Assessing pupils' performance - issues for individual reflection and/or
discussion with student teachers
Written work Grammar in use I, II, III Is the language used for communicative purpose? If so, how would you define
the purpose?
Think about grammatical competence (accuracy) of the pupils. Use the table
below. Do the pupils meet the criteria statements? Have they achieved level A2?
LEVEL A1
Shows only limited control of a few simple grammatical structures and sentence patterns in
a learnt repertoire.
LEVEL A2
Uses some simple structures correctly, but still systematically makes basic mistakes – for
example tends to mix up tenses and forget to mark agreement; nevertheless, it is usually
clear what he/she is trying to say.
Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment, 2001,
grammatical accuracy.
What aspects of language use will be assessed? How many points will you use?
What mistakes should be corrected? Why?
What kind of correction would help weak pupils?
Consider the grammatical structure that is tested. What makes the structure
difficult? How would you as an English teacher cope with this difficulty?
Study the mistakes made by the pupils. Which mistakes are frequent? How
would you categorize them?
Are there any examples of Czech influence on English grammar, vocabulary and
ways of forming sentences?
What remedial work would you do?
Reflect on the following questions and answers:
Where do you go to school? Ústí nad Labem.
Your class? 5.B.
When do you have English? On Monday, on Wednesday, ...
Are the answers incorrect?
Letters
Read the letters and study the can do statements below. Do the pupils meet the
criteria statements? Try to summarize what they can do in English. Have they
achieved level A2?
A1 - Writing - Pupils can
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write a short, simple postcard
write a short greeting, for example in a birthday card
write simple sentences about where they live and who they are
A2 - Writing - Pupils can
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write about their family, school and hobbies
write a short personal letter of invitation, thanks or apology
write a short description of an event
link sentences with expressions like "and", "but" and "because"
Based on Evropské jazykové portfolio pro žáky a žákyně ve věku 11-15 let v České republice. Fortuna:
Praha, 2001.
What areas of language are tested? Vocabulary, grammar, spelling, fluency ...?
What aspects of language use will be assessed?
Study the following table and use it to assess pupils' work.
Written assessment criteria grid
Level
Overall
Range
Accuracy
A1
Can write simple isolated
phrases and sentences.
Longer texts contain
expressions and show
coherence problems
which makes the text
very hard or impossible
to understand.
Has a very basic
repertoire of words and
simple phrases related
to personal details and
particular concrete
situations.
Shows only limited
control of a few simple
grammatical structures
and sentence patterns in a
memorized repertoire.
Errors may cause
misunderstandings.
A2
Can write a series of
Uses basic sentence
Uses simple structures
simple phrases and
sentences linked with
simple connectors like
"and", but" and
"because". Longer texts
may contain expressions
and show coherence
problems which makes
the text hard to
understand.
patterns with
memorized phrases,
groups of a few words
and formulae in order
to communicate limited
information in simple
everyday situations.
correctly, but still
systematically makes
basic mistakes. Errors may
sometimes cause
misundertatings.
Manual for relating language examinations for the Common European framework of reference for
languages: Learning, teaching, assessment (CEF).
Mark pupils' work. Design a plain score. Make four of five categories.
(A plain score - numbers.
A rating scale - statements describing what each score means.
Given the complexity of language and learning, scales are difficult to write and
therefore few rating scales are published.)
Scales "should not be adopted wholesale, without a serious consideration of the
goals of the class" and the purpose of the activity (Weigle 2002, 184).
Weigle, S. C. (2002). Assessing writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Will you correct all the mistakes? If so, why? If not, can you account for your
decision?
As for correcting mistakes, Ur (1996, 253) gives a good piece of advice: "try
rereading your corrections imagining you are the student: what do you think the
student will feel about them?"
Another good piece of advice that she gives is as follows: "I would rather invest
time and energy in creating opportunities for learners to get things right as much
as possible than in painstaking work on correcting mistakes" (Ur, 1996, 255).
(Ur,
P. (1996). A course in language teaching. Practice and theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.)
Study the can do statements for levels A1 and A2 – orthographic competence. Do
the pupils meet the criteria statements? Have they achieved level A2?
LEVEL A1
Can copy familiar words and short phrases e.g. simple signs or instructions, names of
everyday objects, names of shops and set phrases used regularly.
Can spell his/her address, nationality and other personal details.
LEVEL A2
Can copy short sentences on everyday subjects – e.g. directions how to get
somewhere.
Can write with reasonable phonetic accuracy (but not necessarily fully standard
spelling) short words that are in his/her oral vocabulary.
Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment, 2001,
orthographic control.
Oral performance
Listen to the recordings and study the material focusing on speaking activities
and their assessment - the ways of categorizing spoken performance in particular.
How would you classify the activities?
Listen to the recordings and study the can do statements below. Do the pupils
meet the criteria statements? Try to summarize what they can do in English.
Have they achieved level A2?
A1 - Spoken Interaction – Dialogues - Pupils can
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introduce themselves and thank someone
greet somebody and say goodbye to them
ask somebody how they are and answer similar questions
ask for something and respond to somebody’s requests
use numbers and say what time it is
ask questions about where people live, whom they know and what things they
have and answer such questions
A2 - Spoken Interaction – Dialogues - Pupils can
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invite someone somewhere and respond to invitations
make and accept apologies
discuss with friends what to do, where to go and when and where to meet
ask pupils questions about what they do at school and in their free time, and
answer such questions
express how they feel in a simple way
participate in a short conversation on a topic that interests them
express agreement and disagreement with others
ask questions about hobbies and answer such questions
ask questions about past activities and answer such questions
very simply ask the person to repeat what they said
A1 – Spoken production - monologues - Pupils can
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say who they are and what they do
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say where they live
talk about their home, their family and people they know in simple sentences
A2 – Spoken production - monologues - Pupils can
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describe themselves, their family and other people
describe objects and places in a simple way
talk about their school and about their work at school
express what they like and dislike
describe what they do regularly
describe what they did in the past
describe what they plan to do
Based on Evropské jazykové portfolio pro žáky a žákyně ve věku 11-15 let v České republice. Fortuna:
Praha, 2001.
What areas of language are tested? Vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, fluency?
Simplify and adapt the following criteria (Abreton, G., Lepage, S., & North, B.,
2008)
Assessing oral work
Range
How much language?
- how complex is the syntax, the sentence structures?
- how wide and sophisticated is the vocabulary?
Accuracy
How well controlled is the language?
- how accurate is the grammar?
- how accurate and appropriate is the selection of
expressions?
Fluency
How easily can the learner formulate what they say?
- how smooth and flowing (automatic) is the delivery?
- how clearly can they formulate ideas and thoughts?
Interaction
How skilful is the learner at working with others?
- how well can he/she intervene in the discussion?
- how sensitively does he/she relate to the others’
contributions?
Coherence
How well-structured is the learner’s production?
- how easy is it to follow the direction of their story or
argument?
- how sophisticated and appropriate is the linking in the
context?
BRETON, G., LEPAGE, S., & NORTH, B. (2008). Cross-language benchmarking seminar to calibrate
examples of spoken production in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish with regard to the six
levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Report. Retrieved
October 9, 2009, from www.coe.int/portfolio.
Mark pupils' work. Design a plain score. Make four of five categories maximum.
Scales "should not be adopted wholesale, without a serious consideration of the
goals of the class" and the purpose of the activity (Weigle 2002, 184).
Weigle, S. C. (2002). Assessing writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Check your marking against the following descriptors of communicative
competences.
Think about lexical competence of the pupils. Use the table below. Do the pupils
meet the criteria statements? Have they achieved level A2?
Level A1
Has a basic vocabulary repertoire of isolated words and phrases related to particular
concrete situations.
Level A2
Has a sufficient vocabulary for coping with simple survival needs. Has a sufficient
vocabulary for the expression of basic communicative needs.
Has a sufficient vocabulary to conduct routine, everyday transactions involving familiar
situations and topics.
Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment, 2001,
vocabulary range.
Think about grammatical competence of the pupils. Use the table below. Do the
pupils meet the criteria statements? Have they achieved level A2?
LEVEL A1
Shows only limited control of a few simple grammatical structures and sentence patterns in
a learnt repertoire.
LEVEL A2
Uses some simple structures correctly, but still systematically makes basic mistakes – for
example tends to mix up tenses and forget to mark agreement; nevertheless, it is usually
clear what he/she is trying to say.
Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment, 2001,
grammatical accuracy.
Think about phonological competence of the pupils. Use the table below. Do the
pupils meet the criteria statements? Have they achieved level A2?
LEVEL A1
Pronunciation of a very limited repertoire of learned words and phrases can be understood
with some effort by native speakers used to dealing with speakers of his/her language
group.
LEVEL A2
Pronunciation is generally clear enough to be understood despite a noticeable foreign
accent, but conversational patterns will need to ask for repetition from time to time.
Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment, 2001,
phonological control.
Think about accuracy and fluency of the learners' performance. Balance between
them is very important in language teaching and learning.
Can you find examples of Czech influence on English pronunciation, vocabulary,
grammar and ways of forming sentences?
Reflect on the value of repetition.
Each rehearsal gives learners more confidence. Repetition works even better if
learners get a chance to correct mistakes.
Projects
How does the teacher prevent plagiarism?
How does she help pupils to succeed in doing the projects?
Can you find examples of Czech influence on English vocabulary, grammar and
ways of forming sentences?
School project and performance for parents
What can you do to develop a sense that the whole school is a language learning
community? What other possibilities can you think of that would be appropriate
to your situation?
Alternative assessment and autonomous learning
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Pupils make tests.
Pupils are provided with a specific checklist, go through its meaning and
then agree on a mark. (It helps them to monitor their work.)
Teachers make the marking criteria with the learners.
Think about the following issue:
How can you help learners to be successful at oral / written tests?