Plus ça change et plus c’est pareil!… I am always mesmerized by how often the Public Service of Canada changes the SLE tests and Second Language Training in general… More and more, trying to make their way through such a maze is getting complicated for both public servants and people wishing to get a job within the Federal Government.
Of course staying on top of everything is quite demanding in terms of research… thanks to my former and current students who keep me informed with the latest change…
For instance, last week, one of them applied for a government position online… after having filled in the application form, she was asked if she wanted to participate in a pilot project by taking the new version written test sample on the computer… Since she had just taken the current test and missed her level by only a couple of questions, she volunteered to give it a try. She was given 20 questions and 30 minutes to answer them (actually she was given 60 minutes yet she was at work and did not have that much time to devote in such an exercise)… she did it quickly and afterwards, she was provided with her results and feedback. She was told she had scored a medium level, which I assume to be a B… the level she had missed just a few days before!
I had her practice with several test samples on Campus Direct prior to her exam and she said the 20 question test she took online last week was more or less a replica of the old test version… In October 2007, both the format and the content of the written expression test was modified: from 55 questions/60 minutes, it went up to 80 questions/110 minutes… and the component of the test with English sentences translated into French (candidates had to choose between four versions) was replaced by long paragraphs of text, which actually did not test grammar or even syntax! It was rather about personal interpretation and choices of words… It did not take long before the PPC realized this new version of the test was a fiasco!… From raw scores, they had to pass to standardized scores (of which no one was ever informed… if it helped the candidates with very low scores, it penalized the ones with high scores!)… even then, the failure rate was very high. In June 2008, they cut in the test: 65 questions instead of 80… but they also shortened the time: 90 minutes instead of 110… Therefore it resulted in no improvement at all!
With the old version, people could get their B on the first try… with the modified one, it takes them up to three to four times before they can get it… One would think that 33 correct answers on a total of 65 questions can easily be achieved!… Well… apparently not!… Why? Because the component with long paragraphs is time consuming and most people do not have time to finish the test!…
Public servants failing tests more than once is kind of very expensive for the Government!… It means these people’s full-time training in boot camps has to be extended… usually they cannot go back to work until they get their required levels in reading comprehension, written expression and oral interaction. Consequently something had to be done and rather quickly then slowly!… They can no longer milk the cow!… Since the meter is running, the so-called panel of experts does not have years to come up with another of some experimental tests (which lately have not proven to be very efficient or accurate in testing candidates’ knowledge of the second language!)… Of course it has been introduced as if they had worked for months on the new version that should be in effect some time this summer. Actually all they had to do was to retrieve the old tests, give them a new look and probably add 10 questions… so that the test will still have 65 questions instead of 55. They wasted 18 months (and probably a couple more before the new test comes into effect) of public servants’ lives… individuals who could have been back to work after nine months of full-time training and who, instead, were held hostages in boot camps for over a year… and they wasted millions of tax-payers’ dollars on something that was proven to be a huge failure right from the beginning! Back in October 2007, no one needed a crystal ball to predict what would happen!…
Would they be trying to get back some of that money by re-opening the Public Service School for intensive full-time language training?… If what I heard through the rumors mill is true, several Departments would be now sending their employees to that school… no more full-time one-on-one training in boot camps around town… public servants would attend school in groups of six to eight people… and they would not stay away from their desks for long sustained periods of time… a few weeks in school, a few weeks back on the job, a few more weeks in school and back on the job again… until they get their required levels… Well… as I said, those are only rumors!… Yet my guts tell me that it might just be that!… and probably sooner than expected! I agree that it could save lots of money, yet… would it be more efficient?… Personally I seriously doubt it…
On a merrier note, I heard today that Alice got her C in oral!… I am so happy for her!… It means she will finally relax, something she hardly did in the past seven months! She is now on vacation in the USA and I am sure she is relieved and will be able to really enjoy her biking trip…
Congratulations Alice!
It is Tuesday, March 31, and I just got an email from Susan who took her oral interaction test yesterday morning… She got her required B!!! I am so happy for her!… Lately it has been a line-up of success stories!…
Congratulations Susan!
I will see you in our Sunday JUST FOR FUN Intermediate French class!…
And… I just heard that Jianlin also got her B!!!… OMG!… so many great news in such a short period of time are kind of overwhelming (in a good way though!)… I am literally floating on a cloud right now!
Congratulations Jianlin!
“Ce que j’ai fait, je te le jure, jamais aucune bête ne l’aurait fait”
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Change Is in the Air!
Plus ça change et plus c’est pareil!… I am always mesmerized by how often the Public Service of Canada changes the SLE tests and Second Language Training in general… More and more, trying to make their way through such a maze is getting complicated for both public servants and people wishing to get a job within the Federal Government.
Of course staying on top of everything is quite demanding in terms of research… thanks to my former and current students who keep me informed with the latest change…
For instance, last week, one of them applied for a government position online… after having filled in the application form, she was asked if she wanted to participate in a pilot project by taking the new version written test sample on the computer… Since she had just taken the current test and missed her level by only a couple of questions, she volunteered to give it a try. She was given 20 questions and 30 minutes to answer them (actually she was given 60 minutes yet she was at work and did not have that much time to devote in such an exercise)… she did it quickly and afterwards, she was provided with her results and feedback. She was told she had scored a medium level, which I assume to be a B… the level she had missed just a few days before!
I had her practice with several test samples on Campus Direct prior to her exam and she said the 20 question test she took online last week was more or less a replica of the old test version… In October 2007, both the format and the content of the written expression test was modified: from 55 questions/60 minutes, it went up to 80 questions/110 minutes… and the component of the test with English sentences translated into French (candidates had to choose between four versions) was replaced by long paragraphs of text, which actually did not test grammar or even syntax! It was rather about personal interpretation and choices of words… It did not take long before the PPC realized this new version of the test was a fiasco!… From raw scores, they had to pass to standardized scores (of which no one was ever informed… if it helped the candidates with very low scores, it penalized the ones with high scores!)… even then, the failure rate was very high. In June 2008, they cut in the test: 65 questions instead of 80… but they also shortened the time: 90 minutes instead of 110… Therefore it resulted in no improvement at all!
With the old version, people could get their B on the first try… with the modified one, it takes them up to three to four times before they can get it… One would think that 33 correct answers on a total of 65 questions can easily be achieved!… Well… apparently not!… Why? Because the component with long paragraphs is time consuming and most people do not have time to finish the test!…
Public servants failing tests more than once is kind of very expensive for the Government!… It means these people’s full-time training in boot camps has to be extended… usually they cannot go back to work until they get their required levels in reading comprehension, written expression and oral interaction. Consequently something had to be done and rather quickly then slowly!… They can no longer milk the cow!… Since the meter is running, the so-called panel of experts does not have years to come up with another of some experimental tests (which lately have not proven to be very efficient or accurate in testing candidates’ knowledge of the second language!)… Of course it has been introduced as if they had worked for months on the new version that should be in effect some time this summer. Actually all they had to do was to retrieve the old tests, give them a new look and probably add 10 questions… so that the test will still have 65 questions instead of 55. They wasted 18 months (and probably a couple more before the new test comes into effect) of public servants’ lives… individuals who could have been back to work after nine months of full-time training and who, instead, were held hostages in boot camps for over a year… and they wasted millions of tax-payers’ dollars on something that was proven to be a huge failure right from the beginning! Back in October 2007, no one needed a crystal ball to predict what would happen!…
Would they be trying to get back some of that money by re-opening the Public Service School for intensive full-time language training?… If what I heard through the rumors mill is true, several Departments would be now sending their employees to that school… no more full-time one-on-one training in boot camps around town… public servants would attend school in groups of six to eight people… and they would not stay away from their desks for long sustained periods of time… a few weeks in school, a few weeks back on the job, a few more weeks in school and back on the job again… until they get their required levels… Well… as I said, those are only rumors!… Yet my guts tell me that it might just be that!… and probably sooner than expected! I agree that it could save lots of money, yet… would it be more efficient?… Personally I seriously doubt it…
On a merrier note, I heard today that Alice got her C in oral!… I am so happy for her!… It means she will finally relax, something she hardly did in the past seven months! She is now on vacation in the USA and I am sure she is relieved and will be able to really enjoy her biking trip…
Congratulations Alice!
It is Tuesday, March 31, and I just got an email from Susan who took her oral interaction test yesterday morning… She got her required B!!! I am so happy for her!… Lately it has been a line-up of success stories!…
Congratulations Susan!
I will see you in our Sunday JUST FOR FUN Intermediate French class!…
And… I just heard that Jianlin also got her B!!!… OMG!… so many great news in such a short period of time are kind of overwhelming (in a good way though!)… I am literally floating on a cloud right now!
Congratulations Jianlin!
“Ce que j’ai fait, je te le jure, jamais aucune bête ne l’aurait fait”
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry