1. Alternative assessment
Project work

2. Alternative assessment
The primary goal of alternative assessment is “to gather evidence about how students are approaching, processing, and completing ‘real-life’ tasks in a particular domain’’
(Garcia & Pearson as cited in Huerta-Macias,2002, p.339)

3. Characteristics of Alternative Assessment
Integrate assessment and learning activities.
Indicate and highlight successful performance and positive traits.
Consider students' needs, interests, and learning styles.

4. Alternative Assessment Options
Self- and peer-assessment
Cooperative test construction
Dialogue journals
Portfolios
Projects

5. Features of Project Work
Focus on content learning rather than specific language forms
Student-centeredness, as opposed to teacher centeredness
Cooperative rather than competitive
Authentic integration of skills and processing of info from varied sources
Project work culminates in an end product (a stage performance, an oral presentation, etc.
(Based on F. Stoller, 2002, p.110 )

6. Project Stages Classroom planning Real world/carrying out the project
Agree on a theme
Determine the final project
Real world/carrying out the project
Gathering, analyzing the information
Reviewing and monitoring the work (discussion and feedback sessions)
Returning to the classroom & presenting final product

7. What about the teacher’s role?
To suggest topics for the project.
To prepare students for the language demands.
To act as a counsellor and consultant

8. Project Types: Collection projects Informational projects
Orientation projects
Social welfare projects
Read more about types of projects and their products in in
Teaching English as a second or foreign Language Ed. M. Celce-Murcia pp

9. Some project tips: Staff portrait gallery Tourist broadsheets
Street interviews on a specific topic
Czech/world cuisine in English
Twinned towns
School Exchange projects
‘Playing’ the role of a museum guide
Staging a play for junior students, etc.

10. Suggested reading
Eyring, J. (2001).Experiential and negotiated language learning. In M. Celce-Murcia (Ed.), Teaching English as a second or foreign Language (pp ). Heinle & Heinle.
Fried-Booth, D.L. (1990). Project work. Oxford University Press.
Stoller, F. (2002). Project work: A Means to Promote Language and Content. In J. Richards & W. Renandya (Eds.), Methodology in language teaching: An anthology of current practice (pp ). Cambridge University Press.