Re-evaluating Reading Assessment: Transforming Current Practices for Assessing EFL Learners’ Reading Skills at the Undergraduate Level

Tayyaba Tajamal

doi:10.63056/ACAD.004.01.0119a

Authors

Tayyaba Tajamal Lecturer, Department of English Foundation University, Islamabad Ph.D. Scholar International Islamic University, Islamabad Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63056/ACAD.004.01.0119a

Keywords:

EFL learners, Reading skills, Reading comprehension, Language testing, Testing reading skills

Abstract

Teaching Reading skills is very important, thus testing reading skills is also very critical. The present study evaluates the trends in testing reading skills by focusing the question papers of reading comprehension section taught in various courses at undergraduate level (BS-English). The study explores what trends are being followed by the teachers to design reading skills papers. What tools/techniques they are using to measure students’ reading skills? This research will subsequently enable teachers how to evaluate students’ reading skill. The researcher has used Mixed Method approach. Data is collected through quantitative and qualitative method. Quantitative data is collected through questionnaires and qualitative data is collected through documents. Purposive sampling technique is used. Forty (40) teachers who were teaching the reading course and Ten (10) question papers were selected as sample from five (05) universities of Lahore. The data collected through questionnaires is analyzed by using SPSS Statistics. Qualitative data is analyzed through document analysis. The framework for analysis of question papers is based on the criterion mentioned in CEFR to evaluate the performance level of reading skills. The findings of questionnaire reveal that teachers are less aware about how and what reading skills they are evaluating in papers. The outcome of questionnaire validates the analysis of question papers. The analysis of question papers determined; those are not precisely measuring students’ reading skills. Question papers are just designed to test reading comprehension knowledge not the skill. The significant recommendation is that teachers should design question papers by setting receptive and productive tasks. They should keep in mind students’ abilities, selection of texts, and structural and lexical difficulty of the text and the six main levels of CEFR to test reading skills.