Standard-referenced assessment of productive L2-skills of Swiss pupils

1. Standard-referenced assessment of productive L2-skills of Swiss pupils

2. Contents of the talk: • Background information • Evaluation of writing ability in English • Evaluation of speaking ability in French • Further stages of the project

3. Background-information • Status quo of the project • Assessment of speaking ability in French • - Design • - Pre-Test • - Results • Future stages of the project • - Rater training • - Switzerland • Assessment of writing ability in English • - Design • - Tasks • - Results • 1. Background information • 1998: New concept on language policy for Switzerland • Definition of • learning targets: based of the levels of the CEF • Canton of Zurich: L2-competence at the end of compulsory school years A2 to B1+ • Focus of the project: standard-referenced assessment of productive L2-skills

4. Background-information • Status quo of the project • Assessment of speaking ability in French • - Design • - Pre-Test • - Results • Future stages of the project • - Rater training • - Switzerland • Assessment of writing ability in English • - Design • - Tasks • - Results • 2. Status quo of the project • Basis: Scales and descriptors of the IEF-project • 1st step: task design, feedback from teachers • 2nd step: pre-test, feedback regarding tasks from test takers • 3rd step: standard-referenced assessment of texts

5. Background-information • Status quo of the project • Assessment of speaking ability in French • - Design • - Pre-Test • - Results • Future stages of the project • - Rater training • - Switzerland • Assessment of writing ability in English • - Design • - Tasks • - Results • 3. Assessment of writing ability in English • Task design • Basis: action-oriented, communicative approach • Writing ability: 'writing as an end in itself' • Scales: - action-orientedness • - organisation and structure • - grammar • - vocabulary • - orthography

6. Background-information • Status quo of the project • Assessment of speaking ability in French • - Design • - Pre-Test • - Results • Future stages of the project • - Rater training • - Switzerland • Assessment of writing ability in English • - Design • - Tasks • - Results • 3. Assessment of writing ability in English • Tasks • in written form • in German • Aspects included: - short context description • - actual assignments • - organisational details • Topics: - Letter: Tell someone how you live • - Description: A typical school day • - Email: Thank someone for entertaining you • - Story: ‘The worst day I ever had’

7. Background-information • Status quo of the project • Assessment of speaking ability in French • - Design • - Pre-Test • - Results • Future stages of the project • - Rater training • - Switzerland • Assessment of writing ability in English • - Design • - Tasks • - Results • 3. Assessment of writing ability in English • Results of the pre-test • Manageable tasks • Standard referenced assessment is possible • Discrimination between different competence levels

8. Background-information • Status quo of the project • Assessment of speaking ability in French • - Design • - Pre-Test • - Results • Future stages of the project • - Rater training • - Switzerland • Assessment of writing ability in English • - Design • - Tasks • - Results • 4. Assessment of speaking ability in French • Task design • speaking: communicative, action-oriented approach 1 cf. Schneider and North (2000, 36)

9. Background-information • Status quo of the project • Assessment of speaking ability in French • - Design • - Pre-Test • - Results • Future stages of the project • - Rater training • - Switzerland • Assessment of writing ability in English • - Design • - Tasks • - Results • 4. Assessment of speaking ability in French • Task design • tasks: written form, German • short context description • actual assignments • organisational details • scales: action-orientedness • communication/interaction • pronunciation • fluidity • vocabulary • grammar

10. Background-information • Status quo of the project • Assessment of speaking ability in French • - Design • - Pre-Test • - Results • Future stages of the project • - Rater training • - Switzerland • Assessment of writing ability in English • - Design • - Tasks • - Results • 4. Assessment of speaking ability in French • Pre-test • preparation: 5 minutes, notes • performance: without notes, video

11. Background-information • Status quo of the project • Assessment of speaking ability in French • - Design • - Pre-Test • - Results • Future stages of the project • - Rater training • - Switzerland • Assessment of writing ability in English • - Design • - Tasks • - Results • 4. Assessment of speaking ability in French • Results of the pre-test • wide range of learner‘s results within the same test • comprehensible tasks • different estimation of the task‘s realistic aspect (teachers and learners)

12. Background-information • Status quo of the project • Assessment of speaking ability in French • - Design • - Pre-Test • - Results • Future stages of the project • - Rater training • - Switzerland • Assessment of writing ability in English • - Design • - Tasks • - Results • 5. Future stages of the project • Rater training and integration in teacher • education2 • 1. Illustration: • levels of CEF and descriptors of IEF (2-3 standardised oral and written performances) • Practice: • assessment training (about 3 samples) • 3. Individual assessment: • (rate the rest of the performances) • 2 cf. Relating language Examinations to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEF), Strasbourg: 2003

13. Background-information • Status quo of the project • Assessment of speaking ability in French • - Design • - Pre-Test • - Results • Future stages of the project • - Rater training • - Switzerland • Assessment of writing ability in English • - Design • - Tasks • - Results • 5. Future stages of the project • Development in the field of standard-oriented • assessment in Switzerland • HarmoS project: • Harmonization of the compulsory education in Switzerland • Binding standards for foreign language learners • at the end of compulsory school years • Assessment of learner‘s language level at the main points of transition (primary - secondary/sec I - sec II)

14. Background-information • Status quo of the project • Assessment of speaking ability in French • - Design • - Pre-Test • - Results • Future stages of the project • - Rater training • - Switzerland • Assessment of writing ability in English • - Design • - Tasks • - Results • Many thanks for your attention.