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Meeting # & Date
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Outline of activities; preparation & assignments (due as specified below & on my deadline page); reading assignments are to be done for the next meeting
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Week 1: Introduction to Assessment; the FL (and AL) Culture(s)
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01 • 02 April
handout
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Assignment 1: Written reflection on article, "Washington's proposed math rules to be released Tuesday" (due 5 April.). read Hughes (0876): Preface, Chapter 1; those who haven't taken an intro language pedagogy course: read supplementary materials as assigned individually (especially 0001, "Standards for Foreign Language Learning"; 0384 Allen, "Teachers' Pedagogical Beliefs and the Standards for Foreign Language Learning")
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02 • 04 April
handout
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read for next meeting: ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines (0930 in collection or from ACTFL site)
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Week 2: Language Standards and Widely-Used Assessment Instruments
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03 • 09 April
handout
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ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines: the "organizing principles" of testing and teaching; more about major projects and ?class observations;
Read ACTFL Guidelines for all 4 skills.
Assignment 1 is DUE TODAY; begin soon Assignment 2: Rate your own proficiency (due 18 April.)
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04 • 11 April
handout
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ACTFL Guidelines in detail; estimating proficiency from "snapshot" samples; pseudo-OPI training; begin Assignment 2: Rate your own proficiency (due 18 April); preview of Assignment 3 (conduct a pseudo-OPI )
reading for next week: Hughes 2, 3, 4 (your own copies or borrow those in my mailbox)
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Week 3: a) the inner workings of the OPI; b) validity, reliability, accuracy, precision
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05 • 16 April
handout
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Pseudo-OPI training
Assignment 2 (evaluate your own speaking proficiency) is DUE at the next meeting (#6, 18 April)
reading: main thing right now is to get several chapters into Hughes; by now you should have read through Chapter 4
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06 • 18 April
handout = on-line version & proficiency levels checklist (0951)
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Pseudo-OPI training (media clips); preview of Assignment 3 (not due for several weeks)
language-specific ACTFL Guidelines
Assignment 2 (evaluate your own speaking proficiency) is DUE TODAY
read for next meeting (from your disk): ACTFL Guidelines for your chief second language (French: 0034; German: 0033; Spanish: 0032)
supplementary reading (no hurry) about curricular implications of OPI: 1) 0072 Govoni & Feyten, "Effects of the ACTFL-OPI-Type Training on Student Performance, Instructional Methods, and Classroom Materials", FLA 32.2, 1999 (abstract only); 2) 0135 Hayden, Curricular Implications; 3) 0174 TOC of FLA 2003 special-topic issue about the OPI; 4) 0308 Armstrong, Adapting the OPI to the Classroom.
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Week 4: continuation of week 3; rubrics
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07 • 23 April
handout
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More about OPI technique: role-play situations; advantageous prompts for the IH/AL level. Practice interviews on each other. Language-specific guidelines.
Formal activation of Assignment 3 (pseudo-OPI)
"Backwash": implementing oral testing in language programs
Maybe: validity and reliability of the OPI
Maybe: a trial scoring guide about something other than language learning
Reading: Soon you should be finishing the first half of Hughes (Chapters 1-8, 10 [save Chapter 9 for a week or so]). The second half of Hughes (Chapters 9-end) has to do with specific language skills and learners. We'll spend most of the next couple weeks on that, EU standards, rubrics. During the final weeks of the quarter we'll get into other assessments related to language learning: textbooks, courses, curricula, departments, institutions, and other subjects areas as they might relate to languages (example: Content-Based Instruction)
The ACTFL Guidelines and OPI are very widely acknowledged in our profession. But there has been some critical discussion. And early (and very stern) example is: Lantolf, James P., and William Frawley, "Oral-Proficiency Testing: A Critical Analysis", Modern Language Journal, 69.4 (1985): 337-45.
Initial reading about rubrics: 0123 French oral test with rubric;
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08 • 25 April
handout
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Still more OPI activity; more about rubrics and grades
Hughes chapter 9 (writing), 10 (oral); ••start Stevens "Rubrics"; ••optional article (0009 Marva Barnett): an example about how informed assessment leads to informed response to student writing in second languages;
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Week 5: continuation of week 4 (including rubrics); testing writing; EU standards
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09 • 30 April
handout
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Implementing oral testing in language programs (see 0054, 0391, 0651). ACTFL Writing Guidelines (0930)
Rubrics: basic concepts, language-related example(s), maybe try making an example unrelated to language (setting places at meal)
Initial discussion of BIMP (Big Ideas for Major Projects)
reading: Hughes chapters 11 (reading), 12 (listening)
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10 • 02 May
handout
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Implications of OPI / Speaking Guidelines in our programs (how to test large numbers of students; classroom activities). Testing and teaching for writing proficiency. BIMP.
Reading: ACTFL Guidelines (language-specific) for writing (French: 0034; German: 0033; Spanish: 0032)
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Week 6: rubrics; testing writing; postponed until later: teaching & testing listening, reading
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11 • 07 May
handout
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more about rubrics; examination of work samples; new assignment (create a scoring guide)
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12 • 09 May
handout
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begin reading for upcoming meetings: background of US educational system, including standards and assessment (0314 abc, distributed in class); State of Oregon PASS standards for Second Language (0698 - everybody) and your choice of one of these subject areas: arts (0693), English (0694), math (0695), science (0696), social sciences (0697); everyone: Portland Public Schools Second Language Standards (0010a)
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Week 7: state & district standards and assessment tools
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13 • 14 May
handout
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testing/ teaching writing (cont'd); large-scale standards: introduction to Oregon standards;
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14 • 16 May
handout
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Oregon and PPS second/world language standards; "teaching to the test"; quick overview of kinds of K-8 language programs; more about rubrics: multiskill/ multi-person activities (projects, teamwork)
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Week 8: continuation of week 7; state & district standards; assignments 4 & 5; assessing reading and listening
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15 • 21 May
handout
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Assessing larger "chunks" of language-learning activity; state and district standards
Lack of time means that the topic of assessing reading and listening will be covered by semi-lecture. But you might shop around in these texts (in addition to Hughes) about teaching/ assessing reading and listening: 0161 Liskin-Gasparro, "Practical Considerations in Receptive Skills Testing" (FLA 17.4 (1984): 369-73; 0162 James, "Are You Listening: the Practical Components of Listening Comprehension" (FLA 17.2 (1984); 0197 Swaffar, "Reading in the Foreign Language Clasroom: Focus on Process: (Unterrichtspraxis, Fall 1981, 176-93); 0324 Arens & Swaffar, "Reading Goals and the Standards for Foreign Language Learning" (FLA 33.1 [Jan/Feb 2000]: 104-22); 0397 Weist, "Literature in Lower-Level Coures: Making Progress in Both Language and Reading Skills" (FLA 37.2[Summer 2004]: 209-23); 0669 Swaffar, "Readers, Texts, and Second Languages: The Interactive Process" (MLJ 72.ii[Summer 1988]:123-49);
I don't have PDFs for the following - maybe you can get them from PSU Library / JSTOR: 0216 Byrnes, "The Role of Listening Comprehension: A Theoretical Base" (FLA 17.4 [1984]: 317-29); 0217 Bacon, "Listening for Real in the Foreign-Language Classroom" (FLA 22.6[1989]:543-51); 0211 Canale, "Considerations in the Testing of Reading and Listening Proficiency (FLA 17.4[1984]: 349-57); 0219 Meyer, "Getting Started: Reading Techniques That Work from the Very First Day" (FLA 21.5[1988]:423-31);
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16 • 23 May
handout
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continuation of #15; more discussion of "BIMP"
Begin reading about assessing textbooks & other resources, courses, curricula, programs (including details of research): 0699 ACTFL "Blueprint for Action on Language Education (2005); 0104 Donato, et al, "Literary Discussions and Advanced Speaking Functions: Researching the (Dis)Connection" (FLA 37.2, 183-9); 0171 Calvin, Lisa M., and N. Ann Rider, "Not Your Parents' Language Class: Curriculum Revision to Support UniversityLanguage Requirements" (FLA 37.1: 26-36); 0376 Alalou, Ali, "Reevaluating Curricular Objectives Using Students’ Perceived Needs: The Case of Three Language Programs" (FLA 34.5 (Sept./Oct. 2001): 453-69); 0723 Angell, John, et al., "Thinking Globally, Acting Locally: Selecting Textbooks for College-Level Language Programs" (FLA 41.3 (Fall 2008): 562-72)
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Week 9: assessing textbooks & other resources, courses, curricula, programs (including details of research)
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17 • 28 May
handout
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state and district standards; testing listening and reading; assessing classroom teaching; assessing textbooks
reading: 0227 Walz, "Is Oral Proficiency Possible with Today's French Textbooks?"; explore EU Language Passport by following this link: http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/documents/european-skills-passport/language-passport
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18 • 30 May
handout
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continuation of meeting #17; EU standards; Portfolio Assessment
Suggestions (*=highly recommended) for reading about assessment beyond language assessment (see above, meeting #16 for initial reading):
*0319 Mandell, Paul B., "On the Background and Motivation of Students in a Beginning Spanish Program" (FLA 35.5: 530-42
0398 Mathews, Thomas J., et al, "Ongoing Assessment of a University Foreign Language Program" (FLA 37.4: 630-40)
0911a and 0911b Fischer, William B., and faculty/ administration of Eastern Washington University: external review of Language Department.
*0002 Schulz, Renate, "Changing Perspectives in Foreign Language Education: Where Do We Come from? Where Are We Going?" (FLA 35.3: 284-292)
*0070 Olsen, Solveig, "A Plea to Graduate Departments" (FLA 31.4: 501-04)
0073 Maceri, "Some Thoughts onthe First Two Years of Foreign Language Courses at the College Level"
0284 Wilkerson, Carol, "College Faculty Perceptions About Foreign Language" (FLA 39.2:310-19)
*0297 Wilbur, Marcia L.. "How Foreign Language Teachers Get Taught" (FLA 40.1:79-101
0371 Rava, Susan, "The Changing Face of the Intermediate Language Curriculum" (FLA 33.3:342-8)
*0699 ACTFL "Blueprint for Action on Language Education (2005);
*0056 Bastiani, Mary, and William B. Fischer et al, "Reaching for PASS" document about what characterizes a well-prepared language teacher.
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Week 10: Assessing textbooks & other resources, courses, curricula, programs (including details of research)??portfolio assessment
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19 • 04 June
handout
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assessment beyond assessing language skills: courses, programs, curricula, departments, faculty, ?? CLEP?? AP? Learning Styles assessment; EU standards
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20 • 06 June
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portfolio assessment; assessing professional progress
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Last • 11 June
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meet Tuesday, 11 June, 1530-1720, as specified in PSU final exam schedule; the meeting will be an ad lib session to wrap up topics from previous meetings and discuss assignments yet to be finished
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