[Bestplus] RE: [Best plus] Language Complexity vs. Grammar

[Brown, Teresa]

Hi all,

I agree with Iris.  In addition to the prepositional phrase and the modal, the student has used an infinitive correctly, so I think the balance of the sentence is well constructed.

This is another good example, though, of where the training manual doesn't have enough examples in the transcripts for the complexity shown in the answers of our low-level students.  I would like to see more examples of answers rated 3-2-2, particularly when they're not well formed sentences, but go beyond strings of phrases.


Teresa Brown
ESOL Coordinator
Community Learning Center
19 Brookline Street, Cambridge, MA  02139

-----Original Message-----
From: bestplus-bounces at lists.literacytent.org [mailto:bestplus-bounces at lists.literacytent.org]On Behalf Of iris.broudy at SDH.state.ma.us
Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2004 3:46 PM
To: JaneS at doe.mass.edu; koconnor at framingham.k12.ma.us; bestplus at lists.literacytent.org
Subject: RE: [Bestplus] RE: [Best plus] Language Complexity vs. Grammar

Hi all,
My two cents' worth:  I would give a response like this a 2 in Language
Complexity.  Though it's not perfectly formed, I think it's reasonably
well-formed. There's the prepositional phrase, use of a modal verb, and a
good attempt to use a "because" clause.  Also, it provides some detail that
is beyond basic (the rubric says that a 1 would have NO ELABORATION).  I
don't think it could be a 3 because a 3 needs more than one attempt at
subordination, strings of several sentences, and considerable elaboration.

Unlike the original BEST, this test does not require perfect grammar.
However, if incorrect grammar gets in the way of understanding, that--as
Jane said--can be taken into account in the Communication score.  I agree
that I might give this response a 2 in Communication because of the need to
fill in meaning ("in" for "through," and "because" instead of "for").
However, lack of the third person "s", to me, would not impede
communication. 

Other thoughts?

Iris Broudy

Hampden County Sheriff's Department
627 Randall Road
Ludlow,  MA   01056
413-547-8000  ext. 2468
Fax:  413-583-3099


-----Original Message-----
From: Schwerdtfeger, Jane [mailto:JaneS at doe.mass.edu]
Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2004 2:48 PM
To: 'Kevin O'Connor'; bestplus at lists.literacytent.org
Subject: [Bestplus] RE: [Best plus] Language Complexity vs. Grammar


Hi, Kevin--
This seems more like a "1" score to me in language complexity, for the
reasons you give.  But I also think whatever score it gets in language
complexity, the score for communication is also affected by grammar in an
example like this.  The grammar makes it harder to follow, and you would
have to do some filling in to understand the response.  So whatever score it
gets in LC would be tempered by the communication score.  I'd give it a 1 in
LC and a 2 in Communication.

What do others think?

Jane


-----Original Message-----
From: Kevin O'Connor [mailto:koconnor at framingham.k12.ma.us]
Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2004 12:29 PM
To: bestplus at lists.literacytent.org
Subject: [Bestplus] Language Complexity vs. Grammar


Hi All,

        I am wondering about something: testers who have worked with tests
that reflect a grammar-structured curriculum often wonder where grammar fits
in with the BEST Plus.  Of course, Language Complexity would be the most
likely area; it is not all about grammar, but grammar is involved when we
look for subordination, etc.

But there was a specific follow-up question that I wanted to double-check.
Suppose a learner gives an answer that is perhaps something like "he buy
food in the supermarket  He like to go to supermarket THROUGH his car, FOR
he can carry all the food back home".

This answer is:

1)- made up of several sentences
2)- uses a prepositional phrase
3)- Attempts to use a subordinate clause ("For" instead of "because").

However, the phrase is badly worded- clearly it is an attempt to answer
using a preposition and a dependent clause (elements of a 3), but it is not
a "Well-formed sentence" (which scores a 2);

Should this be given a 1 or a 2?  Do we weight the ATTEMPTED but flawed
complexity of the sentences or do we look mostly at what is grammatically
sound in the answer?

I thought that it should be a 1, because they are not "Well-formed
sentences" but I promised to ask the List.

Any thoughts?

Kevin O'Connor
Assessment Specialist
Framingham Adult ESL
508-626-4282

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