International Postgraduate Research Conference (IPRC)
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Item Impact of Testing in the English Language Teaching Classroom(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, 2015) Samaraweera, S.G.S.Although language forms and grammatical structures are taught in the classroom to the students of Extension Courses in English program at the University of Ruhuna, it is difficult to realize whether they have understood them properly due to lack of a proper testing mechanism. It is advocated that testing plays a significant role in English Language teaching classroom.―Language teaching and learning and testing and evaluation are interdependent‖ (Samaraweera: 2009).―Language testing involves both linguistics and psychology because it is concerned with both language and learning. It is also experimental because it sets up learning tasks in order to study behavior; and also evaluative because it makes use of statistical techniques in order to study that behavior‖ (Davies (1968:01). But what the most effective way to test and evaluate is remains still debatable. The learners have individual differences. The teacher should understand the individual differences of the learners in order to understand their strengths and weaknesses. It is easy to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the students with the help of a proper testing and evaluation mechanism. Therefore this paper discusses the viability and validity of incorporating a proper testing and evaluation mechanism in the English language syllabus of my teaching situation, Extension Courses in English program at the University of Ruhuna. This paper suggests that a proper testing and evaluation mechanism should be maintained throughout the lesson so that the teacher can test and evaluate each student and give feedback to each student. The sample comprised 70 Certificate course students of the Extension Courses in English program at the University of Ruhuna. They come from a variety of socio-educational backgrounds. After implementing a proper testing and evaluation mechanism, Questionnaires, interviews, and observations were used to gain an in-depth insight into students‘ attainment of language skills. The findings of the study depicted that testing and evaluation plays a significant role in the language classroom. Thus the findings are significant in providing information to the relevant authorities so that they can prepare curricula to teach the English language effectively for the educational, professional and socio-economic benefit of the students.Item A study of the Language variety used by the Afro- Sri lankan Community of Sri Lanka. (Living in Puttalam, Kalpitya and Trincomalee)(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, 2015) Kulasekara, N.Afro-Sri Lankans (also known as Kaffirs or Kapiri) are a very small ethnic group in Sri Lanka who are descendants of African workers and soldiers brought to the island by Portuguese and British colonists. The research was focused on identifying the nature of this language and studies it linguistically. The majority of the words found in the songs sung by members the Afro-Sri Lankan community in Puttalam. The other Afro– Sri Lankan communities living in Trincomalee and Kalpitya were also included in this study. The research included data from approximately 50 male and female participants who volunteered from these communities. The research instruments used in this research were speech recordings and interviews. The Puttalam and Kalpitiya communities are the descendants of African soldiers and domestic slaves of Portuguese colonists. Those in the Trincomalee community are the descendants of African colonial soldiers from the British Royal Forces. The ancestors of these Africans were brought to Sri Lanka during two different eras by two different colonists. Only the communities living in Puttalam and Kalpitya use this language in their songs called the African Manja. Some scholars have identified their language as a Sri Lankan Portuguese Creole. Some of the Portuguese Burghers living in the Batticoloa District in Sri Lanka use the Sri Lankan Portuguese Creole as their second or home language. The Afro-Sri Lankans use it only in their songs. The research proved that the variety of the Portuguese creole used in Puttalam and Kalpitiya is a mixture of Portuguese and Sinhala words. The Portuguese Creole used in Batticoloa by the Portuguese Burghers is Portuguese mixed with Tamil words, leaving slight differences in lexicography and pronunciation. The Afro-Sri Lankan community living in Trincomalee is descend from British colonial subjects who had no access to the Portuguese language and do not know the language at all. The language data was analyzed based on a structural theoretical framework. The research finding was documented and preserved for future research and references.