For a non-specialist language teacher, assessments can be particularly daunting. Language Magnet completely removes the barriers to effective foreign language assessment by providing easy-to-use resources for the assessment process that are incorporated into the modules in a fun and engaging way. Pupils thrive on showing what they can do with their newfound language skills and teachers are able to confidently do informal and formal assessments, providing accurate feedback in all four areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing using the detailed assessment criteria, marking schemes and clear grade boundaries. Our assessment criteria are clearly set out, with no jargon, using simple-to-apply descriptions that enable teachers to easily identify each child’s attainment.
Our unique Pupil Trackers enable students to self-assess as they progress through their course and identify which language skills they have gained and to which level, and where they need more support. The Pupil Trackers enable an easy student and teacher dialogue about each student’s personal language learning journey.
Listening skills can be assessed in a variety of ways. Traditionally, listening skills are isolated by using listening comprehension exercises, but in reality listening is also part of a dynamic conversational interaction.
To assess listening and speaking, Language Magnet uses:
Reading in a foreign language to acquire information is a key skill for developing writing in the target language to give information. Assessments for reading are sufficiently differentiated to enable all pupils to succeed, and our unique grammar colour code system enables pupils to access the language using multiple skills. Vocabulary, language structures, grammar, spelling and punctuation are integral to the writing assessments, which are differentiated by degrees of challenge and presented in fun and engaging activities. Assessments are fully supported for every pupil to whichever level of support is required, so that students are always building confidence and self-belief in their ability with the target language. The step-by-step approach in the lesson plans enable non-specialist language teachers to confidently assess pupils’ written language skills as the teacher is fully supported with the vocabulary, language structures and grammar throughout each module.
To assess reading and writing, Language Magnet uses: