Integrated forms of self-assessment and placement testing for Italian L2 aimed at incoming foreign university exchange students at the University of Padua

Abstract

Abstract The growing number of internationally mobile students who present Italian L2 language certificates on entry has led the University of Padua Language Centre (CLA) to reflect on whether it should maintain an online placement testing as a means of placing students in the relevant classes (Fratter, Ivana & Altinier. Micol 2015. Gli apprendenti di italiano L2 all’Università e le loro abitudini tecnologiche. In Francesca Helm, Linda Bradley, Marta Guarda & Sylvie Thouësny (eds.), Critical CALL – Proceedings of the 2015 EUROCALL Conference, 177–180. Dublin & Ireland: Research-publishing.net.). As of Academic Years 2014–2015 and 2015–2016, a research project has been underway at the CLA, involving the experimentation of a new integrated system of assessment comprising self-assessment and placement testing. An initial review of the placement test results carried out at the CLA combined with an examination of language certificates presented by the students has raised some critical issues related to incongruous data among the various tests/certifications. Other situations have shown different results regarding language skills within the same test, which has underpinned the decision to introduce a system of self-assessment so as to grant greater autonomy and responsibility to the students when choosing their class. This study sets out to analyze whether exchange students at the CLA are in a position to assess their own level of competence in L2 Italian, and then choose the Italian language class most suited to their language needs, thereby making class formation procedures easier. To this end, two different self-assessment tools were assigned to the students who, in turn, revealed the difficulties they encountered when self- assessing their language level without guidance. This has led to a new approach for self-assessment. This study highlights the process and initial results of research carried out in two phases of experimentation involving a new self-assessment proposal with integrated tools.