assessment & language learning
TRANSCRIPT
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Assessment & Language Learning
By: Bishara Adam
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Issues in Assessing Children’s Language Learning
Age: Motor, language, conceptual and social development
Content of language learning: skills, vocabulary, language use at discourse level
Methods of teaching: games, songs, stories to carry language content and practice.
Aims of language learning: social, cross-cultural and language learning aims
Learning theories: social interaction
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Principles For Assessing Children’s Language Learning
Assessment should be seen from a learning-centered perspective.
Assessment should support learning and teaching (the process and outcomes of assessment can motivate learners; an assessment activity can be a language use model, assessment activity and feedback from it can support further learning, the outcomes of assessment can help teachers plan more effective lessons and can inform the evaluation and improvement of courses and programs).
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Principles For Assessing Children’s Language Learning
Assessment is more than testing: The test results do not reflect the big picture.
Assessment should be congruent (in harmony) with learning; interactional rather than isolated.
Children & parents should understand assessment issues: Parents need to know what teachers are doing and why.
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Key Concepts In Assessment
Assessment – testing - evaluation: Evaluation is the process of systematically collecting information in order to make judgments.
Formative (on-going) and Summative (end result) assessment
Diagnostic (how much can be done for further learning) tests and achievement (what can a learner do) tests
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Key Concepts In Assessment
Criterion- referenced (expected response) and norm-referenced (comparing) assessment
Validity (do we assess what we want to?)
Reliability (scoring, numerical marks)
Fairness (rating and scoring)
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Self Assessment & Learner Autonomy
Better understanding among pupils
Higher motivation
Better understanding by teacher
Better preparation among learner
Better relationship – teachers & learners
Realistic goal setting by children
Collecting portfolios by children
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Teacher Assessment Of Language Learning
Assessing in relation to goals
Selecting an assessment focus
Assessment by observation (systematic)
Creating opportunities for assessment during classroom
activities
Record keeping (checklists)
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Alternative Techniques Of Assessment For Young Learners
Non-verbal response (for silent period)
Oral interview (using visual clues)
Role-play
Written narratives
Presentations
Student-teacher conference: structured- interviews.
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Alternative Techniques Of Assessment For Young Learners
Self-assessment: A pupil who learns to assess his or her own work moves from being “other regulated” to “self-regulated” or autonomous.
K-W-L Charts (Know, Wonder, Learn)
Learning Logs
Dialogue Journals
Peer and group assessment
Student portfolios
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Making Feedback Helpful To Learners
Corrective feedback: to correct their language use- accuracy; not only pointing out errors but also showing why it is incorrect.
Evaluative feedback: judgment on the pupils’ performance.
Strategic feedback: advice on what to do to improve the performance.