Assessment for integrated-skill tasks: teacher Luisa Fernanda Quintero

Assessing integrated-skill tasks

One the most useful ways to get our students involved into the learning of a foreign language is through the integration of the different skills, which help them to see this new language as a tool of communication and as a bridge to get to know different cultures.

Content-based language instruction and task-based instruction are two types of integrated skills approach .The first of these emphasizes learning content through language, in which students practice the different skills while learning content such as science, math, etc. The second stresses doing tasks that require communicative language use and include pair and group work, since students need to develop different tasks which they should interact and cooperate with other people.

The importance of this approach is that the students are not solely exposed to learn a new language, but they are also communicating their own ideas while working on topics that are of their interest. Therefore, in this approach, assessment should be developed in a way in which students can demonstrate knowledge and ability in several areas.

A performance task is a good kind of assessment, since this provides the opportunity to put into practice what students have learned and to demonstrate what they are able to do, and what is difficult for them. Examples of this may include the development of a project based on a specific topic or on a topic of their interest, so they can feel comfortable and confident with what they are doing And at the same time, they are applying al the skills they have developed during the lessons.

Luisa Fernanda Quintero Correa