The principles of assessing a1 level learners’ language

Аннотация

The assessment focused mainly on the language learner’s achievements but neglected other curricular aims such as language and social awareness. The assessment of A 1 level learners should serve teaching by providing feedback on the young learner’s learning progress, so that the content and the difficulty of subsequent teaching units can be effectively adjusted to the learners’ needs. This term paper offers the reader an overview about the theoretical ideas and principles which should be kept in mind when implementing an assessment. Key words: A1 level, assessment, language skills, principle, language learner The Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR) is an international standard for language ability and comprehension. This standard includes 6 distinct English levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2. Some institutions also recognize the pre-A1 level, though it is not as common. The A1 level refers to speakers who have a basic grasp of the English language. This level is common among those who have only been studying English for a short time. In order to “measure” A 1 level learner’s progress properly, it is important to take into account that there are substantial differences between the assessment of young learners and other foreign language learners. One critical factor in this regard is age. Besides, it is important to appreciate the learners’ cognitive development. During this period of their lives, the children become able to reverse their thinking, to arrange things in a logical order, to classify things (animals, e.g.) based on perceptible attributes. They can determine the causes of events and understand the conversion of numbers, substances and weight. The methods of teaching, for example interactive use of games, songs, rhymes and stories, are also important for the design of an assessment. Normally, teaching and 73 Topical issues of language training in the globalized world learning should dictate what kind of assessment has to take place. But in reality, things often move in the opposite direction: The assessment dominates the whole learning and teaching process. The most frequently used method in study was the pencil and paper test, and this instrument was predominantly used to measure the acquisition of single vocabulary items and grammar through the completion of gaps in isolated sentences. This kind of assessing stands in stark contrast to the A1 level learners’ experience in the classroom, where they learn language through songs and stories. Indeed, there is a substantial gap between the experience of interactive learning in a group and the isolated and non-interactive experience of completing a written test on one’s own. There is also a contrast between the curricular goal of developing oral skills and their assessment. Only a few classroom tests focused on spontaneous speaking. It appears, then, that only areas which are ‘easy’ to assess were examined in the classroom tests (e.g. by way of a vocabulary test). One explanation for this finding certainly is that it is indeed quite difficult to assess oral skills and to mark them fairly. Foreign language teaching should have A1 level learners learning in the centre, trying to understand how the pupils experience classroom interaction and talk. Through interaction, it is possible to assess what has already been internalised by the A1 level learner. This idea of language learning implies the idea that language learning is an ongoing organic process. The plant develops through the nutrients it absorbs from its environment; different types of growth occur at different stages of the development. Assessment thus asks how well the “plant” language is growing. At this point, it is important to mention that progress in language learning - and not achievements - should be assessed and later be graded. Assessment should not prevent learning or stand in its way. Rather, assessment ought to have a positive effect on language learning: A good assessment result can motivate the learner, provide feedback and thus support further learning. The outcomes of the assessments can help the teacher to plan the following lessons, and they might also be important for the evaluation and improvement of courses. A1 level learners should be assessed on the basis of what they have been taught and how they have been 74 Topical issues of language training in the globalized world instructed. The assessment activities should reflect the classroom activities. Assessment in A1 level learners’ language learning is part of their first language experience, thus it can influence the A1 level learners ’ attitude towards the language. They might loose motivation and interest if assessment is not adjusted to what they have been taught or is not fairly designed. There are six equity principles, which should be considered when implementing an assessment: 1. Plenty of opportunities should be offered, in which the A1 level learners have the chance to show their language per