This article is submitted by Sara Vali and Parnaz Kianiparsa, lecturers at Payame Noor University, Iran (Damavand Center).

Abstract

As everyone knows, assessment becomes an indicative tool for analyzing the success of the teaching methods. Additionally, it helps students to recognize that they are making progress in foreign language development, which can motivate them to identify their own strengths and weaknesses, and encourage autonomy and independent learning skills. However, a teacher’s role is one of the significant elements in teaching process. Nowadays, a variety of alternative assessments have become popular. It has been suggested that unlike traditional assessment methods, alternative assessment techniques promote a trustful atmosphere so that students that are influenced by evaluation become engaged in its process. They are provoked to communicate freely and are more able to involve in self-criticism and rethinking. Students’ involvement in their own evaluation assists them in reaching maturity and responsibility in succeeding in language learning.
This paper aims to have a short review on the so-called “movement of alternative assessment” (Alderson & Banerjee, 2001) that has recently used in the field of language testing and assessment. In other words, this study tries to introduce new methods of assessment in the second or foreign language acquisition.

Introduction

These days, there has been an increasing interest in the use of assessment procedures that are completely different from conventional methods of assessment. More reliable forms of assessment, such as portfolios, interviews, journals, project works, and self- or peer- assessment have become more and more common in the second and foreign language classrooms.

These alternative forms of testing or assessment are more student-centered as they involve students in their learning, so that they can control their own language learning. Furthermore, these kinds of assessment–called alternative assessment–can help teachers to get enough information for developing their instructional plans and practices. Table below can indicate the obvious differences which exist between the traditional and alternative forms of assessment (Richards & Renandya, 2002). (more…)