07/02/2022
A University of Reading lecturer, working in the field of English for Academic Purposes, has been awarded the 2021 Caroline Clapham Master’s Award.
Svetlana Mazhurnaya has been teaching English for over 15 years. She impressed the judges with her dissertation on the challenges human examiners face when assessing English speaking tests for university admission.
Mazhurnaya entered the competition by submitting her dissertation on English for Applied Purposes (EAP). Her award-winning work, which was supervised by Professor Luke Harding, is entitled A comparative investigation of the interactional profile of convergent and deviant cases across proficiency levels in a paired EAP oral test. The study looked at the growing trend towards using the paired test format in English for Academic Purposes assessment. Mazhurnaya investigated more than 50 face-to-face speaking tests for English students at different proficiency levels. The aim was to identify challenges that human speaking examiners face, and Mazhurnaya’s findings could help inform future training programmes. She also highlighted the importance for students to familiarise themselves with the exam format before taking a test.
Tony Clark Principal Research Manager at Cambridge English, who was on the judging panel commented: ‘Human examiners are so important, and it is through this type of research that we can continue to monitor challenges which help us to ensure ongoing consistency in assessments. Svetlana impressed us with her ability to report on such intricate detail. She also had a great understanding of the field and an ability to draw relevant conclusions from the analysis conducted. Many people who have won this award in the past have gone on to make a real impact in the language testing sector. Svetlana’s award was very well deserved and on behalf of the IELTS Partners, I wish her the very best in the future.’
The award is designed to encourage students and researchers to pursue a career in language testing. Every year the IELTS Research Committee awards £1000 to the researcher whose master’s level dissertation has made the most significant contribution to the field of language testing. Mazhurnaya will also be sponsored to attend the annual Language Testing Research Colloquium (LTRC).
The Caroline Clapham Master’s Award has previously been awarded to professors and lecturers, as well as researchers in examination bodies.