THE PRACTICE OF EVALUATING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN HIGH SCHOOLS IN SERBIA

Abstract

Foreign/second language testing is a complex process that includes not only monitoring and evaluating students’ achievements but also assessing the effectiveness and adequacy of the applied teaching methods and techniques, i.e., the feasibility and accomplishment of teaching goals. To assess the practice of evaluating English as the dominant foreign language in Serbian high schools, we conducted qualitative research on a convenience sample of ten teachers. The research included three key aspects: 1) the approaches to testing and attitudes regarding testing; 2) the elements of language systems and skills that are included in testing; and 3) the manners of obtaining tests, evaluating the quality of tests and the necessity and/or the existence of opportunities for further continuous improvement in this area. To that end, we conducted a structured interview, in which the participants answered 33 open-type questions. The results demonstrated that the Serbian high school students are being regularly and systematically tested; however, the focus is predominantly on grammar and vocabulary, while other language skills are largely disregarded; furthermore, the professional language is marginalized, while numerous key aspects regarding testing are based on teachers’ subjective assessment and experience. These findings call into question the quality of pedagogical work of both novice and more experienced teachers. Consequently, we formulated three key recommendations aimed at improving not only the process and quality of testing but also the quality of second language teaching in general.