Formative Assessment and College English Teaching and Testing

Formative assessment provides feedbacks to teachers and students throughout the course of study about student work and understandings. The Information gleaned from the assessment is used to adapt teaching and learning to meet student needs and enhance student achievement. Successful formative assessments produce significant learning gains and help students become effective autonomous learners. Its current trend of development as well as its problems and shortcomings render college English teaching and testing particularly likely to gain from strengthening formative assessment. This paper, on the basis of a literature review of the concept, values and forms of formative assessment, tentatively discussed what inspiration college English teaching and testing may draw from formative assessment.