Using Technology to Improve Oral Fluency and Production in the Language ClassroomAssessing oral output in an engaging and meaningful way
STA Convention 2012Shauna NéroFrench Immersion, FSL and Spanish teacher at Kwantlen Park Secondary @MmeNero
My guiding philosophy:
If students are expected to use their language skills learned in FSL and Spanish after they finish high school,
their oral development is essential. When students visit Francophone of Hispanic countries, they should be
able to communicate with the people they meet. I want my classroom to be functional and useful.
However, assessing and monitoring development in oral language acquisition has always been a
challenge for me.
The head scratcher…
How can I assess oral acquisition so that students are able to
demonstrate a gradual release of responsibility and will be able
to eventually communicate in authentic discussion?
Maybe some students think this is me during oral assessment interviews…
I am just waiting for you to make a mistake… Speak in perfect complete
sentences or else!
Why EDMODO?Edmodo is a website that looks like Facebook…but it’s not! The site is completely controlled by the teacher. Any posts on
the wall can be seen by everyone in the class, students may not send messages to one another.
An effective way to communicate homework and what is going on in class to students and parents.
A way for students to engage in learning outside of the classroom (sometimes a difficult task in language learning).
An effective tool for sending files to students, or reducing paper waste so that they may hand in assignments online that are easily traceable.
AND….
“There’s an app for that!”ANDROID APPiPHONE/iPAD
Course outline
Divided by language skill (oral output, listening, reading, writing)
Parents are given a permission letter to sign outlining the use of Edmodo in the classroom with learning objectives.
Parents can be given a unique code (only linked to their child’s information) in order to keep up to date with classroom activities.
Podcast project
This project lasts all semester and is a part of my classroom daily structure. Students are expected to practise and work with their partners in order to improve their oral skills in the foreign target language.
This is an overview, the entire unit plan can be read at my blog.http://mmenero.edublogs.org/assessing-oral-language-acquisition/
Lesson 1: Modeling Students may never have done
a recording before, or may not understand the project outcome.
Give an example audio clip that can be used for a pre-activity to the project.
Talk about the benefits of being able to speak the language; engage in conversation!
Highlight the different themes represented in the clip.
Generating criteria as a class Students are aware of the expectations Student ownership: students decide what the learning
objectives are Some students will drive the others to work hard by
setting high standards (ex. Number of questions to be asked and answered)
***Sample criteria forms are on my blog to be adapted and used as you wish.
Colour-coded criteria sheets Students are given 3 sheets per
podcast recording depending on if it is an A recording or a B graded recording.
A Recordings: a self-assessment, partner assessment & a peer assessment
B Recordings: a self-assessment, partner assessment & a teacher assessment
Have students fill out the checklist and staple it to the assessments in order (this will save you time later, and a lot less headaches)
1ASelf Assessment of: Concept
I’ve got it…and more! Keep applying my BK
I’m almost there, but what’s missing?
I need to practise the concepts learned
I need to get extra help
Asking questions I can ask 7+ logical questions correctly.
I can ask at least 5-6 logical questions (ex.
weather, clothing, date, greetings)
I can ask 3-4 questions I can ask 1-2 questions
Answering questions I can answer all of the questions asked by my partner.
I can answer at least 5-6 questions.
I can answer 3-4 questions I can answer 1-2 questions
Vocabulary and expressions
I included all of these themes: “les expressions de la salle de
classe” Nom Âge Les jours de la semaine Le temps (la météo) La mode (les vêtements) Jouer & faire Les types de personnalité
I included all but 1-2 expressions from the
vocabulary list.
I am missing 3-5 themes from the vocabulary list.
I am missing 6+ themes from the vocabulary list.
Pronunciation I used the website to correctly pronounce most. I can correctly
pronounce 75-100% of the words.
When pronouncing words, my listener can understand. I do not
pronounce the final “s” sound & I do not
pronounce the silent H. I can pronounce 75% of
the words correctly.
Some effort in pronunciation; I try to
correctly pronounce the words.
(50-75%)
I did not make a huge effort, I sound like I am speaking English. I need to work on it and use the website & tutorials provided for
help.
Grammar & sentence structures
I took all of my feedback into consideration and applied it to my grammar and sentence structures.
Most (75-90%) of my sentences are correct and
logical.
75% of my sentences are correct and logical.
10-50% of my sentences are correct and logical.
Communication in FRENCH
The entire conversation is in French. I made a good effort to speak in French (75%)
I tried hard but conversation is 50/50.
I spoke some French, but mostly in English. (>25% in French)
Ease of conversation A conversation that flows smoothly without any pauses.
There are a few pauses (no more than 3) in the
conversation.
There are some pauses (no more than 6) in the
conversation.
There are 7+ pauses in the conversation, unstable flow.
Lessons 2-5: The first time students do this
activity, it might be in their best interest to pick their own partners so that they are doing it with someone they are comfortable with.
Let students practise and write a script based on the criteria provided.
Ask them to use the Text-to-Speech website to practise their pronunciation at home or in class.
RECORDING DAY!
Students record their podcast using Voice Memo app
They get 2 tries and pick their best one
Teacher uploads to Edmodo and assigns another group to be assessed
Lesson 3: Descriptive feedbackStudents need help in how to give good descriptive feedback. The first time that I did this assignment, and looked at their feedback, most of it was very vague. For example: “You did a good job!”
“You did not include some themes.”
“You need to work on your pronunciation.”
I used these examples to help students understand how comments like these do not help their peers since it does not provide specific examples. We came up with a list like this: “You did not include the theme of “les expressions de la salle de classe”, “la mode: and
“la météo”.
“Use the website to help you with your pronunciation for the words: hôpital, nous etc.”
“You need to ask (number) more questions.”
“You should practise more so that you have fewer pauses; review at home as well.”
I give a mark for the way that they provide descriptive feedback because this can really help themselves and their classmates if done correctly.
Recording samples
Examples are on my blog (they do not work on PPT)
Final Assessment Students compile a list of questions in groups of 2-3 I compile a list of all of the possible questions that can be asked
during the interview so that students may prepare the structures
My peer tutor practises with each student and then he/she completes a last self-assessment with an action plan on how to improve
I do an interview with them, asking questions from the list and try to get them to talk as much as they are capable.
Results from Semester 1 Beginner level students who were only able to participate in 30 seconds to 1 minute
conversations were able to converse with me for at least 3 minutes during the final evaluations.
Weaker students were able to speak for at least 2 minutes; thereby instilling confidence. I recorded the conversations so that I could mark them at a later date, thereby putting them at ease since we are having a real conversation (rather than myself making comments and not really being an active participant in the discussion). I am optimistic that the results show that some students who may not have been otherwise comfortable are improving their oral skills.
I am teaching them tools for self-reflection. Students are able to help others in class, and as a result, my marking is cut down since I only mark one oral assessment per month (It takes about 4 weeks for the complete process).
By assessing a peer from another group, students become aware of mistakes that they have made, and may hear better pronunciation. This provides more opportunities for students to feel successful.
Allowing students to make mistakes in their first podcast makes them feel more secure for their graded second podcasts. I try to make them understand, that it’s OK to make mistakes, we are all human; but what is more important is that they need to learn from their mistakes. By the second month, their recordings are longer and more interesting as a result.
Any questions?Ways to contact me: Email [email protected] Twitter: @MmeNero Comment on my blog
about your own experiences, we can share and engage our conversation with other language teachers from around the world!
