ESOL Initial Assessment Pack

 

Assessing speaking and listening

 

Speaking and listening are assessed through a short interview with the learner. This part of the assessment has two aims: to assess the level of the learner’s speaking and listening skills and to begin to build up a profile of the learner’s needs and goals. This is just the start of the process of building a profile which will continue when the learner has been placed in learning programme.

 

Communicative skills are also being assessed, so it is important to remember that the conversation stage is approached, as much as possible, as a two-way communicative exchange, and not as a series of questions and answers. You should respond and interact, as well as offer comments to further develop the interaction. At more advanced levels (question sets D and E), you should encourage the learner to speak at some length on each topic to show their full range of language abilities.

 

Procedures

• The listening and speaking component of the initial assessment will be conducted on a one-to-one basis.
• You should be familiar with the materials before the interview takes place.
• The interview room should be set up in a welcoming, non-threatening fashion. Ideally, the learner and interviewer should sit adjacent to each other.
• You should show sensitivity to the different cultural backgrounds of the learners. For example, handshaking between men and women in Muslim culture is not customary.
• Be aware of the fact that for some learners this will be a very new and different experience and they may not be used to giving opinions or talking about themselves in such a situation.
• Each interview will last approximately ten minutes. This time includes the learner entering and leaving the room, setting them at ease and bringing the interview to a close. When interviewing groups of learners, keeping to time will be important.

Materials

• One blank copy of the learner information form per learner.
• One copy of the ESOL Initial Assessment - Interview Materials.
• A blank page for taking notes if required.

Assessment

 

Any learner who is unable to, or has insufficient language to provide the information required to complete the learner information form, should be placed in the lowest level class/group available. You do not have to continue with the conversation stage if a learner is unable to provide the language to complete the form.

 

The speaking assessment level descriptors should be suitable for a learner working towards that level. For example, a learner who meets the assessment criteria for SCQF Level 4/ SQA Intermediate 1 should be placed in an SCQF Level 4/ SQA Intermediate 1 class/group, not an SCQF Level 5/SQA Intermediate 2 class/group.

 

Any learner matching the assessment criteria at level E should be able to cope with an academic or vocational level course in another subject.

 

Learner information form

 

Two versions of the learner information are provided. If your organisation does not currently have a detailed form that you complete when you assess a learner, then the longer version should be seen as a model to use or to adapt or design your own form. You should also complete the shorter form and give it to the learner to take away.

 

The shorter version can be used by organisations which already have their own detailed form and will continue to use this. It should be completed alongside your own more detailed form and be given to the learner to take away.

 

 

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