A case for ongoing evaluation In English language teaching projects

The first section of this paper considers what is understood by evaluation in the field of project design for English language teaching (ELT). Published accounts of ELT projects are examined for their policy on evaluation and a list of dominant themes in project evaluation is drawn up. The second section reviews theoretical issues involved in project evaluation and seeks to summarize what might be included in a system of evaluation conceived as being central to the design and implementation of a project. The third section discusses the idea that project designers need to take account of the impact of the innovations they introduce. consideration is given to how this aspect of project design might influence the forms of evaluation employed by project designers. The fourth section looks at a particular ELT project from a teacher’s point of view, considering the forms of evaluation employed in the project and the extent to which they match the features outlined at the end of the second section. The fifth section offers suggestions for p-anning the evaluation, and particularly the on-going evaluation, of projects in ELT design. (JL)