Students should be encouraged to keep personal dictionaries with vocabulary learned in the EAL class as well as in other classes. Separating the words into themes will aid retention. Effective Assessment and Evaluation Strategies Student assessment and evaluation are an integral part of good teaching practices. These practices must be well planned, purposeful, and attached to specific learning outcomes. They must also inform classroom instructional approaches and strategies, so that improvements to students learning are always being made. Assessment tools guide both teachers and students in making decisions about attainment of learning outcomes. For students who are learning English as an additional language, assessment activities should: Focus on observable, measurable, and attainable skills which show growth in language use and communicative abilities Involve a variety of language competencies (as in real life) Take place in a variety of contexts which target academic learning Assessment and evaluation strategies which are particularly effective for students who are learning English as an additional language have been identified below. These are followed by summative checkpoints which can be used to assess language progress. Checklists ► Checklists are an efficient method of gathering information on student’s language development. Teachers write dates, checkmarks and/or notes next to specific skills, behaviours or concepts. Both teachers and language learners can use check lists as assessment instruments. Cloze ► Cloze (fill in the blanks exercises) can assess students’ reading and writing strategies as well as the ability to make sense of text. Interviews and Conferences ► Conferences with individual students allow teachers to gain insight into a student’s strengths, progress and learning needs. Dated notes on the conversations can be kept in binders, on discs or in student files. Observations and Anecdotal Records ► Observations provide a way of gathering information that may not be picked up in other types of assessments. Anecdotal records are a form of ongoing assessment of student(s) in the classroom. These provide the teacher with information as to how the student is processing information, ‘jot-notes’ collaborating with students as well as general observations on learning styles, attitudes and behaviours. Such records are a valuable form on ongoing assessment.
Students should be encouraged to keep personal dictionaries with vocabulary learned in the EAL class as well as in other classes. Separating the words into themes will aid retention. Effective Assessment and Evaluation Strategies Student assessment and evaluation are an integral part of good teaching practices. These practices must be well planned, purposeful, and attached to specific learning outcomes. They must also inform classroom instructional approaches and strategies, so that improvements to students learning are always being made. Assessment tools guide both teachers and students in making decisions about attainment of learning outcomes. For students who are learning English as an additional language, assessment activities should: Focus on observable, measurable, and attainable skills which show growth in language use and communicative abilities Involve a variety of language competencies (as in real life) Take place in a variety of contexts which target academic learning Assessment and evaluation strategies which are particularly effective for students who are learning English as an additional language have been identified below. These are followed by summative checkpoints which can be used to assess language progress. ► Checklists Checklists are an efficient method of gathering information on student’s language development. Teachers write dates, checkmarks and/or notes next to specific skills, behaviours or concepts. Both teachers and language learners can use check lists as assessment instruments. ► Cloze Cloze (fill in the blanks exercises) can assess students’ reading and writing strategies as well as the ability to make sense of text. ► Interviews and Conferences Conferences with individual students allow teachers to gain insight into a student’s strengths, progress and learning needs. Dated notes on the conversations can be kept in binders, on discs or in student files. ► Observations and Anecdotal Records Observations provide a way of gathering information that may not be picked up in other types of assessments. Anecdotal records are a form of ongoing assessment of student(s) in the classroom. These ‘jot-notes’ provide the teacher with information as to how the student is processing information, collaborating with students as well as general observations on learning styles, attitudes and behaviours. Such records are a valuable form on ongoing assessment.
EAL%20A10L%20-%20Introduction%20to%20English.docx