Abstract:

Although the Slovak school-leaving examination refers to the three reference levels, only English learners studying at bilingual secondary grammar schools or bilingual sections of secondary schools are required to attain level C1. This level is at the lower end of the proficiency user band, indicating that students are expected to write clear, detailed, and well-structured texts on complex subjects. The emphasis should be on the main points, with expanded supporting arguments, reasoning, and relevant examples to draw appropriate conclusions. A high level of grammatical accuracy and a good command of wide range of vocabulary enable these users of English to express their ideas clearly in an appropriate style. Their language skills enable them to communicate effectively on a variety of topics, ranging from general to academic or professional.

Bilingual education is generally defined as the use of a target language to teach subject content, rather than just a language itself. In Slovakia there is a tendency to teach some subjects in English and to provide six to seven hours of English per week in addition to native language classes and the rest of the subjects that cannot be taught in English due to a lack of English-speaking specialists. Some schools offer 13 hours of English per week, and in addition to English grammar, conversation, writing, other English lessons focus on literature or critical reading, cultural studies, social studies, global issues, etc. At the end of their studies, students are required to take international examinations. However, since the 2016-2017 school year, the Slovak school-leaving exam at C1 level has been compulsory for these students.

Although teachers in Slovakia use marking criteria officially recognized by the Ministry of Education, this study investigates whether English teachers take level descriptors into account when marking their students' written performance. To determine whether the assessors followed specific descriptors of learners' English proficiency at a claimed level, five written performances of students who were tested in the external examination and the speaking examination at C1 level were analysed. These analyses aimed to discover whether the assessors considered the students’ proficiency level as described in the CEFR, which is officially included in the national curriculum and the catalogue of requirements.

In addition to the descriptors for reference level C1 taken from the CEFR, the English Vocabulary Profile, the English Grammar Profile and the Text Inspector were used as tools to provide evidence of the level achieved. The study examines the consistency of students' performance across three language measures and evaluates the alignment of the assessment of written performance with the CEFR level.

Keywords:

CEFR level C1, ‘can do’ statements, Text Inspector, raters’ scores, comparison.