Department of German

QUIZZES: 25 %. Six quizzes per semester (in the non-intensive track), one at the end of each chapter (15-20 min.) 

- Who uses? Instructor: to gauge students' progress in particular areas of grammar and vocabulary which underlie certain communicative functions/intentions. Student: to receive information about the extent and degree of acquisition of specific features of language.

- What is being assessed? Thematic/topical, cultural, and linguistic knowledge, with linguistic knowledge at the sentence level being foregrounded. Levels of preparation through homework which may impact student success in language acquisition. 

- Who/What is impacted? Students and instruction, since the assessment provides feedback on areas of strength and weakness for the entire class and individual students and indicates needs for additional instructional interventions. 

- Why? To allow students to assess their progress in language learning in highly focused areas that have recently been introduced and emphasized in class; to motivate them to study in a focused fashion that prepares them to apply their specific language knowledge to communicative tasks (as contrasted with grammatical exercises). To give instructors information about progress of individual learners and the class as a whole in highly targeted areas. Because sustained work over long periods of time is necessary for successful language learning assessment through quizzes is an important component of the final grade. Also, it can be used to make decisions about adjustments in instruction. 

- Problems and Possible Solutions: 

The three main testing tools, quizzes on the one hand, and the mid-term and final exam on the other, serve very different purposes. Whereas quizzes pertain to highly targeted specific features of the language and expect relatively high levels of formal accuracy, the mid term and final examinations focus on integrated tasks (e.g, reading and listening comprehension, short writing assignments, speaking). The different expectations and their respective grading criteria need to be discussed with students. Instructors should monitor the amount of instructional time being devoted to quizzes so as not to detract from the content and communicative focus of the class. 

MID-TERM (10%) AND FINAL EXAM (15%)

- Who uses? Instructor: 1) to assess students' ability to perform delimited communicative tasks; 2) to motivate students to increase the areas of use, as well as the accuracy and fluency of use, of vocabulary and grammar throughout semester. Student: to apply linguistic knowledge acquired over the semester in specified communicative tasks in all modalities (listening, reading, writing, and speaking). 

- What is being assessed? Students' cumulative linguistic and content knowledge acquired over longer stretches of instruction (mid-semester and end of the semester) in various tasks that involve all modalities. 

- Who/What is being impacted? students, instruction. The final exam, in particular, should indicate the extent to which students have reached the objectives of the course and the goals of the level as specified in the overall curriculum. 

- Why? 1) to allow students to perform in the language in specified communicative tasks; 2) to provide occasions for more extended language use in all modalities; 3) Mid-term: to allow students to view their own progress and give them a sense of what to expect for the final exam; 4) Both exams: for grading purposes.

- Problems and Possible Solutions:

1. In order to emphasize the task- and content-orientation of the curriculum and each course, the relationship between language use and content knowledge needs to be stated for the more cumulative mid-term and final examinations. 

2. Consistency regarding the content of the examinations given in all sections of a level and regarding grading practices deserves particular attention. 

3. Performance on the final exam of students in the intensive and the non-intensive courses provides a basis for assessing the extent to which the two tracks are comparable, a goal of the curriculum that is embedded in its structure. Mechanisms must be found to have results inform decisions regarding materials, task focus, and instruction in both the intensive and non-intensive sections. 

3. There is some tension between the cumulative nature of language learning and a single testing occasion, between the need for focused knowledge of specific aspects of language and the ability to perform communicative tasks by accessing and applying that knowledge. As stated above, students need to be made aware that quizzes focus on specific language features while the mid-term and the final have a more cumulative and holistic orientation. A sufficient number of occasions needs to be given to practice such holistic tasks in all modalities, in class and out of class. 

ONE INTERACTIVE PARTNER WORK PROJECT: 5%, approx. 10 min. long, in class, according to criteria specified by the instructor.

- Who uses? And why? Student: 1) Main Purpose: to allow students to become "comfortable" learners of German; 2) to have the chance to support extended language use creatively, through visual aids, prepared text and to receive feedback from instructor about content and organization of presentation prior to the presentation (during office hours); 3) to have the opportunity to plan with a partner an extended speaking task, thereby enhancing the complexity and accuracy of language use of each student; 4) to gain knowledge about an area of the presenters’ interest and to convey that knowledge to the class. 

Instructor: 1) to gauge students' oral language as well as their creativity of language use with limited resources which, however, are supported with various visuals. To provide focused feedback during the preparation of the project and after it. 

- What is being assessed? Five main criteria are recommended: 1) organization and free speaking, 2) preparation/materials, 3) creativeness and interest, and 4) accuracy (grammar and vocabulary); extent if audience involvement. 

- Who/What is impacted? Students (learning how to access information about the German-speaking countries in German, and to structure and present a project in German; this has pedagogical implications related to content, organizational, and linguistic knowledge; planning also allows students to work on more complex language and to achieve greater accuracy than is possible in spontaneous speech. Subsequent instruction can incorporate the various content areas presented by the students. 

ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEW: 5%, with instructor at end of semester

- Who uses? And why? Instructor: to see students' level of language use in relatively unplanned, though topically restricted conversations. Program: to provide feedback to curriculum planners and instructors at Level I regarding the speaking ability attained by students at the end of Level I. . Student: 1) to motivate students to participate in general class discussion and to use the opportunity for various conversations tasks throughout the semester; 2) to build up confidence and a sense of accomplishment in speaking, usually the most anxiety prone area of language performance; 3) to practice and familiarize students with oral interviews which appear in assessment throughout the curriculum, and, for SFS students, in the required oral proficiency examination. 

- What is being assessed? On the basis of previously arrived at performance criteria for the interview content knowledge, linguistic, and interactive communicative competencies are evaluated. More specifically, the ability to comprehend questions and to speak on a number of content areas is identified as the main object of assessment.

- Problems and Possible Solutions:

1. Instructors should monitor whether a speaking test should occur only once at the end of the semester or more frequently throughout the semester.

2. In order to reduce the high levels of anxiety typically associated with oral interviews, plenty of low-anxiety conversational activities must be incorporated throughout the course in order to increase students’ sense of being able to succeed in this assessment format and communicative activity. 

HOMEWORK: 20%, written homework assigned for each class period.

- Who uses? Instructors: to check students' sustained level and consistency of preparation and to give

continued feedback on content and linguistic production. Student: 1) to ensure regular engagement with focused material outside of class, leading to better preparation for class; 2) to practice and improve accuracy of vocabulary and grammatical forms, particularly through writing to learn activities (e.g., work book practice; 3) to engage in more extended language use that cannot be accomplished in class (e.g., listening comprehension with audio-visual materials, reading comprehension, and beginning writing tasks (dialogic and non-dialogic); 4) to provide an opportunity to work with other students in the class on more comprehensive communicative tasks. 

- What is being assessed? Level of home preparation and comprehension of materials. This is a way of recognizing that it is important that assigned work is being done and turned in on time. Grading homework with numbers 1through 5 (the old German system), instead of with letter grades or percentages addresses that emphasis. 

- Who/What is impacted? Quality of class interaction and language use; students' ability to perform more extended communicative tasks in reading, listening, and writing, but also in interactive speaking through the use of group and partner tasks. Targeted feedback from instructor is an important motivator for students. 

- Why? To ensure that students engage with the language outside of the classroom and develop habits of working steadily and consistently on their language skills. Additionally, homework gives instructors feedback on areas that require more attention (from content, to more global abilities to highly focused formal knowledge). 

- Problems and Possible Solutions:

1. Introducing more extended writing to Level I is deemed highly desirable, for example in the form of five to six short scripted dialogues and short essays. These writing assignments should be considered as part of the homework portion of the grade rather than as a separate grade in writing. 

2. Students use process writing even at this level. A letter grade is given to the final product, based on guidelines made explicit by the instructor. In order to signal to students the instructional emphasis on content and student creativity (as contrasted with the more customary emphasis on limited but accurate language use) content and linguistic knowledge might each be weighted at 50%. With regard to linguistic knowledge particular attention should be focused on awareness regarding appropriate use and on accuracy in areas of vocabulary and grammar that were highlighted by instruction. As with other homework assignments, the first draft of the essay receives a grade 1-5 while a letter grade that takes into account progress made between the two versions is given for the second, final draft.

CLASS PARTICIPATION: 20% 

- Who uses? Instructor: 1) to gauge individual as well as overall class performance; 2) to get feedback on instruction; 3) to motivate students to speak in German. Student: 1) to build up confidence in using German; 2) to experience and learn to negotiate the complex relationship between comprehension and production, between content and language form; 3) to shape intended communicative intentions creatively within the available resources, cognitive, knowledge-based, and linguistic; 4) to learn to negotiate and find a useful balance between accuracy, fluency, complexity, and comprehensibility and appropriateness of a message; 5) to obtain feedback from instructor regarding areas of language use in speaking that need further attention. 

- What is being assessed? Since consistent and constructive participation is expected from students the following aspects are addressed? 1) class attendance; 2) consistent preparation of materials; 3) students' oral production on-line; 4) students' willingness to be an active participant.

- Who/What is being impacted? Entire class (class dynamic is to some degree dependent on class participation/interest); Student (getting feedback from instructor); Instructor (receiving feedback from students about instruction/materials); Instruction (types of activities done in class). 

- Why? Class participation is necessary for the performance level of the class and is considered an essential foundation for learning a language. Students learn by doing. It also relates to the overall goals of the course since consistent preparation and focus on certain knowledge and abilities is essential for the goal of becoming an independent and self-aware language learner. 

- Problems and Possible Solutions:

1. The rubric "Class Participation" is difficult to define and its criteria, as they appear in the syllabus, are ambiguous. At the same time, a precise definition for the term may also not be necessary. However, the reasons for the importance of class participation should be made explicit, particularly its effects on the overall class atmosphere and therefore students’ likelihood for being successful learners, as individuals and as a group. A particularly effective way for doing this might be through a mid-term questionnaire followed by an office conversation.

2. In order to reduce variation between instructors and classes a system of recording scores of 1 - 5 (German system) for class participation was recommended. The final class participation grade is based on the preponderance of a given score, as contrasted with simple averaging, since there may not have been an occasion for a student to show unusual levels of participation in a particular class. 

Compiled by Heidi Byrnes, July 17, 1999