Language Assessment Principles - Essay Example

Language Assessment Principles Before I had started the course and working with a student in a practical situation, I had always felt that assessment was not vital to learning a language. Although it was necessary to have some form of assessment, as it is in all teaching courses, whether language related or not, I felt it was more as a motivation for the student to learn, rather than it being an aid in the actual learning process. I had initially thought the most vital components were only observation, comprehension and practice, and was of the belief and understanding that if a language is practiced frequently enough, a firm grasp and understanding of it will arise on its own with time. While this is true to quite an extent, after communicating with Anees and experimenting with various assessment techniques, I realized that another vital aspect of learning a language is the assessment carried out based on what has already been learnt. In fact I quickly realized that when regular assessment is carried out the learner not only gets a much firmer grasp on what has been learnt, but also, he manages to do so in a much shorter amount of time. When we ourselves are fluent in a certain language, it comes naturally to us to speak it and we speak it without a conscious effort. This makes the language seem very easy to us. In fact it doesn't feel like we're speaking through a particular medium it all, it feels like we are just providing a physical means for our thoughts to be conveyed through. The same language however might not be so natural to someone else. English is one of the most widely used languages across the world and that is also why it is one of the most widely learnt ones. Because of these two parallels, students that are learning English as a foreign or second language might initially struggle to keep up with the fluency of the speakers around them. This was the first and one of the most important things I realized when working with Anees. I learnt that what comes naturally to me is not what comes naturally to him and therefore I should view the language from his perspective and point of view, rather than from my own. In other words, this meant viewing as a student rather than as a teacher. Only after I understood what the student was seeing could I understand what would benefit the student, and therefore provide the necessary means of delivering that lesson. It basically allowed me to assess him based on what was challenging to him as a learner who was struggling to understand the language, rather than as the student of someone who was very fluent in the language. Another misconception I quickly became aware of was that I had always thought assessment was purely for the benefit of the student. While this is partially true, in an indirect way, assessment of a student can also greatly benefit the teacher. In fact, for a good teacher the assessment of a student is vital because through assessing the student, one is able to assess himself as a teacher, possibly better than he could through any other method. When a student struggles with certain aspects of language, but cannot point out exactly where, assessment helps to narrow it down and give information of which areas need more practice and which areas the student is weak in. This allowed me, as a teacher, to focus on those areas, and draw on the aspects of language which Anees was familiar with, or more comfortable with, to help make those unfamiliar areas more accessible for him. In other words, assessment helps a teacher asses his own process of teaching, and decide which areas need to be focused on and which areas can now be left on the student to practice in his own time. Through the various assessment tasks I provided Anees, I found very clear insight into which aspects troubled him, which in turn made my job of teaching him much easier. Therefore, it can be said that assessment of a student is also a means of assessment for the teacher, and both student and teacher can find much to learn from it, if correctly carried out. Finally, I also learnt something that had initially never crossed my mind. While assessment is valuable in pointing out the weaknesses of a student, it is also valuable in pointing out the strengths of a student. Through various forms and stages of assessment, when a student finds that he has a grasp so firm on the matter that he not only remembers or holds the information, but is also able to assess and produce it, it gives him a sense of confidence on the matter, and allows him to use it more fluently and frequently. In conclusion, I learnt that assessment is not a way for a teacher to decide how well he or she has done their job in teaching a student. Rather, inversely, it is something that is ultimately for the student's benefit in more ways than one and can provide valuable insight into more than the conventional question of how much information a student has retained. If carried out correctly, it can be used as a tool and aid in the learning of a language, or it can be used as a pointer to narrow down the areas where a student needs more practice or indeed which areas are strong enough to be used as an in aid in strengthening those weaker areas. Through the exercisers over the weeks and frequent feedback from Anees I realized that assessment is not only beneficial but indeed vital if one wishes to provide a complete sense of understanding and grasp for a language, and indeed is nothing a student should fear, if they realize that it is only for the benefit in the long run. Assessment is more than a testing tool to determine the content of past lessons, which is how it is normally seen by most teachers and students alike, myself included. Rather it is a developmental tool that helps progress and mould future lessons for the student. References Language Assessment Principles and Classroom Practice book by H. Douglas Brown and Priyanvada Abeywickrama (2010), Pearson Longman. title. Year. 8 Oct. 1997 Read More