UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN

FACULTY OF EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT: ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

FIELD OF INTEREST: ENGLISH

DEGREE: M.A. ED

ASSIGNMENT: ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES IN LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

DONE BY: BADMUS SEGUN VICTOR

COURSE CODE: EVALUATION OF ATTAINMENT IN LANGUAGE AND LANGUAGE EDUCATION

COURSE TITLE: ASE 711

LECTURER IN CHARGE: PROF. D.O. FAKEYE

Teachers use a variety of strategies to measure learning and progress in their classrooms.
Assessment strategies helps to ensure that learners are progressing and responding positively
to the instruction/lesson in the class, it also helps to know the effectiveness of the curriculum,
and it determine whether students are ready to move to the next level of study. Learning more
about the different types of strategies in assessing learners helps to identify which is/are most
effective to use in the classroom.

What are assessment strategies?

Assessment strategies are methods teachers use to evaluate their students' progress and plan
the content in their courses. Teachers perform assessments regularly to determine the next
steps in their lessons. If certain students are progressing slower than others, they can give them
individualized attention. If the entire class is performing behind or ahead of schedule, the
teacher can adjust the curriculum accordingly.

Assessment strategies in a language classroom are methods used to evaluate students'

language proficiency and learning progress. Here are some common assessment strategies:

1. Formative Assessment: These are ongoing assessments used to monitor students' progress
during the learning process. Examples include quizzes, in-class discussions, and peer
evaluations.

- Formative assessments are designed to provide ongoing feedback during the learning
process.

- They help both teachers and students identify areas where improvement is needed.

- Examples include quizzes, daily assignments, in-class discussions, and homework checks.

- Teachers use formative assessment to adjust their teaching strategies based on students'
progress

2. Summative Assessment: These are used to evaluate what students have learned at the end of
a specific period, such as a semester. Examples include final exams, term papers, or
standardized language proficiency tests.

- Summative assessments are typically used to evaluate what students have learned at the
end of a specific instructional period.

- They are high-stakes and often contribute significantly to a student's final grade.
 - Examples include final exams, term papers, and standardized language proficiency tests like
the TOEFL or IELTS.

3. Performance-Based Assessment: This type of assessment focuses on students' ability to use

the language in real-life situations. It might involve tasks like giving a presentation, writing a
letter, or engaging in a conversation.

- This approach assesses students' ability to use the language in practical situations.

- It can involve tasks such as delivering a presentation, writing a letter, engaging in a role-play
conversation, or even creating a video in the target language.

- This strategy emphasizes real-world application of language skills.

4. Portfolio Assessment: Students compile a portfolio of their work over time, which can include
essays, projects, recordings of speeches, or other language-related assignments. This provides a
holistic view of their progress.

- Portfolio assessment involves students compiling a collection of their work over time.

- Portfolios may include essays, creative writing, recordings of speeches, and other language-
related assignments.

- It provides a holistic view of a student's language proficiency and development.

5. Self-Assessment: Students evaluate their own language skills and learning progress. This can
be done through self-reflection, self-assessment checklists, or journals.

- Self-assessment encourages students to reflect on their own language skills and learning
progress.

- It can involve self-assessment checklists, journals, or setting personal language learning

goals.

- It promotes metacognition and ownership of one's learning.

6. Peer Assessment: Students assess the work of their peers. It can be a valuable learning
experience and can provide diverse perspectives on language proficiency.
 - In peer assessment, students evaluate and provide feedback on the work of their classmates.

- It encourages collaboration and peer learning.

- It can also help students develop critical thinking and communication skills.

7. Observation and Participation: Teachers assess students' language skills through their active
participation in class discussions, group work, and interactions.

- This assessment strategy involves teachers observing students' active participation in class.

- Teachers assess language skills through interactions, discussions, and contributions to group
work.

- It's particularly useful for assessing speaking and listening skills.

8. Rubrics: Rubrics provide clear criteria for assessing assignments, making grading more
objective and transparent for both teachers and students.

- Rubrics are scoring guides that outline clear criteria for evaluating assignments.

- They make grading more objective and transparent.

- Both teachers and students can refer to rubrics to understand the expectations for
assignments.

9. Project-Based Assessment: Assigning language-related projects that require research, critical

thinking, and communication skills. Students are assessed on their project outcomes.

- Project-based assessment assigns tasks that require research, critical thinking, and
communication skills.

- Students are assessed on the quality of their project outcomes, which can include
presentations, reports, or multimedia projects.

10. Diagnostic Assessment: Used at the beginning of a course to determine students' prior
knowledge and language proficiency levels, helping to tailor instruction to their needs.
 - Diagnostic assessments are used at the beginning of a course to gauge students' prior
knowledge and language proficiency.

- They help instructors tailor their teaching to meet the specific needs of the students.

11. Standardized Tests: Some language classrooms use standardized tests like the TOEFL, IELTS,
or the ACTFL OPI to measure language proficiency objectively.

- Some language classrooms use external standardized tests to measure language proficiency
objectively.

- Tests like TOEFL, IELTS, or ACTFL OPI are often used for this purpose and can provide a
benchmark for proficiency levels.

The choice of assessment strategy depends on the specific learning objectives, the age and
proficiency level of the students, and the context of the language class. Effective assessment
strategies help both teachers and students track progress and ensure that learning objectives
are met. It's often beneficial to use a combination of these strategies to provide a
comprehensive view of students' language abilities.

(*OLUSEGUN OBSERVATION*)

12. Engaging in Informal conversations/stories with the learners:

Engaging in informal conversations with the learners on informal, relatable and interesting
subjects where they can relaxedly express themselves in the language without anxiety/fear,
unlike during exams that too much of pressure, anxiety or panic can impede some
"undiscovered" skills and abilities of the language.

Also, this is important because all learners can not be proficient and skillful both in speaking
and writing. Some learners are good in speaking, while others are good in writing. Engaging in
informal, Interesting conversations with the learners help to discover thier strengths and
weaknesses in the language (this may not be detected through written assessments).

Also it helps to discover the learners' strengths and prowess in the two commonly neglected
basic skills of language, which are Speaking and Listening especially in Nigerian educational
institutions.

This method helps the learner to freely speak and express him/herself without the fear of being
judged or penalised, without the pressure of 'perfection' to please the teacher or learners
around.
This way, you get the real level of the student's proficiency or skills as regards the language. It
also helps the students to demonstrate some level of skills or abilities which ordinarily may not
be seen or measured through writing.

References

1. Angelo, T.A., & Cross, K.P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for
college teachers. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

2. Barkley, E.F, Cross, K.P., and Major, C.H. (2005). Collaborative learning Techniques. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

3. Icy Lee; The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Strategies of Assessment for Learning in
the Language Classroom.

4. Biggs, J. (1999). Teaching for quality learning at university: What the student does.
Bristol, PA: Open University Press.

5. Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in
Education, 5(1), 7-74.

6. Boud, D. & Brew, A. (1995). Developing a typology for learner self-assessment practices.
Research and Development in Higher Education, 18, 130-135.

7. Frey, B., Schmitt, V. and Allen, J. (2012). Defining authentic classroom assessment. Practical
Assessment Research & Evaluation 17(2), 1-18.