FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT AS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF SUCCESSFUL LANGUAGE TEACHING

Abstract

The article deals with teachers‘ use of language assessment to guide students‘ language proficiency development and academic achievement, the positive benefits of formative assessment for guiding teaching and learning and its characteristics. It is specially noted that language assessment is a purposeful activity that gathers information about students‘ language development. Assessment can be intended to improve teaching and learning or to evaluate the outcomes of teaching and learning. Special attention is given to formative assessment that is described as assessment for learning, in contrast to assessment of learning, i.e. summative assessment. The article focuses on the analysis of formative assessment and its procedures in English classes such as questioning, quizzes, discussions, interviews, role plays, observations, teacher-made tests, checklists, self-reports, journals, projects. Various types of formative assessment, namely self-assessment, peer assessment and alternative assessment are highlighted in the paper. The characteristics of teacher-based assessment that distinguish it from other forms of assessment are described. Teachers assess their students’ learning to determine the effectiveness of their teaching. It should be emphasized that the quality of formative assessment depends on its beneficial uses and value for teaching and learning and teachers‘ judgments and classroom uses of assessments have profound effects on the lives and opportunities of students.