TEACH YOUR STUDENTS TO

SPEAK LIKE ROCKSTARS IN A

FOREIGN LANGUAGE
PE R FOR M ANCE SPE AKI NG ASSE SSM E NTS FOR ALL
LE VE LS

DEVON ELLIS
WELLESLEY HIGH SCHOOL

WHAT TO EXPECT
Brief introduction of speaker
Summary of why we should focus on
speaking
Various speaking assessments to do with
students and how to vary them for
level/focus
Student samples from real-life WHS students!
Your turn! Teachers practice in language
groups

WHO AM I?
Devon Ellis
High School German/French teacher (11th
year)
Teach German levels 1-5AP
Teach French levels 1-2
Run the German Exchange program (GAPP)
MA Teaching
MA German Literature

WHY FOCUS ON SPEAKING?

Tends to be lots of focus on writing

Speaking is what students want to be able to do
Speaking helps them with their writing
Speaking helps them feel more confident
Speaking is the most useful tool for travel
Success in speaking motivates them in other areas

Tangible results when they participate in exchanges

SPEAKING ASSESSMENTS

Spontan Sprechen
T.A.L.K. Assessment
Socratic Seminar/Class discussion

SPONTAN SPRECHEN:
SPONTANEOUS DISCOURSE

What is Spontan Sprechen?

Why is Spontan so great?
In what levels can you use Spontan?
How do students react to/deal with Spontan?
How does Spontan affect other language skills
(reading/writing/grammar/listening)?
How often should you do Spontan?

SPONTAN SPRECHEN: LEVEL 1

Exercise 1: You are a new student in the German
school in Radolfzell. You arrive early to your first
German class so that you can meet your teacher.
You want to introduce yourself and ask her a few
questions. Both students must ask and answer
questions, use various forms of the verb sein, various
singular and plural nouns and at least one
compound noun. One partner is the American
exchange student (der Austauschschler/die
Austauschschlerin), and one is the German
teacher (der Deutschlehrer/die Deutschlehrerin).

SPONTAN SPRECHEN: LEVEL 2

Exercise 1: Your mother just announced that she
got a new job in New York City and your family will
be moving at the end of the school year. Express
your opinion to your family and ask them what they
think. Then compare the advantages and
disadvantages of living in NYC as opposed to
Wellesley. Be sure to use as much grammar
(comparative, superlative, adjective endings,
comparative as adjective) and vocabulary
(especially new verbs!) as possible.

SPONTAN SPRECHEN: LEVEL 3

Exercise 1: You hear a student in your class talking
poorly about another Turkish-German student. You
decide to confront this student and ask why s/he is
saying these things and tell him/her what you think.
Be sure to use a variety of verbs and the grammar
structures we have learned (passive, passive with
modal verbs, subjunctive II).

SPONTAN SPRECHEN: LEVEL 4

Exercise 1: You and your partner will play the roles
of Hans or Sophie Scholl and a parent. You have just
been sentenced to death for resisting Hitler. You
have been given 2 minutes to speak to your parents
one last time before you are beheaded. Answer
their questions about the situation and explain to
them why you did what you did. Make sure to tell
them how you feel and what is most important to
you. Be sure to use the language functions we have
learned (subjunctive II, passive, relative clauses).

SPONTAN SPRECHEN: LEVEL 5

Exercise 1: The adopted mother of Andri in the story
Andorra by Max Frisch is having a conversation with
the police after the death of Andri, suicide of her
husband and mental breakdown of her daughter.
She tries to reason with the police about what
happened and why the soldier should be arrested
and hanged. Be sure to use as many language
functions as possible in your discussion. (directed)
Exercise 2: After Andri is accused of killing the
Senora, Barblin has a conversation with her father.
Play the roles of Barblin and her father. Speak for 2
minutes. (open ended)

HOW TO VARY SPONTAN SPRECHEN

Adding grammar
Write Grammar structures on the board
Use cards with grammar structures written on them
Pulling cards out of a hat that they have to use

Adding vocabulary
Use vocabulary lists
Use 10-15 cards with vocab words written on them
Use sentence starters on cards

In groups of 4
2 speak while 2 analyze
Keep track of # of verbs, verb forms other than I and you,
and grammar structures
Make it a competition

HOW TO VARY SPONTAN

CONTD
Practice before performance
Practice in groups of 2 before going in front of the class
Practice with a partner then record with a different partner
(or same!)

Analyze after performance

Analyze 1-2 groups together as a class to set the standard
and make sure everyone is on the same page

Bring in the real deal!

Find native speakers to speak with your kids (exchange
students!)
Find retirees in your community that would be willing to be
interviewed by your students
Use wespeke J

HOW TO ASSESS SPONTAN

In front of the class
According to 5 things:

Variety of vocabulary
Variety of verb forms
Correctness of language functions/grammar structures
Naturalness of conversation
Fluidity of conversation

Allow first 1-2 groups to go again at the end

Ask students to give a grade and justify it

SPONTAN RUBRIC
Exceeds
Expectations (A+
to A-)

Meets
Expectations well
(B+ to B-)

Barely Meets
Expectations (C+
to C-)

Does Not Meet

Expectations (D+
to F)

Task Completion

Student asked and

answered
questions
according to the
given prompt.
Student used a
variety of old and
new language
structures and
came up with
original
questions/answers.

Student asked and Student maintained

answered
a conversation with
questions
a partner, but did
according to the
not ask original
given prompt.
questions or use all
Student used
of the required
required language
language
structures and had
structures.
a few original
questions/answers.

Student could not

maintain a
conversation with a
partner about the
given topic or
student could not
use any of the
required language
structures.

Comprehensibility

Student was easily

understood and
listener did not
have to guess at
meaning. Student
demonstrated
understanding of
what s/he was
saying.

Student was easily

understood, but
listener had to
guess at meaning
once or twice.
Student
demonstrated
understanding of
what s/he was
saying.

Student could not

be understood and
could not
demonstrate
understanding of
what s/he was
saying.

Accuracy

Student used all of

the language
functions 100%
correctly.

Student used all of

the language
functions correctly
most of the time.

Student used some Student did not use

of the language
any of the
functions correctly language functions
some of the time.
correctly.

Naturalness

Student was able

to have a natural,
logical, sensical
and original
conversation about
the given topic.

Student was able

to have a semi
natural, logical and
sensical
conversation about
the given topic. At
times forced or
unnatural.

Student was able

to have a
conversation with a
partner about the
topic, but it was
consistently
awkward, forced
and unoriginal.

Student was
understood with
difficulty, but
listener often had
to guess at what
s/he was saying.
Did not
demonstrate
understanding of
what s/he was
saying.

Student was not

able to have a
natural or logical
conversation about
the given topic.
Questions and
answers were
random and offtopic.

T.A.L.K. ASSESSEMENT
TALK in German, communicate, stay on topic
ACCURATELY use new vocabulary, sentences
starters and connecting words
LISTEN carefully to others comments and build off
of them
Are KIND to group members by contributing to
conversation without taking over and by inviting
others to participate in the conversation.

T.A.L.K. ASSESSMENT
German AP
Thema: Science and Technology 1.3
Interpersonal Task: Debate
The technology of medicine
In groups of 5, you will sit together and discuss the topic of technology in medicine.
You will discuss the ethics of abortion, cloning and stemcell research. You must talk
about the positive and negative affects of these technologies as well as who bears
the responsibility of making decisions about the development of these technologies.
Be sure to include thoughts on the German and American perspective in this debate.
Be clear, respectful and engaged throughout the dicussion.
Each group of 5 will have 10-15 minutes to discuss this topic. Everyone in the group
must participate at least 5 times (participation is considered more than 1 full
sentence) and must use sentence starters, transition words and various grammar
structures.
As the teacher, I will sit in the circle and take notes on what is said. Each person will
receive a grade for this discussion based on the T.A.L.K. rubric:

T.A.L.K. RUBRIC
How well can you:

Strong Performance

Meets Expectations

Approaching Expectations

Does Not Meet

Expectations

Talk in German, try to

communicate, stay on
topic

I elaborate to complete
task; I speak in strings of
sentences connected by
sophisticated sentences
starters

I complete the task with

developed responses; I
speak in sentences with
basic sentence starters

I complete task with

adequate responses; I speak
in simple sentences and
memorized phrases

I do not complete the task; I

speak with words, phrases,
and/or lists of words

Accurately use new

structures and
vocabulary sentence
starters and connecting
words

I demonstrate full control

of studied structures, I am
easy to understand, and I
use many new words from
unit

I demonstrate good control

of studied structures, I am
mostly easy to understand,
and I use some new words
from unit

I demonstrate partial
control of studied
structures, I am not always
easy to understand, my
errors interfere sometimes
with meaning, and I use a
few new words from unit

I make frequent errors in

studied structures; my
errors interfere with
communication

Listen carefully to
others comments
and build off them

My response shows
understanding without
repetition or rephrasing. I
frequently build on
existing topic.

My response shows
understanding with minor
repetition or rephrasing. I
occasionally build on
existing topic.

My response shows some

understanding with
occasional repetition or
rephrasing but I do not
build on existing topic.

My response shows
minimal or no
understanding even with
repetition or rephrasing. I
do not build on existing
topic.

Are Kind to group

members by
contributing to
conversation
without taking over and
by
inviting others to
participate in
the conversation

I participate fully as a
member of conversation
by initiating topics and
asking questions of peers
who arent participating.

I participate as required
and occasionally initiate a
topic or ask a question.

I participate as required but

do not initiate topics or ask
questions.

I do not participate as
required unless prompted. I
do not initiate topics or ask
questions.

Fehler:

SOCRATIC SEMINAR/CLASS
DISCUSSION
1-hour class discussion based on 10 questions given in
advance
Students prepare for the discussion with a partner
5 minutes for each questionone partner sits in the
circle for each question
Students must use sentence starters, grammar
structures and vocabulary from the unit during
discussion
Students receive one point each time they participate
(more than one sentence), each time they use a
sentence starter and each time they use an
advanced grammar structure
Teacher sits in the circle and grades during discussion

SAMPLE DISCUSSION
German AP

Diskussion: personal and public identities

Discuss the following questions as clearly and eloquently as possible.

1. What is identity and how could you define it?
2. Can the identity of a nation change or develop? To what extent?
3. What is the difference (if there is one) between identity, prejudice and stereotype?
4. How can one avoid prejudice and stereotype? Is that possible on the world stage?
5. Do you think that the newest technologies help break down or avoid prejudice around the
world or vice versa?
6. Is identity good at all? Why or why not?
7. How would you describe the German and American identities? How have they developed
throughout history?
8. What prejudices and stereotypes do we have in the US? Why? How could we free ourselves as
a people from these prejudices?
9. What prejudices and stereotypes do Germans have? Why? How could Germans free
themselves as a people from those prejudices?
10. How can you raise children without stereotypes? Who is responsible for that? Is it even possible?
11. Can artists do something to combat prejudice? Are they responsible for doing that? Do works of
literature like Andorra have any effect?

DISCUSSION GRADING

Participation

Sentence
Starter

Grammar
structure

Abby

IIIIIIIIIIIIII

III

IIIIII

Aidan

III

IIIII

IIIIIII

Cassandra

IIIIIIIIIIIII

IIII

Emma

IIIIII

II

IIIIIIIII

STUDENT SAMPLES
WHS German 3 Honors students: Spontan Sprechen
with a partner/teacher feedback (2 minutes)
WHS German 3 Honors students: Spontan Sprechen
practice in a group of 4 with cards and feedback (3
minutes)
WHS German AP students: T.A.L.K. Assessment (3
minutes--shortened for presentation)
WHS German AP students: Spontan Sprechen with a
partner using grammar and sentence starters (2
minutes)

YOUR TURN!
Sample for the classgraded! YIKES J
Find a group of teachers that teach the same target
language as you
Pick a level of language (1st year, 2nd year etc) and a
common theme from that year of study
Take the 10 blank cards and write 5 grammar structures
on 5 different cards and 5 sentence starters on the
other 5 cards that are taught in that year of study
Decide who will speak and who will analyze
One analyzer will record how many different verbs were
used and how many different verb forms
The other analyzer will keep track of who uses what
grammar structures and sentence starters and
distribute them as they are used
Time yourselves: 2 minutes per round and then switch

LETS ANALYZE
How did you do?
Was it hard?
What grade did you get? WHY?
How do you think your students will react?
What advice would you give your kids?
How do you think theyll benefit from this?

QUESTIONS???