Alternative+Assessment+for+ESL+Students

http://ingles.ing.uchile.cl/otros/downloads/Alternative%20assessment%20for%20ESL%20Students.pdf

This article highlighted a number of alternative assessment strategies for English as a second language students. It is important to first gauge at what level the ESL student is at to determine the type of strategy to implement. Alternative style assessments ask students to show you what they know and integrate, rather than what they can reproduce or recall. Some of these strategies include, K-W-L chart, oral/nonverbal performances, and journal or short write logs to track progress. These strategies help build ESL development and focus on the student’s strengths and abilities rather than weaknesses.

I would use these strategies and assessment tools to track student progress through the use of portfolios and collecting student samples to see how they are making progress with the content and in their language development. These strategies will be integrated into classroom instruction and can be serve as tools for developing language abilities while assessing ESL students in a way that the results are measurable and specific. The portfolio acts as a communication tool between aids, parents, and the teacher and informs how instruction will be delivered onward.