A Study Of Formative Evaluation In Current College English Learning

Program evaluation, as an indispensable element of language learning and teaching, influences the students'learning attitudes, learning interests and their learning motivations. The former outcomes oriented summative evaluation greatly hindered current students'centered learning which emphasizes the learning process. Formative evaluation, which provides the students with timely feedback with concrete information, was put on the agenda. Its importance in foreign language teaching and learning has been reassured and acknowledged.Based on the characteristics and its impact on English learning and aims of current college English teaching, the thesis explored formative evaluation and its impact on Chinese college students'English learning. The core of the study is to testify the positive impact of formative evaluation on students'English learning. The study was conducted among 60 sophomores in two classes, one experimental class and one control class, in Film and Media Academy in Chongqing Normal University in the first semester of 2009. By implementing formative evaluation among 60 sophomores in Film and Media Academy in Chongqing Normal University, the study intends to find that:1. Formative evaluation could greatly improve the college English level, especially their listening, speaking and witting.2. By self evaluation, peers evaluation, group evaluation and the teacher's evaluation, the students developed their autonomous and collaborative learning ability.And with SPSS 17.0, the results of the study were compared in 3 independent t-tests at the end of the study. The comparisons show that the English learning in the experimental class was greatly improved and by the success of their English learning, the students'English confidence was built and their English learning interests were enhanced. And the results also show that formative evaluation could greatly develop the students'autonomous and collaborative learning.