This document discusses using effective assessments to improve language performance. It provides examples of assessments for the interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational modes of communication. The assessments are designed to have students comprehend information about host families in China, practice conversational skills with a partner, and write a letter describing their own family. The assessments aim to set clear performance targets and provide feedback to help students improve their language skills.

1. Improving Language Performance
with Effective Assessments
Paul Sandrock
ACTFL
psandrock@actfl.org

2. 2
Setting performance targets – Test #1
1. List the family members on the illustrated family
tree
2. Describe what one family member looks like
3. List three professions
4. Say four things your family does on the
weekend

3. 3
Setting performance targets – Test #2
Interpretive
Look at (or listen to)
information from three
different host families in
China, to find out as much as
you can: Where they live, how
many children they have,
what activities they like to do,
etc.
Then decide which family you
would prefer to host you and
list as many reasons as
possible to explain why.

4. Interpretive Assessment
What can you find out
about the family?
Letter from
Family Lin
Letter from
Family Chen
Letter from
Family Wang
Where do they live?
Do they live in a house, apartment,
condo, something else?
How many people live together as
the family? Who are they?
What activities do they like to do?
What else can you do during
homestay with this family?

5. 5
Setting performance targets – Test #2
Interpretive Interpersonal
Look at (or listen to)
information from three
different host families in
China, to find out as much as
you can: Where they live, how
many children they have,
what activities they like to do,
etc.
Then decide which family you
would prefer to host you and
list as many reasons as
possible to explain why.
You and your partner are
exchange students. It will be
your first night with your
host family in China next
week and you want to
practice your conversational
skills. You are given a picture
of your own family and you
will practice with your
partner the kinds of
questions you will ask and
how you will respond.

6. 6
Setting performance targets – Test #2
Interpretive Interpersonal Presentational
Look at (or listen to)
information from three
different host families in
China, to find out as much as
you can: Where they live, how
many children they have,
what activities they like to do,
etc.
Then decide which family you
would prefer to host you and
list as many reasons as
possible to explain why.
You and your partner are
exchange students. It will be
your first night with your
host family in China next
week and you want to
practice your conversational
skills. You are given a picture
of your own family and you
will practice with your
partner the kinds of
questions you will ask and
how you will respond.
The exchange program
would like you to write a
letter describing your
family that the Chinese
students will read to decide
on their American host
family.
Provide as many details as
you can to describe you
and your family. Include
likes, dislikes and activities.

7. Performance Descriptors 2012
WHAT: Standards for Learning Languages
• Five Cs
• Three Modes of Communication
HOW WELL:
• 2012 Performance Descriptors for
Language Learners
• Update and revision of 1998
Performance Guidelines for K-12
Learners

8. Performance
Three Modes of Communication: Interpersonal, Interpretive, Presentational
Three Ranges of Performance:
Novice Intermediate Advanced

9. Building Performance
Taking Steps toward Proficiency
Intermediate
Advanced
Novice

10. Domain Examples What it describes
Functions Ask formulaic questions
Initiate, maintain, and end a
conversation
Create with language
Narrate and describe
Make inferences
Functions are the global tasks the
learner can perform in the
language
10

11. Domain Examples What it describes
Functions Ask formulaic questions
Initiate, maintain, and end a
conversation
Create with language
Narrate and describe
Make inferences
Functions are the global tasks the
learner can perform in the
language
Contexts
and
Content
Oneself
One’s immediate environment
General interest
Work-related
Contexts are situations within
which the learner can function;
Content is the topics which the
learner can understand and
discuss
11

12. Domain Examples What it describes
Functions Ask formulaic questions
Initiate, maintain, and end a
conversation
Create with language
Narrate and describe
Make inferences
Functions are the global tasks the
learner can perform in the
language
Contexts
and
Content
Oneself
One’s immediate environment
General interest
Work-related
Contexts are situations within
which the learner can function;
Content is the topics which the
learner can understand and
discuss
Text Type Words
Phrases
Sentences
Questions
Strings of sentences
Connected sentences
Paragraphs
Text type controlled by the
learner is that which the learner
is able to understand and
produce in order to perform the
functions of the level
12

13. Domain What it answers What it describes
Language
Control
How accurate is the
language learner’s
language?
Describes the level of control the learner
has over certain language features or
strategies to produce or understand
language
13
How / How well able to be understood and to understand

14. Domain What it answers What it describes
Language
Control
How accurate is the
language learner’s
language?
Describes the level of control the learner
has over certain language features or
strategies to produce or understand
language
Vocabulary How extensive and
applicable is the language
learner’s vocabulary?
Describes the parameters of vocabulary
used to produce or understand language
14
How / How well able to be understood and to understand

15. Domain What it answers What it describes
Language
Control
How accurate is the
language learner’s
language?
Describes the level of control the learner
has over certain language features or
strategies to produce or understand
language
Vocabulary How extensive and
applicable is the language
learner’s vocabulary?
Describes the parameters of vocabulary
used to produce or understand language
Communica-
tion Strategies
How does the language
learner maintain
communication and make
meaning?
Describes the strategies used to
negotiate meaning, to understand text
and messages, and to express oneself
15
How / How well able to be understood and to understand

16. Domain What it answers What it describes
Language
Control
How accurate is the
language learner’s
language?
Describes the level of control the learner
has over certain language features or
strategies to produce or understand
language
Vocabulary How extensive and
applicable is the language
learner’s vocabulary?
Describes the parameters of vocabulary
used to produce or understand language
Communica-
tion Strategies
How does the language
learner maintain
communication and make
meaning?
Describes the strategies used to
negotiate meaning, to understand text
and messages, and to express oneself
Cultural
Awareness
How is the language
learner’s cultural
knowledge reflected in
language use?
Describes the cultural products,
practices, or perspectives the language
learner may employ to communicate
more successfully in the cultural setting16
How / How well able to be understood and to understand

17. 17
Assessments to Improve Performance
Interpretive Interpersonal Presentational
Look at (or listen to)
information from three
different host families in
China, to find out as much as
you can: Where they live, how
many children they have,
what activities they like to do,
etc.
Then decide which family you
would prefer to host you and
list as many reasons as
possible to explain why.
You and your partner are
exchange students. It will be
your first night with your
host family in China next
week and you want to
practice your conversational
skills. You are given a picture
of your own family and you
will practice with your
partner the kinds of
questions you will ask and
how you will respond.
The exchange program
would like you to write a
letter describing your
family that the Chinese
students will read to decide
on their American host
family.
Provide as many details as
you can to describe you
and your family. Include
likes, dislikes and activities.

18. ACTFL Performance Descriptors for Language Learners
Strategies learners will use:
1. Rely on visuals and familiarity of content or form
2. Focus on key words and phrases
3. Benefit from redundancy, paraphrasing, restatement
4. Anticipate (predict) and then verify meaning understood;
relying less and less on background knowledge
5. Use structural clues
6. Use organization of the text
7. Use contextual clues
8. Try out inferences (logical conclusions)
18

19. 19
Sample Assessment Strategies: Interpretive Mode
Want to Know Either Or
1. Where the family
likes to visit
2. How many people
in the family
3. Activities they like
to do
4. Food they like to
eat
__ in the country
__ 3
__ outdoor sports
__ vegetarian
__ in a city
__ 4
__ travel to other
cities
__ foreign foods

20. Interpretive Task
Examine videos made by two different Chinese
students about their families.
Write as many details as you can from each video.
ACTFL - Laura Terrill

21. Interpretive Task : Preparation Phase
Based on Shrum, V. and E. Glisan, Teacher’s Handbook:
Contextualized Language Instruction
In preparation for reading this article, explore the following
questions:
1. What do you know about families in China?
2. Where have you found out information about families in
China?
3. Glance at the article for 30 seconds. What type of information
do you expect to find in this type of article?
4. Why might you be interested in reading this article?
5. Brainstorm some words and expressions you might encounter
in this article.
21
Shrum and Glisan: Teacher’s Handbook-Contextualized
Language Instruction

22. Interpretive Task : Comprehension Phase
Main Ideas: Skim the article for one minute and select the subtitle
that would best describe it. Write the letter on the evidence you
found in the “text”:
A. Families Are Changing in China
B. Impact of One Child Policy
C. Living with Grandparents
Important Details: Work with a classmate to find the following
details from the article:
1. Ratio of men to women among 20-30 year olds
2. Job opportunities after graduating from the university
3. Average annual income in different regions of China
22
Based on Shrum, V. and E. Glisan, Teacher’s Handbook: Contextualized Language Instruction

23. Interpretive Task : Comprehension Phase
Optional Vocabulary Work: Review / learn key vocabulary
words and/or expressions in the text.
1. Identify five words/expressions that deal with family
members
2. Identify five words/expressions that deal with parents’
wishes / hopes
3. Identify five adjectives that describe people
4. Identify two nationalities
5. Identify three words/expressions that deal with careers
/ aspirations / dreams
23
Shrum and Glisan: Teacher’s Handbook-Contextualized
Language Instruction
Based on Shrum, V. and E. Glisan, Teacher’s Handbook: Contextualized Language Instruction

24. Interpretive Task
Guessing vocabulary in context: Use the context of the article to
guess the meaning of the following words – check your guesses
with a classmate
Interpretation Phase: Use the following questions to interpret the
article in more detail and share your reactions.
1. How are grandparents treated in China? Explain with
examples from the article
2. Describe one issue that young people in China are facing
today (share details from the article to prove your “finding”)
3. Based on evidence from the article, what influence have
policies and traditions had on changing families in china?
24
Shrum and Glisan: Teacher’s Handbook-Contextualized
Language Instruction
Based on Shrum, V. and E. Glisan, Teacher’s Handbook: Contextualized Language Instruction

25. Interpretive Feedback
Points for correct responses:
1. Subtitle: 2 – correct with some evidence;
1 – correct but minimal evidence
2. Important Details (1-2 for depth of details)
3. Optional vocabulary work (1-2 additional points)
4. Context Clues (1 point per context clue identified)
5. Main idea and details
3 - Identifies main idea and most basic facts;
2 - Identifies main idea and few basic facts;
1 - Identifies main idea in very general terms
ACTFL - Laura Terrill

26. Interpersonal Task
Who in your family does different activities?
Does your ___ ?
ACTFL - Laura Terrill

27. Interpersonal Task
How much do you and your partner have in
common referring to your families?
Family Members Free time Activities
Chores/Responsibilities Careers

28. 28
Feedback Mechanism: Scored Discussion
Move from: 1 – 3 – 5 Move to:
Asks random
questions
Follows up with logical
questions
Only answers the
question asked
Contributes additional
information
Responds, but rarely
initiates
Contributes personal
insights to enhance
discussion and draw in
others
Comments are not
relevant
Stays on topic

29. Interpersonal Mode
4/24/2013Clementi ACTFL
29
Checklist Not
observed
Yes :
frequency
Yes:
quality
Initiates an idea/opinion
Supports an idea/opinion
Reacts to ideas/opinions
Respectfully & appropriately
Asks questions
Responds to other’s
questions
SCORED DISCUSSION

30. Presentational Practice
Word Bank
Use to describe family members
Give sample letter to alter to fit their family

31. 31
_____________
_____________ _____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
________________
________________
Create captions to
describe family
photos:
Writes notes, record
oral description

32. I can
describe
something
with one or
two words.
I can describe
something in
simple, short
sentences.
I can use strings
of sentences
with a variety of
descriptors to
describe
something.
I can use longer
sentences with a
wide variety of
descriptors to
describe
something.
I can give a
detailed
description
within
paragraph -
length
narration.
D. Clementi
Describe people, places and things
LinguaFolio

33. Consistently Frequently Minimally
Am I
understood?
I am easily
understood; I express
my ideas clearly
I am generally
understood and my
ideas are clear
I am sometimes
difficult to
understand; most
ideas are clear
How rich is
my
vocabulary?
I use a wide variety
of vocabulary,
incorporating several
new expressions from
the unit
I use some variety in
vocabulary choice ,
incorporating some
expressions from the
unit
I use basic
vocabulary with
limited inclusion of
expressions from
the unit
How smooth
is my
presentation?
My presentation is
well-organized; I
speak with fluency
and confidence
My presentation is
logical; I speak with
occasional pauses to
think of words
I presented my
topic; I speak with
pauses and some
uncertainty
Source: Donna Clementi
Criteria for Evaluating Presentational Performance

34. 34
Assessments to Improve Performance
Interpretive Interpersonal Presentational
Look at (or listen to)
information from three
different host families in
China, to find out as much as
you can: Where they live, how
many children they have,
what activities they like to do,
etc.
Then decide which family you
would prefer to host you and
list as many reasons as
possible to explain why.
You and your partner are
exchange students. It will be
your first night with your
host family in China next
week and you want to
practice your conversational
skills. You are given a picture
of your own family and you
will practice with your
partner the kinds of
questions you will ask and
how you will respond.
The exchange program
would like you to write a
letter describing your
family that the Chinese
students will read to decide
on their American host
family.
Provide as many details as
you can to describe you
and your family. Include
likes, dislikes and activities.

35. 35
Reflection
Share:
What might change when you focus
your teaching and your students’ learning
on performance assessments (starting
with the end goals in mind)?

36. Improving Language Performance
with Effective Assessments
Paul Sandrock
ACTFL
psandrock@actfl.org