PROFESSOR: For these heritage learners--
I'd say 99% of them, the students,
the heritage learners in this course-- they started unevenly.
So it's really hard to assess how much progress.
I can only say progress, because I have a goal in my mind
what do they need to reach at the end of the course.
But how do I assess their progress is a problem,
because some will start really higher level than others.
So easier for me to see the progress in the lower level
students.
Harder for me to see the higher level.
So for me, the way I assess is-- because I do have
a lot of writing assignments.
So I would see how much-- within an assignment,
how many new vocabulary they're willing to use.
Because as I said, they like to stay in their comfort zone.
They like to use simple language.
They know it's correct.
They don't want to venture out, because they're
afraid to make mistakes.
So my assessment usually is how sophisticated
they can be when they're doing the writing.
Because we have a set of vocabulary for each lesson,
and they're supposed to use it.
And for me, because they're assumed at a stage
they're still trying to memorize all the characters,
trying to write a basic sentence.
So the composition, I don't ask too much of the structure.
As long as they can write a sentence down,
the basic grammar's correct, that's fine.
But the vocabulary they can use.
So and these vocabulary sometimes in the course,
I would spend some time to explain.
I don't teach them how to read this vocabulary,
but I do correct their pronunciation.
I do tell them how to use this vocabulary.
Because some vocabulary, they give you
the English definition, but actually it
doesn't use that way in Chinese at all.
Yes, this is what it means, but you don't use the same context
in Chinese.
I would teach them the differences.
That's what I talk about.
And I will some students really want
to expand their vocabulary.
Then I will know he's trying.
That's how I assess the progress.
We do have a lot of quizzes.
We do have a lot of tests.
We do have a lot of speaking.
We do a lot of individual reports and group
projects in the classroom.
So all these I look at holistically.
Yeah, yeah, I'm still thinking about a more effective way
to assess them.
Especially I want the student to do the self-assessment.
That's important.
They called it-- what's that word-- anyway,
making a portfolio for yourself, what you can do,
what you cannot do.
That kind of thing.
I started giving them questionnaires,
but I want to develop more.
And to the last time I did it, what can
I do now, what I know now.
Those are good, but that's still very vague.
You have to ask the right questions.
Sometimes it's all about asking the right question.
Because some questions, they can answer really vaguely.
Yes, I know, but how much you really know, right?
So that's a big topic.
I'm still working on that.