room environment in the teaching of English language. The Role of the Class Room Environment The main concern related to the study and teaching of English language is regarding the concept of input. Input generally refers to the exposure that the learners have had with the authentic language being used and taught. It is input that constitutes the main focus of the English language class and the development of English related knowledge and development. This insight is used primarily as an entry point into the study of language and acts as the catalyst for any of the various topics being covered. Input can come from a range of diverse sources. This includes the teacher. However, this also includes the learners as well as the learning environment itself. As a technical term, input is relative to intake, which refers to the intellectual absorbing and internalising of the input based upon the subsequent topic and discussion. This therefore relates to the process of word and knowledge acquisition. Knowledge and language acquisition theories emphasise the importance of comprehensible and relative input. This is essentially language that is just beyond the competence of the learner and just outside of their field of internalised knowledge. This is generally referred to as being outside of the zone of proximal development; meaning outside of the learner’s own experienced and intellectually internalised structure of conceptual knowledge. However, if the input were too far outside of the zone of proximal development then the learner would not be able to understand. Contrastingly, if it were inside the zone of the proximal development then the learner would find this unnecessary or perhaps conflicting knowledge. However, with it being outside of the zone of proximal development then the learner can relate this new information to their already established structure of knowledge and build upon it to see how the new intellectual stimuli, information or language relates. Ultimately, this provides the ideal conditions for acquisition to occur. Further, this is reflected by the research of Lambert who states that: ‘Learners are encouraged to construct and produce knowledge in meaningful ways through the acknowledgment of prior experiences. Generative learning environments promote deep, engaged learning’ (Lambert 2003). This all means that the classroom environment is crucial to the teaching of English and the information input into this environment must be at an intellectual level at which the individual can begin to build from their own knowledge. However, this is also integral to the group, as in accordance to acquisition theory the group must be able to communicate and exchange their understanding within the classroom. This means that a focus is imperative to the class room environment and that the tasks are hugely important for the social learning dynamic. Essentially, if there is little communication between learners, then the intellectual development and needs of the group will be at odds and many of the children will be left behind as others excel. Although the case can be made for differences in intelligence and intellectual ability, such a difference made by an unequal environment and focus is artificial and would cause a discrepancy in either the focus or the input. Essentially, the difference in intellectual capacity and acquired knowledge would be due to lack of awareness rather than higher abilities of certain individuals. By keeping the class room environment an equally focused group made to share and exchange different knowledge and insights regarding a specific topic, the group can then become a mutually orientated group focused upon a shared goal. This also shows the importance and significance of the children’s identity, as without recognition of an individual’s identity and experiences within the social dynamics of the teaching environment the child may not be able to relate, understand and/or develop.

Creating Sympathy for The Great Gatsby Essay examples -- F. Scott Fitzg

Creating Sympathy for The Great Gatsby      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the text, The Great Gatsby, the author, F. Scott Fitzgerald leads us to sympathize with the central character of the text, Jay Gatsby. Fitzgerald evokes our sympathy using non-linear narrative and extended flashbacks as well as imagery, characterization and theme. Through these mediums, Fitzgerald is able to reveal Gatsby as a character who is in an unrelenting pursuit of an unattainable dream. While narrative and imagery reveal him to be a mysterious character, Gatsby's flaw is his ultimate dream which makes him a tragic figure and one with which we sympathize.    In the opening pages of the text, we are introduced to the main characters through the believable and trustworthy narrative of Nick Carraway. We discover that Nick is a moral character who is disenchanted with society after returning from the East. Throughout the text, Fitzgerald uses Nick's narrative to guide our response to the central character of the text, Gatsby, whom Nick states, "represents everything for which I have unaffected scorn." Nick's narrative also reveals the weak and shallow characters of Tom and Daisy. Nick's ability to recognise this emptiness and compare it with Gatsby through imagery shows the effectiveness of Nick's narrative. The strong image of Gatsby reaching out toward the green light can be juxtaposed to Tom and Daisy whom Nick describes as being "careless people." Nick's references to Daisy's voice and his attraction to her voice as "glowing and singing", emphasises that we can trust him as a narrator as he too is vulnerable to temptation and worldly beauty. This concept of Nick being a character that is "within and without" leads us to trust him as he does... ...athy by depicting Gatsby as isolated and betrayed by a society that is shallow and incapable of morality. Throughout the text, Fitzgerald uses the mentioned mediums to effectively evoke our sympathy toward the central character in the text, Gatsby.    Works Cited and Consulted: Berman, Ronald. "The Great Gatsby" and Fitzgerald's World of Ideas. Tuscaloosa: U of Alabama P, 1997. Chambers, John B. The Novels of F. Scott Fitzgerald. London: Macmillan/New York: St Martin's P, 1989.   deKoster, Katie, ed. Readings on "The Great Gatsby." San Diego: Greenhaven, 1998.   Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2004. Higgins, John A. F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Study of the Stories. New York: St. John's UP, 1971. Whitley, John S.   F. Scott Fitzgerald: "The Great Gatsby." London: Edward Arnold, 1976.   

Printmaking: An Artistic Medium Blending the Old and the New

Printmaking is one of the most exciting arenas of worldwide artistic advances, as breakthroughs in technology and ancient traditions are combined to create a harmonious artistic medium that blends the old and new. Printmakers are known not just for their unique artistic focus, but also for the way that they push the boundaries of the medium, using new techniques and tools to create increasingly powerful images. Born at the beginning of the 20th century, Prentiss Taylor was one such artist who was able to create works spanning the full breadth of printmaking’s evolution.His emotionally charged and technically powerful works are inspirational to viewers and artists even today. Prentiss Taylor was one of many artists to come out of the Harlem Renaissance, a period of cultural awakening in the United States that saw African American visual art to gain in prominence. Taylor became famous as an illustrator, creating lithographs that were used to illustrate the works of Langston Hugh es, the most famous African American author of his generation.Taylor considered himself a surrealist, creating compositions that blended the natural with the synthetic in order to create improbably dreamscapes. His most popular compositions were of the American South, using his regional knowledge as well as his penchant for expressiveness to create eerily familiar lithographs that still seemed alien and otherworldly. Following in a tradition of self-exploration by photographers and printmakers, Taylor used the latter half of his career to create a series of autobiographical lithographs which kept the surreal narrative style of his earlier works.He also began to turn his lens onto aspects of the American culture that he believed needed his attention, especially as his frustration with the slow progress of African American civil rights began to draw his attention to more political lithographs. The following two works are typical of Taylor’s catalogue, although the breadth of hi s work is so large that it is nearly impossible to completely sum up his artistic works with only a few analyses. â€Å"Towards Santa Fe† is one of the most interesting of Taylor’s many explorations of the Southern landscape. Henning, 1942) The lithograph is roughly bifurcated into light and dark zones across the horizon of the print, with the foreground of the picture being more realistic and natural, and the background of the print dark, surreal, and stormy. The print was made in the latter half of Taylor’s career, and it shows his willingness to experiment with lithotint. The sky is formed with the realistic clouds but also dark lateral and diagonal tinted shading that add darkness to the image while also producing a sensation of movement deep within the print.The print appears to have been hand tinted after having been set and the editioning of the prints was controlled by a publisher rather than directly by the artist. In a completely different style, †Å"Morelia Aqueduct† is one of the most surreal of all the lithographs that Taylor created. (Lee, 1980) According to notation included with the print, the editioning was limited to only 35 prints, of which all were hand signed in pencil by the artist. The lithograph was created on wove paper, and it used a much darker ink than the previous lithograph discussed.The subject was a famous aqueduct from Mexico, although the inclusion of living figures in the foreground throws the sense of scale out of balance, making it appear as though the aqueduct is much larger than realistic. The printmaking technique of Prentiss Taylor evolved a great deal throughout his career, as his printmaking spanned nearly half of a century. The impressions that Taylor made were created by using the transferring of ink through a matrix made out of aluminum, typical of lithographers of the time.After Taylor would draw an image, he would use gum Arabic to create a chemical reaction on an image that he drew on limestone. Next, Taylor used turpentine to remove the excess of the drawing material, and he printed with an ink (drying ink) made primary of linseed oil and varnish with a small amount of pigment. Prentiss Taylor rarely used multicolor lithographs, but he experimented a great deal with the use of chromolithography by using different stones for each color, effectively using multiple presses in order to create his compositions in layers.This would explain why the color lithographs that Taylor attempted typically had flat appearances and very broad areas of color rather than fine detail. Prentiss Taylor represents an entire generation of lithographers in the United States both through his variation of subjects and through his technological experimentation throughout his career. Taylor used some chromolithography but he mostly stayed with black and white imagery, using hand tinting in some cases to make the prints more surreal.Hand tinting also provided a method that Taylor could us e to add fine shading to illustrations which did not otherwise lend themselves well to lithography. While Taylor started as a relatively reserved artist who focused on landscapes and subtle images, he turned into a much more aggressive critic as he aged. â€Å"His more recent work in black and white has been generated by the same compulsion to strike out at a cruel and obdurate society that has brought attention and recognition to his paintings in the last couple years. † (Ward, 1939)

Ricin and RCA Castor Bean Toxin Information

The castor bean plant, Ricinus communis, contains two toxins that are poisonous to people, animals, and insects. The main toxic protein, ricin, is so potent that a single milligram may be sufficient to kill a human adult. Ricin and Weapons Ricin is considered both a chemical and biological weapon and is explicitly prohibited by the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and Schedule 1 of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Ricin works its harm by destroying small parts of cells, called ribosomes. Ribosomes produce all of the proteins needed by a cell. If the proteins cannot be produced, the cell dies. Although the effects of ricin ingestion may be felt within a few hours (abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting), it is a slow-acting poison, with death occurring after one to three days. A victim who survives the severe dehydration and lowered blood pressure of advanced ricin poisoning will generally recover. RCA The other toxic protein in the castor bean, RCA (Ricinus communis agglutinin), agglutinates red blood cells. In other words, injection of RCA into the bloodstream essentially causes a persons blood to coagulate. Ingestion of a castor bean or its products will release ricin, but the RCA cannot cross the intestinal wall. Castor oil and products made from castor oil contain very little ricin or RCA. However, castor beans are grown for ornamental purposes, too. The seeds from the garden plant present a poisoning hazard to children and pets. Dehydration and vomiting are more dangerous for children than adults, so ingestion of a single castor bean seed may be fatal for a child. However, if the seed is ingested whole, there is a chance that it may pass through the gastrointestinal system without releasing its ricin. Purified Ricin and RCA Concerns Purified ricin and RCA are of considerable concern as weapons for several reasons. First, castor bean seeds are readily obtainable. Second, several routes of exposure are possible; for ricin that includes inhalation, injection, or ingestion. Once the proteins are purified, the powdered toxin can be used to contaminate food or beverages. Ricin is heat-stable, so it can be applied to shrapnel within an explosive device. Possibly the greatest concern about ricin used as a weapon is that symptoms of poisoning can readily misdiagnosed. At present, therapy for ricin poisoning consists of replacing fluids and treating the symptoms of poisoning, but research is underway to develop a vaccine for the toxin. Also, testing is underway for a new drug, using an inactivated form of the ricin protein, to treat individuals following exposure.