Dynamic Assessment of College EFL Learners’ Speaking Proficiency: A Case Study

Abstract

Abstract To investigate the impact of dynamic assessment (DA) on the development of speaking skills, a case study was conducted, recruiting a non-English major undergraduate. DA was constructed following the design combining sandwich and cake format with an interactionist approach. To collect data, a profile was designed in accordance with the China’s Standards of English Language Ability (CSE) to record the learner’s changes. A semi-structured interview was conducted to reveal his perspectives on DA. The generated profile with specific mediator-learner’s moves revealed the learner’s microgenetic development in both organizational knowledge and oral expression strategy ability. The thematic analysis of the interview demonstrated the learner’s positive experience with DA, while also unveiling the weak points of DA. Finally, the operational framework for applying interactionist DA in the oral classroom was discussed, and the complementary relationship between DA and traditional teaching and testing practices was highlighted.