Reconceptualizing language teaching: an in-service teacher education course in uzbekistan

Unified University Examinations
Centralized college admissions testing may do little to curb corruption
In place of the old exam system came the unified university ex-
ams, which are now administered by a central body to each graduate of the 
11th grade in all 83 of Country’s regions. The centralized exam tests each of 
the most important school subjects, like Country’s language and literature, 
math, foreign languages and natural science. Those who want to attend 
university submit their scores to their desired colleges. Only select institu-
tions like the public universities in City 1 and City 2 are allowed to require 
additional tests. “The idea was good, but the result has been sobering,” said 

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CHAPTER FOUR: PRACTICAL EXAMPLES OF USING COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE
Person’s name
of the Organization’s name, adding that as soon as the new 
national exam was introduced, problems came up. An enormous number 
of high school graduates crowded into the large universities in the capital, 
where the infrastructure was not in place to accommodate them.” There 
isn’t even enough room in the dorms,” Person’s name said.
Deeper problems
But deeper and more serious problems in the educational system re-
main. Person’s name notes that corruption is still prevalent, shifting away 
from the university admissions process but settling instead in secondary 
schools.
Administrators measure their success by kids’ exam scores
“Students’ grades in the official university exam have also become a cri-
terion for the success of local educational bodies,” Person’s name said. That 
leads to a system in which regional governments as well as school princi-
pals and teachers want to beat one another out when it comes to exam 
scores. Entire curricula are now built around getting good grades on the 
centralized exam, while actual learning and knowledge fades more and 
more into the background, in Person’s estimation. “The educational system 
is in a critical position,” he said. One result: universities have to make up for 
the gaps in students’ secondary education once they get to college. That 
cuts into the time needed for advanced learning, leading to inadequately 
trained graduates leaving university. The emerging system is one reason 
that many young people from that country attempt to study abroad.

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RECONCEPTUALIZING LANGUAGE TEACHING