چکیده:
Self-assessment helps learners to acquire self-confidence and gives them insightfulfeedbacks. There is no valid self-assessment inventory for learners of English foracademic purposes (EAP). This study aimed at developing an academicallyappropriate instrument to measure tertiary students’ English in academic situations.The study used both qualitative and quantitative methods in developing the selfassessmentinventory (SAI). Sixty students were interviewed for the qualitative partof the study. For the quantitative phase, 600 students were selected throughmultistage random sampling. Qualitative data were analyzed by a constantcomparative method. In addition, a questionnaire survey was used to assess thevalidity and reliability of SAI. A 41-item SAI was developed, the content validity,construct validity, and reliability of which were ensured by expert review, factoranalysis, and internal consistency. This scale constitutes a validated self-assessmentinventory of EAP.
خلاصه ماشینی:
Great interest in involving the learners in all phases of the learning process and encouraging them to be autonomous and make decisions in the language classroom (Blanche & Merino, 1989) are the main causes of rapid growth in the use of self-assessment.
Additionally, to the researcher’s best of knowledge, in the context of the present study, no appropriate scale has been developed for L2 learners at tertiary level to assess EAP, despite the fact that tests of English for general purposes are different from tests of English for specific/academic purposes (Douglas, 2000; 2001; Douglas & Selinker, 1992).
Due to the fact that L1 speakers of languages other than English wish to undertake their undergraduate or postgraduate education in an English speaking country or at a university in their own country where entire programs or courses are offered in English (Evans & Green, 2007; Turner, 2007), and because EAP is seen as a necessary adjunct to the academic success of individual students, it is of much importance to EAP teachers to use validated assessment instruments.
Moreover, the results of a couple of empirical studies verify that when learners utilize development-oriented self-assessment, there is increased autonomy and productivity, higher retention rates , higher motivation, and less frustration among learners (Gardner & McIntyre, 1991; Dickinson, 1987; Ellis, 1994; McNamara & Deane, 1995; O’Malley & Pierce, 1996; Oscarson, 1989; Peirce, Swain, & Hart, 1993; Rivers, 2001).
The main objective of the present is to develop a self- assessment inventory which involves language skills and components which EAP learners may need to meet their English academic needs.