7. Playing a card game: Go Fish
Task details |
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| Name of oral assessment task | Playing a card game – Go Fish |
| EAL curriculum level range | A1, A2, BL, B1, B2, CL, C1, C2 |
| Text orientation | Persuasive |
| Task type | Interaction and negotiation |
Task specification |
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| Purpose | To assess students’ ability to play a simple card game with another student, negotiating turns etc. in English, and to explain how to play a card game. |
| Description | Students in pairs play a card game Go Fish, after learning the basics of the game in a group. The teacher supervises and observes the game. The students then teach the teacher how to play the game. |
| Assumed knowledge and description |
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Learning/teaching context |
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| Language centre/mainstream class | EAL support |
| Subject/key syllabus objectives, outcomes | English |
| Topic/teaching unit | Leisure |
| Assessment conditions |
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| Notes |
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Task implementation |
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| STAGE | ACTION STEPS |
| Pre-assessment activity |
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| Assessment activity |
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| Post-assessment activity |
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TEAL Oral Task 7- Unmarked criteria sheet [PDF]
TEAL Oral Task 7-Unmarked criteria sheet [Word]
An explanation of the purpose, nature and use of criteria sheets is available at 4. Using the assessment criteria.
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Sample 1
Biographical information
Student A (left of screen)
Year level: 3
Home language: Assyrian
Commentary
Both students explain the initial rules of the game, focusing on the need to look for pairs, and to use conventional polite language. They share the task of explaining but do not really cooperate, at times talking over each other rather than negotiating turns. They are both able to use quite complex structures to explain how to play, particularly as the game progresses. Only Student A provides enough language samples for an assessment.
Student A
Student A explains the basic aim of the game, using the conditional ‘if’, If you have two pairs of … a king or whatever, you put them down on the table.
She uses time adverbs in her explanation, First you have to look for two pairs, then you put it down on the table. At times her explanation becomes quite complicated, but she is able to repair or recast when she makes an error, Both of us … both of you, or when her explanation becomes confused, … now you have to ask both of us um, if you got one of … one that … like if you have three you ask one of us if we have three. … She focusses on the need to use conventional and polite phrases, You have to say ‘No, go fish’ now … and you have to say ‘Here you go’.
She speaks slowly but clearly, and the teacher gives her plenty of thinking time, and time to repair when necessary.
The marked criteria sheet shows that the student meets most of criteria at level 2 of performance.
The student’s language use in this task is consistent with the descriptions of students at Level B1, Victorian Curriculum F-10 EAL.
Sample 2
Biographical information
Student A (left of screen)
Year level: 3
Home language: Tagalog
Student B (right of screen)
Year level: 3
Home language: Dinka
Commentary
The students communicate quite interactively, and although they do talk over each other at times, they also cooperate in the explanation, taking over when the other seems stuck, or finishing each other’s sentences. They have a couple of disagreements about the rules but are able to resolve them.
Student A
Student A is able to manage the task, but at a somewhat earlier level than Student B. He takes part competently in the conversation, instructing and explaining as necessary, No take it this one, Yeah you can ask anyone, You have to give it, You know that like if someone lose everything, card they have that means they win
He misses some prepositions and mixes up some conjunctions, Firstly you give seven cards each of your … friends, Firstly if you have two seven put it at the table and ask someone ip … ip you have like … you have a three …
His pronunciation shows some errors, Gib for give, pish for fish, ip for if
The marked criteria sheet shows that the student meets some criteria at level 2 and some of criteria at level 3 of performance.
The student’s language use in this task is consistent with the descriptions of students at Level B2, Victorian Curriculum F-10 EAL.
TEAL Oral Task 7 – Criteria sheet – Sample 2 – Student A
Student B
Student B is able to explain the rules quite comprehensively and fluently, and can instruct the teacher when necessary: Then you look at your cards and ask you’re you’re … friend for … for… what you have, You have to make … ahh … more pairs than the person you’re playing, You have to ask the person what you have, You ask the person that’s next, Turn them around, You still ask someone if you have a joker.
He can explain the meaning of pairs when asked, moving beyond a simplistic definition such as ‘the same card’ – Pairs is like a match, like for a jack and a jack. He uses the word shot instead of ‘turn’, My shot because I got your queen.
The student’s pronunciation is clear, and the rhythm and intonation close to a first language speaker.
This task may not be challenging enough for the student to show the full extent of his English language abilities.
The marked criteria sheet shows that the student meets most criteria at level 3 of performance.
The student’s language use in this task is consistent with the descriptions of students at Level B2, Victorian Curriculum F-10 EAL.
Sample 3
Biographical information
Student A (left of screen)
Age: 14 years 7 months
Home language: Chinese
Commentary
The two students do not really cooperate in instructing the teacher on how to play the game, they tend to talk across each other but do take over when the other student gets stuck. On this task Student B does not say enough for an assessment.
Student A
Student A is keen to instruct the teacher, and starts of well with an explanation of how to deal the cards – First we give seven card to each other … like this. She is able to give further details of how the game is played, when questioned by the teacher – Find the pair pair of card, Just find two same letters.
She attempts a lengthy explanation of how points are scored but it becomes a bit confusing – If the first time I give it the card you have … ahh … two pairs or three pairs then have one point … if play the games in the games you got the new pairs you got one … if you got 2 pairs the four cards the same you can got two points.
She doesn’t use many time markers, except first, First find the same cards, You first ask us. Later on in the video she uses the word ‘continue’ after her partner uses it … and I continue.
She tends to leave out definite and indefinite articles, If you have pair show us, No this … this is king. At other times ‘the’ is used incorrectly – The colour of the black and white.
However when using well known incidental sentences and phrases, she is often quite correct – You get one point, One point for me, You can’t ask this question.
The marked criteria sheet shows that the student meets some criteria at level 2 and most criteria at level 3 of performance.
The student’s language use in this task is consistent with the descriptions of students at Level C2, Victorian Curriculum F-10 EAL.
Sample 4
Biographical information
Student A (left of screen)
Age: 14 years and 5 months
Home language: Persian and Dari
Student B (right of screen)
Age: 14 years 4 months
Home language: Burmese
Commentary
The students are sure about the rules and explain them more clearly and fluently than those in Sample 3. They use fewer polite conventional phrases and formulas, but are more varied in what they say. They understand the teacher’s comments and questions, responding very quickly to what she says – … I put it down or not? (both students simultaneously) No!; I take one? (both students simultaneously)Yeah
Student A
Student A explains the game in quite long and fluent turns – No it’s only for two people but you can really play, Don’t (show?) your numbers to anyone, If you have two number the same or two cards the same … two pairs you can take them out, Then we’ll ask if you have any number for example three. If you have number three then you have to give that to me if you don’t have you can say go fish’. She uses the word continue in her instructions, Continue asking
The marked criteria sheet shows that the student meets most criteria at level 4 of performance.
The student’s language use in this task is consistent with the descriptions of students at Level C2, Victorian Curriculum F-10 EAL.
TEAL Oral Task 7 – Criteria sheet – Sample 4 – Student A
Student B
Student B has fewer long turns, but is fully engaged in the task, and listens carefully to what her partner and the teacher say.
At one point, when explaining, she says – Same number and same ‘thing’. When the teacher is confused she finds it difficult to elaborate, showing her cards to the teacher to help her explain.
Her instructions are clear – First you ask me … your number and if I have I will give you.
She makes incidental statements as the game progresses, Just leave it, And you have one point, Give me … I have two points.
She uses if to signal a hypothetical situation – If I have Joker I have 5 points so now I have seven point. She mispronounces Joker as ‘shoker’ and is corrected by student A.
The marked criteria sheet shows that the student meets most criteria at level 3 of performance.
The student’s language use in this task is consistent with the descriptions of students at Level C2, Victorian Curriculum F-10 EAL.
Sample 5
Biographical information
Student A (left of screen)
Age: 14 years and 1 month
Home language: Cambodian
Commentary
Student A
Only Student A provides enough language samples for an assessment.
Student A is very eager to explain the game, commencing with – We go like this (shuffle) … We take seven cards for each person.
When the teacher asks to play too she is able to explain how the game can work with three people – Then maybe like we can like she ask me then I can ask her … we can go around like that
She attempts to explain the rules before they commence playing, using quite long and comprehensible turns, but not always clearly — If like have pair like, like pair …then we can put it down. And if I have pair, and she doesn’t have, um I go first, because have like … or you can rock-paper-scissors. If she doesn’t have like she say go fish.
She often uses ‘like’ as a filler. She understands the teacher’s questions and provides comprehensible answers, sometimes ‘talking herself’ into a clearer explanation – T: Can it be the same colour or the same number? S: … it can be … it only the same number.
She and the teacher engage in a relaxed conversational manner, exchanging short phrases as they sort out the rules and instructions. She makes sure the teacher can see her cards as she plays, continuing her detailed explanation of the rules and the scoring system.
The marked criteria sheet shows that the student meets most criteria at level 4 of performance.
The student’s language use in this task is consistent with the descriptions of students at Level C2, Victorian Curriculum F-10 EAL.
Using this assessment to improve learning
The task provides an opportunity for students to write a procedural text. They can write up a procedure for playing the game, or write the rules of the game on a chart. Students at earlier stages can be given sentence starters to assist them.
After writing the procedure students can then teach the game to other students using their text to see if they have written down all they need to say.
Older and more proficient students can view their videos of explaining the game to the teacher and discuss how they could have made the rules and explanation clearer.
Students can explain to another student how to play a different game, such as one they learned at school in their home country.
