Modes of Communication

Example

1 | 2 | 3| 4

The examples of performance assessment units can be used or adapted to fit your classroom.

Level: Beginner (first year in high school)

THEME: Where we live

Interpretive Task: Students read a story about an event in a neighborhood from a newspaper (or magazine). Then, they complete a worksheet to check their understanding. (The worksheet could ask students for the main topic of the story, to underline phrases or key words that contain that information, or to summarize the main idea in one sentence). After they complete the work sheet, they think about their neighborhood, what is located in their area and what the students think is important to a neighborhood.

This task is Interpretive because students read the descriptions in the target language and answer questions in English. They do not have to produce answers in the target language. The assessment focuses on understanding of the text.

The second part of the Interpretive task asks students to interpret beyond the literal message and to consider the theme “Where we live” on a cultural level. Below are some questions you may wish to ask your students.

• What is similar and different in the way the neighborhoods are designed?
• What kinds of things might influence why the neighborhoods are designed the way they are?
• What is interesting about each---why?

These questions are a springboard for a rich discussion about cultural perspectives in housing, neighborhoods, transportation and use of resources as a reflection of culture that can be in English, to allow students to express ideas for which they may not have the target language. The discussion provides a connection to topics related to other subject areas such as geography, history, social studies, economics and others.

For an assignment that evening, students are asked to sketch a draft of a target culture neighborhood and bring it to class for the interpersonal task.Interpersonal task: In class with a partner, they design a target culture neighborhood. They decide what they should be in their neighborhood and where things should be located.

Interpersonal Task: Students work in pairs to draw a blueprint or map of their neighborhood using a large piece of paper. Using the target language, students will use their ideas from their assignment to negotiate and reach agreement on what should be in the neighborhood they are designing jointly, the location of the buildings, parks, transportation, streets and recreational places.

This task is interpersonal because it is spontaneous. The neighborhoods the students planned at home are a preparation for the discussion. The discussion does not revolve around what they had done at home, but rather that they use their ideas in negotiating a common design. The discussion is interesting because it is based on their opinion of what they think their target culture neighborhood should be.

In assessing the students during the interpersonal task, a teacher can choose to have students assess their participation in the discussion. The discussion could also be videotaped for the teacher to view later. Or, the teacher, using a checklist, may move among the groups to get a general impression of the discussion in each group. The teacher may also choose to pull one or two students aside and discuss the neighborhood with these students in detail.

Presentational Task: Students make a brochure advertising the neighborhood they constructed with your partner. Each student is asked to write two-paragraphs about the neighborhood for the brochure. In paragraph one, they describe the neighborhood they constructed and in the second paragraph, they will tell why they would like to live in the neighborhood.

This task is Presentational because the students are writing formal essays. Students write a rough draft for their essay. After the rough draft is completed, the student receives feedback from the teacher and peers.

Peer feedback: In the case of peer feedback, it is recommended that peers be given very specific tasks to accomplish and be held accountable for completion of these tasks. For example, peers could verify that the contents of the two paragraphs matched the instructions. A peer could check for verb agreement or correct genders, or that no words were left in English.

Give peers a short checklist (two or three items) to use in providing feedback. They can complete the checklist, write their comments, pose questions left unaddressed and sign their name to the checklist indicating that they have given appropriate feedback.

Teacher feedback: The teacher must remember that s/he is not writing the essay for the student. Before accepting a rough draft, give the students a list of non-negotiables. Non-negotiables are items for which students can take complete responsibility. Rough drafts should not be accepted unless the non-negotiables have been met.

For example, in this essay a non-negotiable would be two paragraphs addressing the topics outlined in the instructions. A non-negotiable might be how many sentences must be in each paragraph as a minimum. A non-negotiable might be that no English can be left in the draft, or that it needs to be typed. By outlining three to five items that the student can control, the draft will be of higher quality and the feedback can focus on clarity of the communication in both structure and content.

The interpersonal and presentational tasks are evaluated using a rubric (see the Evaluation section for information on constructing rubrics), while the interpretive task is evaluated from the students’ worksheets.