How Young Learners Learn Languages and How to Test Them

How Young Learners LearnLanguages and how to Test them Shelagh Rixon © Copyright ALTE 2012 OR … ‘I can’t describe the perfect YL test in 40 minutes but I can try to open discussion about 1. 2. 3. 2 the ways in which we want to educate Young Learners in foreign languages realistic goals to match age and language level the test and assessment characteristics which we therefore need consciously to promote and to talk about with the learners as part of their learning to learn languages development.’ © Copyright ALTE 2012 Two definitions of ‘Young Learners’  Ages 6 to 12 app (covers primary school in many contexts) – This is the least visited and researched age group for testing (but not for assessment in general)  Ages 6 – 16 app (covers compulsory schooling in many contexts) – Testing teenagers is more familiar than testing children 3 © Copyright ALTE 2012 Testing and assessment Assessment - an umbrella term covering any systematic means of discovering and recording how well someone is able to do something, (including observation of normal classroom activity and scrutiny of work done) Testing - more formal challenges, usually with the learner working outside the normal classroom modes. Includes exams. 4 © Copyright ALTE 2012 Sources of information and ideas  Two world surveys (Cambridge and British Council) with questions on assessment practices with Young Learners  Examples of Young Learners Tests from the ALTE group  Acting as volunteer Teachers Assistant in UK 5 primary school where ‘Assessment for Learning’ © Copyright ALTE 2012 is strongly practised 726 respondents 6 © Copyright ALTE 2012 .Cambridge ESOL Survey on Testing and Teaching: 55 countries. 36 L1s. . and counting . South India Poland Japan France China Inner Inner Circle Circle UK USA UK USA India. Expanding Circle Algeria Argentina Azerbaijan Brazil Outer Circle Denmark Sri Lanka Greece Namibia Egypt India.The British Council 2011 Survey on Policy and Practice at Primary School Level: 64 countries. Tamil Nadu Czech Republic Serbia Bangladesh Hong Kong Venezuela Spain Yemen Bahrain Senegal Croatia Sweden Armenia Turkey Taiwan Russia Zambia Uganda Georgia India. Goa Indonesia Cyprus Italy Israel Sierra Leone Kazakhstan Cameroon Colombia Peru Lithuania Kosovo Latvia Palestine Uzbekistan Saudi Arabia 7 Germany Portugal Qatar Mexico North Cyprus © Copyright ALTE 2012 . Cambridge ESOL survey: the balance of assessment types by age group Assessment of students in respondents' context 90% Percentage of respondents 80% 70% 60% 50% Tested formally with standardised tests Tested informally in the class 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Students aged 6-11 8 Students aged 12-16 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . Cambridge ESOL survey: assessment types in primary and secondary schools Tests given in the textbook used Rank order in secondary Tests produced by class teacher number of respondents 400 350 Standardised tests & examinations 300 250 Self-assessment 200 150 Collection of students’ work in a file or portfolio 100 50 0 age 6-11 age 12-16 Total use 9 in class Observation & written description of learner performance Peer-assessment © Copyright ALTE 2012 . placement.Many assessment types. accountability.g. certification. selection Our focus today ‘Assessment for Learning’ which essentially means that … 10 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . many purposes e.      11 to enable current teachers to notice patterns in learning and behaviour and act accordingly to raise learners’ awareness of what they can do and need to do to sharpen learners’ metacognitive skills to introduce ways of demonstrating skills that also work as frameworks for teaching to inform other teachers what to expect from learners © Copyright ALTE 2012 .g.Testing and Classroom Assessment should work in harmony with teaching and to some purpose e. To inform other teachers what to expect from learners? The British Council survey revealed a depressing and not new waste of testing/assessment effort between primary and secondary school levels 12 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . British Council Survey: Is information from assessment passed on from primary to secondary schools? always often quite often sometimes rarely Never 0 13 5 10 15 20 25 30 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . British Council Survey: Do primary and secondary school English teachers meet to discuss transition pupils? 14 never 27 rarely 16 sometimes 10 quite often 3 often 2 always 2 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . not rehearsed recitation) can also shift teaching focus to a particular quality of speaking © Copyright ALTE 2012 . interactive.… to introduce ways of demonstrating skills that also work as frameworks for teaching 15  High-status external tests have had an impact on teaching content and focus in some school systems  The introduction of oral tests of English from Cambridge (or Trinity College) has shifted the focus to speaking  The design of test tasks (e.g. My assumption for today That the Young Learners tests we are discussing are professionally constructed but that we are always striving to make them a ‘best fit’ for the age groups in the following ways:  What we think our learners can achieve  The ways in which they can demonstrate it  In what particular areas we want our learners to achieve 16 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . Weir’s contribution 17 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . Our Focus Today How to respect TEST-TAKER CHARACTERISTICS Particularly AGE and choose from an appropriate range of COGNITIVE and LANGUAGE demands for the ages of the learners 18 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . Moving from being able to claim and show this …  19 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . and reward ‘creative’ language use? 20 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . set up challenges for. At what point in oral testing do we require.‘Chunk’ use with children It is a common beginner strategy to speak in memorised ‘chunks’ such as: I like … My name is x My favourite ….. There is a …. is ……. what choices do we make?  The next activity is a good example of one which sets up a richer interplay of challenge but still at a low (A1) language level 21 © Copyright ALTE 2012 .At the ‘higher’ levels of age and language level. find out about the products. You need to show that you are able to use the proper language for greetings and leave-taking and other basic social language.DELF A1 Scolaire et Junior (12+) Dialogue simulé (ou jeu de role) (2 minutes environ) Instructions to the candidate: Vous voulez obtenir un bien ou un service (acheter un objet.. Pour payer vous disposez de pieces de monnaie et de billets fictifs. and their prices before buying them. de congé et les formules de politesse de base. A partir des images que l'examinateur vous a remises. ask for something .). le prix avant d'acheter. vous vous informez sur le(s) produit(s).. You want to obtain a good or a service (buy something. Vous montrerez que vous êtes capable d'utiliser les formules d'accueil.) Using the pictures that the examiner has given you. 22 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . passer une commande. In order to pay you have some imitation coins and notes.. Some ‘chunks’ but other challenges too. 23  The learner is expected to initiate and structure the role play  The examiner is the interlocutor and may prompt/support if needed  The learner has to manipulate mentally several visual sources of information  The learner is expected to use social formulae © Copyright ALTE 2012 . Alright? 24 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . talk to each other about why it might be important to do these different activities at school.. Then decide which two activities are not important for students to do at school. Instructions for a group of 3 or 4 students interacting) Interlocutor: Now I’d like you to talk about something together for about 3 minutes. First. (FCE for Schools Oral Test Part 3.Moving to being able to do this …. Here are some activities that students often do during their school day. 25 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . Other challenges can be lessened or increased Discourse:  Maintaining interaction with other interlocutors (not ‘led’ by examiner) and ‘staying in the discussion’ Cognitive:  Considering hypothetical possibilities (not all activities may be part of the candidate’s own school experiences)  26 Weighing advantages and disadvantages and expressing them in a reasoned fashion © Copyright ALTE 2012 . it’s not all language.SO. Piaget’s Four Stages of Cognitive Development – a start but not the whole answer 27 Sensorimotor Sensory experiences – Birth to 2 years physical actions Pre-operational Beginning to represent 2 to 7 years the world in words and images. Child can classify objects into sets 7 to 11 years Formal operational Abstract reasoning and logic. moving towards symbolic thinking Concrete operational Logical reasoning about concrete events begins. Hypothetical thought 11 years onwards © Copyright ALTE 2012 . O'Sullivan’s (2000: 71-72) test-taker characteristics add in some vital elements Physical/Physiologi Psychological Experiential Personality Education cal Age Memory Gender Examination Short term ailments Cognitive style preparedness Longer term disabilities Affective schemata Examination experience Concentration Communication Motivation Emotional state experience Target Language-country residence 28 Topic knowledge/ Knowledge of the world © Copyright ALTE 2012 . 1978) Piaget’s 4th (Formal Operational) stage is not an inevitable development driven by biological maturation. and promoting metacognition as well as to developing World and General Knowledge. 29 © Copyright ALTE 2012 .Some vital roles of ‘Education’ For many educators (e. Donaldson. Much of primary education is devoted to fostering its development.g. giving access to the ‘unnatural’ world of academic discourse. Applying what goes on in General Education to think Foreign Language and Testing … Language Learning … LanguageLearning Testing Generalabout Education Subject-specific input Influence of growing literacy Varying quantity and quality of L2 Amount of L2 input is a very crude guide to the ‘level’ of external test that might be input realistically aimed at Is high literacy in L2 a goal? This may affect which language modes are tested and how. This is different from ‘over-preparation’ for tests. . modes 30 © Copyright ALTE 2012 .g. Are learners aware of lesson objectives? Are learners able realistically to self-assess? Is reflection on learning encouraged? Do they receive individual formative advice? A high degree of metacognition leading to ‘Test Wiseness’ is an advantage when facing high stakes tests. especially in setting requirements for reading and writing tests rote learning versus ‘learning by using’. CLIL might be one strong case where content is important) Issues of reliability and ‘fairness’ often mean that tests use information and cultural content supposed to be equally ‘known’ or ‘unknown’ to most candidates Induction into academic modes of language use and recognised genres Guidance towards operating in certain cognitive and metacognitive BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills)? CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency)? Or both? A very important choice. but BEWARE using written tests for oral purposes Additions to General Knowledge/ Knowledge of the world Is information and Affective Content also valued in language learning? (e. © Copyright ALTE 2012 .Aspects of General Education and how they may feed into Language Learning  Subject-specific input  Influence of growing literacy  Additions to General Knowledge/ Knowledge of   31 the world Induction into academic modes of language use and recognised genres Guidance towards operating in certain cognitive and metacognitive modes. CLIL might be one strong case where content is important) Is BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) what you aim at in the foreign language? Or CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency)? Or both? Metacognition? Are learners aware of lesson objectives? Are learners able realistically to self-assess? Is reflection on language learning encouraged? Do learners receive individual formative advice? 32 © Copyright ALTE 2012 .Carry-over from General Education to Language Teaching … Language input (varying quality and quantity) Is developing high literacy skills in L2 a goal? Is information and other content also valued in language learning? (e.g. BICS and/or CALP is a very important choice in terms of test cognitive demands A high level of metacognition leading to ‘Test Wiseness’ is an advantage when facing high stakes tests. the amount of L2 input is a very crude guide to the ‘level’ of external test that might be realistically aimed at Goals for L2 literacy may affect which language modes are tested and how. that can be.… and then into Language Testing      33 Internationally. This is different from ‘over-preparation’ for tests by simply practising past papers © Copyright ALTE 2012 . banal and ‘empty’. but BEWARE of using written tests for oral purposes Issues of reliability and ‘fairness’ often mean that tests use information and cultural content supposed to be equally ‘known’ or ‘unknown’ to most candidates. Working towards known tests or assessment instruments – some interesting issues: The CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) and the related Portfolio Materials provide an excellent start point for metacognition and reflection.. They offer great ideas for teaching ‘ I CAN …….’ But … 34 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . 2. A1.CEFR was not designed for use with children and young people 35  Many good ‘local’ Junior versions of the Portfolio have been produced BUT for more in-depth and detailed use there are issues:  Many school systems specify A1 or A2 for the end of primary schooling. A1. but what about stages ‘on the way’? Levels need to be distinguished in a meaningful way within the current descriptions provided by the CEFR at the lowest levels.  The Japanese version of the CEFR (the CEFRJ) does divide the learning goals into 3 levels within each A band (e.g.1. © Copyright ALTE 2012 .3) (Negishi. Worth considering. Takada. Tono 2011). A1. Test-Takers benefit from being able to deconstruct them 36  In other words.Test-wiseness and metacognition (‘thinking about learning’) If Test-Constructors can build in different challenges. to build ‘Test-Wiseness’ in a positive manner we need to link:    classroom learning classroom assessment and awareness of the demands of high-stakes tests © Copyright ALTE 2012 . Metacognition in the classroom Much modern teaching attempts to offer springboards for developing METACOGNITIVE SKILLS AND AWARENESS (even/especially for the younger learners) However what works for younger usually works for older and the UK strategy spans primary and secondary 37 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . Learning objectives made explicit and shared with pupils Peer and self-assessment in use Pupils engaged in their learning and given immediate feedback My note: feedback = advice on what to do next. not just on ‘how well you did’ 38 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . 2. 3.Extract from UK government Assessment for Learning Strategy 1. This wall is mostly about Assessment for Learning 39 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . WALT = We Are Learning To … 40 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . WILF gets them from WALT into the teacher’s mind 41 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . Not to speak of WAGOLL 42 What A Good One Looks Like © Copyright ALTE 2012 . Traffic lights in exercise books to signal to the teacher  Red = Help! I really don’t ‘get’ it  Amber = I need some more support  Green = I’m confident with this 43 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . confusing.‘Never be afraid to think about your learning’ Register/ Circle time. ‘I think place value charts are really AWFUL’ but this approach could equally be applied to language learning 44 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . frustrating.g. or where they had a TRIUMPH in the past week. in the last week about a school topic. Each child says a sentence about what they found tricky. Often happens with maths e. interesting. Child: That’s Level 5.Children sometimes are VERY aware of what they need to do in order to get the grades  Me: What’s that? (meaning can the child name the semi-colon punctuation mark)  45 . that is! (meaning that he knows that using a semicolon correctly is one criterion for Level 5 work) © Copyright ALTE 2012 . ‘That’s great. You are all working at Level 5 this week’ ‘Levels 4 and 5’ are the Golden Treasure Assessment and Test Grades for all UK primary teachers and 10-11 year old children. the teaching-testing gap can happily be narrowed. 46 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . they all know what they have to do to get there … It’s easy to mock but IF the test-wise teachers and children are talking about wise tests. and increasingly. Thanks 47 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . Cambridge ESOL John Knagg. Cambridge ESOL Evelina Galaczi. Cambridge ESOL consultant Lucy Chambers. British Council Tom Poole. Cambridge ESOL Debbie Howden.We would like to acknowledge the help of following colleagues in the two surveys: Hanan Khalifa. British Council 48 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . Cambridge ESOL Roger Hawkey. Thanks also to: Grange Farm Primary School and Stanton Bridge Primary School Coventry 49 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . 50 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . 51 © Copyright ALTE 2012 . Insert your text in this space. Statement template. 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