Page 194 - Teaching English at Primary Level: From Theory into the Classroom

Assessing Language Skills

Table 13.2 Communication Strategies and Examples for Their Use with YLs
Strategy Example
Using body language and gestures to Encouraging the use of non-verbal language, such as
communicate. showing an element in a picture or miming an action
when we lack the words or expressions.
Using language patterns to help pre- Encouraging the use of communicative language pat-
vent and repair breakdowns as well as terns and chunks, such as ‘Can you repeat please?’, ‘Beg
appealing for assistance. your pardon.’, ‘I’m afraid I don’t understand.’
Applying paraphrasing or substitut- Teaching learners to use generic expressions when
ing. they do not know specific words (e.g., a flower for a
rose, a doctor for a surgeon).
Identifying strategies that speakers Listening to recordings of conversations (esp. in car-
use to compensate communication toons, fairy tales, children conversing etc.) and using
problems. role play as a follow-up activity.
Translanguaging. Teaching learners to use their full linguistic repertoire
(all the languages that they know) to make sure they
are understood and cooperate in interactions.

matical knowledge is still growing owing to limited target language expo-
sure in or outside school. Second, children between 5 to 10 years of age are
still developing a clear understanding of what people say or how to effec-
tively take part in a conversation (Cameron, 2001).
In assessing YLs’ speaking and interaction competence, it is useful to
distinguish between planned and unplanned speech. The use of oral lan-
guage in situations in which no preparation is possible, such as in conver-
sations, is referred to as unplanned speech. On the other hand, extended
talk which students have time and the possibility to prepare for is called
planned speech. Both are important and should be taught and assessed
(McKay, 2006). Assessing learners’ language as they take part in conversa-
tions is especially challenging as participants in a dialogue need to coop-
erate by taking turns, adding to each other’s ideas, etc., making it hard to
evaluate the role of each participant (ibid.). In addition, YLs are more likely
to experience breakdowns in communication owing to their limited vocab-
ulary and grammar range. Table 13.2 looks at strategies used to respond to
communication breakdowns and examples of their use with YLs.
Teachers also need to be aware that YLs’ world knowledge is still develop-
ing,andtheirfamiliaritywithmanyimportanttopicsisstillverylimited.Thisis
why it is useful to avoid discussing topics which may be sensitive (such as di-
vorce, war, or death) or too abstract for them (e.g. human rights, time, money,

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