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Resources for assessing the home language competences of migrant pupils

Introduction
Why assess?
What are the principles of assessment?
Whose competences
to assess,
and how?
By
which means
 to assess?
How to get involved?
This page will be available in English soon. Please refer to the pages in French.

When and how should home language competences be assessed? Examples of methods and materials

How can materials and methods from a given context be a source of inspiration for designing materials and setting up systems suitable for other contexts? The assessment of home language competences may take place at different points in learners’ schooling:


on entering the education system


throughout learners’ schooling


when moving on to higher education


This section contains accounts of assessment methods and materials originating in different European contexts. 


When and how to assess?


Examples


Drawing inspiration from the examples of methods and materials

When and how to assess?

The situations described here have been gathered by means of a survey and collaborative research carried out with experts and others concerned with the reception and schooling of learners in different European countries and regions. 

The aim is not to present an exhaustive overview of what exists in Europe in terms of methods or materials, but to offer existing assessment arrangements (and the associated assessment materials) as food for thought. These are representative of the diverse situations and means of assessment observed that relate to:

  • the contexts represented: the importance given to the values of plurilingual and intercultural education in current national, regional or local language policies, 
  • the people involved (at city, regional, state and school level, or their associates),
  • the involvement of stakeholders depending on their level (macro / meso / micro),
  • the target audiences and stated objectives of these systems and methods.

What stands out:

  • The assessment materials and arrangements come from a variety of political, social and educational contexts. They are designed for the target audiences and the objectives; they may be standardised for a certain context, but they are not intended to be a basis for the assessment of target language competences in any other situation.
  • The assessment materials and systems exemplified relate to different levels of action (national, regional, local, etc.). In line with these different levels, they do not play the same role in the learner’s education. Depending on the way the assessment systems are configured, the assessments can be used to place learners at the right level, to request equivalence with a foreign language in the curriculum, or to give learners’ home language competences symbolic recognition as part of their school record.
  • The materials included in this section allow a degree of quantitative measurement of home language competences (depending on the target audience, situation or objectives). However, this is not used to set standards in the target language: the criteria and indicators are used to assess competences, knowledge and abilities on entering an education system or during the learner’s schooling. Thus, this kind of assessment, even if it is based on tools and methods  of a summative nature, are focused on learners’ schooling.
  • The materials and methods exemplified can be used for transversal assessment in different school subjects, particularly in relation to the language of schooling.
  • The topics and instructions exemplified in the activities take into account young people’s tasks in real-life.

There are many different initiatives that focus on assessing learners' competences in their home languages. Here are a few examples from various European Union countries. The initiatives differ not only in terms of the level at which decisions are taken, but also in terms of the purposes of assessment. You can browse through them by selecting:

the level of decision-making (macro, meso or micro)

Teacher or class

Establishments, networks of establishments

City, region, state

Presentation of approaches
stages in the learner’s schooling

On arrival in the host education system
Examples of approaches

During schooling

At the end of the course or cycle

Examples of approaches

At the end of this overview, a typology of resources for the assessment of home language competences and a grid of criteria for the development of materials are provided to help adapt or develop resources in line with one’s assessment objectives and needs.