KĘSTUTIS BREDELIS

Vilnius University

STUDENTS’ SKILLS IN APPLYING KNOWLEDGE OF LANGUAGE CULTURE

The article reviews students’ skills in applying knowledge of language culture. It analyzes the results of a test administered from 2003 to 2010 (a total of 1,618 first-year medical students took the test). The study considered the following factors: changes in the tasks of the 2002–2009 state matura examinations (hereinafter – VBE), students’ reported annual grade in Lithuanian in Grade 12, and their Lithuanian language VBE score. By examining these data, the article seeks to assess the extent to which students’ language culture skills depend on changes in general education at secondary school.

The teaching of language subjects in general secondary education is regulated by General Curricula for Primary and Basic Education and General Curricula for Secondary Education. Lithuanian-language textbooks for pupils are prepared on the basis of the provisions set out in these documents. In some Grade 11–12 textbooks (Salienė, Smetona 2004), language culture requirements are described concisely, with greater emphasis on developing correct usage skills through a range of reading comprehension and writing tasks. Other textbooks (Šukys 2001) present the theory of language culture and develop skills in applying knowledge. To strengthen pupils’ language culture skills and teach them to avoid nonstandard uses of lexis, cases and prepositions, or combinations of words, the resolutions published on the website of the State Commission of the Lithuanian Language are consulted, along with the works of language standardizers Pranas Kniūkšta, Aldonas Pupkis, Jonas Šukys, and others (KKP 1998; Pupkis 1980; Šukys 1998).

Over the past decade, language culture teaching in general secondary schools has been reorganized: the separate course has been discontinued, and language culture topics are covered in the teaching of morphology, syntax, and other language subjects. As the curriculum changes, the importance of knowledge of language culture in examinations also changes. When assessing pupils’ written texts, part of the final grade depends on the grammatical and lexical correctness of the text

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writing. In VBE tasks, the weighting of this assessment of language culture skills increased slightly each year (see Table 1).

The Lithuanian (native language) VBE included various isolated language culture tasks: selecting the correct sentence from several alternatives; assessing sentence correctness by choosing yes or no; and writing the correct form of a word. However, these tasks gradually became fewer until they disappeared altogether. In the Lithuanian (non-native language) VBE, the task of selecting the correct sentence from several alternatives appeared only in 2003.

TABLE 1. Weight of language culture tasks in the final VBE assessment (percent)

Lithuanian (native language) Year 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Correctness in the writing task — — — — — — 3.85 3.85 Write the correct form 5.46 3.08 3.28 — — 1.89 — — Select the correct sentence from several alternatives — 11.54 8.20 8.62 — — — — Assess correctness YES/NO 18.18 3.85 — — — — — — Lithuanian (non-native language) Year 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Correctness in the writing task 5.71 6.67 14.81 11.76 16 20 20 20 Write the correct form — — — — — — — — Select the correct sentence from several alternatives — 6 — — — — — — Assess correctness YES/NO — — — — — — — —

Based on data provided by students of the Faculty of Medicine (students reported their Grade 12 annual Lithuanian language grade and VBE score), it cannot be said that students were substantially weaker or more talented in any particular year. The average annual Lithuanian language grade ranged from 7.99 to 8.85 (see Table 2). The average state examination score ranged from 75.86 to 85.71.

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TABLE 2. Averages of annual Lithuanian language grades and VBE scores for grade 12

Year

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Average annual grade

8,57

8,85

8,54

8,72

8,71

8,77

7,99

8,76

Average VBE score

75,86

85,71

82,5

85,65

83,58

85,27

83,39

80,82

The relationship between these criteria (see Fig. 1) shows that the years 2002 (annual grades were fairly high, but the state matura examination scores were considerably lower than in other years) and 2008 (the opposite result—the examination scores were high, while annual grades were slightly lower) stand out. Nevertheless, these are fairly high results, so it is likely that language-use skills should also be strong.

FIG. 1. Relationship between annual Lithuanian language grades and VBE scores for grade 12

From 2003 to 2010, students took the same test each year. A total of 24 points could be earned for the language-culture task in the test.

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Students had to select one or two correct sentences from a set of three; there were 12 such sets 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.)

MULTIPLE-CHOICE ANSWERS

1. A. They then came to the same opinion. B. They then came to the same opinion. C. They then came to the same opinion.

2. A. Remigijus knows economics well. B. Remigijus is well-versed in economics. C. Remigijus has a good understanding of economics.

3. A. The troublemakers will apparently be punished. B. The troublemakers will evidently be punished. C. The troublemakers will probably be punished.

4. A. As far as law studies are concerned, I have no doubts. B. With regard to law studies, I have no doubts. C. As for law studies, I have no doubts.

5. A. As of today, there is still no news from the prosecutor’s office. B. Up to this day, there is still no news from the prosecutor’s office. C. There is still no news from the prosecutor’s office today.

6. A. This time everything didn’t turn out right. B. This time everything didn’t come out right. C. This time things didn’t work out right.

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. Tomorrow we will gather for the meeting. B. Tomorrow we will gather for a meeting. C. Tomorrow we will gather to hold a meeting.

10. A. Edit the introduction to the report. B. Revise the introduction to the report. C. Edit the introduction to the report.

11. A. I remembered this expression by H. Ibsen: “A clean conscience is the best pillow.” B. I remembered this saying by H. Ibsen: “A clean conscience is the best pillow.” C. I remembered these words by H. Ibsen: “A clean conscience is the best pillow.”

12. A. Mostly young people vacation here. B. Young people vacation here mainly. C. Young people vacation here for the most part.

The lowest average score was in 2009, and the highest in 2004 (see Table 4).

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TABLE 4. Points scored on the language culture task

Years 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Average points scored on the test task 16.20 19.29 18.44 18.48 18.55 16.66 15.99 16.13

An analysis of the curves showing the distribution of points scored by students (see Fig. 2) reveals two trends: the results of students who finished school in 2003–2006 are markedly skewed to the right (i.e., higher), while those of students from 2002 and 2007–2009 are more centered (i.e., lower).

FIG. 2. Curves showing the distribution of points scored on the language culture task

It is troubling that among the students who finished school in 2008 and 2009, not one completed the task without errors or made only one error. An analysis of the relationship between test results and the annual grade (see Fig. 3) shows that, based on test results, students fall into two groups: the test results of students who finished school in 2003–2006 are much better than those of graduates from 2002 and 2007–2009, although their annual grades are fairly high (except for the 2008 graduates).

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FIG. 3. Relationship between the annual 12th-grade Lithuanian language grade and test results

In 2002, when the state matura examinations had just been introduced (the first Lithuanian language VBE was held in 2001), prospective students may have been less well prepared, since the systematic language culture course, which used to be taught in 11th grade, had already been completed. However, the decline in test results that began in 2007 coincides with the elimination of separate (isolated) language culture tasks from the VBE. A comparison of test results with state matura examination scores reveals the same trends (see Fig. 4).

Test results fall into the same two groups, while VBE results are fairly high in all years (lower only in 2002). Analysis of the data suggests that results fluctuate like a pendulum: lower in some years, higher in others, then lower again, and so on.

For a more detailed analysis, 46 tests were selected from the 2009 student cohort. Of the 36 sentences in the task, whose correctness students had to assess, 20 were correct and 16 incorrect. Students found it easier to identify incorrect sentences; the number of errors ranged from 0 to 5, and one third made only two errors (see Fig. 5).

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FIG. 4. Relationship between VBE scores and test results

FIG. 5. Assessment of incorrect sentences (percent)

Students found it considerably more difficult to recognize that some sentences were correct (see Fig. 6): nearly half made 7–8 errors, and the number of errors in assessing these sentences ranged from 1 to 10.

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FIG. 6. Assessment of correct sentences (percent)

Analysis of the data for individual task items showed that students found it easiest to assess whether the following sentences were correct or incorrect: Troublemakers, apparently will be punished; Troublemakers will probably be punished; Edit the introduction to the report; As for law studies, I have no doubts; The youth are vacationing mostly; This time, things did not work out that way.

The following sentences were the most difficult to assess: This time things did not work out that way; Please consult a lawyer; They then came to the same opinion; Consult, please, with a lawyer; Tomorrow we will gather for a meeting; Edit the introduction to the report.

The statistics for individual sentences confirm the assumptions that students found it easier to recognize incorrect sentences and more difficult to recognize correct ones.

An item’s discrimination index helps determine whether students / pupils who achieved the best results really completed a particular task more successfully than candidates with weaker skills. The sentences presented here have a discrimination index close to zero or even negative (i.e., weaker students were more successful than stronger ones in completing the task correctly): Consult, please, with a lawyer; Please consult a lawyer; I remember these words of H. Ibsen: “A clean conscience is the best pillow”; Remigijus knows well economics; We must be more patient.

Thus, these sentences did not help assess either students’ knowledge of language culture or their language-use skills in general (these sentences are also unrelated to either the annual grade or the results of the school-leaving examination).

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Based on the data analyzed, it can be concluded that students’ skills in applying their knowledge of language culture, acquired at general education school, weaken somewhat. The reasons may be as follows: language culture is no longer taught as a separate subject at school, and the development of language culture skills has not yet been successfully incorporated into the teaching of other language subjects; the VBE task no longer includes separate (isolated) language culture tasks; the weight of the points awarded for knowledge of language culture in the final VBE assessment is not sufficiently significant.

Thus, it should be said that more attention needs to be devoted to developing language culture skills during review lessons or lessons discussing written assignments.

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 i s 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.

Š u k y s J. 2001: Lietuvių kalba. Kalbos kultūra. Vadovėlis XI kl., Kaunas: Šviesa.

Gauta 2010 10 29

STUDENTS’ SKILLS IN THE USE OF LANGUAGE

S u m m a r y

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-

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guistic competence of the students correlates with changes in the teaching process at school which have been caused by the recent development of the state examination of Lithuanian.

The process of language teaching in Lithuania is prescribed by the General Curricula for primary, basic, or lower secondary, and secondary education. The provisions of the General Curricula provide a basis for school textbook writing in all disciplines, Lithuanian included. The last decade has witnessed a major reform in the teaching of proper language use. As a consequence, language use has disappeared from the curriculum as a separate discipline and is currently integrated in the topics of morphology, syntax and other aspects of language. Furthermore, the final assessment of written tasks has been developed to include a criterion of grammatical and lexical accuracy. As regards the state examination of Lithuanian, the weight of language accuracy assessment in the examination paper has been constantly increasing while the number of isolated language use tasks has been decreasing till such tasks have completely been abandoned.

The data of the study reveals that the average final assessment of medical students at school was between 7,99 and 8,85. The average state examination score is 75,86–85,71 points. These high marks suggest that their language use skills should also be good. In the period from 2003 till 2010, a test of language use was administered to the subjects. The test scores show that the best results were achieved in 2004 while the worst in 2009. The analysis of test scores and final assessment revealed two distinct groups of students in terms of success in the language use test: subjects who finished secondary education in 2003–2006 were consistently better in the language use test than those who finished school in 2002 and 2007–2009. The observed decrease in the test scores coincides with the elimination of certain language use tasks from the state examination of Lithuanian in 2007. Moreover, none of the subjects who finished secondary education in 2008 and 2009 managed to do all the test items correctly or only err in a single test item.

The study suggests that language use skills of the first-year students are weaker than in the previous years. One of the reasons might be related to the absence of language use as a separate discipline in the school curriculum and its inadequate integration in the teaching of other aspects of language. Besides, the state examination paper does not include a task specifically focused on language use while the weight of this aspect is too low in the final assessment of writing.

KĘSTUTIS BREDELIS

Vilniaus universitetas

Universiteto g. 5, LT-01513 Vilnius

[email protected]

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