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CSE3 Informed Dynamic Assessment of Northwest Rural Secondary School EFL Learners’ Reading Development

  • Yaru Meng

    Yaru Meng is a PhD supervisor at the School of Foreign Studies, Xi’an Jiaotong University. Her research focuses on language testing, teacher development and language teaching and technology.

    and Huiling Lyu

    Huiling Lyu is a teacher at Quzhou Experimental School (affiliated School of Quzhou College) Education Group, Quzhou, Zhejiang.

Published/Copyright: July 2, 2024
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Abstract

The gaps both in east-west China and urban-rural development affect English education in northwest rural areas. Reading comprehension, as the foundation for secondary school students’ English overall development, is in need of tailored mediation. Level 3 of China’s Standards of English (CSE3) can be used to inform the Dynamic Assessment (DA) test items and mediation model. With CSE3-based reading materials and the DA mediation model, the current study applied five sessions of one-on-one DA mediation to an experimental group. Results show that the experimental group outperformed the control group in both inferencing and main idea, though not at test level. Microgenetic analysis of their mediation and reciprocity types and frequencies reveal the expansion of their Zones of Proximal Development (ZPD) in reading. The study is among the first attempts to bring CSE3 into the mediation model for rural EFL learners to solve their reading difficulties. It also offers a plausible way to develop tailored mediation.

About the authors

Yaru Meng

Yaru Meng is a PhD supervisor at the School of Foreign Studies, Xi’an Jiaotong University. Her research focuses on language testing, teacher development and language teaching and technology.

Huiling Lyu

Huiling Lyu is a teacher at Quzhou Experimental School (affiliated School of Quzhou College) Education Group, Quzhou, Zhejiang.

Acknowledgments

The research project was funded by NEEA & BC English Assessment Research Grants (ID: EARG2020007) and Shaanxi Province Social Fund (ID: 2022K005) awarded to the first author Yaru Meng.

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Published Online: 2024-07-02
Published in Print: 2024-02-26

© 2024 BFSU, FLTRP, Walter de Gruyter, Cultural and Education Section British Embassy

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