ASSESSING VOCABULARY

ASPECTS TO TAKE ACCOUNT


In assessing the vocabulary the main aspect to be taken into account are the techniques that teachers can adapt to provide evidence of knowledge of vocabulary and vocabulary growth in different areas.
Moreover vocabulary should be taught according to the context and developed through the course of life.
Learning vocabulary must follow these steps:
Stage 1: Never Having seen the term before
Stage 2: Knowing there is Such a word, but Not Knowing What It Means
Stage 3: Having context-bound and vague knowledge of the word's meaning
Stage 4: Knowing the word well and remembering it
As the following dimensions must be present:
Generalization: The ability to define a word
Application: The selection of the appropriate use of the word
Amplitude: Knowledge of multiple meanings of the word
Accuracy: The ability to apply a term correctly to all situations
Availability: The ability to use the word productively.

the latest facet of knowledge of words, the receptive / productive duality. Receptive vocabulary refers to the words students understand when they read or hear them. Productive vocabulary, on the other hand, refers to students can use words correctly when speaking or writing. For many lexical competence develops from receptive to productive vocabulary knowledge phases.

in conclusion. vocabulary knowledge is multifaceted. Word knowledge is acquired incrementally. At each stage or point in a continuum of knowledge of words, students may be familiar with the term, know the words related to the term, or have the flexibility to use both in written and oral form. It is clear that to know a word is more than knowing its definition. Teaching and testing definitions of words is very different from contemporary approaches to instruction and assessment that considered incrementality, multidimensionality, and the level of student use.

ASSESSMENT THROUGH COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY

“Which advantages do you think Assessment through computer technology has over traditional assessment?”

The technology can enrich the assessment in many ways, there are a variety of technological tools in constant evolution, which may render of assessment, in a fun, dynamic, creative, different experience, without time or distance. Synchronously and / or asynchronously, the assessment through technology may have greater scope than traditional assessment, which in many cases is considered a tedious experience for students which should have specific times and spaces for its development, and for teachers who have to review the tests and qualify it in the traditional way, in this way a lot of valuable time is invested, although necessary for the assessment process, not simply the result. Therefore, I consider that the assessment supported by technology enriched in many ways, the processes teaching and learning, because bring dynamism, innovation, creativity, time saving and constant motivation; but does not replace traditional evaluation, as this is very important to determine the level of understanding of students, creating interaction and direct contact (teacher-student, student-student), warmth human, establish whether the process is being carried out significantly and not only for simple answers of choice that in many cases do not provide reliability or validity completly to the pedagogical processes. Thus we can not think of using only one type of evaluation, but all those who serve us for the pedagogic purpose in which we are focused and at the right time of the instruction.

NEXT DICHOTOMIES

Informal assessment.

“Usually refers to classroom assessment carried out during the course of the teaching and learning process”

It must be in the learning process or during the classes, this evaluation can be achieved through the tasks, conversations or discussions, observations in group works, discrete questions, and grammar test.

Formal Assessment

This assessment is previously planned, here is issued formal structured test, and can be at the end of the course.

Classroom assessment

The assessment prepared in classroom based in learning outcomes, this is excellent because it help identify the student’s needs furthermore the teacher monitor the student performance.

External Assessment

It is prepared outside the classroom and administered by school (in order to evaluate the quality of the school or programme).

Pedagogic purposes

In this assessment the teacher write specific objectives about the lessons, activities and structures, the student can focused in a precise purpose.

Administrative purposes

This assessment give information about the development of the educative community and recognize if the teacher centered the curriculum in the student’s needs.

Content Standards

The research about the levels that students can or need to accomplish and what students need to know also what they are be able to do.

Performance Standards

Describing how much or at what level students need to perform to demonstrate achievement of the content standard.

PURPOSE OF THE TEST LANGUAGE

“Why test language for specific purposes?”

The main reason is because language is used for different purposes like: tourist, teaching, work, etc; the LSP tests are according to the general purpose language test, with specific purpose content knowledge. Some of the characteristics that this kind of test should have are:

• The authenticity of task; which is to share critical features of tasks in the target language using situations of interest to the test takers. 
• The interaction between language and specific purpose content knowledge is the clearest feature of LSP.

by Last he need to assess the specific language ability or a specific communicative function, in a particular group of people , who have a particular communication needs, it is the main reason to use an LSP, a LSP is used to determine the language ability and knowledge of the field interact with the test content in a way which is similar to the target language use situation; determining whether the test participants are prepared to face and successfully solve a communicative situation in real life in specific contexts.

KIND ASSESSMENTS-REFLECTION

Proficiency test,


Achievement test



Diagnostic test




 Placement test. 

Is about the placement tests that colleges and universities use to assess college readiness and place students into their initial classes. Tests primarily assess abilities in English, math and reading and in other disciplines such as foreign languages, science, computer Internet and health

Evaluation Vs. Assessment

The following chart shows the clear differences between the two concepts

Formative Vs. Summative Assessment

Validity and Reliability.  

Quantitative Vs. Qualitative Assessment 

ACTIVITY INITIAL

What is evaluation?

Evaluation is the act by which the teacher checks whether the student understood a topic and move forward with the contents in the area and thus give or not promotion the following year.

What steps are necessary to develop an evaluation?

Through the exercises, tasks and activities in class and extra class content covered in the area are strengthened, then verified that the students understood the issue proceed to develop the evaluation, determine the purpose, the technique, items to raise, the value of each, and the total score, that allow the teacher to identify faults and then proceed to reinforce the student.

What are the best times to apply an evaluation?

The evaluation must be constant, the teacher must be evaluated at any time, classwork, homework, behavior, field application, and this has endless techniques that will allow teachers to conduct a more comprehensive evaluation both qualitatively and quantitatively.

What types of evaluation do you know? What are the most recommendable for you?

I know several types of evaluation within these is the observation in the classroom, the realization of written work, assignments, presentations, written or oral evaluations ICFES open or closed type questions, the truth is difficult to recommend a technique, depending on your context, the subject matter and the information you get.

What can determine how reliable the evaluation results are?

What determines the reliability of the results of the evaluation would be: the use of proper technique, the goals to be achieved by carrying it out, the number of students who earn the evaluation, and finally give an exact demonstration than understood by the student.