The context of Second Language Evaluation

      In order to talk about Evaluation in the Second Language, it is necessary to define some important aspects of teaching and learning.  It is important to mention the notions of Instructional purposes, plans, practices and input factors. First of all  Instruction consists of three components: a) the Why, in which the purpose identify the objectives of instruction; b) the How, in which the plans describe the means of attaining those objective and c) the What, in which the practices are what actually take place in the classroom.  It is also necessary to mention other factors or “input factors”.

     Instructional Objectives describe the goals and aims that the teacher sets when teaching; they provide direction for planning appropriate instruction and criteria for assessing the outcomes of the teaching process.  Some types of objectives guide classroom instruction such as: a) Strategic objectives, in which Learning Strategies are conscious processes and techniques that facilitate the comprehension, acquisition and retention of new skills and concepts; b) Language Objectives, which refer to the language skills that learners are expected to acquire and develop in the classroom; c) Socioaffective which refers to the changes in learners’ attitudes and social behaviors resulting from the classroom instruction, d) Philosophical, which refer to the changes in attitudes, and values of a more general natural than those associated with the Socioaffective objectives.; and  e) Methods or process objectives which refer to opportunities or experiences that learners are expected to have in the course of instruction. 

On the other hand Instructional Plans specify what should be taught, and when and how it should be taught.  These instructional plans are necessary to achieve course objectives.  Some of the aspects that are considered in the instructional plans are: Content; b) Organization, c) Material and Equipment and d) Activities and roles.

     There are also Instructional Practices, which include strategies, activities, materials and tasks used by the teacher and students in the classroom. In here it is necessary to take into account some facts such as: a) that classroom practices are separate from plans due to the fact that what is planned not always occur in the classroom.  In other words, classroom practice may not proceed as planned because the students’ reactions cannot be the expected ones; b) when evaluating, it is important to take into account what happens in class rather than what is supposed to happen in order to have real and precise results; and c) It is necessary to compare instructional practices with instructional plans in order to know if things are going as planned in class and to know and decide what changes are needed.  On the other hand, it is also necessary to mention “Input factors” which are those that don’t belong to the classroom instruction itself but can have an important influence in Second Language Teaching and Learning.  Those factors cannot be change, so, it is necessary that instructional objectives, plans and practices should be compatible or alter what is necessary to reach a greater level of compatibility.