EnglishClub ESL Forums

Developing your own assessments can be stressful. There are so many aspects to consider when teaching English Language Learners, and including authentic elements can be a challenge. What are some interesting tasks, strategies, or quiz formats that have worked for your classes in the past?

Speaking as someone who has worked in multicultural teams, I find it astounding that everyone would be expected to demonstrate their prowess of a new skill in a uniform way. We all know that humans learn in different ways; when you add a language barrier on top of things, it only exacerbates the issue. How can people expect to do their best on a test if they may not know what is being asked of them? Do they even understand the value that is placed on these tests in the U.S.?

My suggestion would be to give kids the ability to prove themselves in a comfortable environment. The first of which could be a space for them to share stories about their culture. Give kids the opportunity to deliver an oral presentation on their favorite things about their nationality/upbringings, or allow the students to pick music or a video that they enjoy and then translate it into English. This way, they get practice in relaying not just words but the meaning of the vocabulary they are learning. (They would also be more apt to remember the material since they are associating it with something they value instead of attempting to strictly memorize the material.)

For me, some of the most fun learning experiences in school were when we would play games. Trivia, board games adapted for a particular subject, or any other made-up challenge was a fun way to review or learn new material. We would get excited when the teacher would tell us it was "game day". These games can easily be converted into a testing mechanism by which the students would be able to demonstrate their ability by how well they do in the game. They may not even know they're being evaluated!

All I know is, it's not fair to make everyone conform to the same way of evaluating progress. Outside of the educational system, the world does not expect that everyone will learn in the same way so why do we force kids into these experiences? If we know where the targets are, then what does it matter if the methods used to measure progress towards those goals are different?

I love the suggestions of using oral stories, cultural connections, and games in the classroom for student assessment. It is true that each student is different and teachers should allow multiple forms of assessment to be utilized. In this way, students are almost guaranteed to do their best as they can choose an activity that brings them enjoyment, or they would at least cycle through different types of activities until they find something that they enjoy or which exposes a hidden talent.

I am also a fan of multiple activities provided to the students for both formative and summative assessments. These activities would allow the teacher to gain valuable information about each student and note their strengths and weaknesses, proficiency, or progress, without the students knowing in some cases, thus lowering their anxiety. In this way, teachers can measure student performance for the performance itself, and not make assumptions on stress levels.

I would agree with flappybird. My first grade teacher was wonderful in getting us to learn, not only through the textbooks but through games. As well as a comfortable environment. We would have game show Fridays. It was fun and competitive in the best way. It made learning fun and feel less like something you had to do, but instead wanted to do. Made us excited to learn. And no one ever was absent for game show Friday.

I have done games with previous ESL classes, along with providing them with pictures of places in their country, and asking them to highlight different things they see in said picture in English. From there, building up their vocabulary and having them write complete sentences about what they see has been helpful. Trying to keep assessments relatable is key in my opinion. The use of online tools is helpful as well, such as Quizlet, which helps track progress, and Kahoot, which makes things fun and interactive.

Exactly. Fun and interactivity should definitely be one of the primary goals. If the "testing" is done in a way where the students feel like they have this certain time period to look forward to, then anxiety would be minimized, performance goes up, and everyone wins in the process. Can you imagine what it would have been like for us as kids, to have never realized when we were being tested? If all we did was enjoy the activities? School would have been a much different place.

I think back to the times I became stressed before an exam. Indeed, having teachers assess students in fun, interesting, or sly ways would definitely assist in helping students relax, becoming more comfortable in class. I have never used Quizlet or Kahoot, but those are on the radar to look up now! I also love the idea of a standard day of the week or day set aside for review games. There is no reason why assessment or assessment prep can't be fun as well as purposeful.

In my part of Canada, the schools rely heavily on Kahoot for many of their quiz activities. My daughter has always loved school and never had many challenges with learning but, she enjoys this method far above pop quizzes and other tests. Fun is a universal language. If you can provide an environment in which children have the chance to smile while they learn they will absorb more material, regardless of their culture or any language barrier they may experience. Learning another language is hard but, learning a language while you are also expected to learn a culture is even more difficult. While we support all cultures and the expression of these influences, it doesn't take away the struggle of juggling who they are with who they need to be in the moment. We have a huge multi-cultural population and I see this type of challenge all the time. It really must be a systemic change to provide the best opportunities for the greatest number. With our schools being so diverse and already employing some of these fun methods, the students are still expected to complete standardized testing and they must meet certain targets. No decision has been made to change this way of evaluation, yet. I can't say if the discussion has been started but, as much as the kids enjoy other methods of learning and testing aptitude, it only makes sense to continue to use tools that make them feel supported while they learn. Standardized testing always seems to have a "make or break" type vibe that goes along with it and this can take the wind out of anyone's sails, let alone young learners. My vote is to keep them smiling and success will follow.

Excellent points Cygnus! I agree that fun is a universal language, at any age, so teachers who try to engage the students in entertaining activities will get a better response and result regarding their abilities. Especially with English Language Learners, who have enough stress on their shoulders, making activities fun can keep them in-tune with the material and hopefully make learning memorable.

For classes that are of mixed abilities and mixed cultures, I love the idea of celebrating those differences and highlighting cultural aspects of the students throughout the year. I know if I were a student in a foreign country, I would want someone to ask about my traditions, holidays, and practices. Learning about people and cultures of the world at an earlier age will only help to make students more aware and understanding of others as they grow, in my opinion. Any thoughts on this status? Are schools in your area doing this well, doing this a little, or not doing this nearly enough?

Oh yes, being culturally diverse has definitely provided our kids with a broad view of the world. The kids are encouraged to share their culture with others and, by doing so, they understand that everyone is different. They know that these differences are something to be proud of rather than be "managed" by others. It's expected and assumed that people have different backgrounds. Because of this, the idea of "conformity" is practically alien to our youth. Again, this is another reason to support their experiences by upholding what they are learning about diversity, by treating them in a way that acknowledges these differences in learning styles.

I would agree making it fun is important when learning about other cultures. Especially at a young age. However, I would say making it relatable, to a degree, is also important. I remember in 3rd grade my history teacher explaining Bastille Day and how in French culture and history that day is as important there as the 4th of July is to us here in the States. As a 8 year old I was blown away that no one celebrated the 4th of July outside the States. Granted my knowledge of the world outside of the US at that point was very limited. But I became obsessed with learning about other cultures and their holidays and why they are celebrated after that class. That obsession about comparing and contrasting holidays and the like grew into an obsession of learning in greater detail about the world around me. Which in turn gave me my love of travel. Especially travel outside of my own country and culture. The way my teacher made it relatable really helped spark that interest at a young age for me. It truly opened my eyes to the world for the first time. Something I will always be thankful for!

Nkeough wrote: ↑Mon Dec 06, 2021 5:40 am I would agree making it fun is important when learning about other cultures. Especially at a young age. However, I would say making it relatable, to a degree, is also important. I remember in 3rd grade my history teacher explaining Bastille Day and how in French culture and history that day is as important there as the 4th of July is to us here in the States. As a 8 year old I was blown away that no one celebrated the 4th of July outside the States. Granted my knowledge of the world outside of the US at that point was very limited. But I became obsessed with learning about other cultures and their holidays and why they are celebrated after that class. That obsession about comparing and contrasting holidays and the like grew into an obsession of learning in greater detail about the world around me. Which in turn gave me my love of travel. Especially travel outside of my own country and culture. The way my teacher made it relatable really helped spark that interest at a young age for me. It truly opened my eyes to the world for the first time. Something I will always be thankful for!

Cultural notes are a great motivation for kids to absorb new material, true. Usually I use National Geographic shows. They work pretty well