Meeting 04 • 14 January 2010 • Thursday

Version:
1/19/10
Today

numbers in ( ) = minutes planned for activity/ topic
√ = topic / activity that was adequately dealt with during the class
+ = topic needs more attention & will be resumed at next / subsequent meeting(s)
- = a topic / activity that was proposed but not carried out (but will be taken up later)
Struckthrough text like this = a topic / activity that was proposed but not included / is not going to be taken up after all
Italic text like this = comments after the meeting
Main topic(s): Introduction to Assessment; the FL and AL Cultures

√

(5) (possibly a regular feature:) assessment in the news! Today (or soon): PSU wins CHEA Learning Outcomes award; Texas and "Race to the Top"; Reed College and the Kindle test; CARLA summer courses
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(30) ACTFL Guidelines (speaking and writing) - general issues (history, structure, criticism). Guestimate levels of learners you have encountered.
Some bibliography (some just abstracts, due to © issues: Liskin-Gasparro (2003), history and survival of Guidelines (0390abs); Fischer (1984), on testing and curriculum in GER 10X (0054); Swender (2003), answers to real-world questions (0391abs)

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(30) The OPI (media clips) - structure, examiner stance, question types; OPI familiarization workshop manual (1994, 0036); need more audio files as well as much more about technique
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(10) How to adjust the course: issues related to Applied Linguistics, ESL, and the TOEFL? See the "schedule" page (weeks 2-) for what we did in the previous version of the course, and "upcoming assignments" below; group opinion: cut back on the ESL part but don't eliminate it completely

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(5) Demographic "survey": backgrounds and professional interests of instructor

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(10) Demographic survey: participants' previous coursework and work experience; language inventory

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(20) Assignments - checking in and up: 1) reading, see the "schedule & assignments" page (under modification); 2) written assignment #1: reflection about a newspaper article. Two examples from previous years.

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(5) Announcements, debriefing and summation - DO WE NEED THIS??; group says we don't - it will disappear
Upcoming class meetings

19 & 21 January: the OPI - principles and lots of examples and practice; start finding your pseudo-OPI interviewees
Upcoming assignment(s)

This section offers a PREVIEW, not activated assignments. Assignments are made, with announcement of their deadlines, both in class and on the "schedule" page. The next topic (week 2, 12 & 14 January) is "Language 'gold standards'": ACTFL Guidelines, the standards and test instruments of the European, ••?? and the TOEFL Test. Also information about where to find other widely-circulated tests. The FL participants will get an assignment that emphasizes ACTFL Guidelines; ••?? the AL participants will get one that focuses on the TOEFL. All participants will rate themselves (or someone else) on the ACTFL scale, by comparison to its profiles. ••?? All participants will examine items from the TOEFL test.
Announcements

Next Tuesday (19 Jan.): Short class meeting (out no later than 5:15), due to competing meeting at 5.
Misc.

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