A Study On Formative Assessment Of English Learning For Migrant Teenagers At Suzhou No.12 Middle School

The students of Suzhou No.12 Middle School during 2005-2008 are mainly from the families of migrant population in Suzhou, accounting for 75%. These students, whose working parents move so often from one city to another for their jobs, have experienced much irregular teaching at school and thus their English foundation is very unsatisfactory. The two experimental classes, Class 1 and Class 6 had only got the average points of 16.3 and 13.36 in the English Entrance Examination. Under the actual circumstances of our school, summative assessment, which does not show every aspect of the students' learning, may simply destroy their enthusiasm, motivation and interests in English learning. Understandably, the New Curriculum Standards lays special emphasis on entire course assessment, which is also called formative assessment. According to the new standards, assessment is an important part of the English program and it should be concerned about students' comprehensive language ability as well as the learning process. So, how to promote the teenage students' English learning by formative assessment should be a focus for study, but up till now, empirical research in this area is rare, which generates the author's attempt to study this issue.The present research is composed of two parts:1. Since our school is in the forefront research of the migrant teenagers, the research question is how teachers should guide the students to learn English effectively by using formative assessment? And how can we implement assessment better?2. In the last semester before their graduation, the researcher makes a further attempt to combine performance assessment with students' English learning and learning strategies more closely, such as trying parents- students - teachers' cooperation assessment.The results of the present empirical study show that: during the past year, the performance assessment has achieved positive effect in some aspects. In the first phase of the study, the daily log sheet aroused the students' interest in learning better, and helped them develop good study habits. The second phase of the study attempts to conduct performance assessment and English study more closely, such as trying cooperative assessment and training word learning strategies through assessment, so as to promote English learning.The study provides the implication that teachers, to make students effectively involved in assessment, should develop their habit of assessment as early as possible, offering them careful assistance, stimulating their learning interest, creating a learning environment including both in and outside classroom, even winning the greatest support from the parents, and moreover, teachers' persistence in real teaching practice.