Young Learners' Self-Assessment : Understanding and Regulating the Development of Language Ability in EFL

Abstract

ABSTRACT: It is important that EFL elementary school teachers incorporate self-assessment for formative purposes as part of their regular assessment practices in their classrooms. It can provide both teachers and learners with valuable information about the extent to which the latter are achieving academic goals. Even young learners could benefit from well implemented self-assessment procedures in the English class. This qualitative case study intends to illuminate EFL elementary school teachers’ understanding about the possibilities and challenges in promoting self-assessment among young learners. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which third graders can understand and regulate the development of their language ability in the English class by engaging in self-assessment. The participants were eleven girls in third grade of elementary school. Data collection included participants’ self-rating scales and learning journals used to self-assess language ability in two different tasks, and an individual semi-structured interview with four of them. The results indicate that young learners’ understanding and regulation of their language ability was to some extent favored by the procedures and instruments used for self-assessment purposes in the English class. Although some aspects of third graders’ metacognition were still limited, such as strategic knowledge, self-knowledge and planning skills, the data analysis evidenced development of other metacognitive skills. For instance, participants developed knowledge of the cognitive tasks proposed during the study, monitoring and evaluating skills, and exhibited awareness of their cognitive abilities. This study supports the view that with appropriate use of strategies and instruments as well as regular exposure, guidance and training in self-assessment, elementary school learners can move towards a better understanding and regulation of the development of their language ability. Finally, further research about the relationship between young learners’ motivation towards EFL, as well as their language proficiency level and their ability to self-assess in the English class, is recommended.