Introductory
Note to the Reader As someone concerned with helping novice
or neophyte English language teachers grow into confident professionals, I
continue to identify areas where we can create a truly transformative
professional development program—one that genuinely shapes communication-oriented
instructors capable of materializing Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in
their classrooms. This involves not only training teachers to design
communicative lessons but also scaffolding their growth as reflective
practitioners who can evaluate learning meaningfully and formatively. In this pursuit, Assessment Literacy
(AL) becomes an indispensable bridge between instruction and evaluation.
By understanding how to assess what truly matters—language use, interaction,
and meaning—teachers move beyond mechanical testing toward formative
practices that boost student engagement and communicative competence. I remain committed to following the Kirkpatrick
Model for training, as it provides a clear, evidence-based structure for
evaluating how teacher learning translates into classroom behavior and
student outcomes. Within this framework, assessment literacy represents the
next logical step: helping educators not only plan communicative lessons but
also measure, reflect upon, and continuously improve them through informed
evaluation. |
Assessment Literacy in ELT: Extending Communicative Teaching through Informed Evaluation
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Abstract This
paper explores Assessment Literacy (AL) as a vital extension of Communicative
Language Teaching (CLT) and an essential component in the professional
development of English language teachers. Building upon the principles of the
Kirkpatrick Model, the discussion emphasizes the importance of
aligning assessment with communicative outcomes and formative feedback.
Assessment literacy enables teachers to integrate evaluation into their
instructional design, ensuring that assessment fosters learning rather than
merely measuring it. Drawing from key scholars such as Stiggins (1995), Black
and Wiliam (1998), Nunan (2004), and Inbar-Lourie (2008), this paper argues
that AL is not a technical add-on but a professional competence that sustains
communicative pedagogy and promotes reflective practice. |
Keywords: Assessment Literacy, Communicative Language Teaching,
CLT, Formative Assessment, Professional Development, Kirkpatrick Model |
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Resumen Este
artículo explora la competencia evaluativa (Assessment Literacy, AL)
como una extensión esencial de la Enseñanza Comunicativa de la Lengua
(Communicative Language Teaching, CLT) y como un componente clave en el
desarrollo profesional de los docentes de inglés. Basándose en los principios
del Modelo de Kirkpatrick, se destaca la importancia de alinear la
evaluación con los resultados comunicativos y con la retroalimentación
formativa. La AL permite que los docentes integren la evaluación en el diseño
de la instrucción, de modo que esta fomente el aprendizaje en lugar de
limitarse a medirlo. Con base en autores como Stiggins (1995), Black y Wiliam
(1998), Nunan (2004) e Inbar-Lourie (2008), se argumenta que la AL no es una
habilidad técnica adicional, sino una competencia profesional que fortalece
la pedagogía comunicativa y promueve la reflexión docente. |
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Resumo Este
artigo examina a literacia avaliativa (Assessment Literacy, AL) como
uma extensão essencial do Ensino Comunicativo de Línguas (Communicative
Language Teaching, CLT) e como um componente fundamental do
desenvolvimento profissional dos professores de inglês. Com base nos
princípios do Modelo de Kirkpatrick, o texto enfatiza a importância de
alinhar a avaliação com os resultados comunicativos e com o feedback
formativo. A AL permite que os docentes integrem a avaliação ao design
instrucional, garantindo que ela promova a aprendizagem em vez de apenas
medi-la. Apoiado em autores como Stiggins (1995), Black e Wiliam (1998),
Nunan (2004) e Inbar-Lourie (2008), argumenta-se que a AL não é uma
habilidade técnica adicional, mas uma competência profissional que sustenta a
pedagogia comunicativa e fomenta a reflexão docente. |
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Introduction
In
recent years, assessment literacy (also known as AL) has become a central
concern in English language teaching (ELT), particularly as communicative
language teaching (CLT) helps reshape the ways we teachers design and evaluate student
learning and language mastery. To better comprehend Assessment Literacy, it
needs to be understood that this concept refers to teachers’ “ability to
understand, analyze, and apply assessment principles in ways that enhance
student learning” (Stiggins, 1995, p. 240) not from a summative standpoint but
from a formative one that boosts linguistic development among students. While
communicative lessons emphasize interaction, meaning, and real-world use of
language, they require forms of assessment that go beyond discrete-point
grammar tests. Developing assessment literacy ensures that teachers can design
evaluations aligned with communicative outcomes, bridging the gap between
pedagogy and evidence of learning.
Communicative
Teaching and Assessment Challenges
One of
the persistent challenges in CLT has been the usual misalignment between
instructional goals (linked to course outline outcomes and assessment tools
(tasks to provide students with feedback through formative assessment). Nunan
(2004) highlights that communicative tasks must be evaluated for both accuracy
and fluency, yet many teachers still rely on “traditional testing methods that
measure isolated forms rather than communicative competence” (p. 112). Without
assessment literacy, teachers risk undermining communicative pedagogy by
applying outdated forms of testing, emphasizing, e.g., whether B2 learners can
effectively use the third conditional without mixing tenses. AL provides conceptual
and practical tools for teachers to ensure that assessment reflects what is
taught, that scaffolds the learner throughout all the process and that they communicatively
practice the grammar, vocabulary, and communication strategies in the classroom.
Defining
Teacher Assessment Literacy
Assessment
literacy must not be simply considered as a technical skill but as a
professional competence nowadays. Inbar-Lourie (2008) has defined AL as “the
knowledge base, skills, and principles that enable teachers to integrate
assessment into classroom practice in a meaningful way” (p. 389). For ELT, this
includes designing performance-based tasks with a communicative aim in their
genesis, using rubrics for formative assessment to guide students on the areas they
need to strengthen, and providing meaningful feedback that promotes learner
autonomy. In this sense, assessment literacy is inseparable from pedagogical
content knowledge, as teachers must not only know how to teach communicatively
but also how to measure communicative growth among their language learners.
Formative
Assessment as a Pedagogical Tool
A key point of assessment literacy is the understanding and use of formative assessment. Black and Wiliam (1998) argue that “formative assessment is at the heart of effective teaching” because it informs instruction and guides learners (p. 140). Within ELT, formative strategies such as peer feedback, self-assessment checklists, and reflective journals allow teachers to capture language development in authentic ways. These tools reflect a shift from assessment of learning to assessment for learning, a distinction that is crucial in communicative classrooms, which will help language instructors abandon non-communicative practices that do not contribute to assist the development of “pragmatic” language mastery among students.
Feedback
and Learner Agency
Assessment
literacy also equips teachers to give timely and meaningful feedback to
learners that fosters their agency and responsibility for their own language
learning. According to Hattie and Timperley (2007), effective feedback must
answer three questions: Where am I going? How am I going? Where to next?
(p. 86). In communicative language teaching (CLT) contexts, this set of
questions means moving beyond error correction toward feedback that encourages
risk-taking, negotiation of meaning, and learner reflection. Teachers trained
in AL can provide feedback that not only addresses language accuracy but also
builds learners’ confidence in authentic communication. In the end, we language
teachers want to have a cohort of students willing to try out what they are
learning in new contexts where similar grammatical structures along with
communication strategies are used.
Washback
and Classroom Practices
The
concept of washback, the influence of assessment on teaching and learning, highlights
the importance of teacher assessment literacy. Bailey (1996) notes that “tests
and examinations often have powerful influences on both teachers and students,
shaping classroom activities and attitudes” (p. 259). These types of summative
assessments are not meant to replace communicative and formative tasks; this
summative evaluation is important but not central to CLT. Teachers who lack AL are
bound to succumb to negative washback by teaching to the written, grammar and
vocabulary-oriented tests, while those who are assessment literate can harness
positive washback to reinforce communicative pedagogy and communication
strategies in real life situations. For instance, task-based formative assessments
can drive instruction that is more interactive and learner-centered aiming at
helping students toy with the language, discover how it is used, and negotiate
meaning in conversation.
Professional
Development and Assessment Literacy
Professional
development programs (PDPs) must therefore integrate assessment literacy as a
core component of teacher training and teacher performance assessment. Scarino
(2013) argues that AL requires not only technical expertise but also a
“critical, reflective stance toward one’s own practices and assumptions” (p.
312); self-reflection or some kind of reflective journaling can give room to
better classroom practices and delivery. For ELT teachers, this reflective
dimension ensures that assessment is not a separate or punitive element, but a
pedagogical practice aligned with communicative principles aiming at helping
students develop the target language. Training teachers to design communicative
lessons using frameworks such as the Kirkpatrick Model should naturally extend
to equipping them with the skills to evaluate communicative outcomes, not only
in in-class, formative assessments but in course summative evaluations.
Conclusion
Assessment
literacy is the natural extension of communicative teaching. Without AL, we teachers
risk undermining communicative goals by defaulting to traditional testing
formats where form is more important than meaning and use. With AL, we language
instructors gain the capacity to design assessments that reflect authentic
language use, provide meaningful feedback, and create positive washback among
our learners. Ultimately, AL empowers us teachers to connect pedagogy and
assessment, ensuring that communicative classrooms are not only rich in
interaction but also rigorous in evaluation.
📚 References
Bailey, K. M. (1996). Working for washback: A
review of the washback concept in language testing. Language Testing, 13(3),
257–279. https://doi.org/10.1177/026553229601300303
Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment
and classroom learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy &
Practice, 5(1), 7–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969595980050102
Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The
power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81–112.
https://doi.org/10.3102/003465430298487
Inbar-Lourie, O. (2008). Constructing a
language assessment knowledge base: A focus on language assessment courses. Language
Testing, 25(3), 385–402. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532208090158
Nunan, D. (2004). Task-based language
teaching. Cambridge University Press.
Scarino, A. (2013). Language assessment
literacy as self-awareness: Understanding the role of interpretation in
assessment and in teacher learning. Language Testing, 30(3), 309–327.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532213480128
Stiggins, R. J. (1995). Assessment literacy for
the 21st century. Phi Delta Kappan, 77(3), 238–245.
Reflection and Discussion
Questions for Teachers
1. In
your current practice, how do you ensure that your assessments align with the
communicative goals of your lessons?
2. Have
you experienced negative washback (tests shaping your teaching in
unhelpful ways)? If so, how could assessment literacy help you counteract it?
3. Which
formative assessment strategies (e.g., peer feedback, self-assessment, learning
journals) have you found most effective in your classrooms? Why?
4. How do
you balance accuracy-focused assessment (grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation)
with assessments of fluency and communicative competence?
5. Reflect
on the feedback you typically provide to learners: does it answer the three
guiding questions Hattie & Timperley (2007) suggest (Where am I going?
How am I going? Where to next?)?
6. In what ways could you further develop your own assessment literacy through professional development, collaboration, or self-study?
Assessment Literacy Activity [handout]
Assessment Literacy Workshop Handout by Jonathan Acuña
Assessment Literacy in ELT - Extending Communicative Teaching Through Informed Evaluation by Jonathan Acuña