Assessing the Language of Young Learners - Angela Hasselgreen

Assessing the Language of Young Learners - Angela Hasselgreen

Preface

Assessing the Language of Young Learners - Angela Hasselgreen

Angela Hasselgreen [+-]
University of Bergen
Angela Hasselgreen is Professor of Language Didactics at the University of Bergen. She has many years’ experience working with young language learners and their teachers, in Norway and beyond. Her career has covered language teaching, teacher training and language testing, as well as the coordination of several projects in the field of assessingthe language of young learners - locally, nationally and internationally. Her research has largely focussed on assessment in the language classroom, and the potential role of the CEFR and ELP in assessing and teaching young learners. Her publications include books, chapters and articles on young learner assessment, and she has contributed actively to the Council of Europe’s work on the development of CEFR-based ’can dos’ for young learners.

Description

This volume offers new insights into the assessment of the language of Young Learners (YLs). YLs are defined here as being from 5 to 17 years, and are treated as three distinct subgroups: younger children (5/6 to 8/9 years), older children (8/9 to 12/13 years) and teenagers (12/13 to 17 years). The first half addresses fundamental issues, beginning with the characteristics of YLs and how these are manifested in first language development. The authors consider the potential ability of each age group to perform in a second or foreign language, proposing a rough age-related correspondence with CEFR levels. Finally, principles of assessment, specifically formative assessment and testing, are presented in the light of linguistic, cognitive and social development. The second half focusses on testing a range of ‘skills’. Theoretical models of performance are introduced, followed by a practical analysis of approaches to the testing of each skill for the three age groups, illustrated with examples. The authors conclude by summing up developmental characteristics of each age group, and their implications for language testing. The book is intended for a wide readership within the field of teaching and assessing the language of young learners. Researchers are offered scope for further investigation of what emerges from the discussion, while practitioners will hopefully find support in their day-to-day work with YLs.

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Citation

Hasselgreen, Angela . Preface. Assessing the Language of Young Learners. Equinox eBooks Publishing, United Kingdom. p. ix Nov 2016. ISBN 9781781794708. https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/view-chapter/?id=32222. Date accessed: 28 Mar 2024 doi: 10.1558/equinox.32222. Nov 2016

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