Download: Assessing oral language

Assessing pupils' oral language is not a straightforward activity. In order to know what to look for, it is necessary to understand oral language and the role it plays in the learning process. In this chapter excerpt from Language Assessment in Primary Schools (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Inc, 1992), Beverly Derewianka examines how teachers can characterise student use of oral language skills, and how this assessment can then be applied to classroom literacy programming and planning. It provides a framework for assessing oral language, and models both student and teacher self-assessment strategies.

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