Improving Foreign Language Speaking Through Formative Assessment

Harry Tuttle, who has been a foreign language and English as a second language teacher at the secondary and college levels, and Alan Tuttle, who taught at the high school and college levels, demonstrate to teachers how to use formative assessment to assess speaking in the foreign language classroom. They detail how to use smaller, informal assessments between peers to help students improve their skills. First, they outline current assessment practice and the need for formative assessment, followed by explanations and examples of monitoring, diagnosing, giving feedback, providing time to grow, reporting growth, and celebrating success. They include sections on grading within formative assessment and transforming current speaking activities into assessments. The final section presents specific peer assessments and their format, level, forms, grouping, feedback, extension, topics, and strategies for improvement. There is no index. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)