Abstract
This chapter focuses on the use of assessment for learning (AfL) in English language classrooms in all educational settings in China. The chapter starts with a brief introduction to AfL: the definition, principles, and theoretical underpinnings, drawing upon literature from both general education and English language teaching (ELT). The chapter then attempts to make sense of the assessment contexts in China by teasing out the issues at the macro-, meso-, and micro-levels. It then reviews the empirical evidence of AfL in China based on the themes that emerged: teacher conceptions of AfL, teacher AfL practice, and AfL and teacher assessment literacy. These research findings are discussed by problematizing AfL implementation in the Chinese ELT contexts. This chapter concludes with an agenda for future research and suggestions concerning how to better prepare teachers for AfL in both pre- and in-service teacher education programs.
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Acknowledgment
The authors of this chapter would like to acknowledge the financial support for this study in part by the National Social Science Foundation of China (grant #12CYY026).
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Liu, J., Xu, Y. (2017). Assessment for Learning in English Language Classrooms in China: Contexts, Problems, and Solutions. In: Reinders, H., Nunan, D., Zou, B. (eds) Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching. New Language Learning and Teaching Environments. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-60092-9_2
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