As some of you know, Thursday is my quiz day.  Last week's quiz was very simple: 10 words/phrases.  It was a listening quiz and I have an "outside-the-box" way of giving and correcting those quizzes.  I say the word (or phrase) in Spanish and the students first write the word in Spanish on the paper and then it's corresponding word in English.    They get 3 points for each word that they attempt to write in Spanish.  They get 3 more points for the word if I can recognize it (correct spelling is not necessary....but if I say what they have written out loud I should recognize it) .  That is a potential 60 on the test if they put a recognizable rendition of the word on the paper.....even if they don't know what it means.

Why? 

I tell my students that there are three steps to listening comprehension:  hearing it, recognizing it and understanding it.  For too many years I only gave credit to students if they had mastered the third step,  I now realize the value in the first two steps.  In order to hear, my students have to pay attention.  That is sooooo important in the classroom!!  Recognizing it may mean  isolating sounds, recognizing sound patterns and structures and connecting those to other sounds and patterns and their meanings (ie recognizing roots, endings, prefixes etc). 

Students often say that they 'know" a word if they have heard it and it sounds familiar.    That is because the students have been able to apply two of the three comprehension steps.    With more reps, they will arrive at step three.   

Works for me!
with love,
Laurie