evaluation in esp

EVALUATION

Presented by:Asif Ali Raza

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TIMELINEEvaluation

Why Evaluation in ESP?

ESP is accountable teaching?

Levels of Evaluation?

Levels of Evaluation? Learner Assessment

Levels of Evaluation? Course Evaluation

Summary

Pauline Robinson, in his books, defines evaluation as the discovery of the value for some purposes.

Other clearer definition is proposed by Alderson and Murphy who write that evaluation is concerned with describing what is there and placing some value on what is found.

Evaluation

ESP has developed in response to certain pressures.

Developments in the theoretical bases of language teaching indicated a need to pay more attention to the individual learner.

The world of commerce and technology were producing host of people with specific language learning needs at that time.

A demand was generated as a result for courses which would equip particular learners with necessary skills to carry out particular tasks in English.

Why Evaluation in ESP?

Like any other language teaching course, ESP has requirements which are brought sharply into focus by the fact that ESP has specified objectives.

ESP learners and sponsors are investors in ESP course and they want to see a return on their investment of time or money.

The managers of the ESP course are accountable to these investors.

This accountability has produced a demand for more and better evaluation procedures.

ESP is accountable teaching?

These arguments refer to further two levels of Evaluation

A. Learner Assessment

B. Course Evaluation

Levels of Evaluation

In any language course, there is a need to assess students’ performance at any strategic point. i.e. at start or at end.

Learner Assessment has great importance in ESP because it deals with the ability to perform particular communicative tasks.

The result of this kind of evaluation enable sponsors, learners and teachers to decide wheter and how much tuition is required.

But there is a general lack of discussion or guidance on ESP testing?


A..Learner Assessment

Characteristicsc

The lack does not imply that there are no tests available in ESP. David and West (1984) list 14 examinations in Specific Purpose

English offered by British instituitions: The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the

Associated Examinations Board (AEB) and Pitman Examinations Institute offer examinations in Secretarial and Commercial English.

Cambridge offers English for Business and English for Science The City and Guilds of London Institute offers examinations in

Technical English. AEB also offers an examination in English for Academic

Purposes. The English Language Teaching Development Unit offers a

Scales of Attainment and Test Battery for Occupational English.



Are there Lacks??

• There is no shortage of available examinations in ESP.

• What is lacking is any sound theoretical and empirical basis for ESP testing

A. Placement Tests

B. Achievements Tests

C. Proficiency Tests



Types of Assessment

The aim of Placement Tests is to determine the learners’ state of knowledge before the ESP begins.

These are used to place the learners in the ESP course most suited to their needs.

If a learner is already proficient in the skills required, no further tuition is required.

The placement test is diagnostic indicating how far and in what ways the learner falls short of the proficiency level.

A good placement test should reveal positive factors. It should show not just what the learner lacks but also what potential for learning can be exploited in ESP course.



Types of Assessment

Placement Test

This kind of test is least problematic, since it is usually internal to the course.

It does not have to conform to external influences, but should rather reflect the nature and content of the course itself.

Principles to conduct achievement test: Test what you can reasonably assume the learners have

learnt. Test what actually to be tested. Avoid bias in the test.



Types of Assessment

Achievement Tests

Proficient test are designed to assess wheteher candidattes will be able to perform the language tasks required of them.

The candidates’ ability is assessed according to how far it matches certain criteria judged to be essential for proficiency in a particular task.

There is no pass/fail distinction but rather a scale of degree of proficiency in the task. (as British Council uses bands for ELTS)

These tests are criterion-referened.



Types of Assessment

Proficiency Tests

Evaluating ESP course helps to establish whether it is meeting its aims or not.

Course evaluation also plays a useful social role, by showing the various parties involved (teachers, learners, sponsors etc.) that their views are important.

There are four aspects of ESP course evaluation to be considered: What should be evaluated? How can ESP courses be evaluated? Who should be involved in the evaluataion? When (and how often) should evaluation take place?


B..Course Evaluation

Characteristicsc

Shortly, everything of significance should be evaluated.

Your ability to collect information.

Your ability to use information once it has been collected.

ESP course, in learning centered approach, is to meet two main needs: their needs as language learner and their needs as language user. So what should be evaluated is “is the course fulfilling the learners’ language learning and using needs?”



Aspects

What should be evaluated?

There are many ways in which ESP course can be evaluated ranging from stimulations to suggestion boxes. However, in practice, most ESP courses are evaluated using one or more of the following techniques: Test results Questionnaires Discussions Interviews Informal means (e.g. unsolicited comments, ‘casual’ chats

etc)



Aspects

How can ESP courses be evaluated?

The extent of involvement of any group will vary, but it is likely that the bodies most closely concerned will be the ESP teaching instituition, the ESP teachers, the learners and the course sponsors.

Former students can also provide useful information. It is important to get a representative cross-section of views and

to take them properly into account. With learners, it can be difficult to get feedback which is an

expression of their real views. They may be reluctant to criticize authority.

Orientation exercises can be used to get learners’ accustomed to expressing their views honestly and candidly, although it must be said that an open and trusting relationship between the teacher and the students is the best basis for promoting frank and useful feedback.



Aspects

Who should be involved in the evaluation?

There is an undoubted danger in doing course evaluation too frequently.

The dangers in not doing course evaluation often enough are equal, or greater.

If there is no proper channel or forum for these views, there is a risk of misuderstanding or at worst hostility.

It is difficult to prescribe how ofen course evaluation should be done.

All sensitive and responsive teaching will include this as a continuing feature anyway.



Aspects

When and how often should evaluation take place?

The most important times occur:

In the first week of the course. The tone established here will probably have a greatter overall effect on the success of the course that what occurs later.

At regular intervals throughout the course. At the end of the course. After the course (if possible). This is potentially the most

valuablem since the learners will be in a position to judge how well the course prepared them for the target situation they are now in.



Aspects

When and how often should evaluation take place?

THE END

evaluation in esp

Education