Language assessment and the new literacy studies.

Abstract

This paper is a reflection on a master’s degree study regarding English language assessment from the perspective of the new literacy studies (Duboc, 2007). The starting point of our research was an investigation into both the conceptions and the practices regarding language assessment in some elementary schools in Brazilian communities, which led us to identify three recurring problems. Taking into account these results, and bearing in mind the epistemological transformations signaled by the recent literacy studies, this paper offers some outlines regarding evaluation with emphasis on critical literacy practices, inviting readers to rethink such issues for foreign language teaching contexts.