Informal Speaking Assessments for Novice Learners

Should we or shouldn’t we assess speaking at the novice level? Do we protect kids from feeling anxious and raising their affective filter?

After reflecting on my own journey learning Spanish and how the emphasis placed on accuracy got in the way of me trying to just speak the language, at first I hesitated to do any speaking assessments whatsoever. I didn’t want to do anything to cause kids to have elevated self-consciousness in my classroom, especially when middle schoolers already are steeped in awkwardness.

Maintaining a safe space for kids to let their guards down and access the input was my goal…yet did I take things too far? Was I missing a chance to BUILD confidence?

While we know that input builds acquisition in the brain, output does have a vital role in language development. According to Common Ground: Second Language Acquisition Theory Goes to the Classroom, research shows that it can both identify gaps in input and practice the language retrieval system needed for communication. (Henshaw and Hawkins). Kids benefit from opportunities to practice making meaning whether written or spoken.

I decided to spend 3/4 of the year letting them practice with zero grades attached other than just habits of learning (participation), or maybe a stamp or sticker on their paper. Loading them up with praise and celebration of their efforts, speaking became a fun time where they could just practice without penalty.

Later in the Year

The games and activities we’d done all year turned into opportunities for a grade. At first, kids panicked since they associate grades with being “right or wrong”, but soon they realized I wasn’t changing the set-up. They could still make errors; the goal was communicating and/or responding to messages. They got so used to these activities that the conversations were familiar. They were used to accessing their language reserves and began to fill in the gaps in their acquisition - a true reason to celebrate!

Informal Speaking Activities

While they did these, I kept a record of who asked and answered questions freely.

Puppet shows - kids loved this because they didn’t have to be in front. They could refer to a question grid on the projector to help with the conversation but all answers were authentic responses.
Fruit Salad - kids sit in a circle with one less chair than the number of players. Either using a question or topic grid on the projector or just freestyle, the student in the center would say something about themselves like “Tengo un perro y dos gatos, y tú?” Everyone who can say “Yo también” needs to rush to get a new chair.
Hachi Pachi Twist - I first learned about this game from La Maestra Loca, but I changed it up a bit for this activity. Using a question grid or freestyle, kids sit in a circle with one less chair than the number of players. Everyone closes their eyes. The teacher (or kid in the center) silently taps a person who becomes the Hachi Pachi. Either using a question or topic grid on the projector or just freestyle, the student in the center would toss a ball or stuffed animal to another person and ask a question like “¿Qué mascota tienes?” or “¿Qué programa te gusta?”. After responding and asking “y tú?” they toss the ball back. Play continues until the student who is the Hachi Patchi catches the ball and then everyone has to scramble to get a chair.
Speed Dating - kids sit in two rows and one row shifts each time the timer rings. Using a question grid, topic grid or freestyle, kids ask and answer questions. I usually give 30 seconds to a minute depending on the topic.

A Few Modifications

Even though we’d practiced all year, some kids were still just so nervous to be in front of the whole class for something like this. Public speaking is nerve-wracking even when it’s something you can rehearse ahead of time, but this unpredicted speech bothers some kids. To help ease their nerves, I provided options.

Provide various settings - sometimes I formed two smaller groups where they could be grouped with friends to lower anxiety. I often had groups come for advisory or flex time for it too.
Narrow down choices - for some kids, I pre-selected one or two topics I’d be using for their informal assessment, so they could practice and feel more ready.

Takeaways

I noticed an excitement to try and communicate in Spanish even if it was a mix of occasional English words. This code-switching is excellent for the brain and thrilling to see develop. Kids would try speaking outside at recess, at field day, and more. Confidence grew, hopefully laying the foundation for upper-level assessments to just GO FOR IT, and not worry about errors. If meaning is conveyed, it’s a win!

Wishing you all the best,