Abstract:

We address the dimensions of competence-based assessment in the learning of French as Foreign Language (FFL) within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) at tertiary level: assessment target, results and products, assessment criteria, self-, peer- and co-assessment, techniques and assessment tools, prospective feedback, centering on how to assess and self-assess the FL through an oral semi-structured interview, collaborative work rubrics, and communicative competence assessment rubrics.

The use and learning of a foreign language requires the development of all the competences listed in Council of Europe (2001, p.15). Hence, if the competences above are what a student of a foreign language brings into play, then they all must be evaluated.

For learning and competence development, two assessment techniques are recommended: the portfolio and the reflective journal.

The assessment practice now takes on new shapes: Self-assessment which implies motivated self-grading (Álvarez Méndez 2001, p. 4); peer assessment, shared between students; co-assessment, shared between teacher and students. It is necessary to expand the repertoire of assessment tools. Competence-based rubrics are the most didactic-oriented.
To issue the final grade of students in foreign language, and considering that works may be numerous, we recommend at least:

- The portfolio, which will allow us to identify both previous knowledge and the knowledge acquired during the actual learning process, and to appreciate authentic assessment tasks.
- A rubric developed to account for production, reception, mediation, and oral and written interaction skills. Students will make use of it to assess their communicative competence in the foreign language. This will be used to practice self-regulated and lifelong learning of the FL, and teachers will also use this to perform prospective feedback.
- Semi-structured oral or written interview to be held three times during the course, in which the students will expose the conditions and learning process, their potential, and their motivated self-assessment. We will detect previous knowledge and those acquired during the students process of learning, as well as their skills and attitudes. Concerning the conditions and the learning process, we will bear in mind all the issues related to their participation, task structure, motivation, interest, learning context, as well as their potential performance, cognitive autonomy of action, ability to follow the Degree, willingness to work, intelligence, excellence in the subject, and future possibilities.
- The reflective journal will also be analyzed in order to correct the knowledge obtained through interviews and the assessment rubric.
- Assessment rubric referred to collaborative work. Teachers and students will assess the learning to learn competence and the existential competence.

It is necessary to evaluate general competences, as well as to bear in mind that competences related to collaborative work are essential to achieve the competence for "learning to learn" (Fidalgo 2009). For this reason, and from the data presented by the cited author, we elaborate an assessment rubric into three levels (lower, basic and higher).

Keywords:

Assessment, competences, rubrics, FFL.