Gene Halleck | Oklahoma State University (original) (raw)
Papers by Gene Halleck
Simulation & Gaming, 2000
In this article, the author retraces her steps from the ISAGA conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan, ... more In this article, the author retraces her steps from the ISAGA conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1994, where she had the distinction of being “the faculty member accompanied by the most graduate students” to the most recent symposium she organized with her students on simulation and gaming at AILA 1999 in Tokyo, Japan.
Studies in Bilingualism, 1998
Simulation & Gaming, 2002
This article describes how the authors integrated a semester-long simulation of an academic confe... more This article describes how the authors integrated a semester-long simulation of an academic conference into a composition class for international graduate students at Oklahoma State University. It outlines the various phases of the simulation and shows how each phase was incorporated into the regular activities of the class. It describes the committees that were formed to accomplish the tasks necessary to carry out the simulation and analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating this type of activity into the curriculum. After attending the conference and examining responses of students who participated in the simulation, the authors conclude that it was a worthwhile activity and one that is consistent with the goals of the course.
Simulation & Gaming, 1990
Simulation & Gaming, 2008
The Modern Language Journal, 1995
This study examines the relationship between holistic judgments of oral proficiency and objective... more This study examines the relationship between holistic judgments of oral proficiency and objective measures of syntactic maturity in the Oral Proficiency Interviews (OPIs) of 107 students of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Tianjin, China. The analysis compares a holistic rating of proficiency level (Intermediate, Advanced, and Superior) with objective measures (Mean T-Unit Length, Mean Error-Free T-Unit Length, and Percent of Error-Free T-Units) for three separate interview tasks (Describing/Narrating, Role Playing, and Asking Questions). Results of the repeated measures Multivariate Analyses of Variance (MAN-OVAs) indicate significant main effects for proficiency level and interview task.
The Modern Language Journal, 2012
Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 2009
This study investigates the variation in oral proficiency demonstrated by 14 Air Traffic Controll... more This study investigates the variation in oral proficiency demonstrated by 14 Air Traffic Controllers across two types of testing tasks: work-related radio telephony-based tasks and non-specific English tasks on aviation topics. Their performance was compared statistically in terms of level ratings on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) scale. The results demonstrate significant differences in the performance of the test-takers across task types, differences that were not fully predictable across subjects. The differences between general English proficiency and specific purpose proficiency were even greater than those we would expect for other LSP situations. We discuss the implications of these findings for fairly and safely assessing Aviation English using ICAO standards in a politicized context.
This study analyzes the use of role-play as an elicitation device for the evaluation of a nonnati... more This study analyzes the use of role-play as an elicitation device for the evaluation of a nonnative speaker’s oral language. In this analysis of role-play as a methodology to generate data for assessment purposes, the study examines the role that interlocutors play in two types of interactions. It raises questions about the validity and reliability of dialogic role-plays used to elicit a ratable sample of a nonnative speaker’s oral proficiency and proposes that a monologic situation may provide a more reliable and accurate sample. The study also suggests how implications for simulation-based teaching can be implemented in second/ foreign language classes.
The Routledge Handbook of Language Testing
Simulation Gaming, Mar 1, 2007
The Routledge Handbook of Language Testing, 2009
Simulation & Gaming, 2002
ABSTRACT This article integrates major outcomes of a simulation-based approach to teaching foreig... more ABSTRACT This article integrates major outcomes of a simulation-based approach to teaching foreign language and links it to learners' attainment of strategic competence. According to existing research, curricula inspired by the approach seem to promote favorable ...
Simulation & Gaming, 2008
This article introduces a simulation on bullying that consists of five phases. In the briefing ph... more This article introduces a simulation on bullying that consists of five phases. In the briefing phase, the participants answer a questionnaire about bullying. After they complete the questionnaire, they move on to read simulated news articles (the second phase). Once they finish reading the articles, the participants take part in a talk show. This third phase is followed by an in-service workshop (the fourth phase) in which school personnel discuss six case studies and must decide if the cases represent bullying or not. After the workshop, the fifth and final phase consists of a debriefing, in which participants have an opportunity to share their thoughts on the topic.
Simulation & Gaming, 2007
ABSTRACT The article begins by reviewing the theoretical bases for the contention that advanced c... more ABSTRACT The article begins by reviewing the theoretical bases for the contention that advanced computer-based educational gaming can provide powerful learning experiences, and overviews the limited research on the use of such games. Although studies to date ...
Simulation & Gaming, 2007
This simulation probes what is known as the “foreign” teaching assistant problem. The “problem” c... more This simulation probes what is known as the “foreign” teaching assistant problem. The “problem” can be found at large state universities in the United States where international graduate students are required to earn their scholarships by teaching undergraduate courses and arises because of a combination of issues, including the oral proficiency of the international teaching assistants (ITAs) and the xenophobic reactions to them by undergraduate students and their parents. The simulation probes the cross-cultural competence of all the stakeholders involved.
Simulation & Gaming, 2007
In this third part of the Symposium on Simulation and Gaming in Second Language Acquisition (SLA)... more In this third part of the Symposium on Simulation and Gaming in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) contexts, I have included articles describing the development and incorporation of games for SLA instruction as well as the incorporation of simulations into composition curricula in the United States and in Brazil. Jonnie Hill has been adapting game show formats for English classes for more than a decade. She recently spent more than 3 years in the People's Republic of China, facilitating the use of games with her English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. In her article she describes how she adapted four different quiz show formats from American TV and how her EFL students in China reacted to these games that she introduced into her speaking/listening classes. Curt Reese and Terri Wells describe a game that they created to teach their English as a Second Language (ESL) students conversation skills: THE CONVERSATION GAME. I first learned about this game at a session that Curt Reese presented at the annual TESOL Convention in Tampa, Florida, in 2006. Armed with a stack of yellow, green, and blue cards that said "I couldn't agree with you more," "In my opinion," and "I hate to disagree, but don't you think…", I participated in a conversation game with others who attended this session. It was fun trying to use all of my cards, and I quickly understood how this game could actually help a reticent student to learn to participate more fully in conversations that were taking place in his or her L2. This issue introduces another game, one that the authors created to help international students negotiate the American university system. The game promotes the acquisition of cross-cultural competence by means of game cards known as culture assimilators. Rebecca Damron and I describe the process of creating these game cards for THE UNIVERSITY GAME. We describe the basic structure of a culture assimilator (including the development of critical incidents, potential responses that explain the misunderstanding outlined in the critical incidents, and evaluations of these responses with explanations and culturally appropriate interpretations). In our description of the creation of authentic culture assimilators, we include examples of initial prompts describing the intercultural misunderstandings and the process of
Simulation & Gaming, 2007
... An evaluation of the effectiveness of the culture assimilator in Thailand and Greece. Journal... more ... An evaluation of the effectiveness of the culture assimilator in Thailand and Greece. Journal of Applied Psychology, 56, 472-479. Rebecca Damron is an assistant professor in the English Department at Oklahoma State University and is the director of the OSU Writing Center. ...
Language Assessment Quarterly, 2005
The main focus of this book, according to the author, is to determine whether the oral proficienc... more The main focus of this book, according to the author, is to determine whether the oral proficiency interview (OPI) is “a valid instrument for assessing language speaking proficiency” (p. 1). In her investigation of the OPI as a speech event, Johnson analyzes the turn taking, topic nomination, and question types in 35 OPIs that she describes as having been conducted at a federal agency. After analyzing the characteristics of these 35 OPIs, Johnson asserts that the “OPI does not test speaking ability in the real-life context of a conversation” (p. 142). On this particular point I agree with the author; I agree “the OPI lacks both empirical evidence and theoretical rationales to justify the claim about the conversational nature of its interaction” (p. 143). This observation, however, does not invalidate the OPI as a test of oral proficiency, because a conversation may not be the appropriate venue for the elicitation of one’s oral proficiency in a second or foreign language. It merely points out that to equate the OPI with a conversation is unfounded. Johnson’s conclusion is that rather than resembling a conversation, the OPI resembles two types of interviews: sociolinguistic and survey research. However, in another part of the book she refers to the “norms and rules” of the OPI and questions whether they “even exist in real life.” This is a curious conclusion: Interviews surely exist in real life (e.g., in business and in academia). Thus, labeling the OPI as a hybrid type of interview, does not then position this speech event outside of “real life.” LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT QUARTERLY, 2(4), 315–319 Copyright © 2005, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Simulation & Gaming, 2000
In this article, the author retraces her steps from the ISAGA conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan, ... more In this article, the author retraces her steps from the ISAGA conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1994, where she had the distinction of being “the faculty member accompanied by the most graduate students” to the most recent symposium she organized with her students on simulation and gaming at AILA 1999 in Tokyo, Japan.
Studies in Bilingualism, 1998
Simulation & Gaming, 2002
This article describes how the authors integrated a semester-long simulation of an academic confe... more This article describes how the authors integrated a semester-long simulation of an academic conference into a composition class for international graduate students at Oklahoma State University. It outlines the various phases of the simulation and shows how each phase was incorporated into the regular activities of the class. It describes the committees that were formed to accomplish the tasks necessary to carry out the simulation and analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating this type of activity into the curriculum. After attending the conference and examining responses of students who participated in the simulation, the authors conclude that it was a worthwhile activity and one that is consistent with the goals of the course.
Simulation & Gaming, 1990
Simulation & Gaming, 2008
The Modern Language Journal, 1995
This study examines the relationship between holistic judgments of oral proficiency and objective... more This study examines the relationship between holistic judgments of oral proficiency and objective measures of syntactic maturity in the Oral Proficiency Interviews (OPIs) of 107 students of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Tianjin, China. The analysis compares a holistic rating of proficiency level (Intermediate, Advanced, and Superior) with objective measures (Mean T-Unit Length, Mean Error-Free T-Unit Length, and Percent of Error-Free T-Units) for three separate interview tasks (Describing/Narrating, Role Playing, and Asking Questions). Results of the repeated measures Multivariate Analyses of Variance (MAN-OVAs) indicate significant main effects for proficiency level and interview task.
The Modern Language Journal, 2012
Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 2009
This study investigates the variation in oral proficiency demonstrated by 14 Air Traffic Controll... more This study investigates the variation in oral proficiency demonstrated by 14 Air Traffic Controllers across two types of testing tasks: work-related radio telephony-based tasks and non-specific English tasks on aviation topics. Their performance was compared statistically in terms of level ratings on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) scale. The results demonstrate significant differences in the performance of the test-takers across task types, differences that were not fully predictable across subjects. The differences between general English proficiency and specific purpose proficiency were even greater than those we would expect for other LSP situations. We discuss the implications of these findings for fairly and safely assessing Aviation English using ICAO standards in a politicized context.
This study analyzes the use of role-play as an elicitation device for the evaluation of a nonnati... more This study analyzes the use of role-play as an elicitation device for the evaluation of a nonnative speaker’s oral language. In this analysis of role-play as a methodology to generate data for assessment purposes, the study examines the role that interlocutors play in two types of interactions. It raises questions about the validity and reliability of dialogic role-plays used to elicit a ratable sample of a nonnative speaker’s oral proficiency and proposes that a monologic situation may provide a more reliable and accurate sample. The study also suggests how implications for simulation-based teaching can be implemented in second/ foreign language classes.
The Routledge Handbook of Language Testing
Simulation Gaming, Mar 1, 2007
The Routledge Handbook of Language Testing, 2009
Simulation & Gaming, 2002
ABSTRACT This article integrates major outcomes of a simulation-based approach to teaching foreig... more ABSTRACT This article integrates major outcomes of a simulation-based approach to teaching foreign language and links it to learners' attainment of strategic competence. According to existing research, curricula inspired by the approach seem to promote favorable ...
Simulation & Gaming, 2008
This article introduces a simulation on bullying that consists of five phases. In the briefing ph... more This article introduces a simulation on bullying that consists of five phases. In the briefing phase, the participants answer a questionnaire about bullying. After they complete the questionnaire, they move on to read simulated news articles (the second phase). Once they finish reading the articles, the participants take part in a talk show. This third phase is followed by an in-service workshop (the fourth phase) in which school personnel discuss six case studies and must decide if the cases represent bullying or not. After the workshop, the fifth and final phase consists of a debriefing, in which participants have an opportunity to share their thoughts on the topic.
Simulation & Gaming, 2007
ABSTRACT The article begins by reviewing the theoretical bases for the contention that advanced c... more ABSTRACT The article begins by reviewing the theoretical bases for the contention that advanced computer-based educational gaming can provide powerful learning experiences, and overviews the limited research on the use of such games. Although studies to date ...
Simulation & Gaming, 2007
This simulation probes what is known as the “foreign” teaching assistant problem. The “problem” c... more This simulation probes what is known as the “foreign” teaching assistant problem. The “problem” can be found at large state universities in the United States where international graduate students are required to earn their scholarships by teaching undergraduate courses and arises because of a combination of issues, including the oral proficiency of the international teaching assistants (ITAs) and the xenophobic reactions to them by undergraduate students and their parents. The simulation probes the cross-cultural competence of all the stakeholders involved.
Simulation & Gaming, 2007
In this third part of the Symposium on Simulation and Gaming in Second Language Acquisition (SLA)... more In this third part of the Symposium on Simulation and Gaming in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) contexts, I have included articles describing the development and incorporation of games for SLA instruction as well as the incorporation of simulations into composition curricula in the United States and in Brazil. Jonnie Hill has been adapting game show formats for English classes for more than a decade. She recently spent more than 3 years in the People's Republic of China, facilitating the use of games with her English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. In her article she describes how she adapted four different quiz show formats from American TV and how her EFL students in China reacted to these games that she introduced into her speaking/listening classes. Curt Reese and Terri Wells describe a game that they created to teach their English as a Second Language (ESL) students conversation skills: THE CONVERSATION GAME. I first learned about this game at a session that Curt Reese presented at the annual TESOL Convention in Tampa, Florida, in 2006. Armed with a stack of yellow, green, and blue cards that said "I couldn't agree with you more," "In my opinion," and "I hate to disagree, but don't you think…", I participated in a conversation game with others who attended this session. It was fun trying to use all of my cards, and I quickly understood how this game could actually help a reticent student to learn to participate more fully in conversations that were taking place in his or her L2. This issue introduces another game, one that the authors created to help international students negotiate the American university system. The game promotes the acquisition of cross-cultural competence by means of game cards known as culture assimilators. Rebecca Damron and I describe the process of creating these game cards for THE UNIVERSITY GAME. We describe the basic structure of a culture assimilator (including the development of critical incidents, potential responses that explain the misunderstanding outlined in the critical incidents, and evaluations of these responses with explanations and culturally appropriate interpretations). In our description of the creation of authentic culture assimilators, we include examples of initial prompts describing the intercultural misunderstandings and the process of
Simulation & Gaming, 2007
... An evaluation of the effectiveness of the culture assimilator in Thailand and Greece. Journal... more ... An evaluation of the effectiveness of the culture assimilator in Thailand and Greece. Journal of Applied Psychology, 56, 472-479. Rebecca Damron is an assistant professor in the English Department at Oklahoma State University and is the director of the OSU Writing Center. ...
Language Assessment Quarterly, 2005
The main focus of this book, according to the author, is to determine whether the oral proficienc... more The main focus of this book, according to the author, is to determine whether the oral proficiency interview (OPI) is “a valid instrument for assessing language speaking proficiency” (p. 1). In her investigation of the OPI as a speech event, Johnson analyzes the turn taking, topic nomination, and question types in 35 OPIs that she describes as having been conducted at a federal agency. After analyzing the characteristics of these 35 OPIs, Johnson asserts that the “OPI does not test speaking ability in the real-life context of a conversation” (p. 142). On this particular point I agree with the author; I agree “the OPI lacks both empirical evidence and theoretical rationales to justify the claim about the conversational nature of its interaction” (p. 143). This observation, however, does not invalidate the OPI as a test of oral proficiency, because a conversation may not be the appropriate venue for the elicitation of one’s oral proficiency in a second or foreign language. It merely points out that to equate the OPI with a conversation is unfounded. Johnson’s conclusion is that rather than resembling a conversation, the OPI resembles two types of interviews: sociolinguistic and survey research. However, in another part of the book she refers to the “norms and rules” of the OPI and questions whether they “even exist in real life.” This is a curious conclusion: Interviews surely exist in real life (e.g., in business and in academia). Thus, labeling the OPI as a hybrid type of interview, does not then position this speech event outside of “real life.” LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT QUARTERLY, 2(4), 315–319 Copyright © 2005, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.