DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 Diagnostic Assessment Thomas S. Parry Directorate of Continuing Education Defense Language Institute BILC Professional Seminar 2005 Sofia, Bulgaria

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 Language Learning Language is among the most complex of human behaviors to acquire and maintain Learning is among the least understood of human endeavors Language + Learning = no small task!

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 Assumptions Acquiring working proficiency in a foreign language requires significant investment of resources Maintaining that proficiency is an ongoing challenge Language learners need specific, periodic feedback and meaningful recommendations on skill development/improvement in order to be successful

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 Diagnostic Assessment A Language Learner’s Roadmap Language learners obtain meaningful feedback and recommendations on specific skill development based on ILR Scale Language Learners will, with time and practice, advance to the next higher level of language proficiency in each skill area if recommendations are followed

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 ILR Proficiency Level Summary 5 LEVELFUNCTION/TASKSCONTEXT/TOPICSACCURACY All expected of an educated NS All subjects Accepted as an educated NS Tailor language, counsel, motivate, persuade, negotiate Wide range of professional needs Extensive, precise, and appropriate Support opinions, hypothesize, explain, deal with unfamiliar topics Practical, abstract, special interests Narrate, describe, give directions Concrete, real- world, factual Intelligible even if not used to dealing with non-NS Errors never interfere with communication & rarely disturb Q & A, create with the language Everyday survival Intelligible with effort or practice MemorizedRandomUnintelligible

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 Language Learning Outcomes

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 Diagnostic Assessment Design Considerations Formative, not summative Face-to-face, not paper & pencil Brings together teaching, testing and curriculum development Validity: –Instrument, text selection –Questions in English –Quality authentic materials

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 Diagnostic Assessment Design Considerations Reliability: –Selection of personnel –Training –Standards, governing principles Practicality: –Duration –Means of delivery

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 Diagnostic Assessment General Description A 1.5 to 2-hour, individually-administered face-to-face interview with two trained specialists Four skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing –Speaking is patterned after the OPI –Listening and reading based on carefully selected and graded authentic materials

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 Content of Interview Speaking, reading, listening and written essay portions include: –A variety of topics –Specific target country-related issues Content is regularly updated based on current world events

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 Results of the Interview Diagnostic profile –Highlights patterns of linguistic strength and weakness Learning plan –Outlines learning strategies, resources and recommendations

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 The Diagnostic Assessment Process Text Selection Grading of Texts Diagnostic Assessment Specialist Training Learner Styles and Strategies Assessment The Four-Skill Interview Speaking Listening Reading Writing The Learner Profile The Individual Learning Plan

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 The Diagnostic Assessment Process Text Selection Grading of Texts Diagnostic Assessment Specialist Training Learner Styles and Strategies Assessment The Four-Skill Interview Speaking Listening Reading Writing The Learner Profile The Individual Learning Plan

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 Text Selection Content of authentic materials used for reading and listening skills includes –Target country-related issues –Variety of topic areas –Culture-specific current events –Societal issues Differences between texts selected for reading and those selected for listening Source considerations for authentic materials

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 Grading of Texts Authentic materials are graded (assigned an ILR level) as follows: –Determine text mode (author intent) –Separate core from periphery –Establish what the text is and what a linguist can do with the text –Take into account language-specific factors (i.e. structure, accent, applications)

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 The Diagnostic Assessment Process Text Selection Grading of Texts Diagnostic Assessment Specialist Training Learner Styles and Strategies Assessment The Four-Skill Interview Speaking Listening Reading Writing The Learner Profile The Individual Learning Plan

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 DA Specialist Training Prerequisite knowledge, skills and abilities for DA specialists include: –Native speaker of the target language –High-level (level 3) English proficiency in all skill modalities –Through grounding in ILR skill-level descriptions for all skill modalities –Effective interpersonal skills –Background in general computer applications

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 DA Specialist Training Specific DA specialist training includes: –Applying text typology theory in selecting/grading authentic materials –Eliciting oral dialogue and language samples –Structuring the Diagnostic Assessment interview –Creating collection of meaningful learning activities to incorporate into learning plans –Creating diagnostic profiles –Writing comprehensive learning plans –Utilizing specific software applications for selecting source materials and recording speech

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 The Diagnostic Assessment Process Text Selection Grading of Texts Diagnostic Assessment Specialist Training Learner Styles and Strategies Assessment The Four-Skill Interview Speaking Listening Reading Writing The Learner Profile The Individual Learning Plan

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 Learning Styles and Strategies Assessment The Student Orientation Scale (SOS) is used to assess individual student learning style preferences and establish a psychological profile in order to: –Appropriately structure the DA interview –Recommend activities that align with dominant student learning preferences –Recommend strategies that will aid in developing recessive learner preferences

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 The Diagnostic Assessment Process Text Selection Grading of Texts Diagnostic Assessment Specialist Training Learner Styles and Strategies Assessment The Four-Skill Interview Speaking Listening Reading Writing The Learner Profile The Individual Learning Plan

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 Diagnostic Interview Phases Warm-up/introductions Speaking (descriptive preludes) Reading (at least 7 texts at each level) Listening (at least 7 passages at each level) Written Language Sample Wind Down/conclusion

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 The Diagnostic Assessment Process Text Selection Grading of Texts Diagnostic Assessment Specialist Training Learner Styles and Strategies Assessment The Four-Skill Interview Speaking Listening Reading Writing The Learner Profile The Individual Learning Plan

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 The Learner Profile The Learner Profile highlights patterns of learner strength and weakness through three primary means: –General content task list for all four skills –In-depth analysis of all language factors for each skill Discourse Competence Structural Accuracy Lexical Precision Socio-cultural Competence –Analysis of language structure

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 The Diagnostic Assessment Process Text Selection Grading of Texts Diagnostic Assessment Specialist Training Learner Styles and Strategies Assessment The Four-Skill Interview Speaking Listening Reading Writing The Learner Profile The Individual Learning Plan

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 The Individual Learning Plan The Individual Learning Plan consists of: –Thorough analysis of learner strengths and weaknesses in the language –Descriptions of areas needing additional work –General recommendations on how to overcome the weaknesses –Specific recommendations (tasks) on how to advance to the next higher level in each skill –Recommendations/considerations of optimal venue for language study –Recommendations of resources for further study

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 Diagnostic Assessment Applications –Intermediate and advanced language instruction –Second or third-semester of basic language instruction –Immersion programs –Distance learning (VTT and online learning) Future Directions –Computer-mediated delivery –Inform the foreign language learning/teaching process including curriculum development, pedagogy

DLIFLC 7-9 FEB 01 Questions? Discussion?