IPAWL2020 Conference Book final Dec 22conf.aucegypt.edu/ConfAdmin/agebril_images...Conference IPAWL...
Transcript of IPAWL2020 Conference Book final Dec 22conf.aucegypt.edu/ConfAdmin/agebril_images...Conference IPAWL...
The Second
International Perspectives on Assessing World Languages
Conference
IPAWL 2020
January 27-28, 2020
IPAWL 2020 ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Emad Abdelmalek, AMIDEAST
Dalal Abo El Seoud, Department of Arabic Language Instruction, AUC
Wael Amer, Institute of Education, University of London
Iman Aziz, Chair, Department of Arabic Language Instruction, AUC
Sophie Farag, Department of English Language Instruction, AUC
Atta Gebril, Department of Applied Linguistics, AUC (Conference Chair)
Rudolf de Jong, Director of the Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo
Nagwa Kassabgy, Chair, Department of English Language Instruction, AUC
Maggie Nassif, Executive Director, Fulbright Commission in Egypt
Mariam Rayan, AMIDEAST
Ramy Shabara, School of Continuing Education, AUC
About IPAWL 2020
The International Perspectives on Assessing Wold Languages (IPAWL) conference
is organized by the American University (AUC), Egypt. IPAWL is jointly organized by
the AUC Department of Applied Linguistics, the Department of Arabic Language
Instruction, and the Department of English Language Instruction, in collaboration with
the following programs: The Fulbright Commission and the Netherlands-Flemish
Institute in Cairo (NVIC). The conference targets assessment specialists and language
professionals representing various languages in different parts of the world. IPAWL will
be held at AUC Tahrir Campus in Downtown Cairo from January 27-January 28, 2020.
The theme of the IPAWL conference this year focuses on integrated skills in language
assessment. The integration of skills in language assessment has received substantial
attention with the inclusion of integrated tasks in different language tests. Integrated
tasks are perceived as authentic since they tend to replicate activities in the target
language use domain. In such contexts, language skills are rarely used independently
and consequently language tests should reflect this reality. The purpose of this
conference is to showcase assessment efforts in different settings that have employed
integrated tasks.
The conference program includes a wide range of exciting sessions that address issues
related to the use of integrated assessment in different settings. We hope you find the
program interesting and useful!
Welcome from the IPAWL 2020 Organizing Committee Chair
On behalf of the Organizing Committee, I am delighted to welcome you to the
Second International Perspectives on Assessing World Languages
Conference (IPAWL 2020). IPAWL 2020 builds on the huge success of the
IPAWL2019 conference and we promise to continue exhibiting the same excellent
performance this year.
Language assessment conferences in our region have usually focused only on English
language assessment, and IPAWL attempts to change this trend by involving colleagues
who teach different languages in Egypt and worldwide. The theme of the conference
addresses issues related to integrated language assessment, an area that has gained
considerable attention in recent years in several countries. The purpose of IPAWL is to
showcase assessment efforts in different contexts that espouse an integrated approach
to language assessment. The IPAWL conference this year attempts to tap into how
integrated assessment could be used in such contexts and the challenges associated
with this endeavor.
We are honored and fortunate to have a wonderful group of plenary and featured
speakers whose expertise in integrated language assessment will substantially
contribute to the discussions and debates during the conference. Our speakers have a
wide range of experiences both in testing and in academic programs, and I cannot wait
to listen to their thought-provoking presentations. In addition, the IPAWL team was
able to put together a wonderful program including presenters from different parts of
the world. I am confident that conference participants will enjoy the different sessions
and will go back to their classes with inspiring ideas and wonderful assessment tips.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank a number of people and entities without
whose help IPAWL would not have been possible. First, I would like to thank the AUC
Provost’s Office for their generous grant that has helped us organize this conference. My
thanks are extended to the different language programs and the Organizing Committee
members for their hard work and dedication in planning for IPAWL. My appreciation
also goes to the reviewers of the proposals who did a good job selecting this impressive
list of speakers. In addition, I would like to extend my gratitude to the IPAWL sponsors
for their continuous help and support.
Last but not least, I would like to thank the conference participants for their interest in
IPAWL. I wish you a wonderful IPAWL 2020 and hope to see you in IPAWL 2021!
Atta Gebril,
The American University in Cairo
IPAWL 2020 Plenary Speaker
Paul Kei Matusda, Arizona State University, USA
The Case for Not Grading Grammar in the Language Classroom
As language teachers, we are all concerned about students’ language development. This
is also the case in the context of second language writing instruction, in which one of the
primary focus of discussion has been the role of corrective feedback. In 1996, John
Truscott argued that corrective feedback is ineffective and therefore should not be
offered at all; in a recent issue of the Journal of Second Language Writing, Charlene Polio
(2019) argued that we need to make more efforts to facilitate language development
through writing instruction. As an alternative to the polarized discussion of language
development, I argue the importance of examining the place of classroom assessment in
facilitating (or limiting) student language development. Specifically, I will argue it is the
punitive assessment of grammar—not the presence or absence of feedback—that is
negatively affecting students’ language development. I will then offer specific strategies
for avoiding the negative impact of classroom assessment on language development.
Paul Kei Matsuda is Professor of English and the Director of Second Language Writing. His
research centers around second language writing, a transdisciplinary field of inquiry that
integrate theoretical and methodological insights from both language studies and writing
studies. He is a former president of the American Association for Applied Linguistics and
founding chair of the Symposium on Second Language Writing. He has also chaired the
CCCC Committee on Second Language Writing and the Nonnative English Speakers in
TESOL Caucus. He has edited numerous books and special journal issues on second
language writing. He is also the series editor of Parlor Press Series on Second Language
Writing.
Matsuda has received several awards for his research and publications, including 2012
Outstanding Book Award (Conference on College Composition and Communication), 2009
Emerging Voice Award (College of Liberal Arts, Purdue University), 2006 Richard Ohmann
Award for the Outstanding Refereed Article published in College English (National Council
of Teachers of English) and 2004 TOEFL Outstanding Young Scholar Award (Educational
Testing Service). His article has also received honorable mention for the 2001 Journal of
Second Language Writing Award for the Best Article. Matsuda's work appears in journals
such as Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, College Composition and Communication,
College English, Composition Studies, Computers and Composition, English for Specific
Purposes, International Journal of Applied Linguistics, Journal of Basic Writing, Journal of
Second Language Writing, PMLA, TESOL Quarterly, and Written Communication. He has
also published chapters in various edited collections in both Applied Linguistics ad
Rhetoric/Composition.
IPAWL 2020 Plenary Speaker
Atta Gebril, The American University in Cairo
Integrated Language Assessment: Are we there yet?
Integrated language assessment has recently received considerable attention, especially
with many language tests adopting an integrated approach to task design. Testing
practices following an integrated approach are supported by research evidence citing a
wide range of advantages for this trend. Authenticity has constantly been mentioned as
one of the main reasons why practitioners prefer integrated tasks over other traditional
ones given that such tasks replicate language use in actual settings. For example,
integrating skills in academic contexts is a critical skill, with students being involved in
synthesizing information from external sources when constructing a text. Research has
also cited fairness as another advantage since external sources provide background
knowledge to test takers who are sometimes not familiar with assigned topics. This
plenary attempts to address issues related to the construct of integrated tasks by
investigating how it has been conceptualized on different tests and in a wide range of
instructional settings. It also attempts to address concerns raised about design and
scoring of integrated tasks drawing on research results from a number of studies
conducted by the presenter and his colleagues (e.g., Gebril & Plakans, 2009, 2013, 2014,
2016; Ohta, Plakans, & Gebril, 2018; Plakans & Gebril, 2012, 2013, 2017). On a related
note, the presentation will tap into test takers’ cognitive processes employed while
working on integrated tasks. Concerns voiced by language professionals about score
validity and reliability of these tasks will also be discussed through focusing on issues
related to task representation, textual borrowing, score reliability. The presenter will
conclude by providing a number of practical implications for L2 writing instructors,
curriculum designers, and assessment specialists.
Atta Gebril is an associate professor and director of the TESOL program in the
Department of Applied Linguistics, the American University in Cairo (AUC). He also serves
as chair of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at AUC. He obtained his PhD in Foreign
Language and ESL Education with a minor in language testing from the University of Iowa
(USA). He previously worked for American College Testing (ACT, Inc.) where he was part of
the Workkeys team. In addition, he has been working as an assessment and evaluation
consultant and has participated in a number of test development projects in many parts of
the world. His research interests include writing assessment, reading-writing connections,
assessment literacy, and test validation. He serves on the editorial boards of Journal of
Language Testing, Language Assessment Quarterly, Assessing Writing and TESOL Journal.
In January 2018, he joined the Language Assessment Quarterly editorial team as an
associate editor. His book entitled Assessment Myths, co-authored with Lia Plakans, was
published by the University of Michigan Press in 2015. His edited volume ‘Applied
Linguistics in the Middle East and North Africa’ was published by John Benjamins in 2017.
In 2018, he won the ‘best article in the field of language testing’ award from the
International Language Testing Association (ILTA). In 2019, he won a Scopus award for
the impact of his research in the field of education on Egyptian society from Elsevier and
Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB).
Sunday January 26, 2020
Pre-Conference Workshop 9:00 AM – 4: 00 PM
Oriental Hall
Developing engaging writing assignments Paul Kei Matsuda,
Arizona State University, USA
IPAWL 2020
Conference At-a-Glance
Day One: Monday January 27, 2020
8:30 - 9:45 Registration
Ewart Hall Foyer
9:45 - 10:00 Opening Remarks
10:00 - 11:00 Plenary Ewart Hall
The Case for Not Grading Grammar in the Language Classroom Paul Kei Matsuda,
Arizona State University, USA
11:00 – 11:30 Coffee Break
11:30 - 5:15 Concurrent Sessions
Time Oriental Hall Armenian Room 109 Hill House
11:30 – 12:00 Paper
Assessing Dutch youths’ school writing: A
mixed-method approach with automatic
software analysis and expert evaluation
Lieke Verheijen,
Radboud University,
The Netherlands
Paper
Using student-led discussions as
integrative formative assessment
Elisabeth Yoder,
The American University in Cairo
Workshop
Using Instagram, Facebook and Twitter
in formative assessment in the classroom
Aisha M Osman,
Eduline, Egypt
12:15 – 12:45 Paper
Utilizing videos as source material for
more effective timed tasks
Alexander M. Lewko,
The American University in Cairo
Paper
Integrating alternative assessment methods
in the ESL curriculum: Case studies
Rasha Osman Abdel Haliem &
Sherine Al Magrabi
Higher Technological Institute,
Egypt
Workshop
How to overcome the problems of
integrating speaking skills in the
classroom?
Nada Elfawal,
Notting Hill College, Alexandria
1:00 – 1:30 Paper
Assessing Arabic writing:
Empirical measurement of learner
production in communicative
writing tasks
Workshop
Mobile apps for ESL assessment: A case
study
Rasha Osman Abdel Haliem,
Workshop
Teach and assess CLIL
Samir Omara,
Michael Raish Higher Technological Institute Teachers First Egypt
1:30-2:30 Lunch Break
2:30 – 3:00 Paper
Exploring student engagement with
automated writing evaluation (AWE)
feedback on second language writing
Victor Zhang,
The Chinese University of Hong
Kong
Paper
Developing integrated English assessment
in the foreign language academic
curriculum
Leila Kara Mostefa-Boussena,
Hassiba Ben Bouali University of
Chlef, Algeria
& Nabila Bedjaoui,
University of Mohamed Khider,
Biskra, Algeria
Workshop
Integrating the four skills in the EFL/ESL
classroom
Nour Negm
Ministry of Education
3:15-3:45 Paper
Assessment of languages and
languages of assessment in a multi-
cultural/lingual context
Mai Hussein,
Concordia University of Edmonton
Paper
Students’ perceptions of integrated writing
tasks
Salah Mohamed,
The American University in Cairo
Paper
Assessment during a Spanish course
in Hong Kong - Teaching methods and
the Internet: Learning challenges of
the new era
Doris L Borrero,
University of Salamanca, Spain
4:00 – 4:30 Paper
Portfolio: Student-teacher
involvement in learning and assessment of writing
Workshop
Upgrading critical evaluation and skill
development through group/ peer assessment
Work in progress
Psychological attitude in self-
assessment: Creative or nonsense?
Afaf Mishriki & Amani Demian,
The American University in Cairo
Maha H. Mohamed,
Teaching ESL Hub
Nadine M. Nasef,
Misr International University
4:45 – 5:15 Paper
Creating multi-disciplinary, integrated skills
instructional materials by using TED Talks
Sanaa Makhlouf,
The American University in Cairo
Workshop
Digital tools for formative
assessment
Mona Azam
Paper
The Arabic Lingua Test (ALT)
Muhammad El Ghaled
Conference At-a-Glance
Day Two: Tuesday January 28, 2020
9:00-10:00 Registration
Ewart Hall Foyer
10:00- 11:00 Plenary Ewart Hall
Integrated Language Assessment: Are we there yet?
Atta Gebril,
The American University in Cairo
11:00–11:15 Coffee Break
11:15 – 5:00 Concurrent Sessions
Time Oriental Hall Armenian Room 109 Hill House
11:15 – 11:45 Paper Work in Progress Workshop
Do complexity, accuracy, fluency, and
vocabulary use predict integrated
listening-to-write assessment scores?
Writing interventions for Nigerian primary
school students with covert special
needs
Web 2.0 tools in integrated skills
assessment
Renka Ohta,
University of Iowa, USA
Oluwole O. Sanni,
The American University in Cairo
Amira D. Ali & Mohamed Zakaria,
Sadat Academy for Management
Sciences, Egypt
12:00-12:30 Paper
CEFR translations: current state and
future directions
Bjorn L Norrbom,
National Center for Assessment,
KSA
Paper
Investigating learners' speaking
performance through an evaluation of
their teachers’ assessment practices: The
Case of second year students of English at
Biskra University
Ramadan Mehiri & Ahmed
Chaouki Hoadji,
Biskra University, Algeria
Workshop
A full-fledged integration and
assessment practice for teaching and
learning effectiveness and excellence
Shoghig Keoshkerian,
The American University of
Armenia
12:45-1:15 Paper
Developing a CEFR Glossary: a common
language for common practice
Jacob Zuboy,
National Center for Assessment,
KSA
Paper
The negative washback effect of the
Baccalaureate examination on EFL
practitioners in Algerian schools
Ahmed Chaouki Hoadjli & Ramdan
Mehiri
Biskra University, Algeria
Workshop
Systematic modelling, analysis, and
editing of listening and reading
comprehension passages to fit local
CEFR-based test specifications
Bjorn L Norrbom,
National Center for Assessment,
KSA
1:15 – 2:15
Lunch Break
2:30-3:00 Paper
Integrated-skills assessments in language
classrooms in Taiwan
Shu-Chen Huang,
National Chengchi University,
Taiwan
Paper
Assessing Arabic reading
comprehension, Arabic writing skills,
and content mastery
Magda Siekert,
Dickinson College, USA
Paper
Designing an assessment framework for a
project-based integrated skills course
Marwa Baza, Mariah Fairely, &
Sophie Farag, The American University in Cairo
3:15-3:45 Paper
Assessing integrated skills for students
of Arabic as a Foreign Language: A
literary visual context
Dalal Y. Abo El Seoud,
The American University in Cairo
Workshop
Designing task-based assessment: A step-
by-step recipe
Ramy Shabara,
School of Continuing Education, The
American University in Cairo
Work in progress
A comparison between peer and teacher
assessments of oral presentations at the
university level
Yi Li,
Shenyang Sports University, China
4:00-4:30 Paper
Formative assessment (FA) as an effective
teaching/learning opportunity
Azza Hassanein, The American University in Cairo
Workshop
Towards young learners’ assessment
through CEFR revisions
Maha H. Mohamed, Teaching ESL Hub, Egypt
Paper
An integrated approach to a writing
task in legal English
Hanan A. Hegazi, The American University in Cairo
4:30-5:00 Paper
Self and peer assessment effectiveness in
writing
Paper
Identifying the factors underlying
foreign language anxiety in a listen-
to-speak task
Sally Y. Ali Yafei Ye, The University of Iowa, USA
5:00-5:15
Closing Ceremony, Ewart Hall
IPAWL 2020
Program Book
Sunday January 26, 2020
9:00 AM – 4: 00 PM
Pre-conference Workshop
Developing engaging writing assignments
Paul Kei Matsuda,
Arizona State University, USA
Writing is often considered to be a drudgery both for students and for teachers, but it
does not have to be that way. In this workshop, the presenter—a leading expert in the
field of second language writing--will discuss why writing prompts often fail to engage
students, who in turn produce texts that are not interesting for teachers to read. He will
then explain how writing assignments can be reconceived and made more engaging
both for students and teachers. He will also share many other tricks of the trade to
enhance participants’ ability to enhance student learning.
9:45- 10:00
Ewart Hall
Opening Remarks
10:00- 11:00
Ewart Hall
Plenary
Paul Kei Matsuda,
Arizona State University, USA
The case for not grading grammar in the language classroom
11:00 – 11:30 Coffee Break
11:30 – 12:00
Oriental Hall
Paper
Assessing Dutch youths’ school writing: A mixed-method approach with automatic software analysis
and expert evaluation
Lieke Verheijen,
Radboud University, The Netherlands
As part of a large-scale empirical study examining whether Dutch youths’ school writing
is affected by their social media use, we needed to determine how to best assess youths’
writing skills in an educational context. We had 400 Dutch youths of different
educational levels and ages complete an essay-writing task in a classroom setting. These
texts were analyzed with a mixed-method approach. First, we aimed to objectively rate
the school writings. We used state-of-the-art software called T-Scan to determine the
quality of the essays. T-Scan automatically analyses Dutch texts on over 400 measures
relating to text complexity and genre. We selected a subset of 27 indices that were
IPAWL 2020
Program Book
Day One: Monday January 27, 2020
8:30- 9:45 Registration
Ewart Hall Foyer
11:30 – 12:00
Armenian Room
Paper
Using student-led discussions as integrative formative assessment
Elisabeth Yoder,
The American University in Cairo
Many university level content courses involve students participating in and leading
classroom discussions. Using class discussions in English language courses as formative
assessment not only prepares students for their content courses, but also provides a
natural opportunity to give students integrative formative feedback. This feedback
focuses on their reading, writing, speaking, and listening as well as on the pragmatics of
a classroom discussion. This presentation will first outline the basic procedures on the
part of the students to prepare for the discussions. It will then explain the various grade
sheets that are used in a university setting to provide the formative assessment. The
presentation will also address how both the procedures and/or the grade sheets can be
adjusted depending on the goals or level of a particular course.
Elisabeth Yoder received a BA in Government and International Studies from the
University of Notre Dame and an MA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from
AUC. She has taught everything from primary to post graduate and from students illiterate
in their own language to those pursuing an academic degree in English. Elisabeth has
deemed relevant for essay writing, and used principal component analysis (PCA) to
reduce these to four key factors indicative of writing quality of essays: lexical richness,
syntactic complexity, writing productivity, and formality. We then determined the
validity of the four writing factors resulting from the software to determine text quality
based on objectively measurable characteristics, by having a sample of the texts
evaluated by (prospective) teachers of Dutch using more subjective methods of writing
assessment. First, text evaluation by pairwise comparison was made, by presenting
multiple text pairs online and asking expert readers to choose the best of each pair.
Second, classical holistic evaluation of the texts by expert readers was done. We can
conclude that the scores of the automatic assessment, generated by using T-Scan in
combination with PCA, are a good proxy for the quality of the school texts written by
Dutch youths.
Lieke Verheijen is Assistant Professor in Communication and Information Studies at
Radboud University in Nijmegen (the Netherlands), at the Department of Language and
Communication. She has completed a PhD project about Dutch youths’ informal online
writing and how that affects their more formal writing in educational contexts. She
conducts her research at Radboud University’s Centre for Language Studies.
12:15 – 12:45
Oriental Hall
Paper
Utilizing videos as source material for more effective timed tasks
Alexander M. Lewko,
The American University in Cairo
The American University in Cairo (AUC) Academic English for Graduates (AEG) program
offers an upper-level academic writing course as a prerequisite for graduate students
based on their performance on the IELTS or TOEFL examinations. Three timed tasks, in
addition to other assessments, are required for successful completion of the course. In
11:30 – 12:00
109 Hill House
Workshop
Using Instagram, Facebook and Twitter in formative assessment in the classroom
Aisha M Osman,
Eduline, Egypt
The three Apps students all over the world are using every day are Instagram, Facebook
and Twitter. The golden rule we learned on our first day in Education is “Use what is
interesting to your learners”. In this workshop, participants will learn how to use these
three Apps in formative assessment in order to turn the assessment to its real target “A
tool to adjust and improve learner’s performance”. By using these Apps, learners will be
motivated to do the assessment and more importantly, enjoy it. Teachers will have more
accurate indicators about learners’ strengths and weaknesses. In this interactive, lively,
hands-on workshop, all attendees should have and use their smart phones.
Aisha Osman is an International Educational Consultant specializing in education for the
Middle East. Aisha has served as Managing Director of Cambridge University Press in
Egypt, publishing director in different local companies, and now she has opened her own
Educational Consultancy firm. After graduating from French schools, Ms. Osman
completed her studies in Psychology at Cairo University’s Faculty of Arts. She holds
Teacher Education and TEFL Certificates from the American University in Cairo and the
University of California, Santa Cruz.
taught English at AUC since 1996. She was the graduate program coordinator for many
years before returning to full-time instruction.
12:15 – 12:45
Armenian Room
Paper
Integrating alternative assessment methods in the ESL curriculum: Case studies
Rasha Osman Abdel Haliem & Sherine Al Magrabi
Higher Technological Institute
This presentation aims at introducing teachers to some alternative assessment
methods. The presenter will explain different types of alternative assessment
techniques that can be integrated in the ESL curriculum to enhance the teaching and
learning processes. The presenter will show how she used journals, role plays,
multimedia (audio and video recordings), reading response logs, content area logs, and
blogging as assessment tools. For better achieving the session purpose, group
discussions, questions and sharing views are encouraged.
Rasha Osman Abdel Haliem is an English lecturer and TKT (Teacher Knowledge Test) trainer,
at the Higher Technological Institute. She is a certified teacher from University of Oregon
and Cambridge TESOL, and an avid researcher who presented in many national and
international conferences. Rasha has completed a number of training courses with the
the past, the timed tasks required students to read an article the evening before in order
to be prepared to answer a prompt in class. AEG instructors were concerned, however,
that this method encouraged students to guess prompts and write a version of the essay
the evening before to reproduce for the task. This would negate the overall point of the
timed task. However, this also served as an assignment that through its design could
encourage plagiarism (Scribner, 2003, p. 32). In order to address these concerns, AEG
instructors have experimented with the use of videos as source materials in place of
articles read the evening before. In this presentation, the AEG program director will
discuss the concerns with the prior way of assessing timed writing and the reasons why
AEG instructors decided to experiment with the use of videos. Once that has been
established, issues surrounding this change will be discussed, including how we had to
update rubrics for this task as well as how the selection of videos for the tasks changed
over time. Finally, instructor reactions to this new kind of task will be discussed.
Alexander Lewko is Senior Instructor I at the Department of English Language Instruction
and is currently serving as the Director of the Academic English for Graduates (AEG)
program. He has taught at AUC since 2012 and has extensive experience teaching both
undergraduate and graduate English courses. In 2017, Alexander was president of
NileTESOL and was Co-chair of the 2016 NileTESOL Annual Conference. He is currently Co-
chair of the 2020 ILACE Conference.
1:00 – 1:30
Oriental Hall
Paper
Assessing Arabic writing: Empirical measurement of learner production in communicative writing tasks
Michael Raish
Although recent decades have seen the widespread adoption of the complexity,
accuracy, and fluency (CAF) framework to model L2 production, the empirical
12:15 – 12:45
109 Hill House
Workshop
How to overcome the problems of integrating speaking skills in the classroom?
Nada Elfawal,
Notting Hill College, Alexandria
Integrating the four skills, reading, writing, listening and speaking, in assessment has
become so important nowadays. The workshop will be focusing on the speaking skill, as
it is one of the important sources of communication. According to assessments that
make use of integrating skills, it is essential to prepare our students for the assessment
and practice of speaking in a second language. Moreover, the attendees will be sharing
the problems that face the students and the teachers in assessing speaking and finding
together solutions to solve the problems. Furthermore, there will be discussions and
generating ideas on the activities that could be done in the classroom that integrate the
speaking skill and help the students to use the second language in their real life.
Nada Tarek ElFawal is an experienced teacher trainer. She is training Phonetics and
Phonology at Notting Hill College, Alexandria. She graduated from Pharos University,
Faculty of Language and Translation, Methodology Department, in 2011. She received her
MA in TESOL from Eton University in USA in 2015. She is doing her EDD at Eton University,
USA.
University of Massachusetts Lowell, Arizona State University, South Graduate Institute,
and University of Oregon.
Sherine Al Magrabi is a Fulbright Commission alumnus. She is interested in CALL,
assessment, and adult education.
1:00 – 1:30
109 Hill House
Workshop
Teach and Assess CLIL
Samir Omara,
1:00 – 1:30
Armenian Room
Workshop
Mobile Apps for ESL assessment: A case study
Rasha Osman Abdel Haliem,
Higher Technological Institute
This presentation is to introduce teachers to using mobile Apps in assessment for and of
learning to enhance the teaching and learning processes. Using mobile Apps for
assessment makes students work more on their own, and be more prepared for
summative assessments. The presenter pinpoints how the Applications can be used
differently according to the teacher's design of the curriculum. For better achieving the
session purpose, group discussions and sharing views are encouraged.
Rasha Osman Abdel Haliem is an English lecturer and TKT (Teacher Knowledge Test) trainer,
at the Higher Technological Institute. She is a certified teacher from University of Oregon
and Cambridge TESOL and avid researcher who presented in many national and
international conferences. Rasha has completed a number of training courses with the
University of Massachusetts Lowell, Arizona State University, South Graduate Institute,
and University of Oregon.
measurement of L2 Arabic writing remains relatively under-explored. This study
investigates the written production of beginning and intermediate L2 Arabic learners in
the context of two communicative writing tasks, with reference to 9 direct measures of
CAF. Additionally, learner scores on an Arabic C-test are shown to be moderately
predictive of empirical aspects of participants’ writing.
Michael Raish received his PhD from Georgetown University’s Department of Arabic and
Islamic Studies in 2017. His dissertation focused on the empirical measurement of L2
Arabic writing, and his research interests include assessment design, task-based language
teaching (TBLT), and instructed Arabic acquisition. Michael currently works as a research
consultant and program evaluator, and his clients include the Wikimedia Foundation and
Educational Testing Service (ETS).
1:30 – 2:30 Lunch Break
2:30 – 3:00
Oriental Hall
Paper
Exploring student engagement with Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) feedback on second language
writing
Victor Zhang,
The Chinese University, Hong Kong
This study looks at how two L2 students engage with AWE feedback in a 4-month
academic semester at a Chinese university. Drawing from the data collected from
student written assignments, AWE feedback, and student retrospective interviews, the
study shows that the two participants differed in their engagement with AWE feedback,
but both demonstrated three interrelated dimensions of engagement with feedback:
behavioral, affective, and cognitive, which might be attributed to a multitude of
individual and contextual factors.
Zhe (Victor) Zhang is a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of English of The Chinese
University of Hong Kong. He obtained his PhD degree in Applied Linguistics at The
University of Hong Kong. His research areas include digital literacy, computer-assisted
language learning, second language writing, second language acquisition, and
educational assessment. His articles have appeared in Assessing Writing, ELT Journal,
IEEE Engineering Management Review, etc.
Teachers First, Egypt
CLIL is an approach to help students learn about a subject matter and learn a new
language as well. It is based on three principles. It has a 4Cs framework of content,
communication, cognition, and culture. To activate it, teachers analyse, link and apply
the language of/for/through learning. It implies different roles for teachers. There are
different techniques to assess CLIL.
Samir Omara is an English teacher and a teacher trainer. He has got diplomas in Education,
Special Education, and Educational Leadership. He has a TEFL certificate from the
University of Exeter and Management & a Leadership Development course at the University
of Westminster in the UK. He presented at ILACE, NileTESOL, IPAWL, TESOL, and BETT.
He is a NileTESOL Board of Directors’ member. He has also got the “UK Alumni
Professional Achievement Award”. He is head of Professional Development at Teachers
First, Egypt.
2:30 – 3:00
Armenian Room
Paper
Developing integrated English assessment in the foreign language academic curriculum
Leila Kara Mostefa-Boussena,
Hassiba Ben Bouali University of Chlef, Algeria
Nabila Bedjaoui,
University of Mohamed Khider, Algeria
Teaching different language skills in isolation proved to be inefficient in terms of
communication in such real life settings as the workplace. This article provides
suggestions for the development of integrated English assessment in a foreign language
context via a project-based approach. This type of assessment is about the integration of
skills, knowledge and attitudes, all working together to form lifelong competence.
Leila Kara Mostefa-Boussena is a full professor of Literature and Didactics (language
teaching) at the Department of English, Head of the Foreign Language Teaching Centre at
the University UHBC, Algeria. She is also Head of TICELET Research Laboratory
(technology of information and communication, language teaching and translation). Her
fields of interest include teaching/learning, innovative practices, assessment, and
constructive approaches.
Nabila Bedjaoui is a lecturer at the Department of Foreign Languages, the University of
Mohammed Khider, Biskra. Algeria. She holds a doctorate in language sciences in French
language and also a license in English. Her research interests are in teaching/ learning of
foreign languages, specifically learners’ representations of languages. She is mainly
interested in supporting learners of foreign languages through helping them overcome the
sense of linguistic insecurity and build positive representations of the target language.
3:15 – 3:45
Oriental Hall
Paper
Assessment of languages and languages of assessment in a multi-cultural/lingual context
Mai Hussein,
Concordia University, Edmonton
In this study, the increasingly complex nature of assessment strategies that arises in
academia and in schools is discussed. Different ways to embed broader competencies
and integrated skills are presented. Some of the challenging questions asked in this
study include: Who/what needs assessment? How is it done? What is the purpose of
such assessments? This study explores a few elements from the Canadian multi-
lingual/cultural context. A threefold assessment strategy is presented: for school
teachers, for school/university students as well as for school resources.
Mai Hussein holds a Master’s Degree in French Literature from Alexandria University and a
PhD in French Language from the University of Alberta, Canada – 2014. She currently
2:30 – 3:00
109 Hill House
Workshop
Integrating the four Skills in the EFL/ESL Classroom
Nour Negm
Ministry of Education
This workshop focuses on the integration of the four skills in the EFL/ESL classroom.
The presenter will share samples of integrated tasks and lesson plans that could be
used in language classes. The workshop participants will have the chance to look at
reflect on the hypotheses underlying skills synthesis in instructional practices
Nour Negm holds CELTA and TESOL Canada credentials and is a seasoned teacher
trainer with authentication of BC Egypt, Cambridge University and EDT. He
supervised and trained a groups of English language teachers in National Institutes
school for a pedagogic filming project for Englishinfocus.com.
3:15 – 3:45
Armenian Room
Paper
Students’ perceptions of integrated writing tasks
Salah Mohamed,
The American University in Cairo
There is a gap between the assessment practices employed in ESL programs and the
literature. This study aims at shedding some light on how students perceive integrated
writing in order to help ESL programs adopt the new practices.
Salah Mohamed is an MA student at AUC and an Intensive English Program instructor. He
graduated from Fayoum University in 2013. In 2015 he joined Vassar College as an Arabic
teaching assistant as part of the Fulbright FLTA program. He is also a part-time language
instructor at the School of Continuing Education, AUC.
3:15 – 3:45
109 Hill House
Paper
Assessment during a Spanish course in Hong Kong - Teaching methods and the Internet: Learning
challenges of the new era
Doris L. Borrero,
University of Salamanca, Spain
In this study, chat rooms, online dictionaries and Web Quests are analysed to
demonstrate that virtual learning has potential to enhance learner’s' language and
thinking skills. Chapel (1998) proposes the following qualities: (1) language learning
potential, (2) learner fit, (3) meaning focus, (4) authenticity, (5) positive impact and (6)
practicality. Through the literature review, the advantages and disadvantages of these
qualities are presented. The results demonstrate the development of activities involving
brainstorming, cooperative collaboration and styles of communication.
Doris L. Borrero received her PhD in Applied Linguistics and Discourse Analysis from the
University of Salamanca in 2016. Her book “Goodbye, Europe? Hello, Chaos? Research and
Teaching Experience on ESL” was translated in 2018 from English to Spanish. Her areas of
serves as an Assistant Professor of French (also teaching Arabic)- at Concordia University
of Edmonton, Canada.
4:00 – 4:30
Armenian Room
Workshop
Upgrading critical evaluation and skill development through group/peer assessment
Maha Hassan Mohamed,
4:00 – 4:30
Oriental Hall
Paper
Portfolio: Student-teacher involvement in learning and assessment of writing
Afaf Mishriki & Amani Demian,
The American University in Cairo
In this session, the presenters will share with the audience the findings and conclusions
of a study they conducted on first-year university students and their English language
teachers at an English-medium university. The purpose of the study was to gain clearer
insights into both students’ and teachers’ attitudes towards the use of portfolios, an area
in which research is still limited, with the hope of helping teachers, students, and
administrators utilize this versatile tool.
Afaf Mishriki, MA TEFL, is an English Language Senior Instructor at the Department of
English Language Instruction, AUC. She has been teaching English for Academic Purposes
for 30 years, has seen the inception of her program, and was actively involved in all its
major developments. She has special interests in action research and material
development and held the position of Assessment Specialist for 3 years. She has regularly
attended, presented, and published at national and international conferences over the past
10 years.
Amani Demian is an English Language Senior Instructor in the Department of English
Language Instruction at the American University in Cairo. She has been teaching in the
Intensive English Program, ELI, as a full-time instructor since 1989. Amani is an AUC
graduate with a BA in Psychology and a master’s in TEFL. In the IEP, she teaches reading,
vocabulary, writing and study skills. She enjoys working with young people very much and
believes that her background in psychology helps her deal more effectively with students.
interest include discourse analysis, teaching methods, studies in translation, lexicography,
ESL learning and linguistic policies.
4:00 – 4:30
109 Hill House
Work in progress
Psychological attitude in self-assessment: Creative or nonsense?
Nadine M. Nasef,
Misr International University
This work in progress (WIP) will introduce the audience to the approach of
psychological attitude in self-assessment when it comes to integrating language
assessment. Does such an attitude create a motivating atmosphere in the EFL
classroom? Self-recognition and self-awareness of certain attitudes are key elements to
the participants of the session. The audience will go through various scenarios to
visualize their assessments after considering the “psychological attitude” when dealing
with a diversity of self-assessing strategies.
Nadine Nasef is an English Linguistics and Literature class of 2018 honoree from MIU. She is
a mentor and Teaching Assistant at her alma mater and is always taking strides to mentor
and gain insights about language. Her interests include any discipline related to linguistics,
sociology, psychology, anthropology, literature, and foreign languages. She is currently
taking strides in gaining insights about an amalgamation of her passions: sociolinguistics,
psycholinguistics, neurolinguistics, language acquisition, gender studies, and literary
theories.
Teaching ESL Hub
Have you applied peer and group assessment before in class? What criteria did you use?
What did you apply it for? Join us for this session to discuss the relation between critical
thinking and both peer and group assessment and how they can help in enhancing your
students’ critical evaluation and skill development for learning the language.
Maha Hassan is an Educational Consultant, Teacher Trainer and Founder/CEO of Teaching
ESL Hub. She was nominated for Lead 5050 Women in International Education Award –
WIE 2018 for her work as an Academic Director. She has presented at a number of
international conferences including IATEFL, TESOL International Convention-CALL IS
EVO and Nile TESOL. She had a number of articles published on IATEFL Voices, Pilgrims “A
New Contribution to Bloom’s Taxonomy”, HEIS International TESOL Newsletter and Nile
TESOL Newsletter. She blogs on: teachingenglishcafe.blogspot.com
4:30 – 5:00
Armenian Room
Workshop
Digital tools for formative assessment
Mona Azam
The purpose of this workshop is to expose teachers to a number of formative
assessment digital tools that aim at assessing speaking, listening, and writing skills in
the foreign language classroom. Additionally, the workshop will provide a few samples
or suggested activities for each of the tools discussed in the workshop.
Mona Azam is a passionate Arabic as a Foreign Language (AFL) instructor, researcher, and
material developer who has been teaching Arabic both online and offline for six years. She
holds a master’s degree in Applied Linguistics (Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language)
from the American University in Cairo. Her thesis focused on students’ perceptions of
reading and creating digital comics in the online AFL classroom. Mona has presented in two
national and international conferences. Her conference presentations are titled
“Integrating Comics in the Online AFL classroom” and “It’s fun to make comics!
4:30 – 5:00
Oriental Hall
Paper
Creating multidisciplinary, integrated skills instructional materials by using TED Talks
Sanaa Makhlouf,
The American University in Cairo
To assess learners in our 21st century classrooms, instructors have to be creative and
tech-savvy, while assignments have to be varied and engaging. Therefore, the purpose
of this talk is to demonstrate three ways of using the public domain TED Talks as a
venue for helping learners form contextual relationships between the selected TED
Talks, the multi-disciplinary instructional materials, and the assessment framework,
while simultaneously developing students’ language and critical thinking skills.
Sanaa Makhlouf received her BA in English and Comparative Literature from the
American University in Cairo, completed two graduate diplomas in Anglo-Irish literature
and linguistics from Trinity College, Dublin and received her MA in TEFL from AUC. She
has been a full-time instructor at the Department of English Language Instruction since
1988. She is mostly interested in developing instructional materials while encouraging
student autonomy and active engagement.
4:30 - 5:00
109 Hill House
Paper
The Arabic Lingua Test
Muhammad El Ghaled
The attendees will be introduced to the features of the Arabic Lingua Test (ALT) App.
including, animations, videos, exercises, Arabic to IPA Translator, word and picture of the
day, and audio samples that describe the essential features of each of the consonants.
Muhammad El Ghaled has a master’s degree in Applied Linguistics, 2018. He is an
experienced Arabic instructor and a private teacher of modern standard and colloquial
Arabic for foreign learners to expatriates and visiting diplomats 2005-to date. He is
currently working on his PhD.
Integrating Digital comic creation tasks in the online AFL classroom”. She is also the
founder of arabicglobal.com, a website that offers Arabic video lessons for AFL students.
Her research interests include teaching methodology, technology integration in the AFL
classroom, and corpus linguistics.
10:00- 11:00
Ewart Hall
Plenary
Atta Gebril,
The American University in Cairo
Integrated language Assessment: Are we there yet?
11:15 – 11:45
Oriental Hall
Paper
Do complexity, accuracy, fluency, and vocabulary use predict integrated listening- to-write assessment
scores?
Renka Ohta,
University of Iowa, USA
This mixed-methods study uniquely contributes to the integrated writing assessment
field by investigating the validity of listening-to-write (L-W) assessment scores for high
school ELs who received vocabulary support for listening comprehension during
assessment. We explored the relationship between the scores and various textual
features. Results showed that fluency and grammatical accuracy significantly predicted
the L-W scores, and more proficient test-takers made effective use of the given
vocabulary in their essays.
Renka Ohta obtained her PhD in Foreign Language and ESL Education at the University of
Iowa. Her research focuses on L2 integrated skill assessment, score generalizability, and
essay rating.
11:15 – 11:45
IPAWL 2020 Program Book
Day Two: Tuesday January 28, 2020
9:00- 10:00 Registration
Ewart Hall Foyer
11:15 – 11:45
109 Hill House
Workshop
Web 2.0 tools in integrated skills assessment
Amira D. Ali & Mohamed Zakaria
Sadat Academy for Management Sciences, Egypt
If you want to explore the power of Web 2.0 tools in assessing integrated language
skills, then this workshop is for you. Through engaging in practical tasks and navigating
some Web 2.0 sites, participants will identify the use of various E-tools in assessment.
Useful websites/tips will be provided.
Amira Ali is a lecturer in the Department of Languages at Sadat Academy for
Management Sciences. She is a PhD holder in TEFL and a certified TOT trainer. Her
interests include teaching language skills and integrating technology in teaching and
assessment.
Muhammed Zakaria is an English Language Arts teacher at Dover American International
School, and also an ESL instructor at AUC. He is TESOL certified from iTTi;
Armenian Room
Work in Progress
Writing interventions for Nigerian primary school students with covert special needs
Oluwole O. Sanni,
The American University in Cairo
Writing is a creative, stylistic, and productive process of giving expression to one’s
thought in a lucid, unambiguous manner aimed at achieving specific intention(s). This
literacy skill has instrumental and integrative connotations and thus a salient necessity
for all. However, the systematic process of writing production and construction follows
a rigid format in the Nigerian context which is unfavourable for learners with special
needs. This paper identifies and discusses innovative ways of teaching writing to
Nigerian primary school students with special needs so as to give them a sense of
inclusion in the writing community. These innovative ways transcend the traditional
methods of teaching writing as it makes the learner-centred approach its focus.
Oluwole Oluwatobi Sanni was best graduating student in his BA and MA studies in English
Language at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. He is currently a TESOL Fellow and a
graduate student of Applied Linguistics at the American University in Cairo.
12:00-12:30
Armenian Room
Paper
Investigating learners' speaking performance through an evaluation of their teachers’ assessment
practices: The case of second year Students of English at Biskra University, Algeria
Ramdane Mehiri & Ahmed Chaouki Hoadjli
Biskra University, Algeria
This study was based on the problem that both teachers and students have difficulties
in teaching and learning speaking, which is mainly due to the inefficient methods and
techniques used by teachers of Oral Expression to assess their students’ speaking
performance. Therefore, the present study sought to investigate all the actions to assess
the speaking skill, with an intent to find solutions to these obstacles which resulted in
12:00-12:30
Oriental Hall
Paper
CEFR translations: Current state and future directions
Bjorn L Norrbom,
National Center for Assessment, KSA
The Council of Europe (COE) proclaims that the Common European Framework of
Reference (CEFR) is available in over 40 languages. “Availability”, however, is a relative
concept, wholly dependent upon quality of translation, a variable the Council, its
partner institutions and the many scholars who cite the claim all seem to take for
granted. This paper questions the “availability” of the Framework, belying the
assumptions that underlie it. This is to say, “available” does not by default mean
“accessible”.
Bjorn Norrbom is a consultant at the National Center for Assessment, Saudi Arabia. He has
acted as lead test developer for several high-stakes language exams. His research
interests include test validation, evidence-centred design, reference level descriptors for
Arabic, and the assessment of Arabic as a second/foreign language. He has presented
papers at several top-level international language testing conferences and is also the
author of several published book chapters on applied linguistics.
AE-teacher program alumni. He has received a scholarship to study FELT at AUC. One of
his biggest interests is integrating technology into teaching ESL and CCSs.
12:00-12:30
109 Hill House
Workshop
A full-fledged integration and assessment practice for teaching and learning effectiveness and excellence
Shoghig Keoshkerian,
The American University of Armenia
Are you an advocate of fostering learning-oriented assessment with an integrated skills
approach to motivate your students and help them produce their best performance? It
is time to upgrade your assessment plan and spice it up with the latest trends in
education. The presenter will describe integrated teaching/learning approaches and
attempts to reconcile types of assessment and focus all assessment on stimulating
productive student learning. The presenter will also embed a technology toolbox to
offer a platform for collaborative actions.
Shoghig Keoshkerian is an EFL instructor at the American University of
Armenia/Extension Program, dealing with domestic and international students and a
Trainer of Trainers at Teach for Armenia. She holds a dual bachelor’s degree and an MA in
TEFL. She has been awarded a certificate of “Teaching Excellence and Achievement” from
both Claremont Graduate University and ECA Washington DC. Her interests include
implementing inclusive, integrated and innovative approaches to learning/teaching and
the incorporation of formative assessment as a continuous process to track the
students’ performance and to balance between teaching and assessment practices as a
good teaching/learning strategy.
Ramdane Mehiri is a full-time Senior Lecturer at Biskra University, Algeria. He graduated at
Ouargla University where he got his License in English Language (1998) and Magistère
Degree in Comparative Stylistics (2006). He defended his doctoral thesis at Constantine
University (2016). Ramdane’s main academic interests are applied linguistics, literature,
research methodology and assessment. His recent activities include a research laboratory
and doctoral project, working with scholars from different local and foreign universities.
Ahmed Chaouki Hoadjli is a full-time senior lecturer at Biskra University, Algeria. He
graduated at Batna University where he got his License in English language (1994). He got
his Magistère degree in Language and Civilization (2005) at Biskra University. He
defended his doctoral thesis in 2016. Ahmed Chaouki’ s main academic interests are
assessment, research methodology and education. His recent activities include a research
laboratory and doctoral project, working with scholars from different local and foreign
universities.
12:45-1:15
Oriental Hall
Paper
Developing a CEFR glossary: A common language for common practice
Jacob Zuboy,
National Center for Assessment, KSA
One of the main objectives of the CEFR is to provide common meta-language to compare
learning objectives, learners, assessments, etc. Technical terms must be carefully
defined so that they have the same core meaning for all stakeholders. To date, no
comprehensive list of common definitions for CEFR technical terms has been offered.
The absence of a glossary hinders effective Framework use. The paper describes the
development of a comprehensive CEFR glossary of technical terms.
Jacob Zuboy has worked as a teacher and/or teacher trainer in a variety of cultures and
contexts in seven countries on three continents. Now, he is a consultant in the Department
of Language Testing at the National Center for Assessment (Qiyas) in Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia.
12:45-1:15
Armenian Room
Paper
The negative washback effects of the Baccalaureate examination on EFL practitioners in Algerian
schools
Ahmed Chaouki Hoadjli & Ramdane Mehiri
Biskra University, Algeria
This study was based on the problem that the Baccalaureate examination in Algerian
high schools has a negative influence on both teachers and students which has proven
to exist and need to be solved as an urgent issue or problem. This study called for a
radical change in the teachers’ practices and a new perception of the examination on the
part of students. Therefore, it sought to investigate all the sources and techniques to
eliminate or, at least, lessen the black image of the BAC examination for the students,
with an intent to suggest solutions which resulted in the implementation of continuous
activities and assessment as a strategy to enhance the students’ performance and to
balance between teaching and assessment in formal situations.
assessment, designing courses/curriculum, educational leadership and training of
trainers.
1:15 – 2:15 Lunch Break
12:45 -1:15
109 Hill House
Workshop
Systematic modelling, analysis, and editing of listening and reading comprehension passages to fit local
CEFR-based test specifications
Bjorn L Norrbom,
National Center for Assessment, KSA
Practitioners creating Listening Comprehension (LC) and Reading Comprehension (RC)
tests related to the CEFR have a number of free tools at their disposal that will help
them model, analyse, and edit passages to make sure these are appropriate to learners’
levels and the assessment context. Here we use two separate approaches to passage
modelling, one for LC and one for RC, and consider two main tools for passage analysis
and editing, focusing on vocabulary.
Bjorn Norrbom is a consultant at the National Center for Assessment, Saudi Arabia. He has
acted as a lead test developer for several high-stakes language exams. His research
interests include test validation, evidence-centred design, reference level descriptors for
Arabic, and the assessment of Arabic as a second/foreign language. He has presented
papers at several top-level international language testing conferences and is also the
author of several published book chapters on applied linguistics.
Ahmed Chaouki Hoadjli is a full-time senior lecturer at Biskra University, Algeria. He
graduated at Batna University where he got his license in English language (1994). He got
his Magistère degree in Language and Civilization (2005) at Biskra University. He
defended his doctoral thesis in 2016. Ahmed Chaouki’ s main academic interests are
assessment, research methodology and education. His recent activities include a research
laboratory and doctoral project, working with scholars from different local and foreign
universities.
Ramdane Mehiri is a full-time senior lecturer at Biskra University, Algeria. He graduated at
Ouargla University where he got his license in English language (1998) and Magistère
degree in Comparative Stylistics (2006). He defended his doctoral thesis at Constantine
University (2016). Ramdane’s main academic interests are applied linguistics, literature,
research methodology and assessment. His recent activities include a research laboratory
and doctoral project, working with scholars from different local and foreign universities.
2:30-3:00
Armenian Room
Paper
Assessing Arabic reading comprehension, Arabic writing skills, and content mastery
Magda Siekert,
Dickinson College, USA
This paper examines the assessment of Arabic reading comprehension, writing skills,
and content mastery in a Culture and Languages across the Curriculum course taught in
English. Advanced Arabic students taking the class are assigned additional performance
tasks that include reading authentic Arabic literary works and writing short analytical
and opinion essays in Arabic. They also undergo holistic assessments for content
mastery and language skills.
2:30-3:00
Oriental Hall
Paper
Integrated-skill assessments in language classrooms in Taiwan
Shu-Chen Huang,
National Chengchi University, Taiwan
With a focus on Classroom Assessment (CA) practices in the language classroom, 43
Taiwanese students were interviewed. Results indicated that successful CA tasks were
characterized by the integration of multiple skills. Furthermore, to compare CA
practices across languages, teachers of Arabic, Japanese, Spanish, and Vietnamese were
interviewed for their CA practices with a focus on skill integration. While some teachers
emphasized difficulties of skill integration for beginning learners, others reported
innovative approaches in task designs.
Shu-Chen Huang is a professor at Foreign Language Center of National Chengchi
University in Taipei, Taiwan. She has taught English at the college level in Taiwan for
about 25 years. Other major responsibilities she has shouldered include directing the
Center and conducting a curriculum reform project. Her research interests lie in formative
classroom assessment and language learning motivation, with publications appearing in
journals such as Language Assessment Quarterly and Assessment and Evaluation in Higher
Education.
2:30-3:00
109 Hill House
Paper
Designing an assessment framework for a project-based integrated skills course
Marwa Baza, Mariah Fairely, & Sophie Farag
The American University in Cairo
In this session, the presenters will walk the audience through the process of creating,
designing, and assessing a newly introduced project-based integrated skills course in
their department. They will share the task descriptions and grading rubrics they
developed and cover the challenges faced in implementing the course, the solutions
found, and lessons learned. Attendees should leave with practical ideas for
implementing the assessment for a similar course in their own contexts.
Marwa Baza is a language instructor at The American University in Cairo and currently serves
as the IEP Assessment Specialist. Marwa is an MA TEFL holder and her previous experience
includes working in Egypt, the UAE and Kuwait. Her research interests include applied
linguistics, language assessment, academic writing, and teacher training.
Mariah Fairley works as a Senior Instructor and Program Director at the American
University in Cairo in the Department of English Language Instruction. Her interests
include language teacher education, teacher identity development, reflective practice, and
teaching academic writing and discussion skills.
Sophie Farag is a Senior Instructor II in the Department of English Language Instruction
(ELI) at the American University in Cairo (AUC). She has experience as a teacher, mentor,
and academic administrator. Her interests include course design, inclusive practices and
using technology in the classroom.
Magda Selim Siekert is Senior Lecturer in Middle East Studies at Dickinson College since
2009, specializing in Arabic language and culture and US diplomacy. Courses taught
include beginner, intermediate, and advanced Arabic; Arabic media; and public diplomacy.
A graduate of AUC, Cairo University, and Georgetown University, she previously served as
Foreign Service Officer with the Department of State in the Middle East, Europe, and Latin
America. She is fluent in Arabic, English, French, and Spanish.
3:15-3:45
Armenian Room
Workshop
Designing task-based assessment: A step-by-step recipe
Ramy Shabara,
School of Continuing Education, The American University in Cairo
3:15-3:45
Oriental Hall
Paper
Assessing integrated skills for students of Arabic as a foreign language: A literary visual context
Dalal Abo El Seoud,
The American University in Cairo
This paper addresses the integration of language skills of learners of Arabic as a foreign
language. It uses visual literary content as the receptive skills to be introduced to
students, while intertextual productive skills are expected from students in the form of
new stories. Two models of integration are used, content-based, for developing the
receptive skills, and task-based for developing the productive skills. The assessment will
be in students' ability to create new interrelated stories and record it on a web page for
their colleagues to make use of.
Dalal Abo El Seoud earned her Master’s degree in Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language in
1994 from the American University in Cairo (AUC). Her thesis was entitled “Collocations
and Vocabulary Teaching”. She earned her PhD from Ain Shams University in 2003 from
the Department of Curricula and Methods of Teaching, where her dissertation was entitled
“The Effect of an Integrated Approach on Developing the Oral Skills of Learners of Arabic
as a Foreign Language”. She has been teaching at AUC since 1997 in the Department of
Arabic Language Instruction. She has taught Arabic as a foreign language since 1986, first
as a part time instructor in CACE, then as a full time instructor in1997 in the Arabic
Language Institute. In 2013, she was elected to be the chair of the department, now called,
Arabic Language Instruction, and then re-elected for another three years. She also teaches
in the MA TAFL program. Her research interests focus on teaching methodology and
thinking skills. She is a co-author of a series of three level Arabic writing textbooks called
‘uktub al ‘arabiyya, and the “Arabic- English Lexicon of Verbs in Context”. She has also
published a number of articles focusing on teaching Arabic as a foreign language, the
latest of which is entitled “Integrating Reading and Writing: Literature Circles”, in
“Handbook for Teaching Arabic Language Professionals in the 21st Century” 2nd edition.
4:00-4:30
Oriental Hall
Paper
Formative assessment (FA) as an effective teaching/learning opportunity
3:15-3:45
109 Hill House
Work in progress
A comparison between peer and teacher assessments of oral presentations at the university level
Yi Li,
Shenyang Sports University, China
The study investigated the effectiveness of and differences between peer and teacher
assessments in evaluating university students’ oral presentations in an EFL context,
across several different year groups. The study took place at a sports university in China
and included participants whose educational background was in physical education and
sports training. Quantitative and qualitative research methods were used to investigate
the degree of correlation between peer and teacher assessments and students’
attitudes.
Yi Li holds a BA in English from Northern Arizona University and a MA in TESOL from
University at Buffalo, the State University of New York. She has been working as a full-time
university lecturer at Shenyang Sports University since 2014. Her main job is to give
various English curriculums to undergraduate and graduate students and provide
interpretation assistance when there is a need. Her research interests include second
language acquisition and language assessment.
The workshop opens with a glance on task-based assessment in terms of its main
features and components. Then, attendees will be introduced the CEFR and its CAN Dos.
Next, the attendees will be trained to select appropriate Can Dos to design integrated
assessment tasks. Finally, through a step-by-step technique, they will be trained to
design integrated assessment tasks for various CEFR levels.
Ramy Shabara is the Manager of Test Development & Assessment of the Evaluation,
Testing & Assessment Department, School of Continuing Education, the American
University in Cairo, Egypt. He gives lectures in language assessment and research methods
in several universities. His research interests include teacher education and language
assessment.
4:00-4:30
Armenian Room
Workshop
Towards young learners’ assessment through CEFR revisions
Maha H. Mohamed,
Teaching ESL Hub
Are you looking for a way to boost your students’ learning and usage of the language?
The New CEFR Revisions have a lot in this concern. Join us for an engaging workshop to
find out interesting assessment tools provided by CEFR and how you can apply them
practically in class with young learners.
Maha Hassan Mohamed is an Educational Consultant, Teacher Trainer and
Founder/CEO of Teaching ESL Hub. She was nominated for Lead 5050 Women in
International Education Award – WIE 2018 for her work as an Academic Director. She has
presented at a number of International Conferences including IATEFL, TESOL
International Convention-CALL IS EVO and NileTESOL. She had a number of articles
published on IATEFL Voices, Pilgrims “A New Contribution to Bloom’s Taxonomy”, HEIS
Azza Hassanein,
The American University in Cairo
Formative assessment that is designed before lessons and based on the outcomes of
learning is highly recommended for evaluating students’ performance. It takes place
during the learning/teaching process. It proved to be a very effective learning
opportunity which provides students with the required support that enhances their
learning. Besides, it allows teachers to monitor the learning process. In order to receive
the payoffs of such assessment, it has to be carried out consistently during everyday
activities.
Azza Hassanein is a Senior Arabic Language Instructor, ALI, AUC. She is a holder of an MA
in TAFL (1995). She has worked as an instructor of Modern Standard and Egyptian
Colloquial Arabic at AUC since 1992. Azza received the “CASA Excellence in Teaching”
Award in 2013. Azza has developed and piloted the Department of Arabic Language
Instruction’s blended-learning initiative for Arabic requirement, in collaboration with the
AUC Center for Learning & Teaching in 2019. Her research interests focus on writing,
grammar and assessment. She has authored a reference book for Arabic grammar and co-
authored a series of AFL books on Arabic writing at different levels as follows: “Modern
Standard Arabic Grammar – A Concise Guide”- The American University Press, 2006.
“Uktub Alarabia” - a series of three books for teaching writing to elementary, intermediate
and advanced levels – The American University Press, 2014.
4:30-5:00
Oriental Hall
Paper
Self and peer assessment effectiveness in writing
Sally Y. Ali
Teacher training, students' self-and peer-assessment, and constant teacher feedback
can all contribute to students' learning processes and to the improvement of their
writing skills. In the end, students learn to write by writing and enjoy the pleasures of
good written communication too. Self and peer assessment are key factors in authentic
assessment and student empowerment. The focus of this presentation will be on
showing the effectiveness of self and peer assessment in writing.
4:00-4:30
109 Hill House
Paper
An integrated approach to a writing task in Legal English
Hanan A. Hegazi,
The American University in Cairo
This paper mainly focuses on how to integrate an academic writing task in Legal English
with the other main language skills of reading, listening and speaking to develop the
learners' interaction and motivation. As a result, participants' interaction and
participation will improve while working on this integrated writing task using the
process approach.
Hanan A. Hegazi has been teaching for ten years in different private universities, delivering
more than 1000 teaching hours. She has taught at the American University in Cairo for 5
years, focusing on teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses such as English for
Engineering and Legal English to university students and Legal Specialists. She received her
CELTA two years ago and is currently a teaching fellow at the Department of English
Language Instruction (ELI) providing academic listening and speaking courses to university
students.
International Tesol Newsletter and Nile TESOL Newsletters. She blogs on:
teachingenglishcafe.blogspot.com/
5:00 – 5:15
Ewart Hall
Closing Ceremony
4:30-5:00
Armenian Room
Paper
Identifying the factors underlying foreign language anxiety in a listening-to-speak task
Yafei Ye,
The University of Iowa, USA
The current qualitative study aims to identify the factors relating to foreign language
anxiety of L2 students engaged in listening-to-speak task. Six ESL participants provided
data by way of integrated speaking performance. Contents elicited through the
retrospective interview processes were coded and inductively analysed via thematic
content analysis. Findings will inform the development of a questionnaire on anxiety
tailored specifically for the integrated speaking context.
Yafei Ye is a PhD student of the Foreign Language and ESL Education program at the
University of Iowa. His research interests include second language acquisition, with a
specific focus on foreign language anxiety, and validity issues associated with language
assessment.
We hope you enjoyed IPAWL 2020!
See you in IPAWL 2021!
Sally Y. Ali earned her PhD in Linguistics from Georgetown University in 1994 and has
been teaching since 1977. She has achieved many goals in the professional field of
linguistics & applied linguistics/TESOL. In particular, she has been a teacher, teacher
trainer, researcher, curriculum developer, presenter and practicum coordinator. Also, she
was the Applied Linguistics Program Coordinator, [Fall 2015 - Spring 2017] and Associate
Professor at UAE University.
NOTES