A Study On Using Dynamic Assessment In English Writing Instruction At A Senior High School

It is stated in the new English curriculum standards in senior high school "Writing is the communicative ability to write and convey messages. It is one of the aims of the English teaching to foster students’writing ability." In2003, national ministry of education requires that the proportion of writing in the entrance examination should be increased. That is to say, senior high school students should take measures to improve their writing ability.The purpose of this paper is to integrate the dynamic assessment (henceforth DA) into the writing instruction in order to enhance the Ss’ writing level. The most important feature of DA is that it does not separate instruction from assessment, but instead, is in favor of a teacher-student unity that encourages their joint efforts for the future improvement of the student through their Zone of Proximal Development. The paper gives a systematic introduction of DA and designs a research plan for investigating the research questions. In the research process, the author adopts the dialogic way of teaching which is of great help in enhancing learners’ writing interest and improving their writing competence. The author researches the function and effect of that integration by using comparison, description, quantitative and qualitative analysis.In the beginning, two research questions are given:1) Will dynamic assessment stimulate Ss’interest in English writing more effectively than static assessment?2) Will dynamic assessment improve Ss’writing ability more effectively than static assessment? To answer the first research question, the author conducts two questionnaire investigations. The author also uses students’scores in the final examination of the last term as the pre-test in order to prove that these two classes are of the same level and can be used as experimental class and control class. The two classes use the same learning materials. In the experimental class, the author adopts the interactive way of integrating the DA into the English writing instruction. In the control class, the author adopts the traditional way of assessing students’end product in writing instruction only. Eight weeks later, the author takes the mid-term examination as the mid-test in order to collect data about the students’English level. At the end of this semester, the author takes the final examination as the post-test in order to answer the second research question. At the end of this semester, the author takes the final examination as the post-test in order to answer the second research question.Based on the experiments and the data, this paper analyses the changes of Ss’ attitude and ability. In the end, a result is clear. Compared with static assessment or non-dynamic assessment (NDA), dynamic assessment teaching is much helpful in teaching and learning.