Final grade will be based on an oral and a written exam and composed as follows:
1. Individual or team project with final oral presentation (30%). Both project and presentation will have to be agreed upon with me.
2. Online exercises (15%)
3. Homework assignment (15%)
4. Final exam (40%)
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
THE CONTRIBUTION OF 'LINGUISTICS' THAT INFLUENCE THE ASSESSMENT OF FOREIGN & SECOND LANGUAGE EDUCATION
Contribution of Linguistics to Foreign and Second Language Education
1. Description of the components and structure of language: (Phonology; Morphology; Syntax; Grammar; and also Lexicon).
2.Discourse analysis
3.Concept of language universals
4.Surface vs. deep structure of language
Contribution of Psycholinguistics to Foreign and Second Language Education
1.Understanding of the process of language acquisition in a first and second language
2.Competence vs. performance
3.Affective variables in language learning
4.Cognitive strategies of language learners
5.Effects of bilingualism on cognitive development
Contribution of Sociolinguistics to Foreign and Second Language Education
1.Perception of the total language environment: Communication & the functions of language
2.Cultural factors that influence language learning
3.Social and interpersonal language learning variables
4.Studies of language variations, language prestige and bilingualism in social contexts
Contribution of Sociolinguistics to Foreign and Second Language Education
1.Understanding of self-esteem and motivation in students
2.Sequential nature of language learning
3.Theories of cognitive development and learning strategies
4.Elements of sound curriculum design
5.Characteristics of effective teaching
1. Description of the components and structure of language: (Phonology; Morphology; Syntax; Grammar; and also Lexicon).
2.Discourse analysis
3.Concept of language universals
4.Surface vs. deep structure of language
Contribution of Psycholinguistics to Foreign and Second Language Education
1.Understanding of the process of language acquisition in a first and second language
2.Competence vs. performance
3.Affective variables in language learning
4.Cognitive strategies of language learners
5.Effects of bilingualism on cognitive development
Contribution of Sociolinguistics to Foreign and Second Language Education
1.Perception of the total language environment: Communication & the functions of language
2.Cultural factors that influence language learning
3.Social and interpersonal language learning variables
4.Studies of language variations, language prestige and bilingualism in social contexts
Contribution of Sociolinguistics to Foreign and Second Language Education
1.Understanding of self-esteem and motivation in students
2.Sequential nature of language learning
3.Theories of cognitive development and learning strategies
4.Elements of sound curriculum design
5.Characteristics of effective teaching
Transition in Bilingual Reading
Transition in Bilingual Reading
What the Research Says about Cross-linguistic Transfer
•There is a positive transfer between L1 and L2 in several areas: phonemic awareness; reading phonics and word recognition strategies; & use of cognates.
What the Research Says about Language Contrasts
•Some reading strategies are common to both languages, while others are specific to the phonetic and graphic systems of L1 or L2. Explicit instruction in these contrasts is helpful.
What the Research Says about Bilingual Readers
•Their biggest obstacle is lack of vocabulary in L2.
•Background knowledge for specific texts is essential to comprehension
•They utilize translation & familiarity with cognates
Transition Not an event, but a PROCESS
•Will occur at different points of language & literacy development for different students
•Must be supported & monitored
•It’s never too late but it may be too soon!
Points of Transition
•Mark a shift in the formal academic expectations placed on LEP students
•Represent a shift in the relationship of the two languages to each other
Point of Transition #1 Literacy Instruction
•When students who have been receiving formal literacy and content instruction in L1 begin formal English reading & content area instruction in L2.
Point of Transition #2 Re-designation
•The point in a program when students begin to receive all of their instruction in English, without second language support.
The Transition Phase
•Assessment of primary language skills in reading, writing & content areas
•English language assessment
•Grouping & placement criteria
•Curriculum planning
Teaching Skills for Effective Transition
•Knowledge of linguistic & cultural factors in L2 instruction, especially reading & writing
•Wise use of language assessment & achievement test data
•ELD & SDAIE methods
Transition Criteria
•Reading skills at grade level in Spanish with well-established phonics skills & comprehension
•English LAS level 3 or intermediate fluency
•English reading readiness skills & phonemic awareness
A Transition Checklist Spanish Reading
•Phonemic awareness & phonics: vowels, consonants, blends, diphthongs
•Structural analysis
•Word recognition
•Comprehension skills
•Writing skills
•Overall reading fluency
A Transition Checklist English Language Skills
•Language usage & fluency
•Phonemic awareness
•Vocabulary & grammar
•English reading potential as measured by listening comprehension of reading text
Source: http://coe.sdsu.edu/people/jmora/TransitionMMdl/Default.htm
What the Research Says about Cross-linguistic Transfer
•There is a positive transfer between L1 and L2 in several areas: phonemic awareness; reading phonics and word recognition strategies; & use of cognates.
What the Research Says about Language Contrasts
•Some reading strategies are common to both languages, while others are specific to the phonetic and graphic systems of L1 or L2. Explicit instruction in these contrasts is helpful.
What the Research Says about Bilingual Readers
•Their biggest obstacle is lack of vocabulary in L2.
•Background knowledge for specific texts is essential to comprehension
•They utilize translation & familiarity with cognates
Transition Not an event, but a PROCESS
•Will occur at different points of language & literacy development for different students
•Must be supported & monitored
•It’s never too late but it may be too soon!
Points of Transition
•Mark a shift in the formal academic expectations placed on LEP students
•Represent a shift in the relationship of the two languages to each other
Point of Transition #1 Literacy Instruction
•When students who have been receiving formal literacy and content instruction in L1 begin formal English reading & content area instruction in L2.
Point of Transition #2 Re-designation
•The point in a program when students begin to receive all of their instruction in English, without second language support.
The Transition Phase
•Assessment of primary language skills in reading, writing & content areas
•English language assessment
•Grouping & placement criteria
•Curriculum planning
Teaching Skills for Effective Transition
•Knowledge of linguistic & cultural factors in L2 instruction, especially reading & writing
•Wise use of language assessment & achievement test data
•ELD & SDAIE methods
Transition Criteria
•Reading skills at grade level in Spanish with well-established phonics skills & comprehension
•English LAS level 3 or intermediate fluency
•English reading readiness skills & phonemic awareness
A Transition Checklist Spanish Reading
•Phonemic awareness & phonics: vowels, consonants, blends, diphthongs
•Structural analysis
•Word recognition
•Comprehension skills
•Writing skills
•Overall reading fluency
A Transition Checklist English Language Skills
•Language usage & fluency
•Phonemic awareness
•Vocabulary & grammar
•English reading potential as measured by listening comprehension of reading text
Source: http://coe.sdsu.edu/people/jmora/TransitionMMdl/Default.htm
Language Assessment: What it Measure and How?
Dimensions of L2 Fluency Talking
• The ability to talk at length with few pauses; to fill time with talk
• The ability to have appropriate things to say in a wide range of contexts
Dimensions of L2 Fluency Vocabulary & Syntax
• The size and range of a speaker’s vocabulary and syntactical forms
• The ability to talk in coherent, reasoned and “semantically dense” sentences
Dimensions of L2 Fluency Knowing the Rules
• Knowledge of the various patterns of interaction and discourse for various situations and context
• Knowledge of the rules of conversation
Dimensions of L2 Fluency Creativity with Language
• The ability to be creative and imaginative with language; to express oneself in novel ways.
• The ability to invent and entertain; to take risks in linguistic expression
Measuring Fluency Instruments
• Using commercially designed language assessment instruments
• Teacher observation using a rating scale
• Informal observations of students’ behaviors
Commercial Assessment Instruments
• Classify students’ on a standardized scale from 1 to 5; 1=limited proficiency & 5=native speaker equivalent proficiency
• Proficiency scale is interpretable across school settings
The Observation Matrix (Solom)
• Student Oral Language Observation Matrix allows teachers to rate students’ according to L2 language used in a classroom context for academic purposes.
Uses of Language Assessment
• Appropriate bilingual/ESL program placement
• Diagnosis of language strengths and weaknesses
• Detection of patterns of systematic errors
Pre-systematic versus Systematic Errors
• The important distinction between “goofs” in early L2 development or inter-language versus errors that are consistent and form patterns of incorrect usage
5 Types of L2 Learner Errors
Transfer Errors
• Involve application of rules that hold in the first language but not in L2
• Use of lexical forms pronounced as cognates when no such equivalent exists in L2
Overgeneralization
• The application of a general principle in the case of an exception
• Demonstrate a basic understanding of syntax and grammar, misapplied with a particular form
Avoidance Errors
• The “beating around the bush” errors with the use of an incorrect word or syntactic form
• The lack of a precise use of vocabulary or idiomatic expressions
• Lack of use of the appropriate verb tense
Idiomatic Errors
• An attempt to translate a phrase or expression directly from L1 when the forms are not equivalent
• A misuse of certain phraseology or vocabulary words in a common expression
Idiosyncratic Errors
• L2 learner language unique to the individual
• Part of a system of approximations to the individual’s interpretation of native speaker models
• A natural part of L2 development
Source: http://coe.sdsu.edu/people/jmora/LangAssessmtMMdl/Default.htm
• The ability to talk at length with few pauses; to fill time with talk
• The ability to have appropriate things to say in a wide range of contexts
Dimensions of L2 Fluency Vocabulary & Syntax
• The size and range of a speaker’s vocabulary and syntactical forms
• The ability to talk in coherent, reasoned and “semantically dense” sentences
Dimensions of L2 Fluency Knowing the Rules
• Knowledge of the various patterns of interaction and discourse for various situations and context
• Knowledge of the rules of conversation
Dimensions of L2 Fluency Creativity with Language
• The ability to be creative and imaginative with language; to express oneself in novel ways.
• The ability to invent and entertain; to take risks in linguistic expression
Measuring Fluency Instruments
• Using commercially designed language assessment instruments
• Teacher observation using a rating scale
• Informal observations of students’ behaviors
Commercial Assessment Instruments
• Classify students’ on a standardized scale from 1 to 5; 1=limited proficiency & 5=native speaker equivalent proficiency
• Proficiency scale is interpretable across school settings
The Observation Matrix (Solom)
• Student Oral Language Observation Matrix allows teachers to rate students’ according to L2 language used in a classroom context for academic purposes.
Uses of Language Assessment
• Appropriate bilingual/ESL program placement
• Diagnosis of language strengths and weaknesses
• Detection of patterns of systematic errors
Pre-systematic versus Systematic Errors
• The important distinction between “goofs” in early L2 development or inter-language versus errors that are consistent and form patterns of incorrect usage
5 Types of L2 Learner Errors
Transfer Errors
• Involve application of rules that hold in the first language but not in L2
• Use of lexical forms pronounced as cognates when no such equivalent exists in L2
Overgeneralization
• The application of a general principle in the case of an exception
• Demonstrate a basic understanding of syntax and grammar, misapplied with a particular form
Avoidance Errors
• The “beating around the bush” errors with the use of an incorrect word or syntactic form
• The lack of a precise use of vocabulary or idiomatic expressions
• Lack of use of the appropriate verb tense
Idiomatic Errors
• An attempt to translate a phrase or expression directly from L1 when the forms are not equivalent
• A misuse of certain phraseology or vocabulary words in a common expression
Idiosyncratic Errors
• L2 learner language unique to the individual
• Part of a system of approximations to the individual’s interpretation of native speaker models
• A natural part of L2 development
Source: http://coe.sdsu.edu/people/jmora/LangAssessmtMMdl/Default.htm
Is Assessment Central to Learning?
1. The quotations below-mentioned explain why assessment is central to the learning processes. These authors also believe that assessment is a crucial aspect of teaching. In other words, assessment is the most significant factor that influences students learning. Choose one, two or all the authors' opinions and suggest ways assessment can help your students.
1. If we wish to discover the truth about an educational system, we must look into assessment procedures …The spirit and style of student assessment defines the defacto curriculum. (Rowntree, 1987, p1)
2. Assessment methods and requirements probably have a greater influence on how and what students learn than any other single factor …This influence may well be of greater importance than the impact of teaching materials (Boud 1988).
3. What influenced students most was not the teaching but the assessment (Gibbs and Simpson, 2004, p4)
1. If we wish to discover the truth about an educational system, we must look into assessment procedures …The spirit and style of student assessment defines the defacto curriculum. (Rowntree, 1987, p1)
2. Assessment methods and requirements probably have a greater influence on how and what students learn than any other single factor …This influence may well be of greater importance than the impact of teaching materials (Boud 1988).
3. What influenced students most was not the teaching but the assessment (Gibbs and Simpson, 2004, p4)
What is the Purpose of Assessment?
Assessment is about several things at once …It is about reporting on students’ achievements and about teaching them better through expressing to them more clearly the goals of our curricula. It is about measuring student learning; it is about diagnosing misunderstandings in order to help students to learn more effectively. It concerns the quality of the teaching as well as the quality of the learning.
(Ramsden, 2003, p 177)
1. Do you think that the explanation given by Ramsden adequate? If yes why? If not, why not?
(Ramsden, 2003, p 177)
1. Do you think that the explanation given by Ramsden adequate? If yes why? If not, why not?
Assessment: Definition, Uses of Assessment, Dimensions of Assessment, Types of Assessment
Definition
According to Tom Angelo (1995), assessment is “an ongoing process aimed at understanding and improving student learning.
It involves:
1. Making expectations explicit and public;
2. Setting appropriate criteria and high expectations for learning quality; systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches those expectations and standards;
3. Using the resulting information to document, explain, and improve performance.
Simply put, assessment (often called outcomes assessment) should be used to:
1. Evaluate curriculum
2. Plan improvements when necessary, and
3. Evaluate the effects of the changes.
Assessment helps departments affirm those things in their curricula and courses that are going well. Assessment also helps identify what is not going well, and often points to the specific changes that might be needed. Assessment is not static; rather, it is an ongoing and continuous effort to improve the quality of instruction, student learning, and overall effectiveness of a department or unit.
Uses for Assessment
Outcomes assessment has several uses. It can be formative, summative, or both.
Outcomes assessment can be formative. Formative evaluation data are gathered to assess the effectiveness of a program. A formative evaluation is designed specifically to evaluate a program’s effectiveness and to influence immediate decisions about how it might be improved. Formative data are typically reported only to those who have direct responsibility for improving and implementing a program.
Outcomes assessment may also be summative. That is, the value or worth of a new curriculum may be judged by comparing it with the curriculum it is intended to replace. In this case, data are gathered for the purposes of accountability, advancement, and decisions about continuation of the program.
Dimensions of Assessment
Outcomes assessment of student learning, the effectiveness of a department’s curriculum, and teaching effectiveness can be accomplished by measuring Benjamin Bloom’s (1960) dimensions of knowledge (cognitive learning, behavior/skills, and attitudes/values).
Measures of Cognitive Learning: Knowledge. These measures can be either course-specific or focused upon major or discipline, and can include:
Knowledge – questions are designed to ask what, when, where, and who. Knowledge of facts, definitions, terms are typical of memory items. A typical question would be:"Define social psychology.”It is highly unlikely that this would be used as an outcome measure of student learning as questions which test knowledge typically only require rote memorization rather than actual learning.
Comprehension - This is the lowest level of learning and understanding. It involves students’ ability to translate information into their own words. A typical question would be:"Explain the rhetoric of identification in your own words."
Application – In this level students are asked to apply their knowledge to different situations and in different contexts. Students are expected to abstract information learned and apply it to daily life. A typical question:"Name the three stages of perception checking and explain how perception checking can improve our ability to communicate."
Analysis – Analysis questions ask students to analyze, compare and contrast relationships between things. For example,"How are the theories of social comparison and psychological centrality similar? How are they different?"
Synthesis – Here students are asked to pull together parts and elements to form a whole. A typical question might be:"How do you explain the phrase, `You don't communicate to someone, you engage in communication with them?'"
Evaluation – Evaluation is considered to be the highest level of student learning, as students are asked to make judgments about the value of the material presented. A typical question would be:"Explain, in detail, why you think that the transaction model is an appropriate/inappropriate representation of the communication process."
Assessment of student learning may occur in many different ways. Among the most common are using course tests, assigned writing projects, and asking for summative knowledge during the senior year. The best assessments use the higher levels of learning (application – evaluation).
Behavior/Skills Outcomes. These assessment measures are not of what students know, but what they can do. Have they developed the higher-order cognitive skills discussed above? Can they demonstrate knowledge-building skills such as library and computer use? Do they have the requisite skills/behaviors for effective practice in a particular occupation or profession? Behavior can also be assessed at two different levels by looking at currently enrolled students (i.e., do they finish their degrees in the timely fashion? What courses are the most popular? Least popular? Is there a correlation between course completion and least popular classes, etc.?) and former students (i.e., occupational and salary history, further education, professional activities, contributions to community, etc.).
Attitude and Value Outcomes. Here assessments are done to determine tolerance of diversity and recognition lf the value and contributions of other cultures, personal values, and social values (i.e., responsibility, commitment, engagement, empathy, ability to compromise, etc.).
Types of Assessment
There are many different ways to gather assessment data. The data you gather may be:
Descriptive – describing how things are in your program. How well do your students write? How many proceed to graduate school? These data are best supported by counts (i.e., in the last 5 years, 30% of our B.A. graduates have received M.A. degrees).
Relational - examining the relationships between two or more factors. For example, do graduation rates differ by gender? Ethnicity? Choice of option, etc.?
Causal – deriving strong inferences about the efficacy of your program. Have you been able to train your teaching assistants to be more effective teachers? How?
Source: http://www.umt.edu/provost/assessment/what_is.htm
According to Tom Angelo (1995), assessment is “an ongoing process aimed at understanding and improving student learning.
It involves:
1. Making expectations explicit and public;
2. Setting appropriate criteria and high expectations for learning quality; systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches those expectations and standards;
3. Using the resulting information to document, explain, and improve performance.
Simply put, assessment (often called outcomes assessment) should be used to:
1. Evaluate curriculum
2. Plan improvements when necessary, and
3. Evaluate the effects of the changes.
Assessment helps departments affirm those things in their curricula and courses that are going well. Assessment also helps identify what is not going well, and often points to the specific changes that might be needed. Assessment is not static; rather, it is an ongoing and continuous effort to improve the quality of instruction, student learning, and overall effectiveness of a department or unit.
Uses for Assessment
Outcomes assessment has several uses. It can be formative, summative, or both.
Outcomes assessment can be formative. Formative evaluation data are gathered to assess the effectiveness of a program. A formative evaluation is designed specifically to evaluate a program’s effectiveness and to influence immediate decisions about how it might be improved. Formative data are typically reported only to those who have direct responsibility for improving and implementing a program.
Outcomes assessment may also be summative. That is, the value or worth of a new curriculum may be judged by comparing it with the curriculum it is intended to replace. In this case, data are gathered for the purposes of accountability, advancement, and decisions about continuation of the program.
Dimensions of Assessment
Outcomes assessment of student learning, the effectiveness of a department’s curriculum, and teaching effectiveness can be accomplished by measuring Benjamin Bloom’s (1960) dimensions of knowledge (cognitive learning, behavior/skills, and attitudes/values).
Measures of Cognitive Learning: Knowledge. These measures can be either course-specific or focused upon major or discipline, and can include:
Knowledge – questions are designed to ask what, when, where, and who. Knowledge of facts, definitions, terms are typical of memory items. A typical question would be:"Define social psychology.”It is highly unlikely that this would be used as an outcome measure of student learning as questions which test knowledge typically only require rote memorization rather than actual learning.
Comprehension - This is the lowest level of learning and understanding. It involves students’ ability to translate information into their own words. A typical question would be:"Explain the rhetoric of identification in your own words."
Application – In this level students are asked to apply their knowledge to different situations and in different contexts. Students are expected to abstract information learned and apply it to daily life. A typical question:"Name the three stages of perception checking and explain how perception checking can improve our ability to communicate."
Analysis – Analysis questions ask students to analyze, compare and contrast relationships between things. For example,"How are the theories of social comparison and psychological centrality similar? How are they different?"
Synthesis – Here students are asked to pull together parts and elements to form a whole. A typical question might be:"How do you explain the phrase, `You don't communicate to someone, you engage in communication with them?'"
Evaluation – Evaluation is considered to be the highest level of student learning, as students are asked to make judgments about the value of the material presented. A typical question would be:"Explain, in detail, why you think that the transaction model is an appropriate/inappropriate representation of the communication process."
Assessment of student learning may occur in many different ways. Among the most common are using course tests, assigned writing projects, and asking for summative knowledge during the senior year. The best assessments use the higher levels of learning (application – evaluation).
Behavior/Skills Outcomes. These assessment measures are not of what students know, but what they can do. Have they developed the higher-order cognitive skills discussed above? Can they demonstrate knowledge-building skills such as library and computer use? Do they have the requisite skills/behaviors for effective practice in a particular occupation or profession? Behavior can also be assessed at two different levels by looking at currently enrolled students (i.e., do they finish their degrees in the timely fashion? What courses are the most popular? Least popular? Is there a correlation between course completion and least popular classes, etc.?) and former students (i.e., occupational and salary history, further education, professional activities, contributions to community, etc.).
Attitude and Value Outcomes. Here assessments are done to determine tolerance of diversity and recognition lf the value and contributions of other cultures, personal values, and social values (i.e., responsibility, commitment, engagement, empathy, ability to compromise, etc.).
Types of Assessment
There are many different ways to gather assessment data. The data you gather may be:
Descriptive – describing how things are in your program. How well do your students write? How many proceed to graduate school? These data are best supported by counts (i.e., in the last 5 years, 30% of our B.A. graduates have received M.A. degrees).
Relational - examining the relationships between two or more factors. For example, do graduation rates differ by gender? Ethnicity? Choice of option, etc.?
Causal – deriving strong inferences about the efficacy of your program. Have you been able to train your teaching assistants to be more effective teachers? How?
Source: http://www.umt.edu/provost/assessment/what_is.htm
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