QCC Course Assessment Form (Short)
QCC COURSE ASSESSMENT FORM
Fall 2004, Rev. 6/15/07
Date May 31, 2011
Department: Foreign Languages and Literatures
Course: LI 112
Curriculum or Curricula: LA
PART I. STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES
For Part I, attach the summary report (Tables 1-4) from the QCC Course Objectives Form.
TABLE 1. EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT
LI-112 is the second part of the introductory sequence of foreign language study (a requirement for a
successful transfer to the junior year of a baccalaureate program). It is a foundation course required
for (AA) degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences, Fine Arts, and Business Transfer.
TABLE 2. CURRICULAR OBJECTIVES
Note: Include in this table curriculum-specific objectives that meet Educational Goals 1 and 2:
Curricular objectives addressed by this course:
N/A
TABLE 3. GENERAL EDUCATION OBJECTIVES
Gen Ed
objective’s ID
number from
list (1-10)
General educational objectives addressed by this course: Select from preceding list.
(1) Communicate effectively through reading, writing, listening and speaking.
(2) Use analytical reasoning to identify issues or problems and evaluate evidence in order
to make informed decisions.
TABLE 4: COURSE OBJECTIVES AND STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Course objectives
a. Accomplish simple
communicative tasks such
as buying grocery in a
supermarket or clothes in
an Italian boutique.
b.
Describe or narrate in oral
and written form past
events avoiding redundancy
and unnecessary repetition.
Learning outcomes
Students will be able to read, understand and write simple texts on
familiar topics such as buying grocery in a supermarket or clothes
in an Italian boutique.
Students will be able to describe or narrate some important
moments that have occurred in their past, i.e. an unforgettable
vacation or memorable moments of their childhood.
Students will be able to purchase grocery in an Italian salumeria
(deli shop) or buy clothes in an Italian boutique by properly
interacting with the sales associates. They will also be able to
indicate their preferences for a specific item of clothing or grocery.
PART II. ASSIGNMENT DESIGN: ALIGNING OUTCOMES, ACTIVITIES, AND
ASSESSMENT TOOLS
For the assessment project, you will be designing one course assignment, which will address at least one general
educational objective, one curricular objective (if applicable), and one or more of the course objectives. Please
identify these in the following table:
TABLE 5: OBJECTIVES ADDRESSED IN ASSESSMENT ASSIGNMENT
1.
Accomplish simple communicative tasks such as buying grocery in a supermarket or clothes in an Italian
boutique.
2. Describe or narrate past events avoiding redundancy and unnecessary repetition.
Curricular Objective(s) selected for assessment: (select from Table 2)
N/A
General Education Objective(s) addressed in this assessment: (select from Table 3)
1. Communicate effectively through reading, writing, listening and speaking.
2. Use analytical reasoning to identify issues or problems and evaluate evidence in order to make informed
decisions.
In the first row of Table 6 that follows, describe the assignment that has been selected/designed for this project.
In writing the description, keep in mind the course objective(s), curricular objective(s) and the general education
objective(s) identified above,
The assignment should be conceived as an instructional unit to be completed in one class session (such as a lab) or
over several class sessions. Since any one assignment is actually a complex activity, it is likely to require that
students demonstrate several types of knowledge and/or thinking processes.
Also in Table 6, please
a) identify the three to four most important student learning outcomes (1-4) you expect from this assignment
b) describe the types of activities (a – d) students will be involved with for the assignment, and
c) list the type(s) of assessment tool(s) (A-D) you plan to use to evaluate each of the student outcomes.
(Classroom assessment tools may include paper and pencil tests, performance assessments, oral questions,
portfolios, and other options.)
Note: Copies of the actual assignments (written as they will be presented to the students) should be gathered in an Assessment Portfolio for this
course.
TABLE 6: ASSIGNMENT, OUTCOMES, ACTIVITIES, AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS
Briefly describe the assignment that will be assessed:
The final exam will be used as the assessment tool to evaluate students’ abilities in speaking, listening, reading,
and writing as well as their knowledge in vocabulary and grammar.
Oral skills will be assessed by engaging students in role-play activities where both they and the instructor play a
specific role. Students may play the role of a new student at QCC, or a customer buying clothes in an Italian
boutique or grocery in an Italian salumeria. Conversations will prompt the students in providing information
about a vacation they took, some memorable moments of their childhood, or some items of clothing or grocery
they wish to purchase.
Listening comprehension abilities will be evaluated by asking the students to listen to a conversation between two
customers and a sales associate in an Italian boutique. In addition, students need to listen to a description of an
Italian family. Students are then asked to complete a true or false section and a multiple-choice section.
Reading abilities will be evaluated by asking the students to read two passages: one about a vacation in Capri by
two newlyweds, the other about someone describing what their childhood was like. Students are then asked to
answer true/false questions in one instance, and multiple choice questions in the other.
Vocabulary knowledge will be assessed by asking the students to complete a guided dialogue taking place in an
Italian boutique. They will provide information regarding their choice of clothing, the color of the items chosen,
their size, and the cost of the items they wish to purchase.
Grammar accuracy will be assessed by asking the students to complete four sections using the correct forms of
(i) direct and indirect object pronouns, (ii) the verb PIACERE, (iii) demonstratives, and (iv) the past tense of
regular and irregular verbs.
Writing abilities will be assessed by asking the students to describe some important moments of their childhood.
Desired student learning outcomes
for the assignment
(Students will…)
List in parentheses the Curricular
Objective(s) and/or General
Education Objective(s) (1-10)
associated with these desired learning
outcomes for the assignment.
Gen-Ed objective
(1) Communicate effectively through
reading, writing, listening and
speaking.
(2) Use analytical reasoning to
identify issues or problems and
evaluate evidence in order to make
informed decisions.
Curricular objectives
N/A
Briefly describe the range of
activities student will engage in
for this assignment.
Oral comprehension: Role-play in
an Italian class, Italian boutique or
salumeria. (Italian deli shop).
Listening comprehension: listen to a
conversation in an Italian boutique
and a description of a family, and
answer true/false and multiple choice
questions.
Reading comprehension: read two
passages and answer questions.
Vocabulary: complete a guided
dialogue taking place in an Italian
boutique.
Grammar: complete four sections with
verbs, pronouns, and other syntactic
structures.
Writing: write a composition about
some important moment of students’
childhood.
What assessment tools will be
used to measure how well
students have met each learning
outcome? (Note: a single
assessment tool may be used to
measure multiple learning
outcomes; some learning
outcomes may be measured using
multiple assessment tools.)
Students will be asked to describe a
previous vacation, or memorable
moments of their childhood. They
may be also asked to interact with a
sales associate (played by the
instructor) to purchase some items of
clothing or some grocery (see
Appendix I).
Students will be asked to listen to two
conversations and answer questions.
Students will be asked to read two
paragraphs and answer questions.
Students will be asked to provide the
correct vocabulary in a guided
dialogue.
Students will be asked to provide the
correct verb forms, pronouns and
other syntactic structures.
Students will be asked to describe
some memorable moments of their
childhood.
PART III. ASSESSMENT STANDARDS (RUBRICS)
Before the assignment is given, prepare a description of the standards by which students’ performance will be
measured. This could be a checklist, a descriptive holistic scale, or another form. The rubric (or a version of it) may
be given to the students with the assignment so they will know what the instructor’s expectations are for this
assignment.
Please note that while individual student performance is being measured, the assessment project is collecting
performance data ONLY for the student groups as a whole.
TABLE 7: ASSESSMENT STANDARDS (RUBRICS)
Brief description of assignment: (Copy from Table 6 above)
The final exam will be used as the assessment tool to evaluate students’ abilities in speaking, listening, reading,
and writing as well as their knowledge in vocabulary and grammar.
Oral skills will be assessed by engaging the students in role-play activities where both they and the instructor play
a specific role. Students may play the role of a new student at QCC, or a customer buying clothes in an Italian
boutique or grocery in an Italian salumeria. Conversations will prompt the students in providing information
about a vacation they took, some memorable moments of their childhood, or some items of clothing or grocery
they wish to purchase.
Listening comprehension abilities will be evaluated by asking the students to listen to a conversation between two
customers and a sales associate in an Italian boutique. In addition, students need to listen to a description of an
Italian family. Students are then asked to complete a true or false section and a multiple-choice section.
Reading abilities will be evaluated by asking the students to read two passages: one about a vacation in Capri by
two newlyweds, the other about someone describing what their childhood was like. Students are then asked to
answer true/false questions in one instance, and multiple choice questions in the other.
Vocabulary knowledge will be assessed by asking the students to complete guided dialogue taking place in an
Italian boutique. They provide information regarding their choice of clothing, the color of the items chosen, their
size, and the cost of the items they wish to purchase.
Grammar accuracy will be assessed by asking the students to complete four sections using the correct forms of (i)
direct and indirect object pronouns, (ii) the verb PIACERE, (iii) demonstratives, and (iv) the past tense of regular
and irregular verbs.
Writing abilities will be assessed by asking the students to describe some important moments of their childhood.
Desired student learning
outcomes from the
assignment: (Copy from
Column 1, Table 6 above;
include Curricular and /or
General Education Objectives
addressed)
Gen-Ed objectives
(1) Communicate effectively
through reading, writing,
listening and speaking.
2) Use analytical reasoning
to identify issues or problems
and evaluate evidence in order
to make informed decisions.
Assessment measures for
each learning outcome:
(Copy from Column 3,Table 6
above)
Students will be asked to describe
a previous vacation, or memorable
moments of their childhood. They
may be also asked to interact with
a sales associate (played by the
instructor) to purchase some items
of clothing or some grocery (see
Appendix I).
Standards for student performance:
The parameters used for measuring students’ oral
abilities will be to determine whether:
(i) they understand the questions being asked by the
interlocutor,
(ii) they use Italian syntactic structures and
vocabulary accurately,
(iii) they make themselves understood by using the
correct intonation and pronunciation
.
(iv) they speak with some degree of fluidity.
75 per cent of the students tested are anticipated to
meet the course’s expectations as described in the
attached rubric (see Appendix II).
Curricular objectives
N/A
Students will be asked to listen to
a conversation and a description
and answer comprehension
questions.
Students’ listening comprehension ability will be
determined by calculating their accuracy rates in
providing the correct answers to the questions
asked (see Appendix III for scoring scale). 75 per
cent of them are expected to meet the course
standards (80% accuracy rate).
Students will be asked to read two
paragraphs and answer questions.
Students’ reading comprehension ability will be
determined by calculating their accuracy rates in
providing the correct answers to the questions
asked (see Appendix III for scoring scale). 75 per
cent of them are expected to meet the course
standard (80% accuracy rate).
Students will be asked to provide
the correct vocabulary in a guided
dialogue.
Students’ vocabulary knowledge will be
determined by calculating the accuracy rates in
providing the correct words or phrases in a given
situation (see Appendix III for scoring scale). 75
per cent of them are expected to meet the course
standard (80% accuracy rate).
Students will be asked to complete
sentences by providing the correct
word or verb form.
Students’ grammar knowledge will be determined
by calculating their accuracy rates in providing the
correct forms or structures (see Appendix III for
scoring scale). 75 per cent of them are expected to
meet the course standard (80% accuracy rate).
Students will be asked to describe
important moment of their
childhood.
Students’ writing skills will be evaluated on
whether:
(i) they provide all the information they have been
asked,
(ii) their use of the vocabulary is appropriate to
their proficiency level,
(iii) they show an adequate control of the syntactic
structures expected from a high novice L2
learner,
(iv) their sentences are fully developed, and wellconnected.
75 per cent of the students that will be tested are
expected to meet the course’s expectations as
described in the attached rubric (see Appendix IV).
PART IV. ASSESSMENT RESULTS
TABLE 8: SUMMARY OF ASSESSMENT RESULTS
Use the following table to report the student results on the assessment. If you prefer, you may report outcomes
using the rubric(s), or other graphical representation. Include a comparison of the outcomes you expected (from
Table 7, Column 3) with the actual results. NOTE: A number of the pilot assessments did not include expected
success rates so there is no comparison of expected and actual outcomes in some of the examples below. However,
projecting outcomes is an important part of the assessment process; comparison between expected and actual
outcomes helps set benchmarks for student performance.
TABLE 8: SUMMARY OF ASSESSMENT RESULTS
Desired student learning outcomes:
(Copy from, Column 1,Table 6 above;
include Curricular and/or General
Education Objectives addressed)
Student achievement: Describe the group achievement of each
desired outcome and the knowledge and cognitive processes
demonstrated.
Gen-Ed objectives
See Table 9
Communicate effectively through
reading, writing, listening and speaking.
Curricular objectives
N/A
TABLE 9. EVALUATION AND RESULTING ACTION PLAN
In the table below, or in a separate attachment, interpret and evaluate the assessment results, and describe the
actions to be taken as a result of the assessment. In the evaluation of achievement, take into account student
success in demonstrating the types of knowledge and the cognitive processes identified in the Course
Objectives.
A. Analysis and interpretation of assessment results:
What does this show about what and how the students learned?
122 students completed the speaking task in Italian, and their performance was rated according
to five parameters: listening comprehension, fluidity, pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar.
Students’ performance was evaluated using the scoring rubric (see Appendix II). The total points
a student could achieve (adding up all five parameters, each worth a maximum of four points)
was 20. The scale agreed upon beforehand by the Assessment Committee defined the following
ranges: 0-5 points= student performance does not meet expectations; 6 – 10 points= student
performance almost meets expectations; 11-15 points= student performance meets expectations;
16-20= student performance exceeds expectations.
The average of total points achieved by the 122 students tested was 15.6. According to the scale,
this percentile slightly exceeds the 11-15 range, indicating that, in general, students’ oral ability
met the expectations of the course.
The Assessment Committee has also predicted that at least 75 per cent of the students tested are
expected to perform at the level of the course. The percentage of students who achieved each
performance level in Italian is the following:
a. 4% of students did not meet the expectations scoring at Level 1
b. 5% of students almost met the expectations scoring at Level 2
c. 30% of students met the expectations scoring at Level 3
d. 61% exceeded the expectations scoring at Level 4.
Adding together Levels 3 and 4 gives us a total of 91 per cent of students who met or exceeded
the expectations of the course, whereas only 7 per cent of them were unable to reach the
minimum standards of the course (see Chart 1).
Chart 1
Regarding each single parameter, the average score was as follows:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
listening comprehension 3.5
fluidity
3.3
pronunciation
3.4
vocabulary
3.2
grammar
2.9
For all parameters, except for Grammar, students met or slightly exceeded the expectations. In
any case, the highest average score was reached in Listening Comprehension, followed by
Pronunciation, Fluidity, Vocabulary, and Grammar as shown in Chart 2.
Chart 2
128 students participated in the listening, reading, and writing tasks. Their performance was
rated according to five different skills and measured in numerical points: listening
comprehension (0-16), vocabulary (0-16), grammar (0-36), reading comprehension (0-16 ) and
writing (0-16). The scale agreed upon beforehand by the Assessment Committee defined the
following ranges:
0-60 student performance does not meet expectations
61–78 student performance almost meets expectations
79-89 student performance meets expectations
90-100 student performance exceeds expectations
According to this scale, students’ general performance almost met the standards set for the
course, even though 54 per cent of the students met or exceed the expectations, as shown in
Chart 3.
Chart 3
Furthermore, students reached a general average score of 72.6 points out of 100 (the total points
a student could achieve when adding up all five categories, see Chart 4).
Chart 4
The number and percentage of students in each category and for each proficiency levels are as
follows:
LISTENING
Range # of Students Does not meet expectations 0‐9.5 4 Almost meets expectations 10‐12.5 8
Meets expectations 13.14.5 61
Exceed expectations
15‐16 55 Percentage 3.2% 6.3%
47.6%
42.9% VOCABULARY
Range # of Students Does not meet expectations 0‐9.5 25 Almost meets expectations 10‐12.5 31
Meets expectations 13‐14.5 60
Exceed expectations
15‐16 12 Percentage 19.5% 24.2%
46.8%
9.5% Does not meet
expectations 0‐21.5 Almost meets expectations 22‐28 72 33 15 8 56.2% 25.7% 11.9% 6.2% Range # of Students Percentage GRAMMAR Meets expectations 28.5‐32 Exceed expectations
32.5‐36 READING
Meets expectations 13‐14.5 Range Does not meet expectations 0‐9.5 Almost meets expectations 10‐12.5 # of Students 0 18 37 73 Percentage 0% 14% 29% 57% Does not meet expectations 0‐9.5 36 28.3% Almost meets expectations 10‐12.5 33 25.7% Range # of Students Percentage WRITING
Meets expectations 13‐14.5 25 19.5% Exceed expectations
15‐16 Exceed expectations
15‐16 34 26.5% B. Evaluation of the assessment process:
What do the results suggest about how well the assignment and the assessment process worked both to
help students learn and to show what they have learned?
B1) Evaluation of students’ results
The results of the speaking task in Italian show that, as predicted, more than 75 per cent of the
students tested met or exceeded the minimum standards of the course, indicating that the
majority of the students have developed the required oral skills. However, students do not appear
to be as grammatically accurate as they are in the other oral competencies. Their speech patterns
still show some inaccuracies, which, nevertheless, do not seem to interfere with the
understanding of their message.
The results regarding their performance on the listening, reading and writing tasks indicate that,
contrary to our expectations, only 54 per cent of them met or exceeded the standards required by
the course. The areas particularly affected were: Grammar (18.1%) Writing (46%) and
Vocabulary (56.3%). Students’ reading and listening abilities seems to be much more developed.
90.5 per cent of students met or exceeded the expectations in understanding the conversation
held in an Italian boutique and the oral description of the Italian family. Similarly, 86 per cent of
the students were able to fully understand the two passages.
B2) Evaluation of the assessment
.
The results obtained seem to indicate that the assessment tools used and the assessment process
undertaken have been effective in determining our students’ proficiency level.
C. Resulting action plan:
Based on A and B, what changes, if any, do you anticipate making?
The overall average achieved by students on the speaking task in Italian shows a satisfactory
result, with 91 per cent of the students meeting the course expectations. These results have
slightly improved as compared to those of previous evaluations, indicating that we are on the
right track. However, student performance may be further improved, especially in terms of
grammatical accuracy.
At any rate, as previously mentioned, students’ performance on the reading, listening and writing
tasks is barely satisfactory. It appears that the areas that need most improvement are:
Vocabulary, Grammar and Writing. By taking a closer look at the data, one could speculate that
students show a general lack of grammatical accuracy and a poor retention of the vocabulary
learned that affect their writing abilities. Such a low performance needs to be addressed, perhaps
calling for some changes in the currently used teaching practices and techniques.
Conclusions and Action Plan
The acquisition scenario among the foreign languages evaluated (Chinese, German, Italian,
Spanish and French) lacks uniformity. As Table 5 shows, in the five languages the number of
students reaching and exceeding the proficiency levels set up for a Beginning II language course
ranges from 92% of students to 22%. Two language groups (Chinese and German) reported more
than 75% of their students meeting the proficiency standards of the course. Meanwhile the other
three languages reported less than 75%. The differences in range (from 92% in Chinese to 22%
in French) need to be addressed. There could be different reasons for these results. One of the
reasons may be that the data collected for Chinese and German is scarce (14 students for Chinese
and 5 for German) compared with the data collected for Spanish, Italian and French (more than
100 students for each language). Despite the fact that the Chinese and German data may be
insufficient to make an informed decision, it is very likely that the small class promotes higher
standards and better results. In addition, as students perceive Chinese and Germans as being
more challenging, these languages may attract motivated students who are more willing and
ready to work hard. However, the results in Italian, Spanish and French have to be addressed
and examined more carefully, especially in Spanish and French.
Chart 5
A closer look reveals that there are discrepancies among languages in all the categories. One of
the most striking differences is the performance of students taking Chinese compared with the
rest of the languages. Their higher-level performance in grammar may explain in part the overall
higher results in Chinese (92%). In addition, as our assessment of LX111 showed, an average of
less than two third of our students in those classes reached the desired proficiency levels. Certainly,
challenges that students found in the first semester of the elementary language classes
accumulate with the new challenges encountered in the second semester, thus limiting even more
the level of acquisition.
Chart 6
Chart 7
Regarding the oral assessment, the acquisition scenario among the foreign languages evaluated
(Chinese, German, Italian, Spanish and French) is rather uniform. As Chart 8 shows, all five
languages reach and exceed the proficiency levels set up for a Beginning II language course
(75%). We should try to understand the reasons why there is such a discrepancy between the oral
and written results. It may be due in part to the fact that students are more intimidated by an oral
exam, and they might make more of an effort in preparing for the oral assessment. We know that
many students practiced the role-play situations with the language tutors. We also saw them
practicing with each other in the hallways. We might also need to consider that the subjectivity
of the examiner and the verbal nature of the assessment might play a role in the oral assessment.
Moreover, we need to find ways to avoid the effects of external factors that may affect the final
results, and thus make our assessment tool more reliable.
Chart 8
Consistent with our finding in the assessment of LX 111, the low numbers of students of French,
Italian and Spanish reaching the desired level of proficiency in LX112 seems to highlight a general
behavior of poor study skills and habits. In our future action plans we should address the fact that
many of the students taking a foreign language at QCC are taking remediation courses at the same
time. From both our assessment result and class observation, it is evident that many of our students
lack the basic skills that are necessary to be successful college students. With this in mind, the
department will implement actions that will help students understand better what is expected of them.
Following are some examples. At the beginning of the semester we will have students sign a contract
in which all the course requirements are reiterated (i.e.: attendance policy; quiz and exam make-up
policy; lab and/or online materials; and homework requirement; class participation; etc.). Throughout
the semester, we will give students a progress report. Those who are falling behind will be strongly
recommended to go to tutoring. We will work with CETL (the Center for Excellence in Teaching
and Learning) to discuss and implement other strategies to help our students become more effective
learners.
APPENDICES
APPENDIX I
SITUATIONS FOR ORAL ASSESSMENT IN ITALIAN
GUIDELINES





It is a conversation between the STUDENT and HIS/HER INSTRUCTOR of approximately10
minutes.
Student select AT RANDOM one of three situations (see study guide)
Student should answer with complete sentences. English is not allowed.
Student is evaluated on his/her ability to understand the questions, fluidity of his/her speech,
pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar accuracy (see Rubric below)
For top results:
a. Listening comprehension: immediate and full understanding of the examiner’s questions,
without additional probing.
b. Fluidity: continuous speech with few pauses or stumbling.
c. Pronunciation: pronunciation closely resembling that of native speakers.
d. Vocabulary: appropriate use of words required by the task at hand with the inclusion of
additional details.
e. Grammar: correct use of the grammar rule and structures as required by the task at hand
(accuracy level 90%-100%)
STUDY GUIDE
PRACTICE the following situations and the suggested questions:
a. in class
b. with your classmates outside the classroom
c. with a tutor at the Students Learning Center (L-125) Phone: 718-631-6660
SITUAZIONE 1: Una vacanza indimenticabile
You have just returned from an unforgettable vacation. Your friend (played by your instructor)
will ask you about your trip and what you did. Explain in sequence your activities. (Please
answer in complete sentences)
Possible topics:
‐ Place and Duration of the vacation
‐
Departure and arrival time
‐
Transportation used to reach destination
‐
Identification of travelling companions
‐
Daily activities
‐
Places visited
‐
Returning time to New York
‐
Comments on the vacation
Possible questions:
Dove sei andato/a in vacanza?
Quando sei partito/a?
Quando sei arrivato/a?
Quanto tempo sei rimasto/a?
Come sei andato/a?
Con chi hai viaggiato?
Quali posti hai visitato?
Che cosa hai fatto di bello?
Quando sei tornato/a a New York?
Ti sei divertito? Perché sì/perché no?
Che cosa ti è piaciuto/non ti è piaciuto della vacanza?
SITUAZIONE 2: Ricordi
You have just met a new student in your Italian class. You are both freshmen at QCC, and seem
to already miss your HS. Your new acquaintance (played by your instructor) will ask you about
what your life was like in HS. (Please answer in complete sentences)
Possible topics
‐ Name and location of school
‐
Favorite teacher and why
‐
Favorite subject and why
‐
Duration of a typical school day
‐
Transportation used to get to and from school
‐
Daily activities before and after school
‐
Things you liked and did not like about school and why
Possible questions
Come si chiamava la tua scuola media superiore?
Dov’era?
Qual era la tua materia preferita e perché?
Chi era il tuo professore o la tua professoressa preferita e perché?
A che ora cominciava la scuola e a che ora finiva?
Come andavi a scuola?
A che ora uscivi di casa la
mattina?
A che ora tornavi a casa?
Che cosa facevi nel tuo tempo
libero?
Che cosa ti piaceva o non ti piaceva della scuola e perché?
SITUAZIONE 3 In una boutique
You have been invited to your friend’s wedding in Italy. You are aware that Italians follow a different dressing code
from American people. In order to do “bella figura”, you decide to buy a new suit/dress in an Italian boutique. The
sale associate (played by your instructor) will ask some questions regarding the size, color, fabric, the style of the
clothing item you wish to purchase. (Please answer in complete sentences)
SITUAZIONE 4: Fare la spesa
You and your friend have decided to have a picnic in the Parco dell’ EUR in Rome today since the weather is so
beautiful. You go to your local salumeria to buy some food to bring. The salumiere (played by your instructor)
will ask you some questions about the type and quantity of food you wish to purchase. (Please answer in
complete sentences)
APPENDIX II
Elementary level (LI 111 –LI 112) Speaking Task Holistic Rubric
Performance
exceeds
expectations
Performance
meets
expectations
Performance
almost meets
expectations
Performance
does not meet
expectations
Listening
comprehension
Student fully understands the examiner’s questions, without probing 4 points Student fully
understands the
examiner’s
questions, but
needs occasional
probing
Fluidity
Pronunciation
Vocabulary
Grammar
Speech continuous with few pauses or stumbling. Cohesive devices appropriate for this level are frequently used 4 points Continuous
speech with
more pauses and
stumbling.
Cohesive devices
are sporadically
used
Excellent pronunciation 4 points Good
pronunciation
with a few
imperfections
Student fully addresses the information requested and provides additional details using rich vocabulary 4 points Student
addresses the
information
requested
without
providing
additional details
Perfect control of the syntactic structures and grammar required. (Accuracy level 90% ‐ 100%) 4 points Adequate
control of the
syntactic
structures. Some
grammatical
errors
(Accuracy level
79% - 89%)
3 points
Student
understands less
than 60% of the
examiner’s
questions after
probing
3 points
Speech choppy
and/or slow with
frequent pauses.
Rare use of
cohesive devices
3 points
Satisfactory
pronunciation
3 points
Student
addresses less
than 60% of the
examiner’s
questions using
inadequate
vocabulary
2 points
Student
understands less
than 40% of the
questions even
after probing
2 points
Speech halting
and uneven with
long pauses
2 points
Unsatisfactory
pronunciation
2 points
Student
addresses less
than 40% of the
examiner’s
questions using
inaccurate
vocabulary
1 point
1 point
1 point
1 point
3 points
Emerging
control of the
syntactic
structures
Several
grammatical
errors
(Accuracy level
61% - 78%)
2 points
Minimal control
of the syntactic
structures.
Numerous
grammatical
errors
(Accuracy level
0%- 60%)
1point
APPENDIX III
SCORING SCALES
Grammar task (Range: 0 to 36)
GRAMMARSECTION ACCURATE USE OF THE GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURES
LEARNED IN THE COURSE
Performance exceeds
expectations
More than 90% completion of the task
(32.5- 36 points)
Performance meets
expectations
Between 79% and 89% completion of the task
(28.5- 32 points)
Performance almost
meets expectations
Between 64% and 78% completion of the task
(22 – 28 points)
Performance does not
meet expectations
Between 0% to 60% completion of the task
(0 - 21.5 points)
Vocabulary task (Range: 0 to 16)
VOCABULARY ACCURATE AND ADEQUATE USE OF THE VOCABULARY
SECTION
LEARNED IN THE COURSE
Performance
exceeds
expectations
More than 90% completion of the task
(15 - 16 points)
Performance
meets
expectations
Between 79% and 89% completion of the task
(13 – 14.5 points)
Performance
almost meets
expectations
Between 62% and 78% completion of the task
(10 – 12.5 points)
Performance
does not meet
expectations
Between 0% to 61% completion of the task
(0- 9.5 points)
Listening task (Range: 0 to 16)
LISTENING
SECTION
UNDERSTAND PHRASES, EXPRESSIONS AND SHORT MESSAGES
RELATED TO THE TOPICS COVERED IN THE COURSE
Performance
exceeds
More than 90% completion of the task
expectations (15 – 16 points)
Performance Between 79% and 89% completion of the task
meets
(13- 14.5 points)
expectations
Performance
almost
meets
expectations
Performance
does not
meet
expectations
Between 65% and 78% completion of the task
(10 – 12.5 points)
Between 0% to 60% completion of the task
(0 to 9.5 points)
Reading task Holistic Rubric (Range: 0 to 16)
READING
SECTION
UNDERSTAND SHORT AND SIMPLE MESSAGES
RELATED TO THE TOPICS COVERED IN THE COURSE
Performance
exceeds
More than 90% completion of the task
expectations (15– 16 points)
Performance Between 79% and 89% completion of the task
meets
(13- 14.5 points)
expectations
Performance Between 65% and 78% completion of the task
almost
(10- 12.5 points)
meets
expectations
Performance Between 0% to 60% completion of the task
does not
(0 to 9.5 points)
meet
expectations
APPENDIX IV
Elementary Level (LI 111 - LI 112) Writing Task Holistic Rubric
Exceeds
expectations
Task
Completion
Level of
Discourse
Vocab.
Grammar
Superior completion
of the task. Students
fully address the
information
requested, and
provide additional
details
Sentences are fully
developed and
interconnected with
conjunctions (e.g.
AND, BUT, or
BECAUSE
Rich use of
vocabulary
Perfect control of the
syntactic structures
required (Accuracy
level 90% - 100%).
4 POINTS
Completion of task.
Students fully
address the
information
provided, but do not
provide additional
details
4 POINTS
Sentences are fully
developed. Cohesive
devices are
sporadically used
4 POINTS
Adequate and
accurate use of
vocabulary
3 POINTS
3 POINTS
3 POINTS
3 POINTS
Partial completion of
task. Students
complete no more
than 60% of the
information
requested
Sentences are
somewhat complete.
Rare use of cohesive
devices
Somewhat
inadequate and/or
inaccurate use of
vocabulary
2 POINTS
2 POINTS
2 POINTS
Emerging control of
the syntactic
structures Several
grammatical
imperfections
(Accuracy level 61%
- 78%).
2 POINTS
Minimal completion
of task. Students
complete less than
40% of the
information
requested.
Sentences are mostly
incomplete. No use
of cohesive devices
Inadequate and/or
inaccurate use of
vocabulary
Minimal control of
the syntactic
structures.
Numerous
grammatical errors
(Accuracy level 0%60%)
1 POINT
1 POINT
1 POINT
1 POINT
4 POINTS
Meets
expectations
Almost meets
expectations
Does not meet
expectations
Adequate control of
the syntactic
structures. Some
grammatical
imperfections
(Accuracy level 79%
- 89%).