Books by Agnieszka M. Sendur
Kształcenie w sieci - teoria i praktyka. Przewodnik dla nauczycieli języków obcych i nie tylko, 2021
Książka kierowana jest do praktyków szukających podpowiedzi i inspiracji w zakresie metod i form ... more Książka kierowana jest do praktyków szukających podpowiedzi i inspiracji w zakresie metod i form nauczania zdalnego, studentów kierunków filologiczno-pedagogicznych, chcących zrozumieć, jakie wyzwania przed nimi stoją, i do badaczy zainteresowanych problematyką językowego kształcenia zdalnego z perspektywy nauczyciela. Przedstawione na jej łamach rozważania mają także na celu pomóc nauczycielom w opracowaniu zestawu dobrych praktyk służących umiejętnemu zastosowaniu wybranych metod i form charakterystycznych dla kształcenia zdalnego. Publikacja składa się z pięciu rozdziałów, z których cztery mają charakter teoretyczny. Autorki poruszają w nich zagadnienia takie jak: rozwój koncepcji edukacji zdalnej w perspektywie wybranych nurtów, przegląd terminologii związanej z e-kształceniem oraz formy organizacji procesu kształcenia zdalnego (rozdział I), modele wykorzystywania nowych technologii i multimediów w nauczaniu zdalnym, kompetencje, zadania i rola nauczyciela wykorzystującego w pracy narzędzia cyfrowe (rozdział II), problematyka oceniania i kontroli w nauczaniu na odległość (rozdział III), a także wybrane zdalne metody i techniki wykorzystywane w nauczaniu JO, które mogą zostać zastosowane także w przypadku innych przedmiotów (rozdział IV). Ostatni rozdział (V) przedstawia natomiast wyniki badania pt. Kształcenie zdalne oczami nauczycieli języków obcych.
Testowanie i certyfikacja w glottodydaktyce języków ogólnych i specjalistycznych, 2020
Papers by Agnieszka M. Sendur
Przegląd Badań Edukacyjnych
Cheating in exams and other forms of academic dishonesty have been reported to be a serious issue... more Cheating in exams and other forms of academic dishonesty have been reported to be a serious issue in many countries. A lot of research has been conducted on the topic, but it focuses mainly on the US context. Studies pertaining to the problem in other countries are rather scarce. The existing research considers the issue from different perspectives. Some studies concentrate on the scope of the problem in a particular country, others choose to research individual and contextual factors in cheating, or students’ perceptions of and attitudes towards exam malpractice. The surveys are often restricted to selected nationalities, the questions arelimited to the frequency of cheating and they rarely include reference to the methods used. In reaction to the rarity of research on cheating methods among students from different cultural backgrounds, an international questionnaire survey was undertaken. Its aim, among others, was to answer two research questions: (1) What methods do students use...
Państwo i Społeczeństwo , 2023
The implementation of new regulations concerning language abilities of university students has sp... more The implementation of new regulations concerning language abilities of university students has sparked a discussion regarding the nature of university foreign language classes as well as effective methods of teaching. How, then, do the universities manage the expectations of the lawmakers concerning the level of foreign language fluency at different stages of university education and the knowledge of specialized vocabulary according to the studied discipline? Are (and if so, then how) those language skills verified? The following article attempts to answer those questions, on the basis of a study conducted in the academic years 2014/2015 and 2015/2016, concerning foreign language examinations in three types of universities
Various facets of foreign language education, 2023
In the Polish education system the secondary school leaving exam (Matura) is taken on completion ... more In the Polish education system the secondary school leaving exam (Matura) is taken on completion of high school. It is compulsory for those who want to apply for higher education. The exam has been present in Polish education since the late 18th century and has gone through numerous alterations. A foreign language has usually been assessed as part of the exam in some form, oral or written, but the skills and abilities tested have changed drastically over the years. This article looks into differing approaches to testing language skills and sub-skills in the foreign language Matura exam and into the developments of the assessments over the last six decades.
Języki Obce w Szkole, 2023
The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the introduction of the home edition certification examinations... more The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the introduction of the home edition certification examinations in foreign languages. Currently, there is a growing choice of tests available in the remote option: from General and Academic English to some selected English for Specific Purposes exams. The article sets out to compare two General English exams at B2 level taken remotely: Pearson English International Certificate CBT and LanguageCert International ESOL. The tests are analysed with regard to their structure, task types, marking solutions, pricing and registration methods, security measures and technology requirements.
Neofilolog, 2023
The evolution of foreign language testing in the Polish Matura exam over the last six decades
... more The evolution of foreign language testing in the Polish Matura exam over the last six decades
Matura is an important high-stakes examination present in the Polish education system since the late 18th century. It is taken on completion of high school and is compulsory for those who want to apply for higher education. As a result of an examination reform, in 2005 the exam took on a new form. Since then it has been a professional, external, standardised assessment used for the analysis of school and student performance, and – most importantly – in lieu of university entrance exams.
The article looks at the evolution of the foreign language component of the Matura exam over the last six decades: from an internal test prepared by local authorities and by schools, assessed arbitrarily by the test-takers’ teachers, to a professional examination prepared by expert institutions in compliance with quality standards and assessed by trained markers according to elaborate grading criteria. The paper follows the changes occurring in the assessment starting from 1960 up to 2023, when another examination reform brought about new modifications in the foreign language exam.
Assessing virtual exchange in foreign language courses at tertiary level , 2022
One of the possible ways of assessing students' collaborative work in Virtual Exchange (VE) is by... more One of the possible ways of assessing students' collaborative work in Virtual Exchange (VE) is by the use of Peer Assessment (PA) - a formative assessment technique in which students review each other's work to provide descriptive feedback on the basis of a set of criteria. This article describes a VE procedure, in which students from three different institutions collaborate on the preparation of a tourist brochure. The project participants include two European English for tourism classes and a group of native-speaker participants of an English composition class at a US university. The proposed VE scheme is supplemented with a possible PA procedure and evaluation criteria that has been developed on the basis of previous VE experiences, the students' post-project feedback, and the subject literature.
Przegląd Badań Edukacyjnych (Educational Studies Review), 2022
Cheating in exams and other forms of academic dishonesty have been reported to be a serious issue... more Cheating in exams and other forms of academic dishonesty have been reported to be a serious issue in many countries. A lot of research has been conducted on the topic, but it focuses mainly on the US context. Studies pertaining to the problem in other countries are rather scarce. The existing research considers the issue from different perspectives. Some studies concentrate on the scope of the problem in a particular country, others choose to research individual and contextual factors in cheating, or students' perceptions of and attitudes towards exam malpractice. The surveys are often restricted to selected nationalities, the questions are limited to the frequency of cheating and they rarely include reference to the methods used. In reaction to the rarity of research on cheating methods among students from different cultural backgrounds, an international questionnaire survey was undertaken. Its aim, among others, was to answer two research questions: (1) What methods do students use to cheat in tests and exams? (2) Are there significant cultural differences in the way students cheat in tests and exams? Students from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Ukraine, the USA and other countries were asked in an online questionnaire about the methods they have used to cheat in tests and exams. The results of the survey conducted on 1309 students show that there are similarities but also differences between the cultures with reference to the scope and to the methods used to cheat.
Współczesna glottodydaktyka wobec zmian edukacyjnych. Nowe wyzwania i innowacyjne rozwiązania, 2022
A telecollaboration project on giving online peer feedback: Implementing a multilateral virtual exchange during a pandemic, 2021
Telecollaboration, also called virtual exchange or online intercultural exchange, is a form of co... more Telecollaboration, also called virtual exchange or online intercultural exchange, is a form of collaborative learning whereby language learners in different locations engage in computer-mediated communication to complete tasks online. There is ample evidence that telecollaboration promotes the acquisition of language skills, intercultural competence, and digital literacies. Challenges faced implementing virtual exchanges include differences in time zones, learning objectives, academic calendars, and cultural attitudes. The present article describes a case of a multilateral telecollaboration project based on the facilitated dialogue model involving four institutions-two in Europe and two in the United States-that was designed to prepare students for the experience of giving online peer feedback on collaborative writing assignments. Our initial goal was to explore the challenges students would face and the benefits they would receive from a complex telecollaboration project involving multiple institutions and two task sequences: 1) input and reflection on giving and receiving peer feedback, 2) completion of the collaborative writing task to be peer reviewed. However, new challenges and opportunities emerged after the switch to emergency e-learning and remote teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic. Relying upon multiple data sources-including correspondence, observations, class discussions, surveys, reflective writing, and information stored in virtual learning environments-our methods of data collection involved convenience sampling, while data analysis was predominantly descriptive. Our results demonstrate that even during a global pandemic, students and instructors face similar logistical challenges and reap similar benefits as has been reported in the literature. Yet our experience also reveals the resiliency of telecollaboration in the face of extreme disruption as well as the potential to exploit virtual exchange to develop learning strategies-such as methods for giving and receiving peer feedback-and meta-awareness of how language is used in the real-world-such as the implications of English as a lingua franca.
Uniwersytet Pedagogiczny im. Komisji Edukacji Narodowej w Krakowie. Wydział Filologiczny. Praca d... more Uniwersytet Pedagogiczny im. Komisji Edukacji Narodowej w Krakowie. Wydział Filologiczny. Praca doktorska pod kierunkiem dr hab. Elżbiety Gajewskiej.
Kompetencje dla XXI wieku: Certyfikacja biegłości językowej / Competences of the 21st century: Certification of language proficiency, 2020
Panuje pogląd, że oszukiwanie na testach i egzaminach jest w Polsce powszechne. Jaka jest faktycz... more Panuje pogląd, że oszukiwanie na testach i egzaminach jest w Polsce powszechne. Jaka jest faktyczna skala oszustwa egzaminacyjnego wśród polskich studentów oraz jakie są jego przyczyny? Co w rozumieniu studentów jest oszustwem, a jakie zachowania nie kwalifikują się do tej kategorii? Artykuł opisuje badanie dotyczące uczciwości akademickiej polskich studentów oraz przedstawia wnioski istotne dla celów certyfikacji.
Rola społeczna diagnostyki edukacyjnej, 2020
Zawód nauczyciela wymaga od osób go wykonujących ciągłych działań na rzecz rozwijania w... more Zawód nauczyciela wymaga od osób go wykonujących ciągłych działań na rzecz rozwijania własnych kompetencji zawodowych. Mogą być one realizowane zarówno w sposób formalny – poprzez udział w propozycjach doskonalenia zawodowego oferowanych przez różne instytucje, jak i nieformalny, przyjmujący formę np. lektury czasopism związanych z nauczaną dziedziną czy też spotkań służących wymianie doświadczeń z innymi uczącymi danego przedmiotu. Powszechna dostępność Internetu umożliwiła przeniesienie znacznej części działań podejmowanych przez nauczycieli w ramach doskonalenia zawodowego do sieci. Pojawiły się możliwości udziału w szkoleniach, warsztatach czy też kursach w formie zdalnej. Na portalach społecznościowych powstały skupiające nauczycieli grupy, w ramach których mogli oni dzielić się doświadczeniami, wymieniać informacjami i uzyskiwać poradę. Celem niniejszego artykułu jest zaprezentowanie, w jaki sposób nauczyciele języków obcych (JO) korzystają z możliwości szeroko rozumianego doskonalenia zawodowego oferowanych im za pomocą Internetu. W obszarze zainteresowań badawczych znalazło się również wskazanie tendencji w zakresie działań podejmowanych przez nauczycieli w okresie marzec–lipiec 2020 r. Był to bowiem okres bardzo trudny dla nauczycieli, wymagający od nich całkowitego przestawienia się na inny tryb pracy oraz zastosowania nowych dla zdecydowanej większości metod i narzędzi.
Krakowska Akademia im. Andrzeja Frycza Modrzewskiego 2000-2020, 2020
Neofilolog, 2020
Tests and certificates in Languages for Specific Purposes – theory vs reality
A certificate pr... more Tests and certificates in Languages for Specific Purposes – theory vs reality
A certificate proving the holder’s proficiency in a foreign language for specific purposes (LSP) should guarantee that the person submitting such a document is able to perform specific professional tasks using the particular foreign language. Therefore, an examination measuring such competencies should meet certain requirements and have certain characteristics. What are the differences between testing languages for general and for specific purposes? Are these differences visible in existing certificate examinations? Do the language certificates issued on the basis of LSP examinations give employers a guarantee that the employee can handle professional tasks which demand the use of the foreign language in question? In an attempt to answer these queries, the article will outline the theoretical principles behind testing languages for specific purposes and try to compare the theory and practice through an analysis of several LSP exams available on the market. Reflecting on the observations, it will also try to determine why the reality is often so distant from the theoretical foundations.
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Books by Agnieszka M. Sendur
Papers by Agnieszka M. Sendur
Matura is an important high-stakes examination present in the Polish education system since the late 18th century. It is taken on completion of high school and is compulsory for those who want to apply for higher education. As a result of an examination reform, in 2005 the exam took on a new form. Since then it has been a professional, external, standardised assessment used for the analysis of school and student performance, and – most importantly – in lieu of university entrance exams.
The article looks at the evolution of the foreign language component of the Matura exam over the last six decades: from an internal test prepared by local authorities and by schools, assessed arbitrarily by the test-takers’ teachers, to a professional examination prepared by expert institutions in compliance with quality standards and assessed by trained markers according to elaborate grading criteria. The paper follows the changes occurring in the assessment starting from 1960 up to 2023, when another examination reform brought about new modifications in the foreign language exam.
A certificate proving the holder’s proficiency in a foreign language for specific purposes (LSP) should guarantee that the person submitting such a document is able to perform specific professional tasks using the particular foreign language. Therefore, an examination measuring such competencies should meet certain requirements and have certain characteristics. What are the differences between testing languages for general and for specific purposes? Are these differences visible in existing certificate examinations? Do the language certificates issued on the basis of LSP examinations give employers a guarantee that the employee can handle professional tasks which demand the use of the foreign language in question? In an attempt to answer these queries, the article will outline the theoretical principles behind testing languages for specific purposes and try to compare the theory and practice through an analysis of several LSP exams available on the market. Reflecting on the observations, it will also try to determine why the reality is often so distant from the theoretical foundations.
Matura is an important high-stakes examination present in the Polish education system since the late 18th century. It is taken on completion of high school and is compulsory for those who want to apply for higher education. As a result of an examination reform, in 2005 the exam took on a new form. Since then it has been a professional, external, standardised assessment used for the analysis of school and student performance, and – most importantly – in lieu of university entrance exams.
The article looks at the evolution of the foreign language component of the Matura exam over the last six decades: from an internal test prepared by local authorities and by schools, assessed arbitrarily by the test-takers’ teachers, to a professional examination prepared by expert institutions in compliance with quality standards and assessed by trained markers according to elaborate grading criteria. The paper follows the changes occurring in the assessment starting from 1960 up to 2023, when another examination reform brought about new modifications in the foreign language exam.
A certificate proving the holder’s proficiency in a foreign language for specific purposes (LSP) should guarantee that the person submitting such a document is able to perform specific professional tasks using the particular foreign language. Therefore, an examination measuring such competencies should meet certain requirements and have certain characteristics. What are the differences between testing languages for general and for specific purposes? Are these differences visible in existing certificate examinations? Do the language certificates issued on the basis of LSP examinations give employers a guarantee that the employee can handle professional tasks which demand the use of the foreign language in question? In an attempt to answer these queries, the article will outline the theoretical principles behind testing languages for specific purposes and try to compare the theory and practice through an analysis of several LSP exams available on the market. Reflecting on the observations, it will also try to determine why the reality is often so distant from the theoretical foundations.
The availability and quality of materials in teaching languages for specific purposes (LSP) varies along a continuum of different situations. On one end, there are language courses like Business English, for which a vast selection of teaching materials is on offer; on the other, there are specific purpose courses for which such materials are scarce or completely non-existent. Both these extremes, as well as all the situations in between, make it necessary for the language teacher to take decisions concerning the choice of materials, appropriate modifications, supplementing the existing products or creating their own. It is therefore crucial to know what skills and abilities the LSP students are supposed to acquire to be able to function in their work-related situations. To find this out, it is essential to perform a need analysis (NA). The analysis is important in all teaching situations, but in teaching LSP it is absolutely indispensible.
In the paper the author will explain the different steps and procedures that make up a NA. She will also describe her research into police officers’ language needs, present the findings and will try to reflect on how the results may affect the curricula and materials created for this specific target group.
I will try to answer this question on the basis of a language needs analysis of Polish police officers. In order to check whether police officers do actually have the need to be able to use a foreign language in their work-related tasks, statistical data and other research results were reviewed. Then a needs analysis among a group of Polish police officers was carried out.
As a result of the research a set of specific language skills and abilities necessary to perform work-related tasks by police officers was singled out. The selected skills and abilities differ from those
assessed by general language tests which allows us to arrive at the conclusion that police officers’ language skills should be measured by a tool other than a general language test. As a consequence of the observation that an LSP exam for police officers is very much warranted, a proposal of the format of a language test for the police was outlined.
The findings of the research are presented in this paper.