Charting Learners Progress Toward Proficiency

Charting Learners Progress Toward Proficiency Paul Sandrock ACTFL

Today s Learning Goals I can Explain proficiency to a parent or someone outside of world language Describe what proficiency looks like at three major proficiency levels Create real-world summative assessments at the appropriate proficiency level Write Can-Do statements to point toward the targeted proficiency level Determine appropriate formative assessments

1. Good Teaching to the Test is 2. Bad 3. Either Depends on the Test 3

Performance Performance Towards Proficiency

Performance Towards Proficiency Performance Proficiency

Performance Towards Proficiency Technology = Bridge Performance Proficiency

Proficiency is. the ability to use a language to communicate meaningful information in a spontaneous interaction, and in a manner acceptable and appropriate to native speakers of the language.

Proficiency 1. Proficiency is the ability to use language in real world situations in a spontaneous interaction and nonrehearsed context 2. Proficiency demonstrates what a language user is able to do regardless of where, when or how the language was acquired 3. The context may or may not be familiar 4. Proficiency is not limited to the content of a particular curriculum that has been taught and learned 5. The individual must do everything expected at a level in a sustained fashion in order to be rated at that level

Performance 1. Ability to use language that has been learned and practiced in an instructional setting 2. Language ability has been practiced within familiar contexts and content areas 3. Assessment conducted in the same communicative manner in which the language was learned, practiced or rehearsed 4. The language a learner produces on a collective set of performances generally correlates to a proficiency level; ratings that a language learner receives on a variety of performance assessments provides evidence of how the learner may be rated on an assessment of proficiency

Assessing: How far is your gaze on the horizon? OPI/WPT AAPPL Summative Assessments Formative Assessments

Proficiency Levels Inform Performance Expectations Distinguished Superior ACTFL Proficiency Scale Advanced Intermediate Novice 11

How are the major levels defined? SUPERIOR NOVICE Can communicate minimally with formulaic and rote utterance, lists and phrases

How are the major levels defined? SUPERIOR INTERMEDIATE Can create with language, ask and answer simple questions on familiar topics, and handle a simple situation or transaction NOVICE Can communicate minimally with formulaic and rote utterance, lists and phrases

How are the major levels defined? SUPERIOR ADVANCED Can narrate and describe in all major time frames and handle a situation with a complication NOVICE INTERMEDIATE Can create with language, ask and answer simple questions on familiar topics, and handle a simple situation or transaction Can communicate minimally with formulaic and rote utterance, lists and phrases

How are the major levels defined? SUPERIOR SUPERIOR Can support opinion, hypothesize, discuss topics concretely and abstractly, and handle a linguistically unfamiliar situation. ADVANCED Can narrate and describe in all major time frames and handle a situation with a complication NOVICE INTERMEDIATE Can create with language, ask and answer simple questions on familiar topics, and handle a simple situation or transaction Can communicate minimally with formulaic and rote utterance, lists and phrases

Three Modes of Communication Interpersonal Interpretive Presentational Negotiation of meaning Listening and Speaking Reading and Writing 16

Three Modes of Communication Interpersonal Interpretive Presentational Negotiation of Interpretation meaning Listening and Speaking Reading and Writing Listening Reading Viewing 17

Three Modes of Communication Interpersonal Interpretive Presentational Negotiation of Interpretation Creation meaning Listening and Speaking Reading and Writing Listening Reading Viewing Speaking Writing Visually Representing 18

Margaret Dyer Peterson What does it sound like? San Francisco, Grade 4 learners of Japanese What level is her target? What s the evidence? How does she differentiate for heritage and non-native speakers? 19

Target the Functions at the Next Level Proficiency does not mean perfection nor does it imply limitation of instruction to one level at a time.

Your Turn What is the overarching proficiency goal for my STARTALK learners? Program Information Basic Program Information 2013 Student Program Curriculum Template Target Proficiency Level: by the end of program* [Describe what learners will be able to do within your Target Proficiency Level} ACTFL - Laura Terrill

Meets Expectations I can Explain proficiency to a parent or someone outside of world language Describe what proficiency looks like at three major proficiency levels Evidence: Explain to another program why the target proficiency level for your program is appropriate

Sample Assessments for Each Mode Interpretive Interpersonal Presentational Explain author s perspective Explain why an inference is logical or illogical Convince your partner to adopt your stand Come to agreement on a topic with various points of view Write an essay comparing and contrasting different cultural perspectives Give a short speech Stage an authentic drama List key ideas, show where found Give supporting details Use context clues to predict word meanings Tell main idea or purpose Identify key ideas actually in story Meet at a café and talk about what you did Identify what s in common Talk about an illustration Retell a story Present a public service announcement Role play Write letter of introduction to host family 28

Focused on Three Modes of Communication? Assessing more than vocabulary and grammar? 1. List the family members on the illustrated family tree 2. Describe what one family member looks like 3. List three professions 4. Say four things your family does on the weekend 29

Interpretive Assessment What can you find out about the family? Letter from Eissa Family Letter from Mizrahi Family Letter from El Nabawy Family Where do they live? Do they live in a house, apartment, condo, something else? How many people live together as the family? Who are they? What activities do they like to do? What else can you do during homestay with this family?

Interpretive Look at (or listen to) information from three different host families in (country), to find out as much as you can: Where they live, how many children they have, what activities they like to do, etc. Then decide which family you would prefer to host you and list as many reasons as possible to explain why. Interpersonal You and your partner are preparing for the Skype conversation that will take place with a native speaker. Practice your conversational skills. You are given a picture of your own family and you will practice with your classroom partner the kinds of questions you will ask and how you will respond. You will be having this conversation later with your Skype partner. 32

Interpretive Interpersonal Presentational Look at (or listen to) information from three different host families in (country), to find out as much as you can: Where they live, how many children they have, what activities they like to do, etc. Then decide which family you would prefer to host you and list as many reasons as possible to explain why. You and your partner are preparing for the Skype conversation that will take place with a native speaker. Practice your conversational skills. You are given a picture of your own family and you will practice with your classroom partner the kinds of questions you will ask and how you will respond. You will be having this conversation later with your Skype partner. Prepare a short description of your family that can be shared electronically. Post to the class wiki. Remember that your family descriptions will be shared with other speakers of the language. Provide as many details as you can to describe you and your family. Include likes, dislikes and activities. 33

Developing and Assessing Communication Skills 1. Task needs to provide a real need to communicate Interpersonal: Provide/obtain information Interpretive: Identify gist and supporting details Presentational: Create a message (adjust for task, purpose, audience) 2. Task needs to be within content where student has some familiarity 3. Task needs to provide student with some degree of control (not just one predictable response) 34

Your Turn What will my STARTALK learners be able to demonstrate by the end of the program? Stage 2: How will learners demonstrate what they can do with what they know by the end of the program? Performance Assessment Performance Assessment Interpretive Task Interpersonal Task Presentational Task ACTFL - Laura Terrill

Your Turn What will my STARTALK learners be able to demonstrate by the end of the program? Stage 2 How will learners demonstrate what they can do with what they know by the end of the program? Student Programs: Design/Revise Summative Performance Assessments for your program Teacher Programs: How will you develop the repertoire and skill of your teachers to be able to design summative performance assessments (to use as the focus for their teaching)? ACTFL - Laura Terrill

Revise your assessment tasks Make suggestions to improve the evidence of the mode captured in the performance Is it a real-world (authentic) task? Is it true to the characteristics of the mode (the purpose behind the communication)? Do students need to use communication strategies (or is it just evaluating use of vocabulary and grammar)? 37

Meets Expectations I can Explain proficiency to a parent or someone outside of world language Describe what proficiency looks like at three major proficiency levels Create real-world summative assessments at the appropriate proficiency level Evidence: Describe one of your summative assessments to a program at another table Provide feedback

Provide Feedback on Assessment Tasks Make suggestions to improve the evidence of the mode captured in the performance Is it a real-world (authentic) task? Is it true to the characteristics of the mode (the purpose behind the communication)? Do students need to use communication strategies (or is it just evaluating use of vocabulary and grammar)? 39

Can-Do Statements Developing Interpersonal Performance I can communicate basic information about myself and people I know I can exchange some personal information I can start, maintain, and end a conversation on a variety of familiar topics I can exchange information related to areas of mutual interest. I can compare and contrast life in different locations and in different times. D. Clementi

Novice Mid Can-Do: Interpersonal I can communicate basic information about myself and people I know. I can say or write something about the members of my family and ask about someone s family. I can make a purchase. Intermediate Mid I can start, maintain, and end a conversation on a variety of familiar topics I can ask for information, details, and explanations during a conversation. Advanced Low I can compare and contrast life in different locations and in different times. I can explain how life has changed since I was a child and respond to questions on the topic.

Building Performance Taking Steps toward Proficiency Advanced Novice Intermediate

Interpersonal Task Who in your family does different activities? Does your? ACTFL - Laura Terrill

Your Turn What Can-Do Statements would support the summative tasks created earlier? Use: www.startalk.umd.edu Resources LinguaFolio Online Can-Do Statements Adapt one Can-Do Statement to better match each assessment task you created (What will help learners focus on how to improve their performance?) ACTFL - Laura Terrill

Assessing: How far is your gaze on the horizon? How will I know my STARTALK learners are making progress? OPI/WPT AAPPL Summative Assessments Formative Assessments

Feedback Tools Formative: Task-Specific Rubrics Performance Criteria: I can do this I can do this I can do this on my own on my own with some help I can do this with some help I cannot do this I can use numbers I can use words for activities I can use words for locations I can use expressions to show that I agree or disagree with what my partner says I can ask some questions I can say how many times, how often, how frequently I do various things I can provide some description Performance Criteria: I can use numbers I can use words for activities I can use words for locations I can use expressions to show that I agree or disagree with what my partner says I can ask some questions I can say how many times, how often, how frequently I do various things I can provide some description I cannot do this ACTFL - Laura Terrill

Move from: You probably do these things already State opinion with little support Use common vocabulary words, without much variation Use basic vocabulary and structures correctly, but not always in a culturally appropriate way 1 3 5 Language Functions Depth of Description Cultural appropriate -ness Presentational - Spoken Move to: Do you want to improve your language skills? STARTALKing like this! Provide supporting reasons, insights, and examples Use appropriate connecting words to reflect a coherent flow of ideas/thoughts (as you narrate) Use abstract language and more precise vocabulary Use verbal and non-verbal etiquette and behaviors appropriate for various social hierarchies (honorific / formal-informal)

Share: Reflection How will this understanding of performance pointing toward your proficiency target and how learners will demonstrate what they can do influence your STARTALK program? 52

Performance Performance Towards Proficiency

Performance Towards Proficiency Performance Proficiency

Performance Towards Proficiency Technology = Bridge Performance Proficiency

Charting Learners Progress Toward Proficiency Paul Sandrock psandrock@actfl.org