Il existe un nombre croissant de tests de langues sur le marché. Ces derniers se répartissent en plusieurs catégories selon leur forme et leur fonction: tests de positionnement, d’acquisition et de progrès, de compétence, de certification, tests diagnostiques et enfin tests d’aptitude. La conception du test de positionnement POSILANG, entièrement adossé au Cadre européen commun de référence pour les langues (CECRL), force à s’interroger sur le processus général d’évaluation des compétences en LVE, à définir ce que sont les bonnes pratiques, à explorer la compatibilité de l’approche communicative-actionnelle prônée par le Cadre avec le format automatisé. Les atouts visés par le dispositif sont la gratuité, la praticité, la fiabilité, l’accessibilité, l’interactivité ainsi que l’authenticité. L’élaboration des items doit tenir compte des usages situés de la langue dans des situations de communication réelles. Conçu localement, en intégrant la situation particulière du site universitaire bordelais, le test est prévu pour évaluer le niveau de compétences des bacheliers en anglais, accédant à l’Enseignement Supérieur. L’évaluation de la version pilote de POSILANG, menée dans le cadre de la présente recherche, montre que POSILANG permet bien de déterminer à la fois le niveau en langue global de candidats et leur niveau par domaine de compétence. Le test remplit aussi une fonction diagnostique, en pointant les lacunes des candidats. Le positionnement par domaines de compétences permet de créer différents groupes de niveaux aussi homogènes que possible pour les enseignements obligatoires d’anglais et pour remédier aux difficultés langagières repérées. / In education today, a great number of language tests are available. These tests can be divided into different categories according to their features and function: placement tests, acquisition and progress tests, certification tests and aptitude tests. The POSILANG placement test offers many advantages. The test is conceived in accordance with the Common European framework of reference for languages (CEFR). It therefore complies with the majority of the parameters laid down in this official document and adheres to an action-oriented approach. POSILANG also benefits from being free of charge, readily available, reliable, interactive and authentic. The latter is achieved by using language taken from real life situations for the conception of items. The test has been designed for local use on the campus of Bordeaux University and takes into account the specificities of this environment. Its aim is to assess the competence level of secondary school leavers as they enter the higher education system. POSILANG is able not only to assess the overall language level of participants, but also the level in three separate areas of competence. It has a diagnostic function centered on pinpointing the weaknesses of students. The placement of students according to the different areas of competence enables teachers to form student groups with similar language levels, so as to address the specific instructional needs identified by the test.

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This study applied the latest developments in language testing validation theory to derive a core body of evidence that can contribute to the validation of a large-scale, high-stakes English as a Foreign Language (EFL) testing program in Japan. The testing program consists of a set of seven level-specific tests targeting different levels of proficiency. This core aspect of the program was selected as the main focus of this study. The socio-cognitive model of language test development and validation provided a coherent framework for the collection, analysis and interpretation of evidence. Three research questions targeted core elements of a validity argument identified in the literature on the socio-cognitive model. RQ 1 investigated the criterial contextual and cognitive features of tasks at different levels of proficiency, Expert judgment and automated analysis tools were used to analyze a large bank of items administered in operational tests across multiple years. RQ 2 addressed empirical item difficulty across the seven levels of proficiency. An innovative approach to vertical scaling was used to place previously administered items from all levels onto a single Rasch-based difficulty scale. RQ 3 used multiple standard-setting methods to investigate whether the seven levels could be meaningfully related to an external proficiency framework. In addition, the study identified three subsidiary goals: firstly, toevaluate the efficacy of applying international standards of best practice to a local context: secondly, to critically evaluate the model of validation; and thirdly, to generate insights directly applicable to operational quality assurance. The study provides evidence across all three research questions to support the claim that the seven levels in the program are distinct. At the same time, the results provide insights into how to strengthen explicit task specification to improve consistency across levels. This study is the largest application of the socio-cognitive model in terms of the amount of operational data analyzed, and thus makes a significant contribution to the ongoing study of validity theory in the context of language testing. While the study demonstrates the efficacy of the socio-cognitive model selected to drive the research design, it also provides recommendations for further refining the model, with implications for the theory and practice of language testing validation.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:25:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 4320.pdf: 2797157 bytes, checksum: 9d3bc1c470c0b601341992176eb1755e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-02-28 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / Inferences based on the results of language tests have been used to make decisions about people s lives because tests work as a gateway at important moments related to education, employment and moving from one country to another (MCNAMARA, 2000). In this study, we aimed at discussing the inclusion of an English test in the ENEM entrance examination in Brazil. This test evaluates the reading ability in English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Its use in the Brazilian educational system was introduced without the development and publication of specifications that are a central and crucial part of a test construction process. Test specifications should include information related to the theoretical framework underlying the test and the level of understanding expected from test-takers (ALDERSON; CLAPHAM; WALL, 1995). From this perspective, we conducted an interpretative research (MOITA LOPES, 1994) based on documents (LANKSHEAR; KNOBEL, 2008) in order to understand the construct that underlies the ENEM English test. The documents that contributed to the data analysis were the English Curricular Guidelines for Brazilian Secondary Schools and the Guidelines for ENEM 2009, which are the documents that direct the development of the current version of ENEM. The results obtained from the analysis of the 2010 and 2011 ENEM English tests show that the assessment of the EFL reading ability is operationalized primarily through the decoding of texts by test-takers, which originates from a narrow concept of language (SCARAMUCCI, 1995). Based on this, we believe that the ENEM English test does not allow test-takers to read between the lines, as suggested by the English Curricular Guidelines. The results also show that the competence and the skills presented by the Guidelines for ENEM 2009 are not implemented in the ENEM English test. Furthermore, the results suggest that the development of this test should be reconsidered by the test writers, starting with the design and publication of specifications that are coherent with the contemporary theories that guide the process of EFL teaching, learning and assessment. / Na área de avaliação em contextos de ensino-aprendizagem de línguas, inferências feitas com base nos resultados de exames têm sido utilizadas de forma crescente na tomada de decisões sobre a vida das pessoas avaliadas, com os exames funcionando, por exemplo, como porta de entrada em importantes momentos da educação, na busca por um emprego e ao transitar de um país para outro (MCNAMARA, 2000). Em âmbito nacional, a reformulação do Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (ENEM), ocorrida em 2009, implicou na sua transformação em um exame de acesso ao ensino superior, sendo que muitas instituições públicas de ensino vêm, desde então, substituindo, total ou parcialmente, seus exames vestibulares pelo ENEM. Nesse contexto de reformulação do ENEM, dois aspectos despertaram nossa atenção: a inclusão de uma prova que avalia a habilidade de leitura em língua estrangeira (LE) dos candidatos e a ausência de especificações para essa prova, nas quais deveriam constar informações relacionadas ao arcabouço teórico que a fundamenta, ou seja, ao seu construto, e ao tipo de compreensão esperada dos examinandos (ALDERSON; CLAPHAM; WALL, 1995). Partindo dessa perspectiva, procedemos a esta pesquisa interpretativista (MOITA LOPES, 1994) baseada em documentos (LANKSHEAR; KNOBEL, 2008), com o objetivo de compreender o construto que fundamenta a prova de inglês do ENEM. Os documentos que contribuíram para a análise da prova mencionada foram as Orientações Curriculares para o Ensino Médio - Língua Estrangeira (OCEM-LE) e a Matriz de Referência para o ENEM 2009, que segundo o MEC/Inep, direcionam a elaboração da versão atual do exame. Os resultados, provenientes da análise das questões da prova de inglês das edições 2010 e 2011 do ENEM, revelam que a avaliação de leitura em LE operacionalizada nessa prova mobiliza predominantemente a decodificação de textos pelos examinandos, sendo perpassada por uma concepção estreita e fragmentada de língua(gem) e associada a uma visão de leitura como extração passiva dos sentidos do texto (SCARAMUCCI, 1995). Assim, entendemos que a maior parte das questões da prova de inglês do ENEM não converge com as sugestões das OCEM-LE de que a leitura em LE deve ser entendida como uma prática cultural e crítica de língua(gem). Os resultados mostram, ainda, que a competência e as habilidades apresentadas pela Matriz de Referência para o ENEM 2009 não são contempladas nessa prova, além de sinalizarem que todo o processo de desenvolvimento da prova de inglês do ENEM deveria ser revisto pelos agentes do MEC/Inep, a começar pela elaboração de especificações consistentes para essa prova, e acima de tudo, coerentes com as teorias contemporâneas que orientam o processo de ensino-aprendizagem de LE (inglês) e sua avaliação.

Orientador: Matilde Virginia Ricardi Scaramucci / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Estudo da Linguagem / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-12T19:15:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Costa_LenyPereira_M.pdf: 3097039 bytes, checksum: a016ffb55209e74ff7643ab242afcb9b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Resumo: Tem sido crescente, não só no contexto nacional como em nível mundial, o interesse pelo ensino de línguas estrangeiras, marcadamente o inglês, sendo que o segmento que vem apresentando maior crescimento é o de língua estrangeira para crianças de 6 a 12 anos (REA-DICKENS e RIXON, 1997). No Brasil, apesar de facultativo no Ensino Fundamental I, o ensino de língua inglesa já faz parte do currículo da grande maioria das escolas particulares e algumas públicas, dependendo de iniciativas municipais, não havendo diretrizes oficiais que possam orientá-lo. Observamos que o crescimento, nesse contexto, tem ocorrido de forma desordenada, apresentando problemas de diversas naturezas que contribuem para a comprovada ineficiência desse setor (ROCHA, 2006; COSTA, 2007). Nesse cenário, inúmeras escolas particulares, a título de apresentar referências de progresso de aprendizagem do jovem aprendiz no Ensino Fundamental I, estão fazendo uso de um exame externo de proficiência em língua inglesa, mais especificamente o YLE - Young Learners Exam, elaborado pela Universidade de Cambridge (UCLES - University of Cambridge Local Exams Syndicate). Consideramos que exames não são neutros, tornando-se, dessa forma, fortes instrumentos de política lingüística com influências no processo de ensino e aprendizagem, afetando a vidas das pessoas, determinando e definindo o tipo de conhecimento e comportamento esperado daqueles que o prestam (SCARAMUCCI, 2004; SHOHAMY, 2004). Partindo dessa premissa, realizamos uma análise dos objetivos e do construto norteador do exame YLE, tecendo considerações sobre as possíveis consequências de seu uso como forma de avaliação no Ensino Fundamental I na educação e na sociedade. Constatamos que o exame se mostra inadequado para uso nesse contexto específico por não estar em consonância com as concepções e objetivos conforme referenciais oficialmente estabelecidos para o Ensino Básico, como um todo, e privilegiados, neste estudo, como desejáveis para nortear um processo de ensino e aprendizagem com maiores chances de sucesso. Nessa perspectiva, consideramos que um exame deve orientar-se para a construção de capacidades e conhecimentos específicos na língua-alvo, visando à formação cidadã e protagonista, sob perspectivas socioculturalmente situadas, críticas e transformadoras (ROCHA, 2006, entre outros). Entendemos, portanto, que, uma vez constatado um forte distanciamento entre o construto orientador do exame em questão e as vertentes e objetivos estabelecidos para o ensino e para situações de avaliação em LE para crianças, não consideramos que uso do YLE possa contribuir para que o ensino de língua inglesa apresente resultados mais efetivos no contexto nacional, sob perspectivas da formação integral e crítica do aluno / Abstract: There has been a notable increase in the interest for foreign languages all over the world. The teaching of English as a foreign language to children from 6 to 12 years of age represents the segment that has grown the most in the late years (REA- DICKENS and RIXON, 1997). Even though the teaching of English in the Elementary School in Brazil is not mandatory, most private schools have already included it in their curriculum. Different kinds of problems have contributed to the proven inefficiency of this sector (ROCHA, 2006; COSTA, 2007) which needs urgent measures so as to present more effective results. In this scenario, several private schools are making use of an external examination of proficiency in English, specifically the YLE - Young Learners Exam, developed by the University of Cambridge. Apparently, the results of this exam are being used as reference of the progress obtained by the young students in the first years of the Elementary School. We believe that, in general, examinations are not neutral, and may become powerful instruments influencing linguistic policies, affecting not only the teaching and learning process, but also people's lives, determining and defining the type of knowledge and the expected behavior of those involved in the process (SCARAMUCCI, 2004; SHOHAMY, 2004). Based on this premise, we considered it would be important to conduct an analysis in order to investigate the objectives and construct underlying the YLE exam, considering the possible consequences of its use as a form of assessment in the Elementary School. This study shows that the examination is not adequate to be used in this specific context since it is not in line with the concepts and goals we consider appropriate to guide such process. The theoretical guidelines in which we are based upon are officially established for the Basic Education in Brazil. In this aspect, we assume that both teaching and assessment in the regular school should be based on a socio-interactional perspective, aiming at building abilities and specific knowledge in the target language in a socio-cultural perspective (ROCHA, 2006, among others) so as to contribute to the overall growth of the students through English. Therefore, we consider that the use of the YLE specifically as a means of assessing the students' learning progress in the Elementary Schools in Brazil is inadequate as it would not be able to promote the desired and necessary changes in order to achieve better results in the teaching and learning process in the Elementary Schools / Mestrado / Lingua Estrangeira / Mestre em Linguística Aplicada

One third of all patients with acute stroke acquire the language impairment aphasia. The assessment of aphasia is important in order to give a correct diagnosis and treatment. Two types of aphasia assessments are assessment of language function and assessment of functional communication (communication in everyday life). The assessment is usually performed by a speech and language pathologist (SLP) but it can also be performed by a family member or close friend with a proxy rating questionnaire. In this study the correlation between proxy rating of functional communication and SLP assessment of both language function and functional communication were examined. The assessments were performed at 16 days and 6 months after stroke onset. The study also examined if two proxy ratings correlated. The study was conducted using ANH and CETI proxy ratings, and the SLP assessments NGTA and ANELT. The results revealed a strong, statistically significant, correlation between proxy rating and SLP assessment and a very strong, statistically significant, correlation between the two proxy ratings. All correlations remained strong over time. When differences between proxy rating and SLP assessment were observed there was a tendency that proxies rated the functional communication higher than the SLP did. When the participants were divided into groups based on severity of aphasia, the results revealed a greater consistency between proxy rating and SLP assessment for people with mild aphasia than for those with moderate to severe aphasia. / En tredjedel av alla som drabbas av stroke får den förvärvade språkstörningen afasi. Det är viktigt att bedöma afasi för att bland annat kunna diagnosticera och lägga upp behandling. Två sätt att bedöma afasi är bedömning av språkfunktion och bedömning av funktionell kommunikation (kommunikation i vardagslivet). Vanligtvis utförs bedömningen av logoped men svårigheterna kan också bedömas genom anhörigskattning. I denna studie undersöktes samband mellan anhörigskattning av funktionell kommunikation med logopedisk bedömning av både språklig funktion och funktionell kommunikation vid 16 dagar samt vid 6 månader efter insjuknandet i stroke. Dessutom undersöktes huruvida två olika anhörigskattningar korrelerade med varandra. Testerna som användes var anhörigskattningarna ANH och CETI samt logopedbedömningarna NGTA och ANELT. Resultaten visade en stark, statistiskt signifikant korrelation mellan anhörigskattning och logopedbedömning samt en mycket stark, statistiskt signifikant korrelation mellan anhörigskattningarna. Korrelationerna var fortsatt starka över tid för alla jämförelser. Observation av skillnader mellan anhörigskattning och logopedisk bedömning visade att anhöriga tenderade att skatta den funktionella kommunikationsförmågan högre än logopedbedömningen av samma förmåga. Vid gruppindelning efter afasigrad observerades att för personer med lätt afasi fanns större samstämmighet mellan anhörigskattning och logopedisk bedömning än för personer med måttlig till grav afasi.

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Användningen av Artificiell Intelligens (AI) är utbredd bland verksamma företag idag, likväl privatpersoner. Det har blivit en integrerad del av vårt samhälle som ofta går obemärkt förbi. Allt från face recognition, självkörande bilar och automatisering inom arbetsrelaterade områden, har AI onekligen påverkat omvärlden. I takt med att AI-modeller fortsätter att utvecklas tillkommer även farhågor om dess påverkan på jobb, tillhörande säkerhetsrisker och etiska dilemman. Uppsatsens litteratur hjälper till att skildra AI historiskt, i nutid, men även ge en uppfattning om vart den är på väg. Den AI-modell som i nuläget har väckt störst uppmärksamhet är ChatGPT. Dess potential tycks inte ha några gränser, därmed uppstod relevansen för att öka kunskapen kring AI-modellen. Vidare gjordes en avgränsning, där fokusområdet var att undersöka hur ChatGPT kan generera kodkommentarer och potentiellt agera som ett hjälpmedel vid kommentering av källkod. I samband med avgränsningen och fokusområdet bildades även forskningsfrågan: Large Language Models: Bedömning av ChatGPT:s potential som verktyg för kommentering av kod För att besvara forskningsfrågan har avhandlingen varit baserat på en kvalitativ ansats, där urvalet av respondenter har varit programmerare. Den primära datainsamlingen har genomförts via två semistrukturerade intervjuer, varav den inledande innefattade initiala känslor kring ChatGPT och övergripande fakta om respektive intervjuobjekt. Vidare gjordes det en observation för att få en inblick i hur AI-modellen används av programmerare, för att avslutningsvis göra en uppföljande intervju post-observation i syfte att samla tankarna från intervjuobjekten efter användning av ChatGPT för att generera kodkommentarer. Baserat på den insamlade empirin kunde studien konkludera vissa begränsningar i den nuvarande modellen, inte minst behovet av tydliga instruktioner. Trots brister visar ChatGPTs framställning potential att vara en betydande resurs för kommentering av kod i framtiden. Resultaten indikerar att modellen kan generera relativt passande kommentarer i de analyserade kodkodstycken. Emellertid uttryckte deltagarna under de avslutande intervjuerna generellt sett att kommentarerna var redundanta och saknade betydande värde för att öka förståelsen av källkoden. Respondenterna diskuterade dock möjligheterna att använda ChatGPT i framtiden, men underströk behovet av förbättringar för att göra det till en tillförlitlig metod inom arbetsrelaterade situationer. / The usage of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is widespread among both companies and individuals today. It has become an integrated part of our society, often going unnoticed. From face recognition and self-driving cars to automation in work-related areas, AI has undeniably impacted the world. As AI models continue to evolve, concerns about their impact on jobs, associated security risks, and ethical dilemmas arise. The literature in this essay helps portray AI historically, in the present, and provides an insight into its future direction. The AI model that has currently garnered the most attention is ChatGPT. Its potential seems limitless, which prompted the relevance of increasing knowledge about the AI model. Furthermore, a delimitation was made, where the focus area was to investigate how ChatGPT can generate code comments and potentially act as a tool for commenting source code. As part of the research focus and scope, the research question was formulated: "Large Language Models: Assessment of ChatGPT's Potential as a Tool for Code Commenting." To answer the research question, the thesis adopted a qualitative approach, with programmers as the selected respondents. The primary data collection was conducted through two semi-structured interviews, where the initial interview involved capturing initial impressions of ChatGPT and gathering general information about the interviewees. Additionally, an observation was carried out to gain insights into how programmers utilize the AI model, followed by a post-observation interview to gather the interviewees' thoughts after using ChatGPT to generate code comments. Based on the collected empirical data, the study was able to conclude certain limitations in the current model, particularly the need for clear instructions. Despite these limitations, ChatGPT's performance demonstrates the potential to be a significant resource for code commenting in the future. The results indicate that the model can generate relatively suitable comments in the analyzed code snippets. However, during the concluding interviews, participants generally expressed that the comments were redundant and lacked significant value in enhancing the understanding of the source code. Nevertheless, the respondents 2 discussed the possibilities of using ChatGPT in the future, while emphasizing the need for improvements to establish it as a reliable method in work-related situations.