Chapter 14 Reflexion

1.    Informal assessment

As a French teacher, I have to pay a very close attention to the daily evolution of each of my students’ acquisition of target language. Through informal assessment I can easily evaluate the mastery of new material for every learner. For example, I ask a question about a French grammar concept recently covered and from every learner’s answer I am able to assess his/ her mastery of that specific concept. On a daily basis I have students use mini-white boards to check their knowledge on the subject matter and diagnose their struggles on a covered material.

2.    Authentic assessment

For a French teacher in an Anglophone country, this is the most challenging way to evaluate my students learning achievement. I chose authentic assessment to give the learners a taste of the real world where French can be used and also to give life to the material we cover in classroom.

To do so, we use Skype to converse in the target language with teenagers from many Francophone countries. (They compare and contrast several aspects of life in their respective countries; they discuss topics of interest related to their age group; such as music, sports…) Sometimes, I invite a Francophone guest-speaker to class to share information about his/her own country (cuisine, traditions, history….); and to answer students’ inquiries about particular issues as well.

3.    Performance assessment

In order to produce French, I encourage my students to act in class to their peers.

With the beginners, I provide an authentic text, which they memorize at home to expand their vocabulary, then they perform in class. I assess their mastery through their gestures and confidence along their presentation. 

In the intermediate class, I announce simple situations (in the library, in the doctor office, in a department store…) then I ask two students or more to come to the front of the class to act out. They are allowed to ask for the French equivalent of a maximum of three words, and all their performance must be in French.  I evaluate their acquisition of L2 through the accuracy of the vocabulary used and consistency of grammar concepts chosen.

In the advanced level, I assign different topics from which groups of students choose one to come up with a skit or dialogue. Afterward, they come to class prepared to perform without any paper. I assess their mastery of the language while they are acting. I base my evaluation on correct usage of vocabulary, accurate ­­­­ choice of grammar and their pronunciation.

4.    Teacher-developed assessment

Since I am using a tailored curriculum to the needs of my classes, I make my own tests to assess their language acquisition.  Moreover, my students represent a different spectrum of levels. Some had been diagnosed with learning disabilities; others are speaking the language at home with their Francophone families.

 I never administrate the same test to the whole class. I always make a common test for the average students, and then I bring some modifications to it. One modified test is less challenging (reduce the number of choices in multiple-choice section) another more challenging test (Provide the correct information in true/ false statements Or increase the number of short answers).

I evaluate standards mastery and content comprehension of each student according to his/her level and abilities

5. Norm-referenced assessment 

The American Association of Teacher of French (AATF) organizes every year in spring a national French exam: Le Grand Concours. The students compete for a state rank and a national rank.

The top 10 of each state receive a special certificate. I like to use this national contest to compare their achievement to their peers from different local schools and also from other schools across the nation.  And also to evaluate my own performance; my students success reflects, to certain extinct my own accomplishment as a teacher.

Norm-referenced assessment and Criterion-referenced assessment: advantages and disadvantages.

I appreciate how norm-referenced assessments can measure a student's performance by comparing it to the accomplishment of other students taking the same test. However, I dislike exposing all the learners with different abilities to the exact same evaluation ignoring their own special needs and particular aptitudes.

Regarding Criterion-referenced assessment, I like the fact that it helps teachers diagnose, more or less, the exact deficiencies when the test-taker does not meet the established standards. However, I feel that sometimes the standards are arbitrary set and without an precise compliant with reasonable level of learners.