The Relationship Between English Achievement and Proficiency Tests

1. Introduction

It is clear nowadays that language learning means learning how to use the language and not learning to know about the language. Using the language depends on our competences (knowledge, skills and characteristics) that allow us to engage in communicative activities. The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) begins its treatment of language use through the context of communication, which it divides into four domains: personal, public, occupational and educational. It identifies four modes of communication: production (speaking and writing), reception (listening and reading), interaction (spoken and written), and mediation (translating and interpreting).

Language programs at different institutions organize their work in the way that learners use the general competencies they bring with them, but also develop them further. Therefore it is critical for every course to have clearly stated learning objectives that are measurable and can demonstrate student progress. How much a student masters the language can be shown by matching the assessment activities with the learning activities and through real or simulation of a real use of the language for communication purposes (here we refer to the four models of communication mentioned previously).

Nonetheless, successful completion of university language courses does not always mean that the student has mastered the language and can use it for communication. This mostly refers to the cases where the language courses are treated as part of the curricula while the other instruction is in L1. The situation with the higher education in Macedonia is like this at almost all state and private universities. At the state universities, the number of students per class is so bi...

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