Improving English language
teaching and learning in Portugal:
an integrated approach
UCETAM BICULTURAL-BILINGUAL CONGRESS
University of Alcalá, 17th April 2015
Helder Sousa
Overview
An integrated approach: enhancing teaching and
learning standards; social, economic and educational
expected impacts
Project background: why a Key for Schools (KfS) test at
the end of the 9th grade (2014)?
Project funding: 2014 and future perspectives
Main findings: Test results (2014) and other findings
Conclusion: impact and future
perspectives
Cambridge English for Schools PORTUGAL
The project: an integrated approach − concept and
main objectives
• Teaching and learning EFL improvement
• Placing Speaking in the centre of the learning process:
replacing «perfection» for «communication»
• Students’ large scale certification with a strong
international recognition (full cohort certification)
• Large scale training programmes for teachers
• English language proficiency certification as a tool for
Portuguese global economic competitiveness
Why a KfS test at the end of the 9th grade?
A strong social, political and educational awareness of the
importance of English learning in Portugal
The need for an internationally acknowledged language
proficiency certification accessible to all students
The impact of portuguese students’ performance in
Surveylang (2012)
CEFR levels
Below A1
A1
A2
B2
Students (%)
20
33
16
15
The role of external assessment in the Portuguese
educational system: major goals to achieve with a
large scale external assessment in English
1. To have a diagnosis of the full cohort of students at the
end of the 9th grade (final year of ISCED 2)
2. To develop a comprehensive teacher training programme
3. To have an internationally acknowledged foreign
language proficiency certification accessible to all
students in Portugal, regardless of their social or
economic background or place of living
4. To create an opportunity to include Speaking in a large
external assessment context in Portugal for the first time
in more than 40 years
Project funding: an innovative approach. 2014 and
future perspectives
The impact of the economic crisis (2012/2013) and the
sponsorship approach
Parents’ commitment to enroll their children for the
certificate
• The test is compulsory for
9th grade students, but
certification is optional
• The test is optional for non
9th grade students, but
certification is compulsory
The funding scheme 2014: the sponsors − 4 leading
companies and 1 foundation
Scenario A
Certificates
fees
<
Cambridge
English fee
≥
Cambridge
English fee
Sponsors
financial support
Scenario B
Certificates
fees
Support educational
programmes
Sponsors
financial support
Future perspectives − from
private to public funding
Main findings: Test results (2014) and other findings
2014 KfS results: strengths and weaknesses
The test was delivered in 1,325 schools (both public and
private
106,705 students took the test:
• 9th grade students − 92% (compulsory);
• 6th, 7th and 8th grade students −3% (optional)
• 10th to 12th grade students − 5% (optional)
3,954 speaking sessions
2014 KfS results: strengths and weaknesses
Results for 9th grade students
by level of proficiency
according to CEFR
To reduce the percentage of
students below A1 and A1
(almost 50%) is the most
challenging task in the years to
come
2014 KfS results: strengths and weaknesses
Results for 9th grade students by score class in
English (bars) and normal score distribution of
Portuguese and Maths exams (red line)
The percentage of
students with more than
80% (borderline to B1
level) gives us a positive
perspective of a
possible increase of B1
students in a near
future and also sustain
our option to move to a
Preliminary English Test
(PET) for Schools in
2015
2014 KfS results: strengths and weaknesses
As expected, globally,
speaking is the weakest
skill and listening is the
strongest one, considering
good or exceptional
performances …
Results by test component (skill)
(9th grade students)
… which might facilitate a
rapid and sustainable
increase in speaking
standards, and therefore
also a general upgrade of
global scores
2014 KfS results: strengths and weaknesses
Students performance by region and Skill
Reading & Writing
TOTAL
Alentejo Central
Alentejo Litoral
Algarve
Alto Alentejo
Alto Trás-os-Montes
Ave
Baixo Alentejo
Baixo Mondego
Baixo Vouga
Beira Interior Norte
Beira Interior Sul
Cavado
Cova da Beira
Dão Lafões
Douro
Entre Douro e Vouga
Grande Lisboa
Grande Porto
Lezíria do Tejo
Médio Tejo
Minho Lima
Oeste
Península de Setúbal
Pinhal Interior Norte
Pinhal Interior Sul
Pinhal Litoral
R. A. Açores
R. A. Madeira
Serra da Estrela
Tâmega
Nacional
1383
766
4185
1007
1769
6004
1111
3122
3896
917
492
5091
735
2759
2006
2914
19656
13675
2178
2268
2374
3699
7332
1057
283
2878
2897
2779
1427
8156
106594
<A1
26,2
22,2
19,2
31,2
32,1
31,2
31,3
18,4
24,4
29,7
22,4
29,0
23,0
25,1
36,5
26,2
16,2
19,2
19,4
20,1
29,3
20,3
19,2
31,2
25,8
19,2
27,3
21,8
32,2
42,0
23,7
A1
19,9
18,5
18,2
20,1
17,2
20,5
16,6
17,9
19,1
20,5
17,3
19,8
19,2
19,8
19,2
21,4
15,2
17,1
21,1
17,5
20,0
19,9
16,7
22,3
23,7
18,0
18,3
17,1
17,4
20,7
18,2
A2
27,5
30,8
32,9
26,6
24,3
27,2
26,6
29,2
29,2
26,8
31,5
26,4
30,3
27,8
23,0
29,6
31,9
30,7
32,5
28,7
26,1
31,3
32,4
26,8
25,8
33,1
27,1
31,7
26,0
22,1
29,3
Listening
B1
24,7
26,5
29,0
21,0
24,6
19,2
23,5
32,5
25,7
22,1
27,0
23,8
25,6
26,1
19,6
21,6
35,2
31,6
25,9
32,5
23,6
27,5
30,2
18,4
24,0
28,4
25,9
28,3
22,5
14,0
27,4
<A1
24,1
18,9
16,8
29,5
30,5
30,2
26,5
18,9
22,6
28,7
22,0
27,2
23,5
24,8
35,0
24,9
15,0
16,9
18,5
18,3
27,5
19,7
17,6
31,9
22,3
19,3
24,1
19,6
27,6
38,6
22,1
A1
17,0
17,0
17,3
17,2
17,2
17,6
20,4
15,0
18,1
20,8
13,6
17,4
15,8
16,6
16,3
19,1
13,9
15,0
18,4
16,1
18,9
15,9
15,3
19,8
23,0
16,5
16,2
17,0
20,5
19,6
16,4
A2
27,9
27,5
28,8
24,3
20,6
24,8
21,9
24,6
24,3
21,9
29,3
22,3
24,9
24,2
22,0
24,4
26,9
25,6
29,6
24,9
22,3
28,1
29,2
23,2
25,4
28,5
22,5
25,4
21,0
20,9
25,4
Speaking
B1
30,9
36,3
37,1
28,8
31,6
27,2
31,2
41,2
34,7
28,5
34,8
32,8
35,6
34,4
26,6
31,3
44,1
42,3
33,4
40,7
31,3
36,1
37,9
25,2
29,3
35,5
36,0
36,9
30,9
20,7
35,9
<A1
20,7
18,0
14,9
20,5
24,6
23,4
15,9
12,9
16,6
23,3
16,7
22,0
15,6
17,1
27,4
20,5
13,0
14,9
11,2
14,1
20,7
16,3
15,7
21,9
11,7
14,1
20,9
16,6
16,3
25,0
17,4
A1
29,4
32,9
30,8
29,2
32,0
37,8
37,8
32,5
34,0
36,4
32,3
34,5
36,3
33,7
35,9
37,9
32,0
33,2
37,4
36,3
33,2
34,9
31,9
38,0
41,3
37,5
24,2
36,2
39,2
39,1
34,0
A2
29,9
33,4
33,1
28,4
27,5
26,8
30,9
33,4
30,9
26,3
33,9
30,7
32,2
31,4
24,7
26,2
35,3
34,5
38,7
31,5
30,3
30,8
33,7
28,0
35,3
33,9
32,2
28,5
30,7
24,6
31,6
B1
20,0
15,7
21,2
21,9
15,8
12,0
15,4
21,0
18,5
12,9
17,1
13,6
15,6
17,6
11,9
15,3
19,6
17,2
12,6
18,0
15,6
17,8
18,8
12,1
11,0
14,3
22,7
18,6
13,7
11,2
16,9
2014 KfS results: strengths and weaknesses
Rest of the
world 14-15
yrs old
Below-A1
A1
Enrolled for
certificate
A2
B1
Not enrolled
for certificate
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Results according to certificate enrollment − 9th grade
students (19,5% of total 9th grade students enrolled for the
certificate) compared to 14-15 years olds of the rest of the
world
2014 Impact Study: main findings
Heads, teachers, students and parents’ perspectives and
attitudes towards English teaching, learning and
certification (some data from the impact study report)
Should schools prepare students to enter the labour market with
the required level of English skills? (%)
Not sure
Strongly disagree
Heads
Disagree
Teachers
Agree
Strongly agree
0
20
40
60
80
Perceived use of class time by teachers and students
Vocabulary
Grammar
Speaking
Teachers
Listening
Students
Writing
Reading
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Teachers’ responses to: 'Most students want to have an English
certificate at B1 or higher.'
Not sure
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly agree
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
Aspirational level reported by pupils and parents
A2
Pupils
B1
B2
A2 B1 B2
Parents
0%
C1
C1
25%
C2
C2
50%
75%
100%
Strongest skill and skill most in need of improvement
Speaking
skill to improve (Teachers)
strongest skill (Teachers)
skill to improve (Pupils)
Listening
strongest skill (Pupils)
Receptive and productive
skills, a large gap regarding
self confidence, performance
and need of improvement
Writing
Reading
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Conclusion: impact anf future perspectives
1. Feasibility of a large scale external speaking assessment
2. Putting English learning on the top of the educational agenda
3. Increasing teaching opportunities and quality training
programmes
4. Improving results regarding Surveylang … but still having
Speaking as the weakest skill when it comes to students’
performance
5. Evidence of a breakthrough over a negative attitude on
speaking teaching and learning in classroom context
6. Evidence of an increasing commitment to improve teaching:
the positive impact of external assessment
Conclusion: impact anf future perspectives
7. Future steps
•
Moving forward from KfS to PET at the 9th grade (2015)
•
FCE at the end of upper secondary (ISCED 3) (11th or 12th
grade) in a near future (2017 or 2018?)
8. Curricular changes: English became a compulsory subject
since 3rd grade (2016) – 7 years of compulsory schooling in
English, from primary to the end of lower secondary (ISCED 2)
Thank you!
helder.sousa@iave.pt