Abstract:

As CEM assessments are used more internationally, in Cambridge International schools for example, it is important to bear in mind that many students will not have English as their first language. In this collaborative study with Cambridge English and Cambridge International, we are evaluating the effect of English Language on assessment scores for those who have English as a second language.

Initially working with students in schools in Thailand and Vietnam, we are establishing their Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) levels in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening in English. For this we are using the suite of online English Benchmarking Tests developed by the Multi-Level Team at Cambridge English. These tests provide a score on the CEFR scale and a more granular scaled score on the Cambridge English Scale.

By selecting students who have taken CEM’s digital Middle Years Information System (MidYIS) test for lower secondary students, we aim to compare the scores from that test with the English scores, to establish correlations. The MidYIS assessment provides a prediction to future International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) scores and this prediction model may be improved with greater information about individual students. Schools may also find that knowing their students’ CEFR levels could be useful in other planning and teaching scenarios.

Keywords:

E-assessment, EAL, CEFR.