This paper introduces and discusses issues related to the challenge of obtaining more valid and reliable assessment and positive backwash of direct spoken English language performance of students in real-life situations. For this purpose, the paper is divided into four sections. The first section is the introduction to the article. The second part includes presentation and discussion of validity, reliability and practicality as principles of direct spoken English tests. Part three consists of an evaluation of the challenging nature of direct spoken English testing for examiners to deal with. The last section is the conclusion of the paper.

Research has demonstrated that high percentages of undergraduate college students self-report they engage in academic procrastination which has significant adverse effects on academic progress with relative consistency. The present study was designed to help English as a foreign language (EFL) procrastinators study on a regular basis, and also to extend the learning of the high achievers. To do so, seventy English as a Foreign Language students in the study were classified by level of procrastination based on scores on the Procrastination Scale (Tuckman, 1991). Half of the students experienced the student-led seminars condition; the other half experienced the assignments condition. Although the student-led seminars condition produced significantly higher scores overall on a final achievement examination than the outline condition did, a significant interaction between condition and student procrastination level reflected an almost 14% advantage for the student-led seminars condition among high procrastinators. There was almost no difference between student-led seminars and assignments conditions for medium and low procrastinators. In addition, the qualitative data revealed high levels of satisfaction among students in the experimental group regarding the seminars and the instructor, as well as the perceived amount of new information learned. ﻟﻘد أﺛﺑﺗ ت اﻟ د ر ا ﺳ ﺎ ت اﻟ ﺳ ﺎﺑﻘﺔ ا ر ﺗﻔﺎ ع ﻧ ﺳ ﺑ ﺔ اﻟﺗ ﺳ وﯾ ف ا ﻷ ﻛﺎ دﯾ ﻣ ﻲ ﻟ د ى ط ﻼ ب اﻟ ﺟ ﺎ ﻣﻌﺎ ت و ﺗﺄﺛﯾ ر ه اﻟ ﺳ ﻠﺑ ﻲ ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﺗﺣﺻ ﯾﻠ ﮭم ا ﻷﻛﺎدﯾ ﻣ ﻲ. ﻟذ ﻟ ك ﺗم ﺗﺻﻣﯾم ھذه اﻟدرا ﺳﺔ ﻟﻐر ض ﻣﺳﺎ ﻋدة اﻟﻣﺳوﻓﯾ ن أﻛﺎ د ﯾ ﻣ ﯾ ﺎً ﻣ ن ط ﻼ ب ا ﻟ ﻠ ﻐ ﺔ ا ﻹ ﻧ ﺟ ﻠ ﯾ ز ﯾ ﺔ ﻛ ﻠ ﻐ ﺔ أ ﺟ ﻧ ﺑ ﯾ ﺔ وﻛ ذﻟ ك ﻟﺗﻌزﯾ ز ﻣ ﺳﺗ و ى اﻟ طﻼب ذو ي اﻟ ﺗ ﺣﺻ ﯾل ا ﻷﻛﺎدﯾﻣﻲ اﻟﻣرﺗﻔﻊ. وا ﺷﺗﻣﻠ ت ﻋ ﯾ ﻧ ﺔ ا ﻟ ﺑ ﺣ ث ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﺳ ﺑ ﻌ ﯾ ن ط ﺎ ﻟ ﺑ ﺎً ﻣ ن ط ﻼ ب ا ﻟ ﻠ ﻐ ﺔ ا ﻹ ﻧ ﺟ ﻠ ﯾ ز ﯾ ﺔ ﻛ ﻠ ﻐ ﺔ أ ﺟ ﻧ ﺑ ﯾ ﺔ ﻓ ﻲ ا ﻟ ﻣ ر ﺣ ﻠ ﺔ ا ﻟ ﺟ ﺎ ﻣ ﻌ ﯾ ﺔ . وﺗ م ﺗﻘ ﺳﯾم اﻟ طﻼب ﺑﻧ ﺎ ء ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﻣﻘ ﯾﺎ س اﻟﺗ ﺳوﯾ ف ) Tuckman, 1991 ( اﻟ ﻰ ﺛﻼث ﻣ ﺳﺗ وﯾﺎ ت: ﻋﺎﻟ ﻲ، ﻣﺗ وﺳط، وﻣﻧ ﺧﻔ ض ، وﺗم ا ﺳﺗ ﺧدام اﻟﺣ ﻠﻘﺎ ت اﻟد ر ا ﺳ ﯾ ﺔ اﻟ ﺗ ﻲ ﯾﻘ و دھ ﺎ اﻟط ﺎﻟ ب ﻣﻊ إ ﺣ د ى اﻟ ﺷ ﻌ ب اﻟ د ر ا ﺳ ﯾ ﺔ ) 30 طﺎ ﻟ ب(، وﺗم أ ﺳﺗ ﺧدام اﻟ وا ﺟﺑﺎ ت اﻟد را ﺳﯾﺔ ﻣﻊ طﻼب اﻟ ﺷﻌﺑﺔ اﻷﺧر ى. أظﮭر ت اﻟد را ﺳﺔ ﻓﺎﻋ ﻠﯾ ﺔ اﻟ ﺣ ﻠﻘﺎت اﻟ د ر ا ﺳ ﯾ ﺔ اﻟﺗ ﻲ ﯾﻘ ودھﺎ اﻟ ط ﺎﻟ ب ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ا ﻷ دا ء ا ﻷ ﻛﺎ دﯾ ﻣ ﻲ ﻟ د ى اﻟ ط ﻼب ﻓ ﻲ اﻟﻣﺟﻣوﻋﺔ اﻟ ﺗ ﺟ ر ﯾﺑﯾ ﺔ و ﺧ ﺻ و ﺻ ﺎً ﻟ د ى ا ﻟ ط ﻼ ب ذ و ا ﻟ ﻣ ﺳ ﺗ و ى ا ﻟ ﻌ ﺎ ﻟ ﻲ ﻣ ن ا ﻟ ﺗ ﺳ و ﯾ ف ا ﻷ ﻛ ﺎ د ﯾ ﻣ ﻲ ) 14 %( . ﻛذﻟ ك أ ظﮭر ت اﻟدرا ﺳﺔ ر ﺿﺎ اﻟ طﻼب ﻋن اﻟ ﺣﻠﻘﺎ ت اﻟد ر ا ﺳ ﯾ ﺔ و أ ﺳ ﺗﺎ ذ اﻟﻣﻘ ر ر و ﻛذﻟ ك ﻛﻣﯾ ﺔ اﻟﻣﻌر ﻓﺔ اﻟﺟ دﯾدة اﻟ ﺗ ﻲ ﺗم ا ﻛﺗ ﺳ ﺎﺑ ﮭﺎ.

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This present study was designed to investigate influences of identity styles and social support from peers on emotional EFL classroom engagement in a large sample of Saudi early adolescents (N=406) ranged in age from 12 to 15. This emotional engagement construct is based on the identity styles literature and draws upon concepts of social support received from peers as one of the most important sources of validation from others during adolescence period, and as a mediating variable of the associations between students’ identity styles and emotional engagement. The study shows gender differences within the sample. In general, the findings of the study demonstrate the role of social support received from peers in enhancing identity styles and influencing emotional EFL classroom engagement.

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