Evaluation in ESP

EVALUATION
Presented by:
Asif Ali Raza
asifalirazzza@yahoo.com
+92-300-4-62-62-34

TIMELINE
Evaluation
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.
A..Learner Assessment 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
A..Learner Assessment 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.
A..Learner Assessment 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.
A..Learner Assessment 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.
A..Learner Assessment 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?”
B..Course Evaluation 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)
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.
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.
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.
When and how often should evaluation take place?

Evaluation in ESP

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