Using Formative Assessment in Foreign-Language Classes

From the Marshall Memo #448

In this article in The Language Educator, Sally Warner Read (Michigan State University doctoral student) and Kristy Placido (Fowlerville High School, MI Spanish teacher and instructional coach) describe ways that formative assessment can be used in foreign-language classrooms (these five areas follow Dylan Wiliam’s theory of assessment):

• Clarifying and sharing learning targets and assessment criteria – “It may seem obvious,” say Read and Placido, “but all too often students fail to do what is expected of them simply because they do not know what that is.” Specific techniques:

• “I can” statements – for example, I can name all the rooms in my house in Spanish.
• Sharing examples of student work – for example, having students watch a video of other students’ dialogues.
• Sharing rubrics in clear language – “Rather than approaching the rubric as a teacher tool for grading purposes,” say Read and Placido, “students will benefit from dissecting the rubric in advance and thinking about their own personal goals.” 

• Engineering effective classroom discussions, questions, and learning tasks – The key is teachers listening interpretively rather than evaluatively,” say the authors. “When students use an incorrect conjugation or pronunciation, these are signs of their growing understanding. It is up to their teachers to use these little pieces of evidence to shape their instruction.” Some examples:

• Varied response patterns – including whole-class choral, partner discussion, calling on random students, and calling on students who raise their hands;
• Levels of questioning – Begin with high-level questions and, if students have difficulty, bring the level down; if a “Why?” question is too difficult, give options. As students gain confidence, move up to harder questions.
• Matching cards – Pass out cards with questions (What’s a typical breakfast in ___?) and cards with answers (Coffee, pastry, and ____) and have students get up and find the student with the matching card.
• Numbered heads together – Students work in groups of four, each one assigned a number from 1-4, to answer a question or solve a problem. After a few minutes, the teacher calls on students with a particular number to answer for their group.
• Timed written responses – for example, giving students ten minutes to write 100 words on a topic.

• Providing feedback that moves learners forward – “Unlike letter grades or percentage scores, formative feedback tells students what they have done well and what they can do next to improve and to keep learning,” say Read and Placido. “This kind of feedback makes students think; it is the beginning of the journey rather than the end.” Techniques:

• Stars and steps – Start with positive comments, then suggest next steps, for example, “You correctly conjugate the verbs in first person. Your next step is to master the third-person conjugations.” 
• “It looks like you’re ready to…” – This formulation avoids sounding judgmental and puts the emphasis on the student’s growth.
• Comments only – Teachers are despondent when students look quickly at the grade and toss the paper into the trash. By providing comments only, with a chance to resubmit, the feedback drives learning forward.
• Individual conferences – Pulling a few students aside every day for one-on-one talks is very helpful, especially if students have self-assessed beforehand.

• Activating students as owners of their own learning – Formative assessment is more powerful – and more manageable – when students take control of their own learning through self-assessment and students and teachers become partners rather than adversaries. Some techniques:

• Stoplights – Students have green, yellow, and red cards that they hold up to indicate that they understand, they need the teacher to go over it again, or they’re stuck.
• Variations on stoplights – Some teachers prefer a code-word (like “fromage”) for students to use when they need help. 
• Highlighting – Students use different colors of highlighters to indicate which parts of a passage they understand and which they don’t.

• Activating students as instructional resources to one another – “When students help teach one another, their own understanding grows as well,” say Read and Placido. For this to work, it’s essential for students to have a clear idea of learning objectives, an understanding of the rubrics, and some ground rules for peer instruction. Some techniques:

• Type 1, 2, and 3 questions – The first are questions that students should answer on their own by looking in their notes or in a book; the second are questions that students can ask a classmate; the third are things that only the teacher can answer.
• Preflight checklist – Students can go through a checklist (alone or with a peer) to make sure their assignment is ready for “takeoff.” 
• Limit the focus – It’s overwhelming for most students to be told to edit another student’s paper, but if the scope of the editing is limited to one or two elements, the task is manageable. 

“Bringing Formative Assessment to Life in the Language Classroom” by Sally Warner Read and Kristy Placido in The Language Educator, August 2012 (Vol. 7, #4, p. 50-53), no e-link