TKT Unit 17: TKT Unit 17: Assessment types Assessment types

and tasksand tasksByBy

Porntip BodeepongsePorntip Bodeepongse

What does assessment What does assessment mean?mean?

• It means judging learners’ It means judging learners’ performance by collecting performance by collecting information about it.information about it.

• Assessment tasksAssessment tasks are are methods we use for assessing methods we use for assessing learners.learners.

Assessment typesAssessment types

1.1. Informal assessmentInformal assessment is is when we observe learners when we observe learners to see how well they are to see how well they are doing something and then doing something and then give them comments on give them comments on their performance.their performance.

2.2. Formal assessmentFormal assessment is is when we assess learners when we assess learners through tests or exams through tests or exams and give their work a and give their work a mark or a grade.mark or a grade.

Assessment types Assessment types (cont.)(cont.)

Reasons for assessing Reasons for assessing learnerslearners

1.1. At the beginning of a course we At the beginning of a course we might give them a test to find out might give them a test to find out what they know and don’t know. what they know and don’t know. This is called a This is called a diagnostic testdiagnostic test. . The information from the The information from the assessment helps us decide what assessment helps us decide what to teach and which learners need to teach and which learners need help in what areas of language.help in what areas of language.

2.2. When Ss go to a language When Ss go to a language school, the school may want to school, the school may want to know what level the Ss are, so know what level the Ss are, so they give them a test. This is they give them a test. This is called called a placement testa placement test We use We use the information from a the information from a placement test to decide what placement test to decide what level of class the learners level of class the learners should go into.should go into.

3.3. After we have finished teaching a After we have finished teaching a part of a course we may want to find part of a course we may want to find out how well learners have learnt it. out how well learners have learnt it. This is called This is called formative assessmentformative assessment. . If we use a test for this purpose it is If we use a test for this purpose it is called a called a progress testprogress test. We use the . We use the information from formative information from formative assessment to decide if we need to assessment to decide if we need to continue teaching this area or not, continue teaching this area or not, and to give learners and to give learners feedbackfeedback on on their strengths and difficulties in their strengths and difficulties in learning in this area.learning in this area.

4.4. At the end of term or course, we At the end of term or course, we may assess learners to see how may assess learners to see how well they have learnt the well they have learnt the contents of the whole course. contents of the whole course. This kind of assessment is called This kind of assessment is called achievement or summative achievement or summative testingtesting. Learners usually receive . Learners usually receive a score or mark from this kind of a score or mark from this kind of testing and sometimes feedback testing and sometimes feedback on their performance.on their performance.

5.5. Sometimes learners take tests Sometimes learners take tests to see how good they are at a to see how good they are at a language. This kind of test is language. This kind of test is called called a proficiency testa proficiency test. The . The contents of the test are not contents of the test are not based on a course or syllabus based on a course or syllabus that the learner has followed.that the learner has followed.

• Learners can also assess Learners can also assess themselves (themselves (self-assessmentself-assessment) or ) or one another (one another (peerpeer assessmentassessment). ). They usually do this informally They usually do this informally with checklists to guide them. The with checklists to guide them. The reason for using both of these reason for using both of these kinds of assessment is to help kinds of assessment is to help learners to understand their learners to understand their language use and performance language use and performance better, and so become better, and so become autonomousautonomous..

Different assessment Different assessment taskstasks

• Gap-fillGap-fill• Multiple-choice questionsMultiple-choice questions• True/ false questionsTrue/ false questions• OrderingOrdering• Correcting mistakesCorrecting mistakes• Taking part in interviewsTaking part in interviews• Conversations or role-playsConversations or role-plays• Writing letters or compositionsWriting letters or compositions• Dictation Dictation

Differences between Differences between taskstasks

• Some tasks are like tasks we use Some tasks are like tasks we use outside the classroom to outside the classroom to communicate, e.g. conversation, communicate, e.g. conversation, writing a letter, reading leaflet for writing a letter, reading leaflet for prices. These tasks test prices. These tasks test communication skillscommunication skills..

• Some tasks, e.g. gap-fill, test the Some tasks, e.g. gap-fill, test the accuracyaccuracy of language use. We do not of language use. We do not use them to communicate, and they use them to communicate, and they do not test communication skills.do not test communication skills.

• Some tasks, such as gap-fill or Some tasks, such as gap-fill or choosing between pairs of sounds, choosing between pairs of sounds, just test one thing, e.g. learners’ just test one thing, e.g. learners’ knowledge of the past tense, or their knowledge of the past tense, or their ability to distinguish between sounds.ability to distinguish between sounds.

• Some tasks test many things Some tasks test many things together. A composition, for example, together. A composition, for example, tests spelling, handwriting, tests spelling, handwriting, punctuation, grammar, vocabulary, punctuation, grammar, vocabulary, organisation of ideas and fluency of organisation of ideas and fluency of writing.writing.

• A conversation can test A conversation can test pronunciation, pronunciation, appropriacy,appropriacy, accuracy, accuracy, fluencyfluency and and interaction. interaction.

• The answers to some kind of The answers to some kind of assessment tasks are easy to mark assessment tasks are easy to mark because they are either right or because they are either right or wrong, e.g. in multiple-choice, true/ wrong, e.g. in multiple-choice, true/ false. Gap-fill and dictation tasks. false. Gap-fill and dictation tasks. These are called These are called objective testsobjective tests..

• Marking some kinds of tasks Marking some kinds of tasks involves many things together, e.g. involves many things together, e.g. for writing: spelling, handwriting, for writing: spelling, handwriting, punctuation, grammar, vocabulary, punctuation, grammar, vocabulary, organisation of ideas. Learners organisation of ideas. Learners may do some of these things well may do some of these things well but others poorly. The mark we but others poorly. The mark we give to the learners’ answers give to the learners’ answers depends on our judgement. These depends on our judgement. These tasks are called tasks are called subjective testssubjective tests..

• Another kind of assessment Another kind of assessment method is a method is a portfolioportfolio. This is a . This is a collection of learners’ work, which collection of learners’ work, which the learner creates him/herself, or the learner creates him/herself, or with the teacher, during a course. with the teacher, during a course. Often it also contains comments on Often it also contains comments on the work written by the learner or the work written by the learner or classmates. Portfolio can be used classmates. Portfolio can be used for formal or informal assessment.for formal or informal assessment.

• Some informal assessment Some informal assessment methods are: observing learners’ methods are: observing learners’ spoken or written work and spoken or written work and answers to comprehension tasks; answers to comprehension tasks; keeping notes on the learners’ keeping notes on the learners’ performance; asking learners to performance; asking learners to complete self- or peer complete self- or peer assessment sheets. assessment sheets.

• We often use informal assessment We often use informal assessment methods to assess areas such as methods to assess areas such as attitude and effort, particularly attitude and effort, particularly with young learner and teenagers.with young learner and teenagers.

• Informal assessment is often Informal assessment is often followed up by feedback to the followed up by feedback to the learners on the strengths and learners on the strengths and weaknesses of their performance, weaknesses of their performance, and suggestions for how to and suggestions for how to improve.improve.

Food for thoughtsFood for thoughts• Tests should have a good influence on Tests should have a good influence on

teaching and learning.teaching and learning.• Some assessment tasks are easy to Some assessment tasks are easy to

write and mark. But do they reflect write and mark. But do they reflect what we are teaching and what what we are teaching and what learners need to use the language for? learners need to use the language for?

• The content and methods of progress The content and methods of progress and achievement tests should reflect and achievement tests should reflect the content and methods of teaching.the content and methods of teaching.

• Feedback to learners on what they Feedback to learners on what they got right or wrong, their strengths got right or wrong, their strengths and weaknesses, and what they can and weaknesses, and what they can do to improve is very important for do to improve is very important for their learning.their learning.

• Informal assessment is often much Informal assessment is often much more suitable for assessing young more suitable for assessing young learners than formal assessment learners than formal assessment because their ways of thinking and because their ways of thinking and learning are based on experiencing learning are based on experiencing and communicating.and communicating.