The effect of self-assessment on EFL Learners’ receptive skills

Abstract

Past research has shown that self-assessment influences language learners’ speaking and writing performance. However, few studies have examined the impact of self-assessment on EFL learners’ listening and reading abilities. This study was an attempt to investigate any effect of self-assessment on beginner and intermediate level proficiency EFL learners’ receptive skills. The subjects were 120 Iranian language learners selected through convenience sampling and divided into beginner and intermediate level proficiency. The experimental group was exposed to self-assessment and assessed their learning. Both the experimental and control groups received a posttest. Data were analyzed using a 2-way ANCOVA test. The results showed that self-assessment significantly improved EFL learners’ receptive skills. However, the effect of self-assessment for listening skill was less than for reading skill. Also, the effect was greater for the intermediate group compared to the beginner group. An implication of the study is that self-assessment can possibly be used as an alternative to traditional teacher-made tests to help language learners to further develop their receptive skills.