The content and structure of the discipline «Modern approaches to testing in foreign language and culture education» for professional methodological teacher training

• Main Author: Н. В. Майєр
• Format: Article
• Language: deu
• Published: Kyiv National Linguistic University 2019-08-01
• Series: Іноземні мови
• Subjects: учитель іноземних мов; тестова компетентність; професійно-методична підготовка; навчальна дисципліна; середня освіта; студент бакалаврату; тестування.
• Online Access: http://fl.knlu.edu.ua/article/view/178341

This article dwells on the content and structure of the academic discipline “Modern approaches to testing in foreign language and culture education” designed by the author for professional methodological training of Ukrainian Bachelor’s students majoring in foreign language secondary education. The aims and objectives of the suggested discipline are set up, the forms of educational process organisation such as lectures, practical classes, self-study work are defined. This academic discipline contains two content modules: “Theoretical bases of language testing in teaching foreign languages and cultures” and “Methodology of developing tests and carrying out foreign language testing of school students’ communication competence and its components”. The subject and content of six lectures and seven practical classes are described. The structure of the discipline “Modern approaches to testing in foreign language and culture education” reflects teaching and learning time allocation among lectures, practical classes, and autonomous work of students. The result of studying this discipline is students’ test competence. It is evaluated by means of completing the end-of-term work (module assessment) and course credit (summative assessment). The end-of-term work involves public presentation and defense of undergraduates’ individual project works, an example of which is given in this paper. To get credit, students should demonstrate their methodological knowledge while answering theoretical questions and methodological skills while performing test items designed by them according to the professional tasks given by the teacher. The article specifies general and professional competences acquired by pre-service teachers while their mastering of the discipline “Modern approaches to testing in foreign language and culture education” and their learning outcomes. The structure and content of the presented academic discipline can serve as a guide for university teachers for designing syllabi which consider specific conditions of professional methodological foreign language teacher training.