Indiana University Summer Workshop in Slavic, East European, and Central Asian

Languages (SWSEEL)

15-20 languages offered each summer, including most of the major national languages spoken between Slovenia/Czech Republic and Western China/Kazakhstan

http://www.iub.edu/~swseel/program/languages.shtml

  8-week course of study (equivalent to 2-semesters of AY

study) 20-23 classroom hours/week extensive supplementary cultural program Approximately 200 students enroll each summer Student funding available: FLAS, Title VIII, ACLS

RUSSIAN AT SWSEEL 

Roughly 50% of SWSEEL students

Offered at 9 different levels (Years 1-6)

For most levels, students attend: • Core class in 4 skills plus grammar/lexicon (15

hours/week, 3 hours/day)• Conversation practice (4 hours/week)• Phonetics (2 hours/week)• Listening comprehension (2 hours/week)

Cultural program includes:• Weekly Russian-language lecture for all students• Weekly Russian-language film• Russian language lunches (2/week)• Opportunities to perform in Russian choir or drama group,

write for weekly Russian newspaper

STANDARDIZED ASSESSMENT  1. SWSEEL placement test 2. ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) 3. IEPS/IRIS Instructor Foreign Language

Evaluation

SWSEEL PLACEMENT TEST: CONTENT  Grammar: sentence completion task,

sentence construction task, multiple choice questions (60%)

 Reading comprehension: texts and

multiple choice comprehension questions (20%)

 Written production task with visual

prompt, students choose task on basis of desired level (20%)

SWSEEL PLACEMENT TEST: ADMINISTRATION

Required for all studentsGiven prior to beginning of program,

either at IU or through proctor on other campuses

Results determine initial placement of students into SWSEEL Russian levels

All students take same test at end of program

ACTFL ORAL PROFICIENCY INTERVIEW: CONTENT

Structured interview that determines patterns of strengths and weaknesses to establish candidate’s consistent functional ability in spoken use of the language

Interview consists of specific language tasks (sometimes w role-play) ; performance on each is compared with criteria for each of the ten proficiency levels described in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines-Speaking

Testers must undergo extensive special training in order to receive certification from ACTFL

•ACTFL ORAL PROFICIENCY INTERVIEW: ADMINISTRATION

Required of all FLAS awardeesOPIs conducted during initial and final

week of classes (pre- and post-test)ACTFL-certified testers recruited by

REEI, do NOT teach in the SWSEEL program

IEPS/IRIS INSTRUCTOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE EVALUATION: CONTENT

35-item questionnaire composed of statements about spoken proficiency of testee; evaluators mark yes/no for each question

Items focus on microskills that characterize functional command of the language at various levels (novice to near-native):The student can order a simple meal

The student can describe in detail a place that is familiar to him/herThe student can naturally integrate appropriate cultural and historical references in their speechThe student can eloquently represent a point of view other than their own

IEPS/IRIS INSTRUCTOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE EVALUATION: ADMINISTRATION

Required of all FLAS awardees (IEPS mandate)

In most cases, supplied by Conversation instructor and on basis of in-class observation

Pre-program (submitted in wk 1 or 2) and post-program (submitted in wk 8 or post-program) evaluations

ACTFL OPI: RESULTS (SWSEEL RUSSIAN/2007-2010)

ACTFL Proficiency Scale

RANGE LEVEL

Novice Low

Mid

High

Intermediate Low

Mid

High

Advanced Low

Mid

High

Superior

• 120 OPI-tested students

• 87/120 improved over summer by at least one level w/in a given range

• 20/26 moved from Novice range into Intermediate range

• 14/83 moved from Intermediate range into Advanced range

NEW DIRECTIONS FOR 2011-2014: CURRENT ASSESSMENT TOOLS 

Deeper and broader analysis of test data to:

determine correlations between performances on different tests

refine curricula of SWSEEL Russian courses so as to incorporate feasible realistic proficiency goals

draw up profiles of habits, aptitudes, backgrounds that differentiate learners who start program at same proficiency range/level and finish at different range/level (how does an Intermediate to Intermediate learner differ from an Intermediate to Advanced learner)

NEW DIRECTIONS FOR 2011-2014: OTHER ASSESSMENT TOOLS

Test of Russian as a Foreign Language   Development of Russian c-test

SAMPLE C-TEST (English) 

Throughout early childhood training we are taught that our attitudes, behavior and opinions must be consistent. That is, things we do must make sense. We exp___ our fri____ not t_ do thi___ that a__ unpleasant f__ us, a__ we a__ suspicious i_ a per___ we dis____ does some_____ nice f__ us. W_ do n__ expect peo___ who d_ not bel____ in G__ to g_ to church unless there is a good reason, such as liking the music or wanting to get to know people in the community. We are usually rather surprised if people do or say things that do not fit in with what we already know about them.

http://www.c-test.de/deutsch/index.php?lang=de&content=online_test_english&section=ctest