Types of Assessment in Language Teaching

This paper sets forth the different types of assessment in language teaching. It starts with clearing up concepts, “evaluation” and “test,” which are often used interchangeably with assessment in literature. The types of assessment are described as either formative or summative. Formative assessment contributes to the teaching and learning processes by providing guidance to the teacher about the effectiveness of his or her teaching strategies and to the student on how to bridge the gap between his current level of language and the desired one. Unlike the summative assessment, which has an air of finality, formative assessment is frequently carried out during the learning journey. Summative assessment, however, gauges the student’s final achievement. It is also revealed that the different functions summative and formative assessments serve do not mark an existing dichotomy between them. In contrast, they make them complete each other.