Assessing
Language
Performance
Learning Objectives
At the end of the lessons, students should be able to:
1. familiarize with some key concepts in assessment theory and to some
practical ways of testing the
language skills of young learners;
2. present different assessment tools in teaching grammar; and
3. write an assessment tasks in teaching language arts to elementary grades.
•What do you think are the
considerations of teachers in making
an assessment tool for a class?
In Testing for Language Teachers (CUP 2003), Arthur
Hughes makes four recommendations for testing
young learners:
1) Testing should be seen as an integral part of
learning.
2) Give prompt feedback to children
3) Be positive in giving feedback
4) Self-assessment should be made part of the
teaching.
• Yes Mostly No
• a) Did you understand what to do? ____ ____ ____
• b) Did you have enough time? ____ ____ ____
• c) Did you answer all the questions? ____ ____ ____
• d) Did you do the tasks well? ____ ____ ____
• e) Did you enjoy the tasks? ____ ____ ____
When testing young learners, Hughes
(2003) points out that we should:
• Include colours
• Make the test • Use a format
and pictures to
short and easy to that the students
make the test
follow are familiar with
more attractive
• Be clear about what we are testing and avoid evaluating
mixed skills together in one test component
• Create conditions that allow children to perform at their
best: they need to understand exactly what they are
expected to do, and it is a good idea to give relatively easy
tasks at the beginning of the test to instill confidence in
the young test takers.
What are the conflicts between
classroom learning and classroom
testing ?
Evaluating a language test
1) Does the test have a clear aim? Yes__ No__ Not sure__
2) Are the instructions clear? Yes__ No__ Not sure__
3) Would the test be easy to administer? Yes__ No__ Not sure__
4) Would the test be suitable for young learners? Yes__ No__ Not sure__
5) Would the test be interesting for young learners? Yes__ No__ Not sure__
6) Would the teacher learn something useful from the results? Yes__ No__ Not
sure__
Suggested Sample Test
• 1. Gap Filling
• 2. Object naming with a picture
• 3. Object recognition with a picture
• 4. Activity naming with a picture
• 5. Drawing a picture based on spoken instructions
• 6. Listening to a story and completing multiple-choice questions
• 7. Testing speaking skills