Idea/Content
|
American English expression
|
British English expression
|
Idea 1
|
It's twenty of ten, I've got to go.
|
It's twenty to ten, I've got to go.
|
Idea 2
|
Minh drives real fast.
|
Minh drives really fast.
|
Idea 3
|
He probably has arrived by now.
|
He has probably arrived by now.
|
Idea 4
|
They met with the teachers to discuss it.
|
They met the teachers to discuss it.
|
Idea 5
|
How many students are in the course?
|
How many students are on the course?
|
Idea 6
|
Did they pick the team yet?
|
Have they picked the team yet?
|
Idea 7
|
a tempest in a teapot
|
a storm in a teacup
|
Establishing tertium comparationis for a contrastive study is a significant step for a language learner, a translator or a linguist.
2.4.6. Defining the nature of similarity
The problem in the stage is to define the relation between the ways of expressing the idea/content in language A and language B. Then the similarities and differences between languages are specified.
From this point of view, in language learning, students can reduce the interference and have good opportunity to give rise to language communicative competence.
2.4.7. Testing the hypothesis
Testing the initial hypothesis is the central process in contrastive study.
The tested data are utterances and instances of language use. We survey the forms are used to express the same content by speakers of language A and speakers of language B. We can also survey the conditions under which the forms are used. From the survey we deduce the systems and their meanings.
In learning and teaching second language, the step is considered as a form of assessment and evaluation. They are used in the sense of testing the proficiency of the second language user. many effective types of assessment of learning and teaching second language are given by Council of Europe (2001: 183 - 192).
Table 2.2. Types of assessment (adapted from Council of Europe, 2001: 183)
1
|
Achievement assessment
|
Proficiency assessment
|
2
|
Norm-referencing (NR)
|
Criterion-referencing (CR)
|
3
|
Mastery learning CR
|
Continuum CR
|
4
|
Continuous assessment
|
Fixed assessment points
|
5
|
Formative assessment
|
Summative assessment
|
6
|
Direct assessment
|
Indirect assessment
|
7
|
Performance assessment
|
Knowledge assessment
|
8
|
Subjective assessment
|
Objective assessment
|
9
|
Checklist rating
|
Performance rating
|
10
|
Impression
|
Guided judgement
|
11
|
Holistic assessment
|
Analytic assessment
|
12
|
Series assessment
|
Category assessment
|
13
|
Assessment by others
|
Self-assessment
|
In second language learning, testing yourself, a kind of self assessment, is a crucial way to improve your communicative language competence. When learners test themselves as part of studying, they learn what they do not know. And learners can pay attention to improving their weaknesses (in knowledge, skills and know-how).
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