DefinePK

Abstract

Assessment in Second Language (SL) teaching is of vital importance in the broader praxis of applied linguistics. Even within the framework of assessment in SL teaching, the assessment of testing practices for essay writing is particularly significant as it not only indicates/measures the overall efficacy of the undergraduate programme, but also holds the promise of engaging teachers as well as students in a critical and self-reflective dialogue. The study was conducted to investigate how teachers have been assessing essay writing of the learners at the undergraduate level in two of the well-known universities of Pakistan. For this purpose, a semi-structured questionnaire was constructed keeping in mind the theoretical framework provided for assessment in the Common European Framework of Reference (2001). The questionnaire was pilot-tested and then administered to 134 teachers in eight cities of Pakistan. The data demonstrated that there were many lacunas in the testing practices of the teachers, and they did not have any agreed-upon criterion to evaluate the learners' communicative competence in essay writing. The study offers recommendations to ameliorate this state of affairs and make the essay-writing assessment practices more meaningful and relevant.