Do You Struggle with Assessing Conversastions?

Introduction

The first step is to engage your students in weekly conversations in the target language.

This can be weekend talk, random questions, or small talk.

Conversation Starters

imim.us/starters

The sole purpose of these conversations is NOT to work on vocabulary or grammar, but to get to know your students through the target language.

Any conversation you have with a student in the target language is potentially an assessment.

I have small flash cards that I make in Google Docs with each student's name on it on one side and blank on the other.

I print these out on card stock, one color per class.

I use them like popsicle sticks to randomly call on students.

Name Template

imim.us/name-template

Using a rubric, I mentally assess the students speaking ability and note it on the back of their card.

I average every 3 grades together for a speaking quiz grade.

Conversation Rubric

imim.us/rubrics

A = answers questions +

adds to conversation

B = answers questions +

sustains conversation

C = answer questions only

D = difficulty answering

questions

F = unable to answer questions

Conversation Rubric

imim.us/rubrics

If you pull out the rubric while the student is speaking, you're going to scare them and raise their affective filter.

Know your rubric so that you can mentally assess and mark down the grade on the card.

that any conversation can be potentially assessed.

If you know it's a bad day or student's grade is unusually low, skip marking it down and wait for another day.