Listen to Selim discuss one way in which he assesses learners’ language development [commentary 1] (Available in full version only).

Complete a blog entry in which you describe your views on the role of assessment in learning and some of the approaches you use to assess student learning.

Compare your descriptions to those posted by other teachers using this program. In what respects are they similar and in what respects do they differ? What can you conclude about the role of assessment in language learning?

There are several sites where you can find information on different approaches and procedures for assessing your students’ proficiency. Explore these sites and develop a list of five or so resources that you will use to enhance the assessments you use in your classroom.

The Center for Advanced Language Proficiency Education and Research (CALPER) has several resources on assessment written specifically for teachers. You can find papers that discuss alternative instruments and procedures such as portfolios, interviews, self-assessment observations, and projects. You will also find professional development materials on Dynamic Assessment, an approach that directly links instruction to assessment.

The Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) has created a Foreign Language Assessment Directory (FLAD). FLAD is a free, searchable directory of information on nearly 200 tests in over 80 languages. Go to the online directory to discover the variety of tests that are available for your teaching language.

The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) offers several resources on assessment. As one example, the Virtual Assessment Center (VAC) is a series of web-based learning modules that provides teachers with step-by-step assistance and practical resources for developing proficiency-based language assessments for the classroom.