A Study Of Diagnostic Functions Of Formative Evaluation With Tests In English Teaching Of Senior Middle School

According to the actual situation of English education in the foundation phase of China, English Curriculum Standard divides the assessing system into the formative and terminal evaluation types, indicating that we should adopt a combination way of them to follow both results and processes of learning closely, so that the evaluations for studying processes and results achieve harmony and unification. During the English studying process, formative evaluation should be given priority. By using formative evaluation, teachers help students experience progress and success unceasingly during the English studying process to apply what they have learned, know themselves and build confidence to promote their integrated ability. At the same time teachers can get reflective information from their teaching to rethink and adjust properly their own teaching behaviors, which can promote teachers to improve their ability constantly. Since 2001, English curriculum reformation has already started, from the experimental phase into the completely implementing phase. Evaluation is one important part of English curriculum and is also one important guarantee to realize the New Curriculum Standard. But in China the traditional evaluation theory is still in highest flight, and the evaluation method is singular, which drastically reduces its significance. It also restricts the curriculum's reformation and development seriously and impairs the instructing effect for students'studying. Neglecting humanity, excessively emphasizing subjects'knowledge system on evaluation goal and taking test as the only evaluation form are the concrete expressions. That is, using too many exams in English teaching. It is not only bad for students'comprehensive development, also harmful for their physical and psychological development.There have been numerous studies about formative evaluation at home and abroad, but the studies focused on testing as formative evaluation are relatively few, because the traditional evaluation mode, i.e. tests, still takes the main part in many places. Although the New Curriculum Standard has been issued, and that some schools have already started to use some forms of formative evaluation, the most used form is still tests. In view of this situation, the author attempted to do a research on the diagnostic functions of formative evaluation with tests in English teaching of Senior Middle School.By looking up a lot of Chinese and foreign academic words, the author elaborated formative evaluation's definition and advantages, pointing out the functions of formative evaluation with tests and formative evaluation's applying value in English teaching of Senior Middle School. Based on the needs of the study, questionnaires and interview questions were designed. The author attempted to find out the degree to which of formative evaluation is applied in English teaching of Senior Middle School by collecting questionnaire data and interviewing records.From the data, the author found that although formative evaluation has been introduced for a long time, it is still inadequately applied in Senior English teaching. Teachers put emphasis on testing for checking students'studying results. The most often used evaluation form is still tests. The author found that even the most frequently used mode of formative evaluation tests still couldn't realize adequately evaluation's diagnostic functions. By investigating the most popularized evaluation form, tests, in Senior English teaching at present, the author hoped to take this article to arouse all teachers'consensus and try hard to seek the best combination point of formative evaluation and terminal evaluation to optimize teaching process and raise evaluation's two-direction adjusting function, that is, improving teaching methods for teacher and improving studying methods for students. Make teaching evaluation realize information feedback's function in deed. Stimulate students'studying interest and autonomous learning ability's development. Strengthen studying enthusiasm and confidence and become the propeller of new curriculum reformation. Finally, make realistic classroom teaching get rid of test-oriented education's limitation. At the end, the author gave his personal opinions and ideas about the study.