--- Forwarded Message from "Waid, Alexander Ph.D." <[log in to unmask]> --- >Disposition-Notification-To: "Waid, Alexander Ph.D." <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: RE: #7845Evaluating a Second Language acquisition >Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 11:49:18 -0500 >Thread-Topic: #7845Evaluating a Second Language acquisition >Thread-Index: AcUqKjEuKsWGhb66Rbu7XZhSEWE3rgAGy2Vw >From: "Waid, Alexander Ph.D." <[log in to unmask]> >To: "Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum" <[log in to unmask]> Hola Emma, I use a wide variety of assessments with my students. I'll put some of them down in bullet fashion here: -low/no stakes writing: free-writing journals for which they get credit for mere completion (no grade: they are done, or they are not) -skill-specific homeworks, credit for completion AND self-correction (they buy the answer keys for their text and THEY correct the HW before class) -skill-specific quizzes: these are, at least in part, grammar-driven. Can they finish a parragraph with the right form of the verbs? Can they choose correctly between por and para?... (5-10 minutes in class) -quizzes of a more integrative nature: these are a little longer and ask them to communicate using particular structures: "tell me what you do on a typical Saturday", might be part of one of these quizzes. Grammar is about 1/2 the grade and communication is the other 1/2 (15-20 minutes) -tests: much more communicatively driven (can you explain what a particular word means? can you explain (in Spanish) the difference between two or three similar words? Can you write more extended narrations in a particular time-frame?) -oral interviews: I use the ACTFL guidelines and start at, roughly, intermediate mid for the B range and stick to grammar/vocab that we've covered. I've made a SOPI-type set of questions available online for them based on the grammar and vocab for our book _!Arriba!_ and broke them down by chapter. They have access to these in .mp3 format and the .doc scripts in case they can't follow the recording 24/7. They use these to prep/practice for the interviews and also for quizzes/tests because these always have at least one oral section, often more. -pronunciation recordings: graded on pronunciation/intonation (very, very small part of the overall grade: two of them combine for 5% of the overall grade) -Presentations: they prepare a cultural presentation on a topic of their choosing (or from alist I give out). The grade is mostly on communication, but also cultural relevancy and grammar/pronunciation/breadth of vocab, presence before the class... -Compositions (one in-class, one out of class): communication and grammar factor in. Although, as with the oral interviews, I don't give a grade lower than a C if there were no communication breakdowns (no matter how poor the grammar). There's more, but that's a lot to swallow in one bite. Hope it's handy! You'll want to talk to others in your dept. about materials they've generated: no sense rebuilding the wheel, especially when the guy/gal next door has built 354 of them over the last three years! cheers, alex Alexander Waid, Ph.D. Professor of Spanish Department of Humanities United States Coast Guard Academy (dh) Department of Humanities 27 Mohegan Avenue New London, CT 06320-4195 860-701-6866 -----Original Message----- From: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of LLTI-Editor Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2005 8:15 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: #7845Evaluating a Second Language acquisition --- Forwarded Message from "Emma Fernandez" <[log in to unmask]> --- >Reply-To: [log in to unmask] >Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2005 09:15:12 -0600 >From: "Emma Fernandez" <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Evaluating a Second Language acquisition For first time in my life I am teaching Spanish as a Second Language at the Southern Illinois University. My students are beginners although some of them already studied Spanish at High School. My question is about how to evaluate them. Although I consider grammar important, I consider more important the fact that they are able to understand and to communicate in another language no matter if they commit grammar mistakes. Could anyone on LLTI list help me with any orientation or suggestions in this sense?, am I right in evaluating other factors apart from grammar? Emma Fern$E1ndez *********************************************** LLTI is a service of IALLT, the International Association for Language Learning, and The Consortium for Language Teaching and Learning (http://consortium.dartmouth.edu). Join IALLT at http://iallt.org. Otmar Foelsche, LLTI-Editor ([log in to unmask]) ***********************************************