assessing language skills
TRANSCRIPT
Assessing Language Skills: Trends and
Challenges
Effective Teaching
What makes our teaching effective? How do we know that we are
effective teachers? What do effective teachers do?
Voices from Teachers “I’m an eclectic teacher.” “My class is very communicative.” “I use task-based teaching.” “I always support my students.” “I use authentic activities and
materials.” “My classes are student-centered.” “I promote autonomous learning.”
“My activities are very engaging.” “I never use Filipino in my
classroom.” “My students like my classes.” “I teach my students learning
strategies.” “My English is very good.” “I always plan my classes.” “I studied at University [Insert
Name].”
Key Questions
Are my students learning? What do my students know? What can my students do? What are my students’ strengths and
weaknesses? What can I do to help my students
learn the language?
Language Assessment
Language assessment is any process used to gather information about student learning to improve or facilitate language learning.
Standardized assessment Classroom assessment
Role of Language Assessment
Assessment plays a key role in the teaching and learning of a second or foreign language.
It is the only means teachers have to verify that their students are actually learning.
Through classroom assessment we can: Integrate teaching and learning. Improve student learning. Improve teaching.
Usefulness of Language Assessment
Language assessment is a very useful process that has the power to inform and the power to influence They provide information. They can generate changes. They can guide the decision-
making process.
Information
Language assessment provides valuable information about different aspects of the education system: Students Teaching Program
Changes Language assessment has the
potential to generate changes in individuals’ perceptions behaviors attitudes values motivation
Decision-Making Process
Language assessment provides guidance on the decisions teachers need to make in the classroom who passes/fails what to do next what to reinforce when to move on
Assessments are even more powerful if they are the only criteria used to make critical decisions that could have an impact in the educational system and its stakeholders.
Abuses Tests and testing systems are subject
to abuse because test scores and test interpretations are put to a host of different uses.
Tests are used unethically for other purposes than they were originally intended for.
To avoid abuses, the purpose of any test should be made explicit and public.
Misuses
To exercise power and control to control attendance to control discipline to punish to threaten
The Nature of Assessment Assessment of learning Assessment for learning Assessment as learning
Assessment of Learning
Assessment is summative in nature. It is used for accountability
purposes. It documents how much the students
have learned. The main goal of assessment is to
assign a grade
Assessment for Learning
Assessment is formative in nature. It is used to improve the language
learning process. It provides information about what
students have to learn, how much they have learned, and what they need to do to improve.
Assessment as Learning
Assessment is an integral part of the teaching-learning process.
Each assessment provides the learners an opportunity to continue learning.
Assessment provides students with an opportunity to use the language in “real-life” tasks.
The Assessment Process Gather information about what
students know and can do. Use different ways to collect
information. Quantify the information if needed. Interpret and judge the information. Make decisions based on these
interpretations. Repeat process.
Key Terms
Assessment: to gather information about students, about student learning
Testing: one way to gather information
Measurement: quantify the information
Evaluation: judge the information
Challenges
Persistent Problem There seems to be a disconnect
between theory and practice when it comes to assessment.
What teacher believe is not exactly what teachers practice.
Most language assessment practices are not appropriate.
Colombian Context There is a lack of teacher education
and teacher training in language assessment.
There is a lot of emphasis on language teaching, but not necessarily on language assessment.
There is a generalized negative perception about assessment.
There is a tendency to simply equate assessment to grades.
Recent Events
National Bilingual Program 2008: The year of evaluation Decree 1290
Invitation
Reflect on how you are currently using language assessment.
Make an effort to train yourself on using language assessment appropriately.
Make language assessment
General Recommendatio
ns
1.The assessment process is democratic Democratic assessment is an assessment
process in which all stakeholders participate actively.
It’s a process that is people-centered. It’s a way to empower stakeholders. It’s a process where students have control
of their own learning. It’s a process that allows students to reflect
on their own learning (i.e. self-assessment and peer-assessment) in order to improve.
2. The assessment process must be clear
The purpose of the assessment What to assess How you assess When to assess How to score the assessment How to interpret the assessment How the assessment is used
3. Give appropriate instructions
Instructions should be clear. The language of the instructions
should match the language level of the students.
All students must have a clear understanding of what they have to do to demonstrate their knowledge, abilities or competence.
4. Make assessment an ongoing process
Teachers assess at the beginning of the teaching-learning process (diagnostic assessment).
Teachers assess during the process (formative assessment).
Teachers assess at the end of the process (summative assessment).
5. Assess using different criteria
Different assessment instruments.
Different types of tasks. Different ways to interpret
assessments.
Assessment Options (1)
Formal Assessment Informal Assessment
Observations Questions and answers Interactions Interviews Teacher-student conferences
Assessment Options (2)
Teacher-made tests, self-assessment, peer-assessment.
Selected-response tasks, constructed-response tasks.
Performance-based tasks (portfolios, essays, presentations, debates, info-gaps, role-plays, projects, etc.).
6. Use “authentic” assessments
It allows teachers to make valid inferences about your students.
It will enhance the students ability to transfer skills.
Authentic Assessment A form of assessment in which
students are asked to perform ‘real-world’ tasks or ‘real-classroom’ tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills.
Projects
Essays
InterviewsOral presentationsProblem solving
Demonstrations
Reports
Discussions
Debates
Role plays
Info-gaps
Jig-saws
Conversations
Examples
6. Contextualize assessments
It gives the assessment task a purpose.
It will allow students to make connections.
It will allow students to apply their knowledge.
Example
• Decontextualized: Write three sentences about Colombia.
• Contextualized: The school wants people to get to know our beautiful country. For this reason, the principal is asking students to write sentences to describe Colombia. Write three sentences about Colombia and post them in the bulleting board .
7. Use appropriate tasks The level of the tasks should be
appropriate according to the students’ needs and interests.
Tasks should reflect the students’ language level, age, interests, and cognitive development.
The tasks should give all students the opportunity to demonstrate all their language knowledge and abilities.
Tasks should be engaging and fun for students.
8. Use integrated assessments
Do not assess skills (e.g. reading, listening, writing, speaking, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation) in isolation.
Use tasks that require students to use more than one skill or sub-skill in order to complete it.
It’s more authentic.
9. Have clear scoring procedures
Teachers must have a clear systematic scoring scheme.
These scoring procedures should allow teachers to consistently score students’ performances.
This scoring scheme should inform teachers and students where the students should be, where they are, and what they need to do get there.
10.Align assessments to instruction
Assessment tasks should aligned to instruction.
Tasks should be similar to the tasks that are done in class.
The cognitive level of the assessment tasks are similar to the ones on the classroom tasks.
This allows students to transfer what they are learning in class during the assessment.
11.Empower your students Students are the central part of
the assessment process. Students should accept this
responsibility and take control of their learning process.
Make assessment a democratic process.
Use self-assessment and peer-assessment.
12.Provide feedback to your students (formative assessment)
immediate ongoing relevant
Feedback Teachers should provide guide and
feedback that will allow students to enhance the learning process: Feedback is immediate and ongoing. Feedback highlights the students’
strengths and limitations. Students should make sense of the
feedback. Provide qualitative feedback
(descriptive).
12.Assessment should be fair.
The assessment should provide all students an equal opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment items or tasks should be free of any bias and should not offend anyone.
The items/tasks should not favor any specific group of language learners (female/male, old/young, etc.).
It’s Fair The assessment should provide all
students an equal opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment items or tasks should be free of any bias and should not offend anyone.
The items/tasks should not favor any specific group of language learners (female/male, old/young, etc.).
Examples
Describe your favorite basketball team.
Write a paragraph describing your last vacation trip.
Describe what you do with your father on Sundays.
Write an essay explaining why men are better than women.
Your Challenge Make sure that you are trained on
how to use language assessments appropriately.
Contribute changing the negative perceptions that people have about assessment.
Start first by making sure you have a positive perception about assessment.
Use an assessment system that is truly democratic.