Verbs of motion -- Games

Inna Tigountsova itigount at DU.EDU
Wed Feb 20 22:08:19 UTC 2008


Dear colleagues,

I was wondering if there are any on-line games, or 'gaming' software, or anything similar to that for students to practice verbs of motion. Many thanks!


Inna Tigountsova, PhD
Senior Lecturer
Dept. of Languages and Literatures
University of Denver
----- Original Message -----
From: Richard Robin <rrobin at GWU.EDU>
Date: Tuesday, February 19, 2008 4:26 pm
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Online tests and outcomes assessments in Russian (and Slavic)
To: SEELANGS at BAMA.UA.EDU


> PLACEMENT. At the George Washington University, we place about 30 students
>  each summer into courses. We have a two-stage procedure.
>  
>  Stage 1. Our university's placement page directs the student to 
> contact us
>  by e-mail. We then arrange for a phone OPI with each student. In 
> about half
>  the cases, just from a 5-minute OPI, we say "first year," and that's 
> that.
>  (it's usually when they answer Хорошо, спасибо to the question Как ваша
>  фамилия?)
>  
>  Stage 2. For the remainder who might place into something other than
>  first-year, first day, we send them to our online Quia-based test: 60
>  multiple choice items. We tell them up front that the test is for placement
>  purposes only (not waivers). So if they decide to have their friend Kirill
>  take the test for them, or if they do the test open-book, they'll 
> just place
>  themselves into a class which they will promptly fail. So far after three
>  years of testing, everyone has been reasonably honest - perhaps 
> because of
>  the initial OPI.
>  
>  About half of the 15 or so remaining students are heritage speakers. 
> Of
>  those seven we need the online test only for 3-4 because the other heritage
>  spweakers say readily that they can't read or write. The online test 
> just
>  shows us whether they are grammatically/lexically aware. Those who 
> are are
>  advised to take lit in Russian (or in some cases the second half of Russian
>  for Russians).
>  
>  That leaves about 6-8 "Americans." The online test always allows us 
> to place
>  borderline students. We usually follow up the online test with an 
> e-mail or
>  a phone call to advise the student of our recommendation.
>  
>  OUTCOMES. We're maniacal about this, at least in terms of oral
>  proficiency All students in Russian language courses at GW are mini-OPI'd
>  about every 10-12 class days in the first four semesters of Russian. 
> There
>  is a "real" (albeit not official) OPI at the end of every semester up
>  through graduation after 4th year. Certain benchmarks are required at 
> the
>  end of each semester after semester no. 3. Students who want to take 
> Russian
>  but who just can't meet the oral proficiency benchmarks can continue 
> to take
>  the language - in the reading track (the reading equivalent of 3d 
> year is
>  Readings in the Russian Press). But even there, students must satisfy
>  reading proficiency requirements (~ ACTFL Advanced).
>  
>  We audio record every end-of-semester test and enter every score into 
> a
>  database. I should add, however, no GW testers are currently certified,
>  although all of us are ACTFL trained.
>  
>  We also follow up on every student we can to see if they continue to 
> use
>  Russian professionally.
>  
>  -Rich Robin
>  
>  
>  
>  
>  On Feb 19, 2008 4:36 PM, Svetlana Grenier <greniers at georgetown.edu> wrote:
>  
>  > Dear Colleagues,
>  >
>  > Some departments at my institution (Georgetown) have switched to online
>  > placement tests in their (commonly taught) languages.  I was wondering
>  > if any of your schools have used such tests for Russia and if so, what
>  > your experience with them has been.
>  > And, of course, "outcomes assessment" is all the rage these days.  
> Do
>  > you use any kind of exit exams or portfolios in your Russian programs?
>  > Many thanks in advance!
>  >
>  > Svetlana
>  > --
>  >
>  > Svetlana S. Grenier
>  >
>  > Associate Professor
>  > Department of Slavic Languages
>  > Box 571050
>  > Georgetown University
>  > Washington, DC 20057-1050
>  > 202-687-6108
>  > greniers at georgetown.edu
>  >
>  > -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  >  Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
>  >  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface 
> at:
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>  > -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  >
>  
>  
>  
>  -- 
>  Richard M. Robin, Ph.D.
>  Director Russian Language Program
>  Technical Advisor, GW Language Сenter
>  The George Washington University
>  Washington, DC 20008
>  202-994-7081
>  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>  Russkiy tekst v UTF-8
>  

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