Using Formative Performance Assessment to Foster the Development of Students' English Language Pragmatic Competence

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Language pragmatics deals with the production and interpretation of linguistic meaning in context. Pragmatic competence is concerned with the ability to organize and construct messages in order to perform different communicative functions. In English language teaching, in our local context, higher importance has however been attributed to the development and assessment of linguistic competences . As for pragmatic competence, evidence shows that it is not a clear component in English language programs and has thus been neglected in teachers’ assessment criteria; therefore, more opportunities to develop this competence are needed. This case study provides insight into an academic setting to observe the extent to which the implementation of formative performance assessment helped university professors to produce language for a communicative functional purpose, thus fostering the development of their pragmatic competence in English. Data analysis confirmed that the formative character of the assessment procedure allowed students to move their learning forward. The study yet reveals some challenges, demands and implications of carrying out this type of assessment in our local context. Practicality, for instance, becomes an important issue to achieve the dynamism and rigor that such procedure requires. Professional development in assessment and evaluation is thus essential if we are to explore different learning and assessment procedures that benefit the development of pragmatic competence. It is therefore advisable that policy makers, administrators and educational actors plan strategies to provide teachers and themselves space to develop a deeper understanding of these types of evaluation practices. This is paramount if we take into consideration that our current language policies at a local and global context require high competitive citizens with the ability to communicate in other languages.