VietTESOL International Convention 2026

Formative assessment has been increasingly recognized as an effective approach to enhance communicative competence in English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms. This article investigates the application of several common formative assessment strategies in English classes at Hanoi University of Civil Engineering and examines their impact on the ongoing development of students’ communicative competence. The research focuses on several commonly applied strategies, including self-assessment, teacher feedback, classroom observation, projects, quizzes and communicative classroom tasks. A qualitative research approach was adopted, with data gathered through classroom observations, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews with 7 English lecturers and 100 non-English-major students.
The findings indicate that formative assessment positively influences students’ language learning by enhancing classroom participation, motivation, confidence, and communicative performance. Continuous feedback enables students to recognize their strengths and weaknesses, thereby promoting learner autonomy and encouraging active engagement in learning activities. Moreover, formative assessment helps lecturers adjust teaching methods and classroom activities to better meet students’ learning needs. However, the study also identifies several challenges in applying formative assessment effectively, such as large class sizes, limited instructional time, and disparities in students’ English proficiency levels.