TESOL Certification Evaluation

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ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Trainees' assignment work on the course will be evaluated according to a specific set of assessment criteria, as listed below, all of which have also been specified on the information header sheets attached to each of the relevant assignments. The assessment criteria for the Language Awareness component of the course include the requirements for the Phonology and Grammar Tests.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE JOURNAL

Each trainee is required to participate enthusiastically in each FL class, to record their perceptions in the daily entries in their FL Journal (as follows), and to apply these learning experiences to other components of the course, especially in Teaching Practice.

Assessment will be based on:

• a report from your FL Teacher, on each trainee's participation in the FL classes;
• trainee's reflections recorded in the daily entries in the FL Journal, in which trainees should:

1. compare and contrast learning with teaching, 2. record observations of:

• teaching techniques,
• materials used,
• classroom organization; and

3. contrast the spoken and forms of the FL with L1 (English)

• the Conclusions section of the FL Journal, showing evidence of the FL learning experiences being applied to considerations for future ESL teaching.

Foreign Language Experience Journal: Criteria

PASS

The trainee's Journal will show:

Critical reflection on their experience as a learner with special attention to the feelings and frustrations involved in this experience.

A capacity to transfer this experience to show how it will affect the teacher's understanding of his/her students in the classroom.

How the teacher will adapt his/her teaching approach to meet the needs, felling and experience of the learner.

An awareness of the structure, lexis and phonology of the foreign language being learned

FAIL

The trainee's Journal shows:

Little or no critical reflection upon the experience of being a learner, including the feeling and frustrations involved in this process.

Insufficient capability to show how this experience transfers to the students in the teachers future classrooms.

No clear idea on how this understanding of the learner's experience will shape the teacher's classroom techniques and approaches.

A focus of critique on the foreign language teacher and method rather than a self-critical analysis of his/her self as a learner.

Inadequate awareness of the structure, lexis and phonology of the foreign language being learned

STUDENT PROFILE

Trainees should show, in their written Student Profile, and in their lesson planning and teaching practice for an individual ESL student, evidence of their ability to:

(1) effectively profile the student;
(2) analyze the student's short- and long-term language-learning needs;
(3) incorporate the student's short-term needs into one-to-one teaching sessions with the student; and
(4) critically review the effectiveness of their teaching sessions, in terms of:

• lesson plans,
• learning objectives and outcomes,
• teaching strategies and activities, and
• rapport with student.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE LOG

TP assessment will be based on the trainee's ability to:

1. comprehend the elements of a good lesson, in terms of:

• teacher's rapport with class,
• appropriateness of lesson materials,
• relevance and motivating factors of class activities, and
• students' demonstrated understanding and use of TL;

2. plan a lesson appropriate for a given student or class, with:

• clear behavioral objectives
• relevant content
• participatory activities
• supportive materials, and
• projected timing;

3. implement lessons based on a preconceived lesson plan, which demonstrates:

• clear lesson focus,
• relevant and interesting activities,
• appropriate use of materials,
• awareness of students' errors, and appropriate correction, and
• good student-teacher rapport;

4. self-assess each lesson with reflection upon the content and process of the lesson, taking into account:

• personality factors,
• things that went well, and
• things that could be improved;

5. show progress, over the course of TP, in:

• appropriate lesson planning,
• development of appropriate TESOL skills, and
• self-reflection of teaching practice;

6. collaborate successfully with trainers and other trainees in:

• lesson planning and preparation,
• teaching practice, and
• TP feedback;

7. compile a record of the TP experience in the TE Log, which shows the trainee has approached the TP component of the course in a professional, logical, and energetic manner.

MATERIALS COMPILATION PROJECT

The Materials Compilation Project is graded according to:

• the quantity and variety of the materials themselves,
• the quality of the materials (recognizing these were produced in real Teaching Practice contexts on an intensive course), with limited access to resources,
• the insight into teaching demonstrated in your presentation talk and the Written Rationale.

The following criteria will be used to assess your MCP:

• Capacity of the materials to facilitate interesting and relevant class activities.
• Flexibility of use with different learning levels and class situations.
• Simplicity of design and replication.
• Effectiveness in communicating the language or skills focus of the lesson.

LANGUAGE AWARENESS

This component of the training course is assessed in the following ways:
1. Grammar Test
An open-book test will be provided, and the tests will be assessed according to appended marking criteria.
Grammar Test - Criteria

• PASS A – 90% of the responses are correct recognizing possible areas of ambiguity
• PASS B – 80% of the responses are correct recognizing possible areas of ambiguity
• PASS C - 70% of the responses are correct recognizing possible areas of ambiguity.

Test shows no categorical misunderstanding of the grammar covered in the test.

No evidence that the test subject has copied answers from another trainee, and there is evidence of originality in giving sample sentences.

FAIL

More than 30% of the responses on the test are incorrect. Test shows clear deficiencies in understanding major grammatical areas. There is clear evidence that the test subject has copied answers from another trainee, or there is no originality in giving sample sentences.

2. Phonology Test One open-book test will be provided, and the test will be assessed according to appended marking criteria.

3. Application of LA skills Trainees must demonstrate that they can incorporate the principles of language, taught in the LA components of the course (Phonology and Grammar), into their work in the following assignment tasks:

4. Trainees' language usage in all their written work, as well as their TP, will be assessed, and will form part of the overall assessment grade for this component of the course. This

• Student Profile
• 'live' Teaching Practice.
• Materials Compilation Project
• Lesson Planning

includes the trainee's skills in the use of English:

• grammar,
• spelling,
• punctuation, and
• fluency of expression.

ASSESSMENT TASK WEIGHTING

Each trainee will complete the following assessment tasks, for which:

The weighting of the assessment, in the overall course grading system, is given below.

1. Phonology Test Grammar Tests Language Awareness Application and Language Usage 15%
2. Foreign Language Journal 10%
3. Student Profile 10%
4. Materials Compilation Project 15%
5. Teaching Practice 50%