Teach English in Weidian Zhen - Tianshui Shi

Giving feedback goes a long way in providing students with the information they need to evaluate their own level & progress. Sometimes it is useful to arrange for more formal feedback depending on institution you are working for. WAYS TO ASSESS STUDENTS LANGUAGE LEVEL: ?Tutorials ?Evaluation by the Students ?Tests TUTORIALS: Can take place with whole group or individuals. You will not have time to conduct individual tutorials every lesson but could spend some time, maybe 10 minutes at end of week to review work done i.e. discussing aims of the lessons ? how well they performed tasks ? whether there are any problems etc. EVALUATION BY THE STUDENTS: Useful to ask students to evaluate their course (not personalities of the teachers) by using questionnaire/guided discussion. E.g.: ?They can be asked if they feel they are getting enough grammar. ?If the balance of skills work is right. ?If they think work is to easy/too difficult or just right. Results of the survey can be discussed & future lessons can be taken into account in light of students comments. This process promotes sincere interaction, develops greater awareness among students of what is happening in classroom & help teacher understand better how to react to what you do. If students English is too poor for this kind of discussion it is worth doing it in students own mother tongue if possible. TESTS: Often appropriate to give tests at different stages in course i.e. at start students may be given ?Placement test to assist formation of groups of students at same level ?Diagnostic test designed to tell you & students what they do/don?t know at beginning of course. Teachers frequently give periodic progress tests on work covered. Can be in form of formal written test or more informal group activity even a game ? as long as it provides information to teacher AND student as to how they are progressing. These tests can be every week/month/term or after certain amount of course book has been covered. Decision can be dictated by school or teacher. Various teachers prefer to give regular short tests & then longer, formal tests every term. If students following course leading to external examination, they are usually eager to do practise tests to get some idea of how close they are to required standard & also to get used to structure of the examination. Other test students may take is an achievement test i.e. an internal test given at end of course e.eg at end of school year. Other options are external examinations offered by organisations like Cambridge assessment & proficiency tests which are not course related but claim to measure proficiency in English at particular levels i.e. common European framework levels i.e. Unit 1 PLACEMENT TESTS: Designed to enable teachers to place new students into correct class according to language ability i.e. multiple choice questions to check knowledge of grammar/vocabulary & spoken interview to make sure student is able to communicate/participate at required level. These tests start with simple questions & become more progressive & difficult. This allows teacher to measure language level of the student. In written part of test is useful to include general questions that require more expansive answers so as to provide more information about written fluency level. Typically the spoken component would also start with simple questions i.e. ?What is your name? ?How old are you? ?What colour is my shirt? Etc. If student seems comfortable with these questions teachers can ask more complex/difficult questions using variety of present, past & future tenses, conditionals etc. until teacher finds a level where the student is not so capable. This together with written tests can be used to determine entrance level of student. If you are not familiar with what knowledge various levels have you can refer to course books of each level & see what language items students at that level would be expected to already know. EXAMPLE LANGUAGE SKILLS PLACEMENT TEST: SECTION 1 Please select the correct answer to the following: 1)People_______________that Italians love to talk a lot. a)tell b)say c)speak d)are telling 2)Many of our students go to the training centre________foot. a)on b)to c)by d)at 3)?Is there___________there?? said the traveller, knocking on the moonlit door. a)somebody b)anybody c)a body d)someone 4)?Ah yes?, said the old man. If I?d had time I___________the world. a)would see b)saw c) would have seen d)have seen 5)Australia____________it?s bicentenary in 188. a)celebrated b)has celebrated c)had celebrated d)celebrates Etc., SECTION 2 1)I haven?t spoken________ages. 2)Where does she come________? 3)I always ____________the same mistakes when I speak English quickly. 4)The word for TWO WEEKS is a__________ 5)He can?t do that_________himself. He needs assistance. Etc. SECTION 3 Have you ever been to an English-speaking country before? If so, please give brief details. If not write about a travel experience that you have had: SECTION 4 And finally, please continue the following in not less than 50 words ?I need to improve my knowledge of English because???? PROGRESSIVE TESTS: Used periodically to gauge what language has been remembered/acquired & what language has been forgotten. These are useful to let teachers/students know what language items need work. Such tests also encourage students to review/revise. Progress tests should include balance of all four skills i.e. ?Reading ?Writing ?Speaking ?Listening Progress tests should only include language items covered within prescribed period. Some schools keep progress tests on file to match topics/language otherwise can be taken from relevant teacher?s book. If neither available teacher must make their own tests i.e. unused exercises from work book/resource books. Some teachers don?t like formal testing as more a test of memory rather than actual knowledge. Some believe as they see students regularly, they are able to manage progress by constant observation in class although most schools will require students to be tested formally. DIAGNOSTIC TESTS: Similar in content as placement tests but more extensive. Are given at start of course to see what student knows & to help teacher plan lessons/materials that will enable students to work on areas of difficulty identified by test PRACTICE TESTS: Should follow the format & structure of external examination they are being given. Most common external exams are: GENERAL EXTERNAL EXAMINATION: TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language. American English exam required n by US universities for admission if prospective student is a non-native speaker of English. Test is virtually all multiple choices & covers grammar/vocabulary/reading/writing/listening. TOEFL recently added a speaking element. IELTS: International English Language testing System Ideal test if student needs to study/work where English is language of communication. IELTS scores recognised by universities/colleges/employers/immigration authorities/professional bodies. TOEIC: Test of English for International Communication Most widely recognised test of work place English proficiency in Japan & Korea & Europe. Measures ability of non-native English speaking examinees to use English in everyday work activities. Originally examining only two communicating skills i.e. reading/listening, TOEIC was based on TOEFL test. Test lasted two and a half hours & had 200 multiple choice questions, 100 listening comprehension questions, 100 reading comprehension questions. Recently writing & speaking components have been added. TOEIC questions re-enact international business environments & contain vocabulary & usage not necessarily needed everyday life. Even native speakers find it hard to get full marks unless have good educational background which suggests it is not a true test of English communicative competence. CAMBRIDGE ASSESMENT: Non-teaching department of University of Cambridge responsible broad range of assessments including UK OCR Examinations Board, Cambridge ESOL & Cambridge International Exams formally UCLES. These exams are world?s leading range of certificates for English learners. Every year taken by over 1, 5 million people in 135 countries & widely recognises for work/study purposes. Exams are linked to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, published by Council of Europe. DIFFERENT CAMBRIDGE EXAMS: General English: ?KET: Key English Test Elementary level exam, testing student?s ability to deal with basic written & spoken communications. ?PET: Preliminary English Test Intermediate level exam, testing ability to cope with everyday written & spoken communications. ?FCE: First Certificate in English Upper intermediate level exam, designed for students who can deal confidently with range of written & spoken communications. ?CAE: Certificate in Advanced English Advanced English exam for student who can communicate with confidence in English for work/study purposes. Often minimum entrance level to UK universities for non-native speakers of English. ?CPE: Certificate of Proficiency in English Very advanced level exam for students who have achieved high level of language skills & are able to function in almost any English speaking context. Skills for Life: Most Cambridge exams available around word. Suits anyone who wants to use English in their studies/work i.e. English as a foreign language. The following exam though, is tailored to needs of those who have moved to Britain i.e. immigrants needing English as second language: Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life: These certificates give separate marks for each ability. Exam is for ESOL learners in England, Wales, Northern Ireland. Is based on the Adult ESOL Core Curriculum. Scotland has own education system. Business English: BEC: Business English Certificates A suite of 3 exams designed to test English language ability used in context of business, designed for students learning English in preparation for career in business. BULATS: Business Language Testing Service Multilingual assessment service for companies that require rapid, accurate means of assessing language skills in English, French, German & Spanish. Many other external examinations. Some focus on testing integrated skills, as in Edexcel London tests of English while others focus on just one skill i.e. Trinity exams in spoken English. Other examinations which are conducted on wide scale internationally are University of Michigan Proficiency in English exams & the city and Guilds (London) exams in all four skills.