Unit 2 - Activity 3: Identifying student's needs - assessment

Unit 2 - Activity 3: Identifying student needs assessment

One of our course tasks was to discuss tools we might use to support ESL student needs assessment. Adult students have different needs and interests so how can we best identify their varied learning needs and significant prior experiences to aid in their learning going forward?

I am going to assume my students are all adult learners (this is my own area of interest).

I think it is both efficient and important to have the learner's own reflections and disclosures about where they see themselves in the learning, what they are most interested in, and also what they hope to achieve with the learning. It seems this could most easily done through a straight forward interview/question survey.

Armed with the survey feedback, I think the next challenge would be to contract the learning around small, but measurable and incremental learning goals. For example, if my learner wanted to become a auto-mechanic we might set a specific and more immediate goal of asking 4-5 customer service questions about what might be wrong with a person's vehicle. If the learner can feel confident doing this they will recognize they have moved forward, feel satisfied with the learning "contract" and hopefully, recommit to the next goal on their journey.

With some of the volunteer conversation classes I've helped with, there are students from many different parts of the world. Once I have met each, I will often have an idea about their pronunciation and ability to articulate themselves. Frequently, in following conversations/visits I will ask what kind of small vocabulary goals they have set for the week and build those words into the day's discussion for a customized experience. This is a simple approach but it seems to work with ever changing student attendees.

Another early assessment exercise (not unlike the first) is having a printed page on the group's table and have written (large print) questions on same that everyone in the group will get an opportunity to answer. Most of the questions will ask the listener to share something about themselves like what languages can they speak, what is their favourite food, what job they would like to do.

Student disclosures to scripted questions may reveal important personal/social/cultural issues that will have to be considered in their learning plan. Sometimes discussions about wants/needs can require more clarifying questions, or perhaps even counselling. For example, students immigrating will typically have more of a "readiness to learn" versus newly arrived refugees who are still coping with the traumas of displacement.

Based on the above, if basic learner assessments are done early by teachers, they are actually putting into practice some of the best practices based on Malcolm Knowles six assumptions (bring the student experience into the learning, give the student some power over their own learning). I really see it as a learning "contract". Both the student and the teacher make a commitment and then progressively work together towards established defined goals.

I'm looking forward to seeing what other kinds of needs-assessments are done with ESL....


REFERENCES

Finlay, J. (May 17, 2010). Andragogy (Adult Learning) [Youtube video]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/vLoPiHUZbEw

Scrivener, J. (2005). Learning Teaching: A guidebook for English language teacher. (2nd ed.). Oxford, UK: MacMillan Press.