American Pi (π), Self-Assessment for Second-Language Learners (of English)

1. where and how students learned English
2. what they think they know about aspects of the language
3. what they think they ought to know

The initial assessment is a simple circle divided into quarters representing the four modes of communication in English, with a smaller circle at the center (see Figure 1). Each of the four "slices" represents what the students currently know (in each of the four modes). Next, students are asked to divide each "slice" to show where (either at home or in school) they are doing the learning in that mode. Next, students are asked to name activities and strategies they use in formal classroom situations and informal or social situations to learn reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Finally, once the class has constructed a list of possible activities, each individual student writes the activities they typically use onto their own assessment.

Essentially, these are the steps we follow in class:

1. The teacher draws a circle on the board and then draws another circle inside that one.

2. The teacher divides the outer "donut" into four "slices" and names them "Reading," "Writing," "Speaking," and "Listening."

3. The students make their own version of the diagram.

4. The students think about the reading, for example, they do at home and at school and make another "cut" in "Reading" to show proportionally how much reading they do at school and how much outside of school. They make the same proportional cuts in "Writing," "Speaking," and "Listening."

5. Students then, as a group, name as many activities as they can think of where they learn English, and the teacher writes all the activities on the board. Students are very creative and thorough in their lists of activities generated together for reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

6. The students then turn back to their own assessments and write the activities they typically use.

Once completed, the initial pie provides a picture of how and where the students learned English as well as a perspective of their abilities. A discussion may occur at this point regarding the effectiveness of the activities described in each section. Alternate activities in their new environment may also be discussed.

The other two pies consist of unmarked circles with a list of terms describing aspects of language use (see Figure 2). Students are asked to divide the first pie based on what they know about each aspect; the larger the piece the more they know. The second pie is identical, and requires students to interpret what they think they ought to know to meet their goal. Again, the larger the piece, the more important the aspect.

Perhaps a narrative of what might happen in class can explain how this self-assessment might work.