UNIT 18: ASSESSMENT TYPES AND TASKS

This unit taught me that assessment means judging learners’ performance by collecting information about it. Learners are assessed for different reasons and for using different methods to do so. A teacher can use formal and informal assessment. The first one has to do when a teacher assess learners through tests and exams and give them a grade. The second one has to do with when we observe learners to see how well they are doing something and then often give them comments o their performance.

I also learned that there are several reasons why a teacher might want to assess learners formally such as giving them a diagnostic test to find out what they know and don’t know. Also by giving them placement tests to know in what level they are at. It’s based on a syllabus which is formed by many things like a coursebook, etc.

I will implement this topic on my future teachings by recognizing it’s very important for tests to have a good influence on teaching and learning. I will reflect on the level of learners and the content of tasks, because it should reflect on what I will teach. I will finally feedback to learners on what they got right or wrong, their strengths and weaknesses and what they can improve, because through feedback assessment helps learning.

Extra information on web resources you can visit:

• Brown, G (2001) Assessment, A guide to lecturers. Retrieved from: http://www.bioscience.heacademy.ac.uk/ftp/Resources/gc/assess03Lecturers.pdf

• Reference: Stiggins, R. (2005). Student-involved assessment for learning. Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Prentice Hall. Retrieved from: http://www.uts.edu.au/research-and-teaching/teaching-and-learning/assessment/types-assessment

UNIT 17: PRACTICE ACTIVITIES AND TASKS FOR LANGUAGE AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

I have been wondering what activities I can use to develop the learners’ skills and now thanks to this unit I know which ones I can use. I learned that that kind of tasks and activities are designed to give learners opportunities to practice and extend their use of language. It can include functional exponents and grammatical structures, or some reading, listening, writing and speaking subskills. I also learned that there are many different kinds of activities and tasks with different names and uses.

I also learned that activities divide into categories and has different focus and purpose. For example: On the one hand, controlled activities give students repeated practice in accuracy and the form of language and allow them to make few mistakes. On the other hand, free activities allow students to use whatever language they wish in order to complete a task. However between controlled and free activities are freer activities in which the teacher can predict some extent what language the students will need to use.

One of the ways I will implement this on future teachings is by deciding which activity learners will do for practicing or for developing language. I will focus in students’ needs to make a choice. I will also decide which skill or subskill will the lesson be focused on taking into account again the students’ needs and preferences. I will also use a great variety of activities to keep lessons more interesting and motivating.

Some extra web sources that you can visit:

• Learning and teaching (2010) Development activities. Retrieved from : http://www.bath.ac.uk/learningandteaching/rdu/tna/developmentactivities.pdf

• Arshad, N (2013) Class activities for developing speaking skills . Retrieved from: http://es.slideshare.net/nourinarshad/class-activities-for-developing-speaking-skills