Research seminar in English studies: "Assessing Multilingual Learners: Global Findings Informing Research Needs in Estonia" (Dr Ene Alas)

Please register to the seminar until 13th of February HERE

Abstract of Dr Ene Alas presentation on "Assessing Multilingual Learners: Global Findings Informing Research Needs in Estonia": 
The presentation will explore the research needs regarding the assessment of multilingual learners (MLs) in Estonia in relation to the advances made in the respective field abroad, keeping in mind the changing Estonian schooling context (transition from Estonian/Russian-medium education to Estonian- only medium education). MLs are identified as a heterogeneous group whose assets (e.g. multilingual access to information) as well as whose hurdles in the assessment process of studying via a foreign language/L2 (comprehension of instructions, managing time, responding to tasks, etc.) have increasingly been the focus of educational research abroad. The presentation will discuss the said assets and hurdles in some detail. With regard to the similarly heterogeneous Estonian MLs, little research is available about the ML assessment practices here. The presentation will end by suggesting research paths to uncover Estonian ML’ assets, teachers’ ML assessment practices, ML behavior during assessment, ML assessment tools and ML assessment frameworks. Keywords: multilingual learner assessment, multiliteracy, learner assets, assessment hurdles, translanguaging, accommodation, assessment frameworks

Upcoming Research Seminars in English Studies:

• March 18 – Paul Rüsse: “Native American Humour in the Works of Adrian C. Louis”

• April 22 – Prof Merilyn Meristo: “Teaching English as a Foreign Language under Soviet Rule: Policies, Practices, and Paradoxes”

• May 6 – Prof Chiara Battisti (University of Verona): “Beyond the Clinic: An Introduction to Health Humanities, Narrative Medicine, and Graphic Medicine”

Further information:

Julia Kuznetski

Professor of English

School of Humanities, Tallinn University

julia.kuznetski@tlu.ee