Research School Network: What really is the point of vocabulary tests in MFL? Testing is important, but do we need to lower the stakes?

My previous blog discussed how Quizlet is an effective platform to improve the longer-term retention and retrieval of vocabulary for Modern Foreign Language students. This time I would like to focus on how we then assess, monitor and further improve that retention of vocabulary in our classrooms.

Tests are an important way of enabling us to evaluate our students’ progress and preparing them effectively for the inevitable external tests that our system enforces on them, and therefore have a place in our classrooms. As an MFL teacher, starting each lesson with a vocabulary test is all I have ever known and, after all, research does say that frequent testing encourages students to study more regularly and has a positive impact on performance. So surely, I was getting it bob on.

Unfortunately not – I was doing it wrong for far too long! It is all about the high stakes vs. low stakes debate. My tests were always high stake; students had their vocabulary tests marked by a peer and they knew I would take in the scores in front of the class. Let me try to justify my actions. As outlined in my previous blog, our homework policy focuses purely on vocabulary learning through Quizlet. Therefore, my vocabulary tests were my way of assessing whether students had spent time at home learning and practising their vocabulary, and seemed the obvious way for me to reward or sanction pupils’ effort and engagement levels. However, I was my own worst enemy, as the anxiety caused by such high stakes tests were disheartening all those pupils who did not score highly and, consequently, fuelling the vicious circle of disengagement with foreign languages. On top of that, my tests had nothing to do with learning and improving and, surely, it should always be about learning. I have since switched to low stakes testing and am seeing huge benefits!

A reason for doing this was to change the mind-set of my students in relation to vocabulary learning. The vocabulary test at the beginning of the lesson was no longer a punishable assessment of whether or not they had done enough homework, but a learning exercise to strengthen their memory and see what they had successfully set to long-term memory. My students needed a better understanding of the learning and memorisation process, and presenting vocabulary tests as ​“retrieval quizzes” rather than ​“vocabulary tests” has helped to engage students in effective vocabulary learning.

Here is a brief outline of what my ​“vocabulary retrieval quizzes” look like:

– Ten terms of vocabulary that students have to translate into a mix of English and TL
– Two or three terms from previous topics (spaced and interleaved practice)
– Quizzes should take approx. 5 minutes to complete
– Students self-assess their quiz
– Marks are not shared with myself nor peers
– Feedback should involve discussion and questioning about related vocabulary/​synonyms
– Feedback should involve discussion of revision techniques

Providing immediate feedback after the low stakes retrieval quiz has allowed for differentiated questioning, opportunities for pronunciation practice and discussion of successful learning techniques, which turns the ​“test” into a learning activity. In addition, according to research conducted by Roediger, Putman and Smith (2011), frequent (but effective!) testing ​“causes students to learn more from the next learning episode” and my experience supports this. My students have felt more positive and engaged after the low stakes retrieval quizzes and have therefore engaged better with the rest of the lesson. When the rest of the lesson further consolidates and builds on using that vocabulary in context, this is a very strong teaching tool.

So overall, I have seen a positive change in my classroom with happier students who view the vocabulary test as just another learning exercise and are more willing to learn from their mistakes. However, I cannot lie and say this has been the case for all students and I still need to work on getting all students on board. Reading a blog by Craig Barton (Mr Barton Maths) lead me to an interesting article called ​‘The Critical Importance of Retrieval for Learning’ (Karpicke et al., 2008). Now, I have always appreciated the importance of actively practising vocabulary but many of my students do not, which is an issue. The study conducted by Karpicke et al. (2008) also suggests that students need to be convinced of the power of practising recall. With the high vocabulary demands of the GCSE, I agree with Craig Barton that promoting low stakes quizzing in the classroom is a good way of encouraging students to revise in effective ways that improve their retention of vocabulary. They have to understand what the purpose of these ​“vocabulary retrieval quizzes” are, if they are to engage with them properly.

Although I now understand what the problems are and how they could be fixed, I am still finding it a challenge to motivate many students to self-quiz themselves at home. Although Quizlet has helped to engage more students and retrieval quizzes are more purposeful and motivational during the lesson, this has unfortunately not been a blanket effect. If any MFL teachers out there have any further suggestions for encouraging vocabulary practice, or any general thoughts on what I have talked about, I would love for you to share your ideas.

The following are interesting for further reading:

Roediger, H.; Putnam, A.; Smith, M. (2011). Ten Benefits of Testing and their Applications to Educational Practice, Psychology of Learning and Motivation, (55)

Karpicke, J.; Roediger, H. (2008). The Critical Importance of Retrieval for Learning, Science, (319) 966 – 968