Utilizing Proficiency Test as an English Language Learning Instrument - Research Paper Example

Part Utilizing Proficiency Test as an English Language Learning Instrument This article by Chen, Han-Kwang, and Chien-Yu Chiu mainly addresses the importance and relevance of the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) in testing a person’s proficiency in the English language. The TOEIC test is an English language proficiency test, which is used by international companies and institutions of learning to determine the English proficiency of new employees or potential students. Educational Testing Service (ETS) produces this test. In this article therefore, Chen and Chien-Yu conduct a research among students to prove whether students appreciate and consider this test relevant or not. For the study process, the authors used 92 students as the subjects. These were enrolled in a technical college and were part of a remedial class for English proficiency test in their college. These students comprised 75 male and 17 females. Among these participants, 30% studied Applied English, 22% studied Applied Japanese, 25% majored in International Trade, and the remaining 14% majored in Business Management. Therefore, more than a half of the students in this study specialized in applied language. The type of research method adopted by the authors is quantitative. Therefore, through this study, the authors were able to establish the different attitudes of students toward the TOEIC English proficiency test (Chen and Chien-Yu 1-2). After the study, results showed that more than half of the researched students appreciated the TOEIC English proficiency test. Specifically, of those students studied, 63% agreed that they considered the TOEIC guidebook as an important resource in the learning of English grammar. With regard to vocabulary, more than 67% agreed that this guidebook was a great source of reference for English vocabulary. On the other hand, 75% of these college students considered the TOEIC guidebook as essential for reading in English. Nonetheless, close to 60% of them anticipated using the TOEIC guidebook in their English lessons during their freshman year. In addition, 76% of the students agreed that this guidebook has increased their level of interest in learning English (Chen and Chien-Yu 2-3). Overall, the study results point out that the TOEIC test is highly appreciated among students, as a way of testing proficiency. I feel this is true. First, language proficiency tests are important in order to determine a person’s proficiency in a language. Therefore, this is an important language instrument to be used in schools and companies. For example, in international companies, new employees from different countries must be proficient in the English language, because this is an international language for standard communication. Communication is core to companies; therefore, the TOEIC English proficiency test is important for establishing if an individual qualifies to work for the international company, based on their English language proficiency. Additionally, students from different countries wishing to study in the USA or other international countries, which use English language, must be tested for their proficiency in the language using this test, for effective learning process. Chen and Chien-Yu (4) note that, “an assessment can assist learning if it provides feedback and it becomes a formative assessment which can bring teaching to meet learning needs.” Therefore, to this end, I recommend that high schools in all countries should prepare their students for TOEIC tests, since after high school; many students are exposed to this test, and many others. Works Cited Chen, Han-Kwang, and Chien-Yu Chiu. "Utilizing Proficiency Test as an English Language Learning Instrument." The Journal of Human Resource and Adult Learning 7.1 (2011): 1-5. ProQuest. Web. 11 Apr. 2013. Part 2: Food Inc Food Inc. is a documentary that was filmed in 2008. This documentary addresses important issues relating to food and the corporations today. The system of food production today varies greatly with food production in the past. Specific corporations today control food production, and therefore, the production process is more focused on the aspect of business and moneymaking, at the expense of food safety for people. The big food production companies today produce large quantities of food products, sell them at a cheap price, thus making vast profits for themselves. The vast profits these companies make result in their domination in the world, thus, they control all the food production in the globe. The food produced does not take into consideration the safety and health of the consumers, therefore, this is food today is known to have negative health effects on people. In most cases, the dominant companies utilise science and technology to alter crops’ genetics and manipulate the food production process, thus, overlooking the harm this bears on consumers. This film is a good resource for my project because it addresses an important issue in society. People are what they eat, and food is life. Therefore, eating wrong and unhealthy foods might result in health diseases, which could possibly cause loss of life. This is one of the serious repercussions behind unhealthy eating. Nonetheless, this film is grand, because it addresses the greediness aspect of the corporations in society. Most corporations today are judged for putting their own interests as a priority and neglecting the needs of their customers, who are the consumers. Food production corporations such as Monsanto have been portrayed negatively, as having financial interests only, while ignoring the wishes of their consumers. Such food production corporations have continued to produce unhealthy food produce, which bear negative influence on the health of consumers. This film, therefore, brings out the aspect of greed in the food production corporations today. A favourite quote from this documentary is , “To eat well in this country costs more, and some people just do not have it. We need a change in policy so that the carrots are cheaper than the chips” (Food Inc. 2008). This is a reality, since in the United States, which this documentary is about, fast foods are sold at relatively lower prices. However, this is not the case in the United States only, but in other countries too. Therefore, while fast foods such as chips are cheap, the healthy and nutritious foods such as carrots are expensive. Fast foods are unhealthy, therefore, considering the hard economic times today, most people will go for the cheap fast food, since their economic position will not allow them to enjoy the healthy foods, which are expensive. This then translates into an unhealthy country, which will be less productive in future. This specific quote verifies the fact that corporations produce unhealthy food and sell them at a lower price, to make more profits, while overlooking the health effects these food on their consumers. This also proves that the government in the United States has failed in addressing the food safety issue in the country. Obesity has become a health problem in the United States, and what makes this worse is the rate at which child obesity is spreading in the country. Therefore, could this mean that the food production corporations such as Monsanto have dominated the government, as this film asserts? Nonetheless, the government is at a better position to control this situation by adopting policies to control food production in the country. This quote therefore, will guide my project, as it addresses the economic status of most people, the role of government in controlling food production, and the interest of corporations in profits at the expense of consumers. All these factors come to play in healthy eating and productivity of any country, since people are a prerequisite to development. Works Cited Food Inc. Robert Kenner, 2008, DVD. Read More