Assessing oral work can present MFL teachers with a particular challenge. There are many reasons why this is so, such as:
Allow about 1 hour
In this activity you will look at issues involved in assessing oral work in MFL. Look at the following settings for oral work:
Using Table 3, note down in the middle column which setting from the list above could be used to assess the component of oral work listed in the first column.
In the third column, note the type of record you would make.
One example has been provided for you.
Component to assess | Possible setting | Type of record |
---|---|---|
Pronunciation |
Pair work Role-plays or simulations |
Note students whose sounds are particularly French, German or Spanish Note students who need to work on the sounds Note sounds that the class needs to hear and practise |
Intonation | ||
Range of vocabulary | ||
Initiative | ||
Accuracy |
Despite the challenges, there are many speaking tasks that can be carried out during lessons that afford opportunities for assessment, for example when students are engaged in pair work.
When assessing oral work, both permanent and ephemeral evidence can be gathered. Permanent evidence will often consist of recordings of spoken work that can be assessed at a later date.
Ephemeral evidence is produced at the moment of learning and consists of actions or words. It is important to listen to students as they talk, and to ask them questions that will allow them to demonstrate their level of attainment. Gathering such data is time-consuming, so it is important to identify in advance which students are to be assessed and which aspect of their speaking work needs to be assessed, so that no time or opportunities are wasted.
You may also wish to refer back to the elements identified by Lazarus and Atkinson in session 2. How might you assess the different aspects relating to ‘fluency’?
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