ELMER G.

CARBON
MAEd – ENGLISH
FRANCIS MERVIN L. AGDANA, PH.D

FINAL EXAMINATION
ENGLISH 210 TEACHING ENGLISH FOR SECOND LANGUAGE

1. The views about second language learning and acquisition according to:

a. Universal Grammar
Universal Grammar is a theory that suggests that some rules of grammar are hard – wired into the
brain, and manifest without being taught and there are properties that all natural human languages share. It
is a matter of observation and experimentation to determine precisely what abilities are innate and what
properties are shared by all language.
The theory of Universal Grammar proposes that if human beings are brought up under normal
condition then they will always develop language with certain property X (e.g. distinguishing nouns from
verbs, or distinguishing function words from lexical words.) as a result, property X is considered to be a
property of universal grammar in most general sense.
Using these examples, Universal Grammar would be the innate property of the human brain that
causes it to posit a difference between nouns and verbs whenever presented with linguistic data.
Second language learning and acquisition through Chomsky’s Universal Grammar Theory claimed
that the human brain contains a limited set of constraints for organizing language. This implies in turn that all
language have common structural basis: the set of rules known as universal grammar.
Speakers proficient in language know which expressions are acceptable in their language and
which are not acceptable. The key puzzle is how speakers come to know these restrictions of their
language, since expressions that violate those restrictions are not present in the input, indicated as such.
Chomsky argued that this poverty of stimulus means that Skinner’s behaviorist perspective cannot explain
language acquisition. The absence of negative evidence – evidence that an expression is part of a class of
ungrammatical sentences in given language – is the core of his argument.

b. Vygotsky’s Socio – Cultural Theory

The work of Levi Vygotsky on the development of language in young learner provides a
foundation for studying second language development. His main focus was on meaning as the core of the
system that children develop in acquiring language, what is referred to this entry as languaging system. This
important aspect of his work remains underappreciated because of political ideology and translation issues.
The methodological approach Vygotsky developed to study the relationships between thinking and
language processes in the formation of this system can help inform investigations into the processes
involved in acquiring and developing communicative capacity in second language.
Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of human learning describes learning as social process and the
origination of human intelligence in society or culture. The major theme this theory is that social
interaction plays a fundamental role in the development of cognition.
Its view on second language learning strongly claims that every function in the child’s cultural
development appears twice; first, on the social level, second, on the individual level. This happens First,
between people and then inside the child. This applies equally to voluntary attention, to logical memory,
 and to the formation of concepts. All the higher functions originate as actual relationships between
individuals.
A second aspect of Vygotsky’s theory is the potential for cognitive development is limited to a
“zone of proximal development”, which is the area of exploration for which the student is cognitively
prepared, but requires help and social interaction. A teacher or more experienced peer is able to
provide the learner with ‘scaffolding’ to support the student’s evolving understanding of knowledge
domains or development of complex skills.

2. Traditional Versus Authentic Second Language Assessment

Second language assessment is concerned with procedures and techniques for measuring second
language knowledge. It is the way to determine student’s knowledge of the second language. The two
common types of language assessment are Traditional and Authentic.
Traditional language assessment is a type of evaluation that include standardized and classroom
achievement tests with different types of exercises. This includes multiple choice tests, fill in the blanks, true
or false, matching type and the like. In traditional language assessment, student’s attention will
understandably be focused on and limited to what is on the test.
Authentic language assessment on the other hand, refers to the type of evaluation which students
are asked to perform real – world tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and
skills. It can be characterized by open – ended tasks that require students to construct extended responses,
to perform an act, or to produce a product in real – world context – or a context that mimics the real world.
Authentic language assessment includes performance – based assessment, portfolio assessment,
journal/blogs, conferences and interviews, observations (by teacher), self – and peer – assessment too
name the few.
In second language acquisition, authentic assessment has several advantages over traditional
assessment. It is more valid because they involve real – world tasks and more likely to be more interesting
for students, and thus more motivating. This involves the student’s application of his/her knowledge of
second language in a real – world context. Finally, authentic language assessment is more effective
measure of intellectual achievement on learning second language because it requires students to
demonstrate their deeper understanding of language through the performance of exemplary tasks.

3. LANGUAGE ASSESSMENTS

a. Selected – Response Assessment

The most familiar type of language assessment is the selected – response assessment. In this type
of assessment, the students are asked to select each response from a set of specified alternatives. They
choose an option rather than creating an answer from a scratch. This includes multiple – choice, matching
type, and true – false tests. For decades, selected – response tests have been the preferred technique for
measuring student’s achievement particularly on the large scale testing programs.
However, there are limitations to using selected- response assessment. First, these traditional forms of
assessment may not measure certain kinds of knowledge and skills effectively. For example, it is difficult to
measure language fluency through multiple choice tests. Similarly, a teacher using cooperative learning
arrangements in a classroom may find hard that selected – response assessment cannot address many of
the learning outcomes that are part of the unit, including teamwork, strategic planning, and oral
 communication. In these cases, multiple – choice test can only provide indirect measures of the desired
skills or abilities.

b. Constructed – Response Assessment

This type of assessment requires students to supply their own answers or responses to the stimuli
or prompt. Examples of this type are solving mathematical problem, completion tests, and essays,
problem-based examinations, and responding to scenarios. This is also known as performance
assessment.
A major distinguishing feature of all constructed- response assessments is that human, and not
machine must score the responses using rubrics or sets of criteria. It is easier to measure a broader
range of skills and ability using constructed – response approaches. To measure writing ability, students
will write something about a given topic. In the same way, to test oral communication, a teacher might
assign students to have reporting.

` In second language learning and acquisition, constructed – response assessment is more

authentic because it will allow students to be directly exposed to language use in meaningful way,
whether oral or written.

c. Personal – Response Assessment

Personal – response assessment including conferences, portfolio, and self – or peer- assessment.
For each assessment type, we provide a clear definition and explore its advantages and disadvantages.
We end the article with the discussion of how teachers can make rational choices among the various
assessment options by thinking about the consequences of the wash back effect of assessment
procedures on language teaching and learning, the significance of feedback based on the assessment
results, and the importance of using multiple sources of information in making decisions based on
assessment information.

4. Distant or Online Learning

a. Teachers’ Competency

A social revolution is occurring in the way information is shared, knowledge is generated and
innovation takes place over the internet and there is renewed interest in the social concept of ‘community’
to support online learning. It suggests that online learning communities offer an appropriate environment
for teachers’ intellectual and emotional reflection, characterized by trust, mutual respect, and shared values
centered on improving students’ learning. It also suggests that the educational experience within such a
community significantly influenced by the teacher’s design and moderation of activities aimed to fostering
critical thinking. Concerning the wider use of social networking for learning, it suggests that educators still
have the valuable role to play in ensuring that collaboration leads to an effective educational experience.

b. Pros and Cons

Convenience takes online courses when you need them, not based on some colleague’s annual or
semester schedule. A course is as close as a computer with an internet connection. Flexibility with no set
class times, you decide when to complete your assignments and readings. You set the pace. In some
programs, you can even design your own degree plan. Availability distance – learning opportunities have
exploded over the past few years with many accredited and reputable programs. In online classes, you
set your own pace. It is self – directed, so you control the learning environment. No instructor face time if
you’re learning style is one where you like personalized attention from your teachers, then online
education will probably work for you. Perceptions/reputation while slowly changing as more and more
mainstream colleges and universities embrace distance learning, there is a stigma attached to distance
education. If you’re not tech- savvy or afraid of change in using modern technology then online education
will not work for you.