You're teaching a class of second language learners. How can you tell if they're really getting it?

In my experience, the CEFR descriptors or the WIDA English Language Development standards can be used as a reference for planning and assessment, but I would urge educators to go beyond language levels, especially in the context of bilingual or multilingual international education. Language is developed in social practice, at home, at school, at work, and in diverse social spaces. When people use language, they mobilize a variety of multimodal resources to make meaning. In this post-structuralist view, language is viewed as repertoire. Language as repertoire goes beyond named languages and levels of proficiency, as it includes a variety of multimodal resources that are used dynamically to engage with others and make meaning.

One thing I find really helpful to gauge whether beginner adult learners are following is body language. They look up, they sit forward in their seat, they ask questions and want to practice. Although within our bachelor program and Spanish course context students are predominantly English monolinguals, their families come from a myriad of cultural and language backgrounds . Students may experience inter-comprehension between Spanish and home languages or previous study. Inter-comprehension underpins self-confidence and motivation . Textbooks and courses relate to the CEFR standards however the framework is not adhered to in our university context where content knowledge and language is assessed via diverse integrated assessment tasks.

You'll quickly see how well your learners are getting the lesson when they have to use the taught language, first in a structured exercise, then in a simulated real-life scenario...e.g a role-play. If they can correct their own errors in usage, you've scored!

The CEFR is a good reference point for teachers, especially ones with little experience, but there will always be students who are a mix of different levels;someone who has studied all the grammar, but has not had the opportunity to speak and so struggles with fluency and pronunciation for example, or someone who has lived abroad and therefore has a higher speaking level than written

Continuous assessment, not in the most formal ways but engaging the students in communicative tasks based on real-life situations would help them improve their levels and provide feedback to the teacher.

Acho útil pensar em feedback a partir da perspectiva de quem o recebe. N?o se trata apenas de avaliar e dizer ao outro como ele pode melhorar, mas sim aproximar-se do outro e compreender o que ele deseja saber e como ele pode melhor se autorregular no processo de aprendizagem.

One thing i found while learning à second language and also teaching was that ,if i allow learners express themselves freely in the way they understood the language. I can better assess them and know how and where to focus more in their learning journey.

One way to check if students are getting what you are teaching is to ask a question. If I were teaching the meaning of 'to be keen on', for example, I'd ask a student what sport or food or type of holiday they are keen on and why. If the 'why' comes back as negative, I know they haven't understood the meaning.

A autoavalia??o e a reflex?o podem ser usados como importantes aliados no processo de desenvolvimento linguístico, seja em língua materna ou adicional. A autoavalia??o, no entanto, é sempre uma conversa mediada, pois alguém (em geral um educador) produz quest?es, rubricas ou outros recursos para apoiar quem se autoavalia. Refletir a partir dos dados coletados e estabelecer metas para o próprio progresso s?o etapas importantes que devem acompanhar o processo avaliativo. Mesmo em situa??es de autoavalia??o, o processo colaborativo, entre professores e alunos ou entre pares, ajuda a ampliar as percep??es e perspectivas de quem está se autoavaliando.

Self-Assessment and Reflection can be valuable tools as student develop their linguistic skills. More than evaluating their performance as students, it is also very important to understand how the individual feels about themselves while using the language. The level of comfort while interacting with the language they are studying should be an interesting indication of the student's development. Working with that in combination with traditional evaluation processes could be a way to create more comfort for the students in the learning environment.

There are two very different tools to help learners articulate their understanding. The first of is comprehension questions and the second one is self analysis. Using comprehension questions can serve to purposes: 1. For the purpose of having the learner talk about the content itself, whether it is grammar, vocabulary, etc. 2. For the purpose of identifying what has been learned and what needs to be done next. Self analysis allows learners to express their understanding of the content in relation to their personal experiences and allow for a deeper and more practical self-evaluation and self-expression. It also enables them to connect the isolated lesson to themselves and to their own life and make information more personal as a practice.

Keeping students engaged in class is one of the biggest challenges teachers face nowadays. I’ve found technology allows us to support students’ learning process and help them improve their communicative abilities in the target language while engaging in the activities proposed. Apps such as Kahoot, Blooket, Quizzlet, Conjuguemos.com, Wordwall, Educaplay, and others allow students to challenge themselves and check their understanding on one specific topic while working individually or in groups, having fun, and competing among them. In addition, many websites powered by AI can expose students to real communicative situations to interact in the target language, receiving feedback in real time and therefore improving their skills.

There are so many tools and resources out there to use either in the classroom to supplement course books and you as their teacher, or for the students to consolidate their learning outside of the classroom. This could be online quizzes, surveys, answering questions about videos or podcasts, to name just a few. These tools can be used to check whether learners have really 'got it'.

Absolutely, in considering my checklist for students, I can mention some signs that are an indication that they're getting it???? ????They're using new vocabulary and grammar in their conversations and writing with increasing frequency and accuracy ????They're able to explain concepts in their own words, showing that they understand the ideas behind the language. ????They're asking relevant questions about the material and showing genuine curiosity about the language. ????They're able to complete tasks and activities independently or with minimal guidance. ????They're starting to use more sophisticated and varied sentence structures, demonstrating their growing understanding of English grammar. To be continued...??? ??Cheers! :)

If students are really getting it, they will be able to rephrase the new information in another way using metaphors, similies and other linguistic devices. If a student can reconceptualize information using alternative metaphorical vehicles, metonymy etc, then they have a deep understanding of newly presented information and ideas.

If students are "really getting it", they will be able to use the language, so teachers need to give learners opportunities to use what has been taught. This can be done in several stages with less and less support or back up being given to the student. Ideally the production stage of the language should be as realistic as possible

When giving instructions for a task, comprehension is crucial. A simple strategy teachers can adopt during a lesson, mainly after giving instructions, is to ask students "what are you supposed to do in this task?" Such practice not only helps the teacher to measure comprehension, but also gives learners the opportunity to double-check their understanding.

One way to check with your learners are really 'getting it' is to ask them to explain what they're doing, or ask them to explain the tool and the activity to another student. We learn best when we teach others.