A new approach to classroom-based language assessment

If one considers the number of language learners that are worldwide,the number of classroom-based language assessments(CBLAs)that are given each year,and the number of decisions that are made on the basis of these,it is obvious that in terms of sheer numbers,more students are affected by CBLAs per year than by those based on large-scale language assessments.Because of this,it is essential that classroom teachers have the knowledge,skills,and tools to enable them to develop and use CBLAs that they can justify to stakeholders,e.g.,students,parents,and school authorities.In this paper we describe the approach to CBLAs that we have developed.First,we discuss the role of assessment in teaching and learning,the kinds of decisions that classroom teachers need to make,and the different modes of CBLAs.We then describe the process of using CBLAs to help teachers make decisions that will have beneficial consequences.Next,we discuss fairness and accountability in assessment and the process of assessment justification,including an assessment use argument.Finally,we discuss the process of developing CBLAs,using an example of a classroom-based language assessment to illustrate this.

Researching Classroom-Based Assessment for Formative Purposes

This article aims to help teacher-researchers engage in empirical research on classroom-based assessment for formative purposes. We will first introduce the key features of classroom-based formative assessment(CBFA), and analyze the research questions asked in round-one projects funded by the Fund for Assessment Research(FAR) in Foreign Language Education in China. Next, we will illustrate how some research questions can be answered by analyzing a video-taped lesson from a round-one FAR project. We conclude by calling for more teacher-led research and argue that research on CBFA by teachers will not only produce valid interpretations and applicable findings, but also constitute a viable model for teacher professional development.

Do Your Students Notice Anything?(III)

So where are we now? It seems necessary to draw breath again and see where we have got to. Among the conclusions we are obliged to draw from the above discussion (and from our observation and reading as both classroom practitioners and classroom-based theorists at whatever level) are the following: Some language is clearly acquired subconsciously without any conscious attention being drawn to it either by the learner or by some other agent (such as the teacher). No other explanation will account for the fact that competent language learners seem to know things which there is no evidence of them ever having studied or thought about.

The Use of an Elicited Imitation Test to Measure Global Oral Proficiency of L2 Chinese at the Postsecondary Classroom Level

With a growing number of foreign language studies on proficiency outcomes,it is imperative to address the challenge of measuring students’proficiency development in a language program where standardized proficiency testing is not readily available.This article reports administering a Chinese elicited imitation test(EIT)by an instructor to track students’global oral proficiency development in a small language program in a mid-size U.S.public university.The test results from the EIT of second language(L2)Chinese suggest that this tool can provide the instructor with valuable insights into students’oral proficiency.This study also discusses the potential practical value of using this EIT in a language program with limited resources for standardized proficiency assessment.The hope is that this study will encourage language educators who are not already doing so to start using empirical evidence from a valid and reliable proficiency measurement tool to reflect on,improve,and guide their instructional practices.

Different Models of English as an International Language and Their Implications for Teaching Non-English Majors

This paper attempts to reveal and solve problems in language teaching after discussing the issues of language change. It first discusses different models of English in the context of globalization. With detailed analysis of their theoretical backgrounds, development and foundations, this paper classifies these models into three groups： dualism （i.e., dualic model）, trinalism （trinalic model） and monism （monic model）. Through comparison, Yoneoka’s English Umbrella Theory is found to be more comprehensive and is improved into a practical Revised English Umbrella （REU） with the notion of English as an International Language （EIL）. Second, the changing models in English education are briefly reviewed. Attention is paid to the Computer and Classroom-Based （CCB） Model of College English education because of new requirements for College English education. Students’ competence in cross-cultural communication is becoming more and more important in the EIL context. Finally, a modified CCB model is promoted with the REU, combining EIL and English Umbrella elements.