Course title: ASSESSING LINGUISTIC AND COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE
Instructor: Marta Medved Krajnović, PhD
ECTS credits: 3
Language: English
Semester: X
Status: elective
Enrollment requirements: none
Exam: written

Content: Defining the terms assessment, evaluation, testing, language proficiency and communicative competence; comparison of Croatian and English terminology. The construct of communicative language competence. Testing purposes and characteristics of language tests: reliability, validity, authenticity, interactivity, practicality. The process of development, validation and standardisation of tests of communicative language competence. Testing communicative competence in the four language skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing). Communicative competence in grammar and vocabulary tests. Test construction: selecting types of tests and testing tasks. Administering, analysing and evaluating tests of communicative language competence. Problems in evaluating language production.

Purpose: Students will gain insight into the process of defining and assessing communicative language competence. They will develop basic test construction skills and will be able to critically evaluate existing tests. They will develop basic research skills in the area of language testing. The students will understand the concept and role of assessing communicative language competence in foreign language learning and teaching.

Obligatory readings:
– Bachman, L. F. i A. S. Palmer (1996). Language Testing in Practice: Designing and Devoloping Useful Language Tests. Oxford: OUP.
– Council of Europe (2001). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment. Cambridge: CUP.
– Douglas, D. (2010). Understanding Language Testing. London: Hodder Education.
– Hughes, A. (2003). Testing for Language Teachers. Cambridge: CUP.

Additional readings:
– Bachman, L.F. (1990). Fundamental Considerations in Language Testing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
– Cohen, Andrew D. (1994). Assessing Language Ability in the Classroom. Heinle & Heinle.
– McNamara, T. (2000). Language Testing. Oxford, New York: OUP

Quality evaluation: Anonymous student questionnaire; analysis of student success at the end of the course.

Course title: PRACTICUM 2
Instructors: izv. prof. dr. sc. Renata Geld, Nives Kovačić, asist.
ECTS credits: 3
Status: mandatory
Semester: IV
Enrollment requirements: none
Course description: Practical insights into language development of learners of different ages. Development of teacher rapport. Awareness of teaching impact on learning. Classroom management. Self-observation. Designing teaching activities for different ages and proficiency of learners. Analyzing and adapting teaching materials. Post-teaching reflection. Self-assessment of teaching. Reacting to mentor and peer feedback. Team teaching.
Objectives: Students will further develop competence in assessing effectiveness of different teaching strategies that they will employ in their own teaching during school-based teaching practice. They will develop skills in identifying learner language needs, arousing and maintaining learner motivation, giving feedback and assessing learner competence. They will develop own self-reflection skills and a feeling of professional responsibility.
Course requirements: During practicums student will be prepared for independent teaching in schools they will be assigned to. They will be expected to develop lesson plans and required teaching materials for every lesson they will be teaching. Students will also keep a teaching practice diary. Their final course mark will depend on the evaluation of the portfolio and the evaluation of students’ independent teaching.
Week by week schedule:

Required reading:
– Crookes, G. (2003). A Practicum in TESOL: professional development through teaching practice. Cambridge: CUP.
– Newby, D. et al (2008). European portfolio for student teachers of languages. Graz: ECML. [selected chapters]
– Wajnryb, R. (1992). Classroom observation tasks. Cambridge: CUP. [selected chapters]

Recommended reading:
– Allwright, D. (1988). Observation in the language classroom. New York: Longman. [selected chapters]
– Costas i Costa et al. (Eds.) (2001). Student teaching in Europe. Freiburg im Breisgau: Fillibach-Verl.
– Gebhard, J.G. & Oprandy, R. (1999). Language teaching awareness. Cambridge: CUP. [selected chapters]

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