How am I graded in this course?

EVALUATION SYSTEM

The evaluation system of the Grammar course is based on in-class continuous assessment, one
autonomous learning project, and two written exams, namely one midterm and one final, which
will help your teacher assess your performance during the course.

Below, you will find a detailed description of each component.

I. IN-CLASS CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT:

The in-class continuous assessment consists of five (5) mandatory learning outcomes: 2
speaking outcomes, 1 writing outcome, and 2 quizzes. All of them aim to measure your
understanding of the form, meaning, and use of the structures featured in this course. You will
be assessed according to your performance in producing the grammar structures accurately to
maximize your communicative competence.

A. Speaking outcomes: There are two (2) speaking outcomes to be assessed along the
course. Depending on class time and the grammar structure the teacher needs to evaluate,
one speaking outcome will be scheduled before the midterm exam (before Day 8) and one
after it (before Day 16). The score scale goes from 0 to 2.

These outcomes measure your ability to use the target language accurately and fluently in
communicative contexts. The teacher can select the activities in the Communication Practice
section, or can choose any other activity that can assess the achievement of the learning
outcome properly considering the following criteria:

SCORE CRITERIA
The student can almost always sustain the accurate use of the target
2 structures considering form, meaning, and use to comply
successfully with a given speaking task.

The student can sometimes sustain the accurate use of the target
1 structures considering form, meaning, and use to thoroughly comply
with a given speaking task.

The student can rarely sustain the accurate use of the target
0 structures considering form, meaning, and use to comply with a given
speaking task effectively.

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 For example:

TASK: Work in pairs and talk about the different types of friends you have.
(Use gerunds)

Sample 1:

I have many different types of friends because I am good at making friends. My friend
Kathy is one of my long-time friends. We enjoy spending time together and we love
doing the same things. We usually go swimming in the summer and go skiing in the
winter. Having spent so many experiences together has bonded us for life. Another friend
I really love is Jessica. She is one of my best friends from university. We have known
each other for many years and we have always been there for one another. We avoid
hurting each others feelings and we like being honest and being listened to. Our
favorite activity is traveling. This year we are going to New York.

In this sample, the student uses all or almost all the structures accurately and complies
with the task, so he/ she gets 2 points.

Sample 2:

I have many different types of friends because I am good at make friends. My friend
Kathy is one of my long-time friends. We enjoy to spend time together and we love
doing the same things. We usually go swimming in the summer and go skiing in the
winter. Having spending so many experiences together has bonded us for life. Another
friend I really love is Jessica. She is one of my best friends from university. We have
known each other for many years and we have always been there for one another. We
avoid hurting each others feelings and we like be honest and being listened to. Our
favorite activity is traveling. This year we are going to New York.

In this sample, the student complies with the task, but he/she fails to use the target
structure in many of the sentences, so he/she only gets 1 point.
If the student wasnt accurate in most of his/her responses and he didnt comply with the
task, he/she would get 0 (no points).

B. Writing Outcome: There is one (1) writing outcome to be assessed along the course.
Depending on class time and the grammar structure(s) the teacher needs to evaluate, it
can be assessed before or after the midterm exam (until Day 16).
The score scale goes from 0 to 2. The teacher can select from the writing activities in the
book, and will decide what target structure(s) to evaluate.
This learning outcome assesses the students ability to accurately use the grammar
structures in context in a two or three-paragraph length piece of writing without affecting
comprehensibility. The rubrics to assess writing are the following:

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 SCORE CRITERIA
- The student can almost always sustain the accurate use of target
2 structures considering form, meaning, and use to successfully convey the
intended message and comply with a specific writing task.

- The student can sometimes sustain the accurate use of target structures
considering form, meaning, and use without significantly affecting the
1 comprehensibility of the intended message and comply with a specific
writing task.

- The student can rarely sustain the accurate use of target structures
0 considering form, meaning, and use affecting the comprehensibility of the
intended message and without complying with a specific writing task.

For example:

TASK: Write two paragraphs about a compassionate act you have read, heard or known about.
(Use adverb and adverbial phrases)

Sample 1:
A year ago, I read the story of a man who adopted a stray dog that was hit by a car. While
driving back home, Mr. Rogers saw something strange in the middle of the road, so he
decided to stop the car. After getting much closer, he realized that it was a dog. He
immediately picked it up and took it to the vet. Fortunately, veterinarians were able to
save its life.
Being an animal lover, Mr. Rogers couldnt abandon the dog to its fate. He paid for all
the expenses and took it home. His children were very happy and named the dog Lucky.
After recovering completely, Lucky could run and play with the kids

In this sample, the student is accurate in all or almost all of the target structures used and
has no major errors that hinder communication. In this case, the student will receive 2 points.

Sample 2:

A year ago, I read the story of a man who adopted a stray dog that was hit by a car. While
driving back home, Mr. Rogers saw something strange in the middle of the road, so he
decided to stop the car. After to getting much closer, he realized that it was a dog. He
immediately picked it up and took it to the vet. Fortunately, veterinarians were able to
save its life.
Being an animal lover, Mr. Rogers couldnt abandon the dog to its fate. He paid for all
the expenses and took it home. His children were very happy and named the dog Lucky.
After recover completely, Lucky could run and play with the kids

In this sample, the message doesnt get affected; however, the student has many errors in
grammar that affect accuracy. In this case, the student will only receive 1 point.
If the student failed to use the target language items accurately in almost all of the
sentences and his/her errors affect comprehensibility, the student would get no points (0).

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 As this is an instrumental grammar course, teachers will focus more on accuracy rather on
the overall message.

C. Quizzes: Using quizzes will not only benefit you, but also the teacher. It will provide the
teacher with plenty of opportunities for feedback and for monitoring your progress in the
course in a concrete manner. The teacher will be able to identify your strengths and
weaknesses and take action to help you succeed. The teacher will use two (2) quizzes to
evaluate the effective use of the grammar structures taught in class.
The first quiz is to be scheduled before the midterm exam and after completing the first two
units of the course (around Day 5). The second quiz is to be scheduled after the midterm
exam and after completing the next two units of the book (around Day14).

Quiz 1 Description:
It will have 5 sentences and a multiple choice format. The total score range goes from 0
to 2 points. These sentences will contain the grammar structures studied in the course.

Quiz 1 Sample:
____________ the house, Jenny took a long nap.
a. By cleaning
b. Have cleaned
c. Having cleaned
d. To clean
The grade will be awarded according to the following chart:

5 or 4 correct answers = 2 points

3 or 2 correct answers = 1 point
1 or 0 correct answers = 0 points

Quiz 2 Description:
It will have 2 questions that will require two complete and connected sentences as
answers. These sentences will contain the corresponding grammar structures studied
in the course. The total score range goes from 0 to 2 points.

Quiz 2 Sample:
Question: If you had the chance to change some bad decisions, what would you do?
(Use conditionals)

Answer: If I had the opportunity, I would definitely change a few of them. First, if
I had saved more money, I would travel more now. In the past I used to
splurge my money on unnecessary things and I didnt enjoy traveling as
much as I do now. Also, if I had organized my time better, I would have
studied more languages. I like learning languages, so I think I could have
gotten up earlier on the weekends and gone to my classes.

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 The grade will be awarded according to the following chart:

2 questions effectively answered = 2 points

1 question effectively answered = 1 point
0 questions effectively answered = 0 points

II. ALP:

The ALP or Autonomous Learning Project aims to assess your ability to use the target
structures appropriately in a given authentic task, besides allowing you to be creative and to
plan on their own.
Your teacher will assign a topic and the type of activity that you will present on a scheduled
date. You can choose from a variety of communicative activity formats such as role-plays,
speeches, presentations, stories, etc. You can perform in pairs/groups according to your
teachers instructions. You can enrich and illustrate the information that you will be sharing
by means of visual aids and other resources. This is a very good opportunity to foster
autonomy, develop collaborative learning and give students the chance to apply what they
learned in a communicative real-life context.

The score scale goes from 0 to 3 based on the following:

SCORE CRITERIA
- Accurate use of most of the grammar structures needed for the
task.
- Effective and creative presentation, carefully prepared and
3 logically structured
- Thorough delivery
- Outstanding use of visual aids
- Accurate use of only some of the grammar structures to comply
with task.
2 - Adequate presentation, clear and logically structured
- Adequate delivery. Message mostly understandable
- Adequate use of visual aids

- Accurate use of only few of the grammar structures necessary

for the task. Affects comprehensibility.
1 - Poor performance, unclear and disorganized
- Poor delivery, difficult to follow
- Inadequate use of visual aids and resources

- Accurate use of none of the grammar structures necessary for

the task. Affects comprehensibility.
0 - Poor delivery, difficult to follow
- No visual aids or other resources
- No presentation or submission of work

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III. EXAMS: The exams test your ability to recognize, identify and understand the grammar
structures learned in the course considering the essential dimensions of grammar: form,
meaning and use. The exams for the Grammar course are detailed below:

A. Midterm written exam: It measures your grammar competence in the structures studied
during the first half of the course. It consists of 3 sections:

Section 1: Listening
Section 2: Grammar Usage/ Use
Section 3: Full Responses (connected sentences)

The scoring scale goes from 0 to 3 points.

100 80 = 3
79 70 = 2
69 60 = 1
59 or under = 0

B. Final written exam: It measures your grammar competence in the structures studied
during the second half of the course. It consists of 3 sections:

Section 1: Listening
Section 2: Grammar Usage/ Use
Section 3: Full Responses (connected sentences)

The scoring scale goes from 0 to 4 points.

100 90 = 4
89 80 = 3
79 70 = 2
69 60 = 1
59 or under = 0
59 or under = 0

OAR April 2016