Assessment tool of language learning

3-Describe an assessment tool that you and your students feel comfortable with. Explain why?

   Assessment tools are diverse and multiple. Tests, quizzes, observation, self-assessment, peer-assessment and interviews are prominent tools or methods of assessment. For me, I prefer to utilize most of them. On other words, to assess my students' language achievement, I try to integrate most, if not all, methods of students' language performance assessment. We all ,as teachers, know that assessing students' language achievement is very complicated. So, there is no one tool or method to be considered as perfect. If I just rely on tests to measure my students' language proficiency, I will not obtain the clear vision for the students' language achievement. I won't depend only on tests because they do not give an accurate picture of an individual's proficiency.

   Measuring students' proficiency by tests alone is also not fair for students. For instance, some students can converse well and participate in the class actively. But when it comes to tests, they get confused because of many variants such as  test instructions, fear of being tested, or having fatigue…etc.

By the end, they don't do well on the exams. We, as teachers, should integrate or complement tests with other kinds of formative assessment.

   Utilizing our direct and indirect observation is very important in assessing our student's achievement. Students, who are considered high achievers and get low marks on a certain test, their marks should be raised and that based on our observation of their excellent performance and active participation during classes.

   Interviewing students is also  essential for assessing students' language proficiency. Especially to assess the students' language performance. While I interview my students, I discover their speaking ability and what are their speaking weakness. 

Giving students quizzes and dictation activities are also essential and very beneficial for assessing students' ability of language use.

  From my experience in teaching, I find out that students are very comfortable when they have interviews, quizzes and dictation activities along with tests. And such methods give me a full picture of my students' language abilities.     

 To conclude my answer for this question, I strongly believe that  integrating a range of different assessment procedures are necessary in language learning assessment.