Show What You Know!
Click on one of the areas below to read an example scenario from that context.
Simona works with elementary students in a community-based Latvian heritage language school. She wants to incorporate low-stakes assessment into her curriculum to get some feedback for planning the next few weeks of class. However, she has some concerns that her students are too young for a formal, written test, which is the only standardized assessment the program provides.
Imagine you were in Simona’s position. Which type of assessment would you use: placement, formative, or summative? How would you address the challenge described in this situation?
After considering your own responses, click here to view the sample responses.
Professor Yuki is a Japanese teacher at a local university. He teaches a class with both heritage and second language learners. Many of his heritage students cannot read or write in the language yet demonstrate the oral/aural skills required for placement in this course. The non-heritage students, however, have already learned basic literacy skills and need to receive feedback on their speaking proficiency. Professor Yuki wants to use formative assessment to give everyone appropriate feedback but is unsure how to approach the diversity of needs.
Imagine you were in Professor Yuki’s position. Which type of assessment would you use: placement, formative, or summative? How would you address the challenge described in this situation?
After considering your own responses, click here to view the sample responses.
Beatriz teaches literature and language arts in a Spanish-English dual language immersion program. This year, she has several heritage speakers in her class who speak different dialects and varieties of Spanish. Beatriz needs to show what her students have learned at the end of the year, but she isn’t sure if she should rely on the state-wide language exam for second language learners that is typically used.
Imagine you are in Beatriz’s position. Which type of assessment would you use: placement, formative, or summative? How would you address the challenge described in this situation?
After considering your own responses, click here to view the sample responses.
Fatima works at an Arab-American community center and oversees the coordination of Egyptian Arabic language classes for adult heritage speakers. She wants to get a better understanding of everyone’s language background and to help determine instructional needs for the classes. Fatima has not organized or administered tests before, and she wants to make sure the assessment is accessible to students and generates interest in the course.
Imagine you are in Fatima’s position. Which type of assessment would you use: placement, formative, or summative? How would you address the challenge described in this situation?
After considering your own responses, click here to view the sample responses.
The above example learning scenarios cover a variety of assessment situations in which educators must use different approaches to assessing HL students, including placement testing, formative assessment, and summative assessment. Click on one of the boxes to read about and respond to these situations.
