"Evaluation of second language proficiency in a formal setting: research in the context of the Provincial Centres for Adult Education (CPIAs)"

Abstract

Evaluation is a crucial issue in both learning and teaching processes, as it allows students to monitor their learning process and, at the same time, it means teachers can obtain information about the efficacy of their methods and tools. It has particularly important significance for adults in SL contexts, as the linguistic and communicative proficiency of the learner is fundamental in enabling further integration in the host society. For this reason, due to the increasing number of people migrating to Italy, many courses of Italian as a second language for adult immigrants have arisen. These language courses usually provide qualifications that might also have political consequences, such as the legal validity for acquiring a residence permit. The research project of this dissertation examines the evaluation procedures and techniques adopted in the Provincial Centre for Adult Education (Centro Provinciale per l'Istruzione degli Adulti - CPIA) in San Bonifacio, near the city of Verona. The aim of this dissertation is to explore how evaluation is conducted in practice and whether communication and sharing are effective in making the evaluation experience successful, and to investigate how judgments and error correction are perceived by students.