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:

OAR

SCORE

CRITERIA

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

March 2016

For example:
TASK: Work in pairs and talk about an accident you had or had witnessed. Report your
conversation with the doctor or the police. (Use indirect speech)
Sample 1:
Two years ago, I had a terrible accident. The doctor told me that I had a broken leg and a
broken arm. He said that I was lucky because it could have been worse. He also
mentioned that the police wanted to talk to me to tell them my side of the story. They
asked me what had happened and if I was feeling better. I told them that I was riding my
bike along the street when a car didnt stop at the red light and ran me over. I remember I
tried to stay conscious and that many people approached to help. They called the police
and they told them what they had seen. They were very kind people.
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:
Two years ago, I had a terrible accident. The doctor told that I had a broken leg and a
broken arm. He said that he was lucky because it could have been worse. He also
mentioned that the police wanted to talk to me to tell them my side of the story. They
asked me what happens and if I was feeling better. I told them that I was riding my bike
along the street when a car didnt stop at the red light and ran me over. I remember I tried
to stay conscious and that many people approached to help. They called the police and
they told them what they had seen. They were very kind people.

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:

B.

OAR

March 2016

SCORE

CRITERIA

- The student can almost always sustain the accurate use of target
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
comprehensibility of the intended message and comply with a specific
writing task.

- The student can rarely sustain the accurate use of target structures
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 describing the personality of two people in your family.
(Use adjective clauses)
Sample 1:
In my family, we all have different types of personalities, but we all get along pretty well.
For example, my mom is a person who likes to be with other people. She is very
energetic and she likes to go to places that are vibrant and busy. She doesnt like
places that are too quiet or peaceful. She enjoys trying things that are new and ontrend.
My dad, on the other hand, is a person who like calm and tranquility. He prefers to go
to places that are far away from the noise of big cities. He likes activities that dont
require much physical effort such as reading, watching TV, or playing the guitar
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:
In my family, we all have different types of personalities, but we all get along pretty well.
For example, my mom is a person who she likes to be with other people. She is very
energetic and she likes to go to places that are vibrant and busy. She doesnt like
places that are too quiet or peaceful. She enjoys trying things that is new and ontrend.
My dad, on the other hand, is a person who like calm and tranquility. He prefers to go
to places that are far away from the noise of big cities. He likes activities that dont
require much physical effort such as reading, watching TV, or playing the guitar
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).

OAR

March 2016

In this sample, most of the sentences are inaccurate. The student failed to produce more
than 50 % of the grammar structures, so in this case, the student would get no points (0).
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:
Q
uiz 1
Samp
le:

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.
I talked to the man _____________.

a.
b.
c.
d.

whose house is on rent

which house is on rent
who house is on rent
that house is on rent

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:

OAR

Question:

What is the most surprising piece of news you have heard recently?
(Use passive voice)

Answer:

I read in the newspaper that some criminals were captured a year ago by
the police. They were accused of several crimes, they were questioned
and admitted their crimes. They were sentenced and sent to prison for
more than 10 years. The surprising thing is that a tunnel was built by them
and they escaped from prison 5 months ago and nobody knew they were
gone.

March 2016

The grade will be awarded according to the following chart:

2 questions effectively answered

1 question effectively answered
0 questions effectively answered

II.

= 2 points
= 1 point
= 0 points

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

OAR

CRITERIA
- Accurate use of most of the grammar structures needed for the
task.
- Effective and creative presentation, carefully prepared and
logically structured
- Thorough delivery
- Outstanding use of visual aids
- Accurate use of only some of the grammar structures to comply
with task.
- 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.
- 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.
- Poor delivery, difficult to follow
- No visual aids or other resources
- No presentation or submission of work

March 2016

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

March 2016