Walk and Talk - An Alternative Extensive Reading Assessment Technique

With the ever-growing popularity of extensive reading as a major component of second language learning among students of all ages, teachers face the challenge of assessing their students reading. Since many advocate not assessing the students in the more traditional sense as with a book report, a common assessment strategy employed is for the teacher to interview students one-on-one in the back of the room, asking the student about the books he or she has read. Sitting one-on-one and face-to-face can be enjoyable for some students, but uncomfortable and nerve-wracking for others. By using the innovative interview technique Walk and Talk, a teacher can make students more comfortable by lowering their affective filters during the interviews, thus, helping students better demonstrate their understanding of the extensive reading books they have read.