Authentic Assessment ESL: Story Telling or Writing

Question: What can be learned about ESL students’ progress in learning English from their telling or writing a story?

Answer: Give students a series of pictures from a picture book. ESL students attempt to write a story from viewing the pictures. They can insert their native language when they don’t have English words at their disposal.

Quote: “Both oral and written story telling indicate to teachers what students have learned about the conventions of narrative English text. They also provide teachers with additional information about students’ developing English proficiency.”

Title: “Assessing the Literacy Development of Second-Language Students: A Focus on Authentic Assessment.” Georgia Earnest Garcia, pp. 180-205.  In Kids Come in All Languages: Reading Instruction for ESL Students. Eds. K Spangensberg-Urgschat and R Pritchard. Newark, DE: IRA. 1994.