When Tests Don't Work
Ruth Pringle
English holidays in Scotland in which you walk lightly through nature, let your soul roam free in our hills and shape our community with your words. Choose REAL conversations (not practise ones).
I got a D for higher art.?
It was a real shock. Both my sisters were straight As in science, but it was ok, I had art.?
Or at least I’d thought I had.
That D pulled the rug from under my feet and I cried because I believed what was written on a bit of paper more than I believed in myself.?
It turned out later that our whole class graded between D and F. Our art teacher had gone off-piste and omitted 50% of the syllabus (ALL the design stuff), but this was long before instant messaging, and during the summer holidays so it took a while to untangle.
That art teacher badly failed to get us through an academic exam, but he had:
?? Started a local life drawing class in the next town where he welcomed all high school kids preparing their portfolios (life drawing is essential in an art school portfolio, but very hard to access).?
?? Took a car full of kids to Glasgow, Dundee & Edinburgh degree shows so we could make an informed choice about which art school to apply to.?
?? Invited us to local exhibition openings.?
?? Asked us about music, culture and politics – and listened to our replies.?
?? Gave us the key to the art materials cupboard (!!)
Learn from a Master
At one point we had a massive Joan Earldey painting (a seascape) in the classroom which he’d somehow borrowed. I remember us literally squeezing past it with our plastic palettes of drippy school paint, comparing my palette and noticing how divine the drips on the Early painting were.?
The school system has changed, and I guess things like my D don’t happen anymore.
I’m pretty sure most of the brilliant stuff he made happen is now impossible too.
?
About English Language Coaching
Why am I sharing this as an English Coach?
I now work in English Language Teaching (ELT) but as an independent.
Exam preparation has a place in educational contexts. Talented people like Sangeeta Sathe are specialists of it, but tests and assessments are overused in general adult language teaching.
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If you are not preparing for an academic exam, I don’t think you should be tested every few lessons - especially if it takes up time within your conversation class.
(NB: I often work with international art students and I don't believe they should be tested in English at ALL ?? (more here).
Alternatives
A better review would be for your English teacher to create an authentic situation where you need to USE your new language skills. ?
An independent teacher can do this whereas a language school 'system' can't, so they test you.
The problem is that tests and exams point out mistakes without identifying any transformations you’ve achieved.?
You could spend your whole life believing the ‘D’ without realising that was the year you turned in an artist. ?
Get the Key to the Art Cupboard
I help your English by taking you places, sharing conversations and showing you parts of Scottish culture I love.?
Metaphorically, I give you the key to the art cupboard.
I help you to find English you love using.?
Be Clear on Your Goals
Ask yourself what RESULTS you want from your next English training.
Is it a certificate saying as a learner you know more English?
Or do you want to actually be an English speaker?
If it's the latter, I can help!
#EnglishImmersion #EnglishConversationHoliday #VisitScotland
Helping goal-oriented ??Manager and Executive Expats ??? build deeper relationships at work?? with Business Communication Skills in Italian.??
6 个月“The problem is that tests and exams point out mistakes without identifying any transformations you’ve achieved.” That’s an excellent point (among others): test for test-sake can be useful, but in a quite specific situation. Also…I find tests provided freely by schools and institutions very often misleading: I myself try out an Italian test from time to time (because I’m interested about the whole “assessment” part) and I have to say that more than once I scored a “XX - your Italian is good, but to advance it we suggest you to enroll in our courses”. This doesn’t happen in official exams of course, but it’s another thing to keep in mind: evaluation is useful if given with some context/feedback and if it helps us grow, too often becomes a “judgment”.
Online English language teacher (ESL/EFL) for adult learners | Spanish speaker
6 个月I really enjoyed this, A lot of food for thought. The topic of testing and levels is a big thing when applying for jobs too. A lot of international job postings require a specific English level, like B2, from candidates. This has been a big stumbling block for a student of mine, who is obsessed about being B2 level, as she wants to switch to a different company. I've been telling her that while she can take an official exam if she wants to get a certificate that I don't believe she really needs it, as she can speak English well. She's in Italy and while B2 / C1 English is often listed on job vacancies, they don't generally ask for an official certificate. The way they "assess" it is by asking a few questions in English, in a job interview.