Alison,
I have some experience with tape recording student activities: 
When I was teaching adult learners in Barcelona some years ago I
questioned the director of the program as to why the programs
recommended that we tape student presentations, role plays, etc.  I
thought this taping gave undue stress to the learners. The director
pointed out that it was a way to make the interaction more similar to
interactions in real life... where the learner is actually communicating
with someone in English for a purpose - where it matters, if you will.
There is, of course, more stress around the interaction in real life and
a way to ratchet up the anxiety and simulate real life  -- was to tape
the learners. If the student could communicate under this extra stress
in the classroom, he or she might be more likely to have the confidence
to do this in "real life." Of course it was important to discuss this
with the learners before taping, so they would know why you were doing
this  - not to mock them - and to not insist if they still felt vastly
uncomfortable with the activity. 
 
You know something, the director was right. The students felt good
knowing why they were being taped and to a person they wanted to be
taped. They would choose whether the whole group would view the
interaction or whether it would be privately seen and discussed with the
teacher. I think they always wanted the whole group to view and discuss.

 
So, I guess I'm saying I would discuss this with the learners - why you
are doing it  and, if possible, l give them the option not to be taped.
If the tapings are for assessment I would, of course, do tapings
privately and the discussions as well. 
 
By the way, I was learning Spanish (should have been Catalan, right?)
while in Barcelona and was often tape recorded myself and found that a
useful activit - and a way to increase confidence in using the target
language.
 
Miriam
 


________________________________

From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of
Heehee0617 at aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2006 10:12 AM
To: englishlanguage at nifl.gov
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 710] Question about tape-recorded assessments
Importance: Low


Has anyone ever tape-recorded student presentations or dialogues and
then used them so that the students could assess themselves?  I am
hesitant in doing this out of concern over the student feeling that the
sole purpose would be to mock him.  Any suggestions or comments on this
sort of assessment and my and hesitations?
 
Thank you.
 
Alison Cochrane
ESL Instructor
New York, NY
 
Knowledge is the seed that exists in all of us.
It is up to us to cultivate that seed.
There is no such thing as a stupid seed.
Just as there is no such thing as a stupid person.
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