Page 198 - Teaching English at Primary Level: From Theory into the Classroom

Assessing Language Skills

Figure 13.5 Mini Role Play for Assessing YLs’ Interactive Skills

ers need to pay special attention to the learners’ general language compe-
tence, with a focus on the grammar and vocabulary available to them for
speaking production. Another important point is the support provided by
the teacher, especially in the form of pictures featuring the sequence of the
story. In addition, as with all assessment tasks, a rating scale should be pre-
pared in advance and preferably piloted during regular lessons, while learn-
ers need to be informed about the criteria (Rasinski, 2004; Hirai & Koizumi,
2013).

Oral Presentation Task
Oral presentations are common assessment tasks used with YLs. Learners
may present an object, an animal, a photo, their own experiences, a project,
etc. To ensure effective preparation for oral presentations, it is essential to
provide YLs with clear guidelines regarding the content they should include
and the types of support such as notes or mind maps. Figure 13.4 (p. 197)
shows how a mind map can be used as support for an oral presentation.

Interactive Tasks
Interactive assessment tasks involve both speaking and listening. Some com-
mon tasks include oral interviews, information gap tasks, mini role plays, and
games. McKay (2006) points out that oral interviews, where the teacher asks
the learner questions in a face-to-face exchange, need careful planning as
children might feel intimidated and, therefore, reluctant to speak. One way
of reducing tension and creating a positive atmosphere is to use puppets to
engage with the learner. Figure 13.5 provides an example of a mini role play
focused on assessing interactive skills.

Discussion
1. Discusstheelementsofaratingscaledesignedforassessingroleplaytasks.

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