Applying Formative Assessment to Help Non￣English Major Students Learn English

【Abstract】The aim of this paper is to explore the perception of college students using formative assessment to learn English in Yunnan Agricultural (YAU) through case study. The research result shows that formative assessment improves students’ independent learning skills, it can strengthen students’ autonomous learning and cooperation learning, also the students have assessment ability on other students’ English learning, and the reliability of students’ assessment ability will more and higher after some practical training. As Colorado (2007) says that “Ongoing assessments are particularly important for English language learners (ELLs), based on student’s perception about applying formative assessment to learn English is also an ongoing research”.

【Key words】Formative assessment English perception case study

【中图分类号】H319 【文献标识码】A 【文章编号】2095-3089（2012）05-0017-02

Introduction

In the 21st century, the goal started to gradually shift to develop students’ comprehensive abilities in English, especially listening, speaking and writing abilities to ensure their valuable communications in future. Good spoken and written English can improve college students to reflect on their learning and communicate better. The chosen issue relates to our situation as English teachers for non￣English major students in YAU. Traditional styles of teaching English has decreased students’ interest and hindered their improvement in English for a long time in China. Self￣reflective learning and cooperation of learning process in group work activities may help the students spread their own thinking and knowledge from their reflection and discussion, and these activities will promote their English learning skill, furthermore improve their autonomy and communication ability.

Critique of the Literature

The role that formative assessment in college English teaching and learning becomes more and more important (Sadler, 1989). Formative assessment is aimed at evaluating the students’ learning process, including the performance of their daily study, the achievements and the reflection of their emotion, manner, and strategies. It can encourage students’ learning, help the students to control their study process, let they obtain sense of achievement, enhance their self￣confidence, cultivate their cooperation. Formative assessment makes the students become active mutual participation instead of passive acceptance (Sadler, 1989). We fully agree with Nick (2010, p.64) says that “Good formative assessment is needed to enhance the student learning experience, provide useful and timely feedback, help students to understand and recognize quality, and lead to improved performance.” The study is going to research using formative assessment to improve students’ English learning ability. Formative assessment is fully integrated into the learning and teaching process and it can estimate students’ ability in detail. A formative assessment process emphasizes students’ self￣ and peer￣assessment. The teacher’s assessment only makes up a part of the assessment regime. This may show advantages of self￣ and peer￣assessment.