1 LPATE 2011 Paper V Classroom Language Assessment (CLA)

2 Briefing for Candidates I.The Arrangement II.The Assessment III.Q & A

3 I. Arrangements – Points to note  Assessment period: End of November 2010 – early April 2011  ONE assessment visit arranged for each candidate, with some candidates receiving a SECOND assessment visit (throughout the whole assessment period)  A small number of paired visits in which two assessors observe the same lesson (only at the beginning stage of the assessment)

4 I. Arrangements – Points to note  Purpose of second assessment visits: - for EDB to monitor the entire assessment through verifying the actual attainment of various CLA standards  Purpose of paired assessment visits: - for EDB to monitor assessors ’ performance

5 I. Arrangements – Points to note  Notification by phone by the assessor(s) at least 5 days prior to the visit  Candidates should  confirm details of the visit  indicate the need for a briefing, which  is optional (to give the assessors some background information about the school, students, content of lesson, etc.)  does NOT constitute any part of the assessment  provide information to facilitate the visit e.g. transport

6  Confirmation Sheet sent to candidates through the school fax no. Confirmation Sheet  Candidates should  check the details of the visit and read the notes on the Confirmation Sheet carefully  keep the Confirmation Sheet as a reminder / for future contact  inform the school head and relevant parties of the visit e.g. Janitors at the entrance, GO I. Arrangements – Points to note

7  No change to the confirmed schedule unless fully justified and agreed upon by the assessor  Prompt notification and written confirmation in case of unforeseen circumstances / withdrawal from the assessment  Medical certificate in case of sickness I. Arrangements – Points to note

8 Reminder If not yet submitted, fax copies to the LTQ Team ASAP:  Complete (whole year) official teaching timetable and school calendar  Copies should include name, Demand Note Number, subject entered, contact phone number, written clearly and legibly on every page Notify the LPA Team immediately of  any subsequent changes (e.g. the timetable, the school calendar, contact numbers)

9  Duration – one lesson, of which there should be at least 20 minutes of continuous teaching  Examples of lessons NOT suitable for assessment:  Lessons that do not provide evidence on all 4 scales  Lessons largely dominated by student activities with little teacher input II. The Assessment – Choice of lesson

10  The lesson should provide sufficient evidence on all 4 scales  Grammatical and Lexical Accuracy and Range  Pronunciation, Stress and Intonation  Language of Interaction  Language of Instruction  Not meeting this minimum requirement of duration as a result of external factors would call for a second visit  A written lesson plan NOT required II. The Assessment – Choice of lesson

11  Assessor normally arrives 10 minutes before the lesson to allow time for a briefing (if arranged)  Reception at the general office generally expected II. The Assessment – Before the assessment

12  Assessor to be seated at the back of the classroom, preferably at a distance from the students  Use of microphone allowed  Assessor not to be invited to take part in class activities  No (audio/video) recording / observer / co-teaching during the assessment  Use of Cantonese not encouraged II. The Assessment – Classroom setting

13  Assessment of language proficiency, not teaching methodology  Some general focuses  Accuracy of language used  Quantity & quality of language used  Appropriateness of language used (register, variety, complexity … )  Obtrusiveness of language problems II. The Assessment – Criteria / Scales

14 Grammatical and Lexical Accuracy and Range  The ability to use an appropriate range of grammatical structures and vocabulary accurately  Mainly concerned with  Accuracy, variety and complexity of language used  Amount and types of errors made  Evidence of self-correction or reformulation II. The Assessment – Criteria / Scales

15 Grammatical and Lexical Accuracy and Range  Examples of errors  The little children lost his way.  The movie was bored.  I ’ ll let you to choose.  Raise up your hand.  Can you tell me which one do you like? II. The Assessment – Criteria / Scales

16 Pronunciation, Stress & Intonation  The ability to speak in a comprehensible way with no systematic errors in pronunciation and to use stress and intonation in a natural way to convey meaning  Mainly concerned with  The use of appropriate stress & intonation patterns  Accuracy in pronunciation  Amount and types of errors II. The Assessment – Criteria / Scales

17 Pronunciation, Stress & Intonation  Examples of problem areas  Consonants (neighbour/labour; receipt)  Consonant clusters (play/pay)  Final consonants (line/lie; walked)  Vowels (sleep/slip; purpose)  Stress (superlative; argumentative)  Intonation (Where do you live?) II. The Assessment – Criteria / Scales

18 Language of Interaction  Smooth interaction with students using a range of effective and appropriate language  Mainly concerned with  Eliciting, modifying and reformulating questions, giving clues and hints  Giving confirmation, seeking clarification or repetition  Providing feedback / comments, acknowledging answers II. The Assessment – Criteria / Scales

19 Language of Interaction  Some common classroom situations  A student saying ‘ I don ’ t know ’ or “ No ” when a positive answer is expected  A student giving the wrong answer  Class doing group work with teacher monitoring II. The Assessment – Criteria / Scales

20 Language of Instruction  The ability to present and explain lesson content clearly and naturally and to give clear instructions  Mainly concerned with  Presenting & explaining a teaching point  Giving instructions for activities / homework / classroom management  Organization of discourse or a part of lesson / activity II. The Assessment – Criteria / Scales

21 Language of Instruction  Some common classroom situations  Teacher explaining a grammar point  Teacher grouping students for an activity II. The Assessment – Criteria / Scales

22  4 assessment scales  Grammatical and Lexical Accuracy and Range  Pronunciation, Stress and Intonation  Language of Interaction  Language of Instruction  To attain LPR – ‘3’ or above on all 4 scales (with one ‘2.5’ allowed) II. The Assessment – Criteria / Scales

23  The assessor will NOT discuss with any school personnel the performance of the teacher or the students or the lesson itself  Results will be issued by HKEAA around late-May, 2011 II. The Assessment – Post-assessment

24  Language Proficiency Assessment for Teachers (English Language) Handbook (October 2010) (available on EDB / HKEAA websites)  Language Proficiency Assessment for Teachers (English Language) Assessment Report 2010 (available on EDB / HKEAA websites) For further details

25 LTQ Team, EDB Tel : Fax: (submitting timetables) Website : > Teachers’ Development > Training & Qualifications > Language Proficiency Requirement For enquiries

26 HKEAA Tel : Fax : Website : > LPAT For enquiries

27 Q & A

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