Assessing and tracking your students' language learning

ÃÛÌÒapp Languages
A teacher stood at the front of a class with a book, pointing at a student. Students are sat at desks with their hands raised.

Reading time: 4 minutes

As a language teacher, your goal is not just to impart knowledge but to guide your students on a transformative journey toward fluency. Assessing and tracking learning progress is a dynamic process that empowers both educators and learners, rather than being just a routine task.

In today's language learning blog post, we will explore the significance of assessment in language teaching and provide valuable insights on how to track and assess your students' linguistic development.

The benefits

Informed instruction

Regular assessments enable teachers to tailor instruction to meet individual student needs. Identifying strengths and weaknesses helps educators adapt teaching methods, promoting a more personalized and effective learning experience.

Motivational tool

Assessment results can be very useful in motivating students. Even small progress should be acknowledged as it can boost their confidence and encourage a positive attitude towards learning. It is important to share success stories, celebrate achievements and foster a culture of continuous improvement within your language classroom.

Feedback for growth

Assessment feedback can help students improve their skills by giving them a clear idea of their strengths and weaknesses. Teachers can use this feedback to encourage students to take responsibility for their learning journey and foster a growth mindset that is resilient even in the face of linguistic difficulties.

Tracking and assessment methods

Diverse assessment methods

Embrace a variety of assessment methods to capture the multifaceted nature of language learning. Beyond traditional exams, integrate speaking assessments, project-based evaluations and collaborative activities. This diversity ensures a comprehensive understanding of your students' language proficiency.

Example: Consider assigning projects that involve researching, creating presentations and demonstrating creative expression (like plays or videos) in the target language. Assessing various aspects such as language skills, creativity and critical thinking. Design projects around your class's interests and motivations.

Formative assessments

Integrate formative assessments into your teaching strategy. These ongoing evaluations, such as quizzes, class discussions and short writing assignments, provide real-time feedback. For instance, if you notice that your students are struggling with a particular concept, you can use formative assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of your teaching approach and make necessary adjustments.

Example: Conduct regular quizzes, polls or short assessments during class to evaluate students' understanding. Use quick checks to gauge student understanding to adjust teaching methods accordingly. This will help you tailor your teaching methods in real time to ensure effective lesson delivery.

Portfolio assessment

Encourage students to maintain language portfolios. These portfolios can include samples of their written work, recorded conversations and reflections on their language learning journey. Portfolio assessments offer a holistic view of progress and provide students with a tangible record of their achievements.

Example: Conduct periodic portfolio reviews to discuss progress and set goals. Encourage frequent reflection to show learners how far they've come.Ìý

Self-assessment

Empower students to self-assess. Encourage reflection on their language skills, setting goals and evaluating their own progress. Self-assessment also fosters a sense of responsibility and independence in the learning process. When students take ownership of their progress, they become more invested in their education and are more likely to achieve their goals.

Example: Provide your language students self-assessment checklists or rubrics for them to evaluate their proficiency and set personal goals.

Technology integration

Use language learning platforms' analytics and progress reports for data-driven decision-making. It's great to help save time and provide reliable and up-to-date reports.Ìý

Example: Using online platforms for assignments, quizzes and collaborative projects with built-in tracking features. Our learning platforms, ÃÛÌÒapp English Connect (PEC)Ìýand MyEnglishLab (MEL), can help you keep track of your students' progress.

Cultural projects

Cultural projects are a great way to engage students in the broader context of the language they are learning. These projects could involve researching cultural practices, traditions or historical events related to the language.

Students learn how to navigate cultural nuances, understand diverse perspectives and effectively communicate in different cultural contexts by participating in cultural projects. Such projects help students form a personal connection with the language and bridge the gap between theory and real-world application, making language learning more meaningful.

Example: Assign projects that explore certain cultural aspects of the target language, encouraging a deeper understanding of context. These can be evaluated on how well it's presented, its clarity, and how factually accurate it is.

Peer reviews

Peer review is a valuable practice that promotes a sense of community within the language learning classroom. It involves students working together and offering constructive feedback to each other, which leads to the development of their language skills. It creates a collaborative learning environment where students actively participate in the improvement of their peers, learning from one another's strengths and weaknesses.

Students often put more effort into assignments when they know peers will review their work. This increased accountability can lead to higher-quality work and a greater commitment to language learning.

Example: Implement peer review sessions where students provide feedback on each other's written or spoken assignments. Encourage constructive criticism to enhance collaboration and learning. To accommodate shy students, this process can be anonymous.

Ìý

Assessing and tracking language learning progress is integral to effective language teaching, requiring continuous interaction between educators and students.

By utilizing diverse assessment methods and fostering a culture of constant improvement, language teachers play a vital role in guiding their students toward linguistic fluency. Helping language students celebrate their successes and overcome challenges helps them to be not only proficient speakers but also lifelong language enthusiasts.

Are you an English teacher preparing for assessments? Check out our postÌýMotivating your students through assessment.

As well as our learning platforms, PECÌýand MEL, we offer various English assessments and courses to help track your learner's progress and to certify their English level, so make sure to explore our range to find the best solution for your students.ÌýÌý

All of our courses and testsÌý

More blogs from ÃÛÌÒapp

  • A woman sat outside in a forest relaxing with her eyes closed

    10 tips for student wellbeing at back to school time

    By Donatella Fitzgerald MBE
    Reading time: 5 minutes

    Donatella Fitzgerald is a teacher, teacher trainer, and trained to teach the MISP Mindfulness in Schools Project (from pre-school to teens) and has completed Module 1 on the Teacher Training Pathway with the Mindfulness Network in collaboration with Bangor University. Her specialist interest areas are Extensive Reading Projects, CLIL, Citizenship, Mindfulness, Plurilingualism and Artificial Intelligence in Education. ÌýIn her current role as ELL Consultant at ÃÛÌÒapp in Italy she works with teachers and students every day to find solutions to help them achieve their teaching and learning goals. In 2024, she was awarded an MBE (Member of the British Empire) in the King’s Birthday Honours List for Services to English Education and Youth Engagement.

    The first weeks back at school after a break can be both exciting and overwhelming. It’s a time of new beginnings, fresh challenges, and opportunities for growth. Prioritizing wellbeing during this period is crucial for a smooth transition and long-term success. Students may be feeling anxious and unsettled due to starting a new school year, or even a new school. In today's fast-paced academic environment, maintaining mental, emotional, and physical health is more crucial than ever. Here are some tips to help your students stay balanced and thrive throughout the school year.

  • Two school girls getting onto. a schoolbus

    4 steps to make sure the transition back to school goes well

    By Donatella Fitzgerald MBE

    As we start thinking about returning to school, the big question for teachers and parents is: How can we help our children get off to a smooth start?ÌýÌýÌý

    After the long break, students might be keen to see their friends again. But it's not always easy to get back into the class routine. It's especially difficult when students are moving into a newÌýclass orÌýare facing important exams.Ìý

    So what can you do to support children in transitioning back to school at the beginning of the academic year?Ìý

    Here are 4 steps to help them get off to a great start.ÌýÌý

    1. Be organized and create routines

    Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it's not all mixed up.Ìý – A. A. MilneÌý

    Have a "family meeting" to brainstorm the routines for the school year,Ìýe.g., tidying room, getting school clothes/uniform/bag ready the evening before, homework routines, familyÌýmeal times and exercise. Ensure each member of the family has input into the routine too. Create a chart with the routines so everyone can see what has been agreed upon and how they are being adhered to.

    2. Start bedtime routines early

    Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. – Benjamin FranklinÌý

    Agreeing on firm bedtimes during the school week is very important for everyone in the family.ÌýÌý

    If children and teenagers do not get enough sleep, it can negatively impact their healthÌýand academic achievement. It's important that they are aware of this too.ÌýÌý

    In an ideal world, we should ensure that adults and children are not exposed to any form of screen time for at least 30 minutes to one hour before bedtime. This will help everyone sleep better.ÌýÌý

    Start the back-to-school sleep transition gradually. To help your child adjust, move bedtime up by 30 to 60 minutes at a time over the course of a few days or a week before the start of school so the transition from a later bedtime to an earlier one is progressive.Ìý

    3. Talk about homework and teach organizational skillsÌý

    When it's obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps. – ConfuciusÌý

    Organization needs to be taught and practiced. As children get older, homework usually increases. Take an active interest in your child's homework.ÌýÌý

    Parents can be supportive by demonstrating organizational skills and helping children with time management. Assist them with creating a plan for their homework and encourage your child (whatever age) to have a study plan of some sort and to set goals for their homework which are SMART:Ìý

    • Specific – Describe in detail what activities they are going to do.Ìý
    • Measurable – How will they know when they are progressing/finished?ÌýÌý
    • Achievable – Do they have the skills and resources to get to their goal?ÌýÌý
    • Relevant – How does this goal connect to short and long-term targets?Ìý
    • Time-bound – Set a concrete deadline.

    Teach them how to approach homework with a "strategy". How much homework do they have? How long will it take to do it? Prioritize urgent homework and do more difficult things when they are less tired.ÌýÌý

    Make sure there's adequate space in your house and set up a homework-friendly area that is wellÌýlit, andÌýhas a table with enough room to put their pens and books. Of course, this is preferably somewhere quiet.ÌýÌý

    Also, it's important that parents are motivators and monitors and that they try to make themselves available for advice. Always praise children for their work and efforts. If you spot any problems, try and address them. Keep distractions to a minimum at home while they are doing their homework.

    4. Make mealtimes quality family time: listen and share one good thing about each dayÌý

    Kids who grow up having family dinners, when they're on their own, tend to eat more healthily.Ìý – Anne Fishel Ìý

    A meal around the table can bring to the entire family and be an important opportunity for daily interaction. Sitting down to eat as a family provides the opportunity to have an influence over both short and long-term familyÌýhealth, andÌýcan help children establish resilience and the ability to cope with the demands of life as we know it now and in the future. It can also be an opportunity to introduce mindful eating too – being more aware of what and how we are eating.

    Additionally, this time together allows for members to talk and share things about their day and also offers an opportunity to establish a strong and powerful bonding experience. How can we make sure family mealtimes are quality time? Ìý

    • Be attentive and offer undivided attention during this time.ÌýÌý
    • Turn all modern technology off during the meal so everyone is focused on each other.ÌýÌý
    • Talk to each other about topics such as: What lessons do you have today (at breakfast)? What did you enjoy about today? What did you have for lunch (while sharing the evening meal). Tell me one thing you learned today. What made you laugh today? What made you happy today?ÌýÌý
    • Listen mindfully to your child's thoughts and worries (if any).Ìý
    • Encourage each member to talk about one good thing that has happened to them that day. This lets them know you are there for them.ÌýÌý
    • Assign mealtime jobs to involve everyone, e.g.: setting and clearing the table and putting away the dishes.

    However, sometimes it's not possible to share meal times during the week so plan at least one on the weekend if possible.Ìý

    The benefits of any small moment of time can have long-lasting positive influences on your child's mental and physical health. Children model adultÌýbehaviorÌýand if they see you eating and engaging positively with them and others, they will carry this into their own lives.Ìý

    With a bit of preparation, the leadup and transition back to school can be smooth and enjoyable not only for children but also for the rest of the family.

  • A girl sat surroudned by bookshelves, she is leaning on one and reading a book

    4 top tips to help you encourage teens to read

    By Donatella Fitzgerald MBE

    Two big questions about reading

    Children who engage with reading are three times more likely to have high levels of mental well-being than those who do not - ().

    There are two big questions we need to consider to help our students succeed in today’s school environment and to improve their general well-being.

    Research points in one direction: that is reading for pleasure! Here are four tips to help your students read more - and enjoy it.

    Tip 1: Give them a choice of great graded reader

    Reading can help students escape into new worlds and switch off from the day, helping them cope with stress and worry. The outcomes of reading will occur more often and more strongly if reading is enjoyable in the first instance.

    The benefits of reading are more likely to be felt when reading takes place through free choice. Give your students a wide selection of graded readers of different genres and at the right level. Ask them what genres they know and then do a class survey to find out which they like reading most.

    ÃÛÌÒapp English Graded Readers offer teenagers a large range of genres at all levels. The series offers world-renowned stories – fiction, non-fiction, biographies, cinematic readers, plays, short stories and classics – rewritten for English learners.

    Tip 2: Involve the students in a collaborative group activity

    A reading circle is a strategy where the teacher puts students into groups to read a whole book or one or more chapters. At the end of the project, each group creates a presentation to deliver to the class. Reading circles reinforce listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in a supportive and collaborative environment.

    What’s more, they encourage students to deepen their understanding of a chosen text, as students are encouraged to talk about the book they are reading with their classmates. They discuss plots, the specific language used, and personal experiences, think about the characters and make connections to the outside world and citizenship.

    Students work collaboratively and think about and discuss what they have read. At the same time, they are guided towards deeper comprehension and are encouraged through active learning to take an interest in other students’ ideas.

    This type of collaborative project works perfectly in a face-to-face or remote teaching situation. It can be a way of nudging reluctant readers to read. You can help your students deepen discussions about books, create lifelong readers and build a respectful classroom community.

    How to lead a reading circle

    Create your reading circles by forming groups of four to seven students. Learners should be at the same reading level and also have similar interests, where possible.

    The objective of each circle is to read the book and prepare a presentation to share with the whole class. Each group decides collaboratively which reader they would like to read together; however, ask each group to read a different book so you have a variety of presentations.

    Reading circles should be fully student led. Students are empowered and supported by their peers as they all have a specific and important role to play. Through the project and preparing the digital responses students learn digital skills and improve their digital literacy and critical thinking.

    Suggested reading circle roles:

    • Slides Wizard: Creates the slides for the presentation
    • Presentation Wizard: Helps with the presentation to the class
    • Artistic Wizard: Looks at the illustrations in the book (this could be good for students with dyslexia)
    • Film Wizard: Finds information about the film version if there is one
    • Word Wizard: Finds new or keywords
    • Summary Wizard: Writes/creates a summary/visual summary of the plot
    • Sentence Wizard: Finds important quotations, and sentences in the book
    • Character Wizard: List/description of characters
    • Places in the book Wizard: Finding out about symbolic locations in the book

    Students can present their reading circles project in several different ways. For example:

    • A PowerPoint presentation
    • A poster
    • A video
    • A Padlet (interactive notice board where they can post comments, files, pictures and audio and video recordings).

    While students are watching the presentations, they should give feedback to the groups presenting using a feedback form, giving praise and suggesting areas of improvement.

    Tip 3: Introduce your students to a class library

    Introduce a class library and engage students in reading during class time or outside the classroom. If you don’t have much space for physical books, eLibraries can also ensure students can read the books remotely and read the same book at the same time! As with the printed versions, there are readers for teenage and adult students who want to supplement standard English course materials and build their English competence.

    At the end of the year, students can organize a reading festival (either face-to-face or virtually) where they showcase their responses to reading e.g. videos, posters, lap books, dances…anything they like!

    Tip 4: Help struggling readers build their confidence

    Offering students a choice of readers at the right or slightly below their level can help boost their confidence. Ideally, guide them towards short stories so they can finish them.

    Audiobooks can be an alternative to reading a book for a student with dyslexia (and other SEN students). They can have the same experience and many of the same benefits from listening to the story in English.

    If they are reading it is important to scaffold their reading with pre-reading activities as they provide the necessary support before the reading starts and activate their background knowledge. It is also important to pre-teach vocabulary items and encourage them to predict what will happen in the story. Pair students up with a reading buddy so the student with dyslexia has another student who can help them.