Benchmarking video presentations for CEFR usage in Cuba

Geisa Dávila Pérez, Dept. of English Language Studies, Universidad de Oriente, Patricio Lumumba s/n Altos de Quintero, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
Frank van Splunder, Linguapolis, University of Antwerp, Belgium
Lut Baten, Leuven Language Institute, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Belgium
Jan Van Maele, Faculty of Engineering Technology, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Belgium
Yoennis Díaz Moreno, Dept. of English Language Studies, Universidad de Oriente, Patricio Lumumba s/n Altos de Quintero, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba

https://doi/10.0000/0000

Volume 8, Issue 1, 2019

Abstract: This paper discusses language assessment by means of video recordings, particularly its use for benchmarking purposes regarding language proficiency in a Cuban academic context. It is based on videotaped oral presentation assignments of Cuban PhD students for peer and teacher assessment. In order to avoid bias and provide validity to the results, the PhD students’ videotaped oral presentation assignments have been rated by language testing experts from three different Flemish universities, which are included in the Interuniversity Testing Consortium (IUTC). A selection of these assignments will be transferred to the university Moodle platform, and this compilation may be used to enable the start of a Cuban corpus of internationally rated presentations of academic English. Therefore, the results obtained will provide language teachers with a growing database of video recordings to facilitate benchmarking activities and promote standardized assessment in the Cuban academic context. ​

Keywords: language assessment, benchmarking, CEFR, Cuba, video recordings 

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