Specialization

Training Manual

TEACHING
BUSINESS
ENGLISH

Module 5

TESOL CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

© 2017 International TEFL Training Institute
 Evaluation in ESP

Any language-teaching course has certain evaluation requirements, but in English for
Specific Purposes, these requirements are emphasized because the ESP course has specified
objectives. ESP learners and sponsors are investors in the program, and they want a return on
their investment of time and money. The teacher is accountable to ensure that the course is a
cost benefit to the company. This creates a demand for evaluation procedures.

Evaluation should fulfill two functions, assessment and feedback. Assessment is a

matter of measuring what the learners already know. But any assessment should also provide
positive feedback to inform teachers and learners about what is still not known, thus providing
important input to the content and methods of future work.

There are two kinds of evaluation: learner assessment and course evaluation.

Learner Assessment: to assess student’s performance at strategic points in the course.

ESP is concerned with the ability to perform particular communicative tasks; therefore, the
focus on proficiency makes assessment central to ESP.

Course Evaluation: helps to establish whether the ESP course is meeting the specific
objectives that have been designed. It should be an ongoing process of revising the course and
making the adequate changes. Course evaluation plays a crucial role in both corporate and
educational setting in that it shows the parties involved in the ESP program that their views
have been considered.

There are four main aspects to consider in building evaluation: what should be
evaluated; how can the results be measured; who should be involved in the evaluation; when
and how often should evaluation take place?

Specifically in ESP, there are three main tools for assessment:

1. Placement Tests: to place learners in the ESP course most suited to their needs. The aim of
the placement test is to determine the learners’ state of knowledge before the ESP course
begins.

2. Achievement Tests: these test how well the learner is keeping up with the syllabus and can
be administered any time throughout the course. The achievement test should reflect the
nature and content of the course itself.

© 2017 International TEFL Training Institute

3. Proficiency Tests: These assess whether or not the student can cope with the demands of a
particular situation. The aim of the proficiency test is to assess whether the candidates will be
able to perform the language tasks required of them.

Both learner assessment and course evaluation should be an ongoing part of the ESP
program. The focus should always be on the learner, identifying their needs in order to develop
appropriate communicative activities and/or tasks. Base the evaluations and/or tests you carry
out on specific tasks and make an informal assessment part of every lesson.

Assignment 7: Evaluation

Develop an ongoing evaluation system and/or test focusing on the four

language acquisition skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing), grammar,
vocabulary and pronunciation.

Please note that you can include any supplementary material in the evaluation
especially when you are dealing with the listening and pronunciation part of your
progressive evaluation.

© 2017 International TEFL Training Institute