Rubric for Interpersonal Speaking

On of the challenges of Interpersonal Speaking is how to measure growth. As learners move up the proficiency scale, they need more and more time to get the next level. As a profession, we need to work together to develop to measure student growth with much more granularity. I am sharing one iteration of a rubric to get your feedback.

  • How can we make rubrics that are easy for teachers to use in real time while listening to a conversation between two students?
  • How can we design a rubric that can be used by native speakers with some level of reliability, so that native speakers from the community can participate in developing interpersonal skill and evaluation?
  • How can we avoid reducing the student performance to a checklist?
  • How can we be sure that what is on the rubric is what we wish to measure?

Sample Rubric

Let me know your thoughts

Tips for providing opportunities for Interpersonal Speaking

Some teachers have reported difficulty assessing interpersonal performances with novice level learners. Since 2000, we have experimented with many impromptu assessments where students interact with another speaker to construct meaning. Here are some ideas for creating interpersonal assessments.

  • Identify pictures of characters using single words
  • With a partner order a series of pictures to tell the story
  • Milling Activity: Students obtain information by interviewing other students with conversation prompters.
  • Act out a scene involving conversation with a partner
  • Have a conversation with another student in the role of characters.
  • Have a conversation with your partner to explain your opinion a story
  • Use an illustration as a prompt for talking with a partner
  • The class interviews one student who responds in character
  • Use sentence strips to sequence the story with a partner, discussing the choice with reacting language
  • Introduce a new character through an impromptu conversation.
  • Complete story map with partner: Identify when, where, characters, problem, resolution
  • Add another impromptu scene that involves conversation to the folktale
  • Negotiate in the target language with group to decide the characters and plot points of a new story
  • Continue a Conversation from the story
  • Have an impromptu conversation with a partner that takes place in a target language vacation destination

Resources for Authentic Folktales

  • Cantin le Voyageur In this series of audio CD’s, Cantin travels around the French-speaking world to meet children, learn about the culture, sing local songs, and tell authentic legends. They help children learn about other cultures and begin to appreciate their nuances. Take an audio journey to Tahiti, Louisiana, Martinique, Mali, Morocco, Senegal, Vietnam, Guadeloupe, Tunisia and Haiti.
  • Sosnowski Language Resources, 58 Sears Rd Wayland, MA 01778. Tel: 508-358-7891, Fax: 508-358-6687. E-mail: sosnow@ma.ultranet.com
  • www.Amazon.fr search for “contes”
  • www.fnac.com search for "contes"
  • World of Reading, Ltd., P.O. Box 13092, Atlanta, Georgia 30324-0092, Voice: (404) 233-4042, Toll Free: (800) 729-3703, Fax: (404) 237-5511, E-mail: polyglot@wor.com, www.wor.com
  • Ayala, R.R., Mitos y Leyendas de los Incas, Edicomunicación, 1999. ISBN 84-7672-895-6
  • Barlow, Genevieve, Leyendas latinoamericanas, National Textbook Company,
  • Barlow, Genevieve and William Stivers, Leyendas mexicanas, NTC
  • El conejo y el mapurite – cuento venezolano, Ediciones Ekaré ISBN 980-257-006-0. This press is a good source
  • Galván, Nelda, Cuentos de la tradición mexicana, Selector actualidad editorial, 1999, ISBN 970-643-187-x
  • González, Olympia, Leyendas cubanas, NTC
  • Kennedy, James, Relatos latinoamericanos: la herencia africana, NTC
  • Legends of Mexico, National Endowment for the Humanities and University of Cincinnati, 1996
  • Muckley, Robert and Adela Martínez-Santiago, Leyendas de Puerto Rico, NTC