EXPLORING TEACHER PERCEPTIONS OF ASSESSMENT IN LANGUAGES: THE FRENCH LEARNING PROGRESSION FRAMEWORK K-10

Abstract

The issues in languages education identified in all major languages reports suggest that too much ‘chopping and changing’ of program goals and assessment outcomes have deeply impacted languages education in Australia (Liddicoat, Curnow, Kohler, Scrimgeour and Morgan, 2007). This has resulted in levels of language proficiency that could be considered useful for students (LoBianco and Slaughter, 2009). By working from the notion of a language progression framework, the study draws on proficiency models developed for TESOL in Australia and the CEFR in Europe, in order to analyse current assessment practices in French language education. Then, through an exploration of teacher perceptions of the usefulness of a K-10 French Learning Progression Framework, the study found that teachers agreed on the ability of such an assessment tool to reveal students’ levels of language proficiency, and that this would help to increase learner motivation. The findings revealed that considerable differences exist in the approaches to assessment between primary and secondary programs and that this significantly impacts the implementation of such a framework. The study exposed pedagogical implications for assessment, such as the need for clearer assessment outcome descriptions and the need to assist teachers in their assessment of intercultural competence. Article visualizations: