Activity 1

Reading:

I liked both identifying the topic (match the title with the text) and linking (what does the underlined word refer to?) because both of them are good ways of checking whether students understood the reading.

Writing:

I would use guided writing, summary and combined (read the letter and write a reply) because I think that they are checking writing skills students will need in the real world.

Speaking:

I think it is very difficult to assess speaking. I guess I would use free interviews.

Listening:

I liked the text completion because it is a “real world problem” where the students are listening for specific information.  I also liked the sequencing of texts/pictures after having listened to a story. I just think that the story should be funny and not too difficult for the students.

Language:

In this section I found many interesting options for specific language skills, but the ones I especially  liked were word sequencing,  gap-fill (selected words in a text are blanked out), cued sentences, and personalization.  I think that gap-fill and word sequencing are really good for testing structures while cued sentences and personalization are good for testing the writing of beginners. 

Melanie L. 

For reading and listening I liked the activity of Text completion eg. “Listen and complete the information about the film” because it about a topic that almost every body will enjoy and for me I think it will be fun even though it is for an exam.

For the writing I liked the test format “Guided writing” using pictures, notes, diagrams because the teacher is giving the students the tools to make the exercise (pictures, notes, diagrams, etc.) so it can be easier.

In the speaking past I liked the “Role play” because it is fun and they are speaking; besides the students will not be that afraid to participate.

In language I liked the “Gap-fill” activity because it is good for testing the grammatical structures.

Sarahi A. 

We have to consider before testing our students, their learning style and abilities. It is also important that our tests contain the contents of the units seen in class and make sure if the exercises in the test are related with the skills developed during the class; besides, we must consider the age and level of the students because if they are elementary students, they are not totally responsable of their learning development, so surely their parents will ask the teacher about the result of the test. In the case of university students, they will check their test results and will be aware of their self knowledge obtained during the course.

The tests that I would like to use in my class are: Proficiency Test and Progress Test. Also I would like to consider the suggestions given by Harries and McCann when we have to do a test:

a)    Balance formal assessment test with informal.

b)    Consider the assessment task program.

c)    Assessment Weighting.

d)    Syllabus Objectives

I would like to use the next techniques to assess my students:

1)    In writing,  I’d use the “guided writing” because Ss’ have less mistakes and it is easier for the teacher to evaluate students due to the guide given works as limit and everybody “understands” how to do the test and in indirect manner how is going to be evaluated the writing.

2)    In the case of speaking, I want to mention that speaking has been a difficult factor to evaluate, even using and preparing a lesson plan to be used during all the semester, the time limits  the use of the type of test. So I will use free interviews, but before doing this test I will explain the students what aspects of conversation I will assess and I will share them new vocabulary. I have used Role play, because Ss’ get fun, improve their speaking, get relax and they usually forget that are being evaluated. Days before the play I give them a list of possible words to use during the play. The problem is to evaluate four or five student at the same time.

 3)    In Listening, I would like to work with Text Completion because Ss’ would put in practice the new vocabulary and structures given before, beside they had to read and understand the context to write the appropriate words to fill in the blanks.

4)    In reading, I’d like to use word attack because the Ss’ must infer the meaning of new words and this  test might help them to build more vocabulary, also this technique obligates students to read the context in order to understand if their new words are correct or not.

Alfonso L.