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Date Posted: 15:31:40 05/02/07 Wed
Author: Fernanda Dias
Subject: Task Two by Fernanda Dias

The Continuous Assessment as the best option for evaluating ESL learners

Teaching English as second language has always demanded evaluation techniques which would assess students general and specific performance in their learning. Those techniques can be divided in two main groups: the formal and the informal means of evaluation. Both formal and informal (continuous assessment) evaluation approaches have advantages and disadvantages when put into practice; however, the informal one can be considered more reliable and effective. (for it produces more positive effects over students, less pressure, motivate them)

The continuous assessment (or also known as “informal method”) is an evaluation of learners’ language skills through their performance in and outside classroom. As there is no formal exams on pre-determined dates, students are continuously analyzed by the teacher in their daily activities, what gets the most of their spontaneity when speaking the second language. On the other hand, in formal assessing means, as students are already aware of the date they will be tested up, they may get prepared for the exams, what make those tests lose reliability, for the real picture of students’ language skills progress will be completely interfered by their temporal memorization of the content that will be in the exams (“temporal” because they tend to forget 75% of studied content up to 2 days after the test).

In terms of effectiveness, the continuous assessment also has more advantages then the formal methods. Since there is no formal exam, students are not influenced by the pressure of it and are much more likely to express themselves in the second language more freely. Besides, as the teacher has an active involvement with students without dominating them, they feel more motivated to speak spontaneously, revealing their real language acquiring progress. Formal exams on the contrary, make students get anxious or nervous about them, what interferes a lot in their final result. In addition, formal means of evaluating are much more likely to inhibit learners to naturally put their second language into practice.

As the continuous assessment depends on the teacher’s attention and view over students’ progress in classroom routine, the method may lose a little of credibility. In other words, as this evaluation is mostly based on teacher’s perception and interpretation of learners’ real attitudes and expressions in the language that is being taught, the teacher can fail if he pays more attention to one student then to the others or if affective aspects influence his evaluation. Similarly, the formal assessment method also has a disadvantage which makes it lose credibility: students are more likely to cheat.

In conclusion, both formal and informal assessment methods do have advantages and disadvantages. However, if we analyze them in terms of reliability and effectiveness, there is no doubt that the continuous assessment is better for evaluating learners’ real learning progress. Thus, if there is a need of getting students’ truth about their learning process, they should be observed and analyzed in regular routine of English classes, with no external interferences on their evaluation.

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