Studentų kalbos kultūros žinių taikymo įgūdžiai

Mr. Bredelis. Skills of students in applying language culture knowledge 297 KĘSTUTIS BREDELIS University of Vilnius STUDENTS' LANGUAGE CULTURE KNOWLEDGE APPLICATION SKILLS The article reviews students’ skills of applying language culture knowledge. The results of the test carried out in 2003–2010 are analyzed (a total of 1618 first-year students of the Faculty of Medicine were tested). The following factors were taken into account during the study: the change in the tasks of the state maturity exams (hereinafter – VBE) in 2002–2009, the annual assessment of Lithuanian language in the 12th grade and the VBE score in Lithuanian language. By analyzing these data, it is attempted to assess how much students’ language culture skills depend on the change of general education in secondary school. The teaching of language subjects in general secondary school is regulated by the General Programmes of Primary and Basic Education and the General Programmes of Secondary Education. Based on the provisions of these documents, Lithuanian textbooks are prepared for pupils. In one textbook for 11-12-year-olds (Salienė, Smetona 2004) the requirements of language culture are described laconic, with more attention paid to developing the skills of correct usage, presenting various text perception and writing tasks. Other textbooks (Šukys 2001) present the theory of language culture and develop the skills of applying knowledge. In order to strengthen the language culture skills of students, teaching to avoid non-normative cases of lexical, conjunctive and prepositional or compound usage, referring to the resolutions published on the website of the State Lithuanian Language Commission and language normers Pranas Kniūkštas, Aldonas Pupkis, Jonas Šukis and others (KKP 1998; Pupkis 1980; Šukys 1998). During the last decade, language culture teaching in general secondary schools has been reorganized: there is no separate course, language culture subjects are examined in the teaching of morphology, syntax and other language subjects. As the content of education changes, the importance of language culture knowledge during examinations also changes. When evaluating students’ text writing works, part of the final evaluation depends on the grammar and vocabulary correctness of the written text. 298 LANGUAGE CULTURE | 83 mo. In the VBE tasks, the weight of this assessment of language culture skills has increased slightly each year (see Table 1). The language culture tasks of the individual (isolated) Lithuanian language (native) VBE were different: to select the correct sentence variants from several; assess the correctness of sentences by choosing the answer yes or no; write the correct word form. However, they gradually decreased until they disappeared completely. Only in 2003, in the Lithuanian language (non-native) VBE task, it was necessary to select the correct ones from several sentence variants. TABLE 1. Weight of language culture tasks in the final assessment of VBE (percentage) Lithuanian (native) Metai 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Correctness of the text writing task – – – – – – 3.85 3.85 Recording the correct form 5.46 3.08 3.28 – – 1.89 – – Select the correct ones from several sentence variants – 11,54 8,20 8,62 – – – – Evaluate the correctness YES/NO 18,18 3,85 – – – – – – Lithuanian (non-native) languages Metai 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Correctness in the text writing task 5.71 6.67 14.81 11.76 16 20 20 20 Record the correct form – – – – – – – – Select the correct ones from several sentence variants –6–––––– YES/NO –––––––– Based on the data provided by the students of the Faculty of Medicine (students indicated their annual assessment of Lithuanian language in the 12th grade and VBE score), it is not possible to say that in any year the students were much weaker or more capable. The average of the annual Lithuanian language assessment ranges from 7.99 to 8.85 (see Table 2). The average of the state assessment – from 75.86 to 85.71. Mr. Bredelis. Skills of students in applying knowledge of language culture 299 2 TABLE. Averages of the annual Lithuanian language assessment and VBE scores in 12th grade Metai 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Average of annual assessment 8.57 8.85 8.54 8.72 8.71 8.77 7.99 8.76 Average of VBE scores 75.86 85.71 82.5 85.65 83.58 85.27 83.39 80.82 The ratio of these criteria (see Figure 1) shows that there is a difference between 2002 (annual assessment scores were fairly high, but state maturity exam scores were significantly lower than in previous years) and 2008 (contrary result – high exam scores and slightly lower annual marks). Nevertheless, this is a fairly high result, so it is likely that the language usage skills should also be solid. 1 PAV. The ratio of the annual Lithuanian language assessment and the VBE scores in the 12th grade From 2003 to 2010, students took the same test every year. For the language culture task, 24 points could be collected in the test. 300 LANGUAGE CULTURE | 83 Students had to select one or two correct sentences from three sentences, there were 12 such triplets in total (see table 3). TABLE 3. Language culture test task 4. Mark the correct sentences (Each set of three sentences may contain one or two such sentences.) OPTIONAL RESPONSES 1. A. They then came to the same conclusion. B. They then came to the same opinion. C. They then came to the same opinion. 2. A. Remigijus is well versed in economics. B. Remigijus is well versed in economics. C. Remigijus is well versed in economics. 3. A. The noisemakers will obviously be punished. B. The noisemakers, apparently, will be punished. C. Noisemakers will probably be punished. 4. A. I have no doubts about my studies in law. B. I have no doubts about going to study law. C. I have no doubts about studying law. 5. A. To date, there is no news from the prosecutor’s office. B. To this day, there is no news from the prosecution office. C. Today there is still no news from the prosecution office. 6. A. This time it didn’t work out that way. B. This time things went wrong. C. This time things didn’t go that way. 7. A. Please consult a lawyer. B. Please consult a lawyer. C. Consult a lawyer. 8. A. We must be more patient. B. We need to be more patient. C. We need to be more patient. 9. A. We will meet tomorrow. B. We will meet tomorrow. C. We will meet tomorrow. 10. A. Edit the introduction of the report. B. Edit the introduction of the report. C. Edit the introduction of the report. 11. A. I remembered this expression by H. Ibsen: “A clean conscience is the best pillow.” B. I remembered the saying of H. Ibsen: “A clean conscience is the best pillow.” C. I remembered the words of H. Ibsen: “A clean conscience is the best pillow.” 12. A. It is mainly young people who holiday here. B. It is mainly used by young people. C. Most of the young people holiday here. The lowest average score was in 2009, the highest in 2004 (see Table 4). Mr. Bredelis. Skills of students in applying knowledge of language culture 301 4 TABLE. Points collected for the language culture task Year 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Average of points collected for the test task 16.20 19.29 18.44 18.48 18.55 16.66 15.99 16.13 When analyzing the distribution curves of the points collected by students (see Figure 2), two tendencies emerge: the results of students graduating from school in 2003–2006 tend significantly to the right (i.e. higher), while in 2002 and 2007–2009 they are more in the middle (i.e. lower). 2 PAV. It is worrying that among the students who graduated in 2008 and 2009, there was not one who completed the language culture task without errors or made only one error. When analyzing the relationship between test results and annual assessment (see Figure 3), it becomes clear that according to test results, students form two groups: the test results of students who graduated in 2003–2006 are much better than those of 2002 and 2007–2009 graduates, although the annual grades are quite high (except for 2008 graduates). 302 LANGUAGE CULTURE | 83 3 PAV. In 2002, just after the start of the state maturity exams (the first Lithuanian language VBE was held in 2001), the future students could have been weaker prepared, because the systematic language culture course, which was taught in the 11th grade, had already been completed. However, the deterioration of test results that began in 2007 coincides with the elimination of individual (isolated) language culture tasks in the VBE. The same tendencies are also revealed by comparing the test results with the scores of the State Baccalaureate Examination (see Figure 4). The test results are divided into the same two groups, and the VBE results are quite high throughout the year (lower only in 2002). When analyzing the data, it can be seen that the results fluctuate in a pendulum: some years are lower, others higher, then again lower, and so on. For more detailed analysis, 46 tests from the 2009 student flow were selected. Of the 36 sentences in the assignment, 20 were correct and 16 were incorrect. The students were better at identifying incorrect sentences, the number of errors ranged from 0 to 5, a third made only two errors (see Figure 5). Mr. Bredelis. Students' skills of applying language culture knowledge 303 4 PAV. Ratio of VBE scores to test results 5 PAV. The students had much more difficulty in recognizing that some sentences were correct (see Figure 6) – almost half of them made 7-8 errors, and the number of errors in evaluating these sentences ranged from 1 to 10. 304 LANGUAGE CULTURE | 83 6 PAV. Evaluation of correct sentences (percentage) By analyzing the data of the individual task units, it was found that the students were easiest to assess the correctness or incorrectness of the following sentences: Noisemakers, apparently, will be punished; Noisemakers are likely to be punished; Edit the introduction of the report; As for law studies, I have no doubts; Most of the young people holiday here; This time it wasn't that way. The most difficult was to evaluate the following sentences: This time everything went wrong; Please consult a lawyer; They then came to the same opinion; Please consult a lawyer; Tomorrow we will meet; Edit the introduction of the report. Statistics of individual sentences confirm the assumption that students were easier to recognize irregular sentences and more difficult to recognize regular ones. The resolution of the question helps to determine whether the students with the best results actually performed more successfully on the individual task than candidates with weaker skills. Here are sentences with a resolution close to zero or even minus (i.e. weaker students were better at doing the task correctly than stronger ones): Please consult a lawyer; Please consult a lawyer; I remembered such words from H. Ibsen, we have to be more patient. džius: „Švari sąžinė – pati geriausia pagalvė“; Remigijus gerai žino ekonomiką; Mes Thus, these sentences did not help to assess neither the students’ knowledge of language culture nor their language skills in general (these sentences are also not related to the annual assessment or the results of the maturity exam). Mr. Bredelis. 305 Based on the analyzed data, it can be concluded that the students’ skills of applying language culture knowledge, acquired in the general education school, are slightly weakened. The reasons are as follows: the language is no longer taught at school, but is included in other language subjects; There are no separate (isolated) language culture tasks in the VBE tūros kaip atskiro dalyko, o kalbos kultūros įgūdžių lavinimas dar nėra sėkmintask; the weighting of the points for language culture in the final assessment of the VBE is insufficiently significant. Thus, it should be said that during the lessons of repetition or discussion of written assignments, it is necessary to pay more attention to the development of language culture skills. LITERATŪRA Pradinio ir pagrindinio ugdymo bendrosios programos. Vidurinio ugdymo bendrosios programos. – Prieiga per internetą: http://www.pedagogika.lt/ index.php?-1469555137 Valstybinių brandos egzaminų užduotys. – Prieiga per internetą: http://www. egzaminai.lt/37/ Didžiųjų kalbos klaidų sąrašas, patvirtintas Valstybinės lietuvių kalbos komisijos 1997 m. gruodžio 18 d. nutarimu. – Prieiga per internetą: http://www. vlkk.lt/lit/klaidos KKP 1998: Kanceliarinės kalbos patarimai. Parengė Pranas Kniūkšta, Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas. P u p k is A. 1980: Kalbos kultūros pagrindai, Vilnius: Mokslas. S a l i e n ė V., S m e t o n a A. 2004: Lietuvių kalba. Vadovėlis XI–XII kl., Kaunas: Šviesa. Š u k y s J. 1998: Lietuvių kalbos linksniai ir prielinksniai: vartosena ir normos, Kaunas: Šviesa. Šukys J. 2001: Lietuvių kalba. Kalbos kultūra. Vadovėlis XI kl., Kaunas: Šviesa. Received 29/10/2010 STUDENTS’ SKILLS IN THE USE OF LANGUAGE Summary The article decribes a study of language use skills as they are reflected in test scores of a language test, formal assessment records and state examination scores of first-year medical students. The data has been used to establish whether lin-