Guest Lecture on Alternative Assessment Tools in ESL Teaching

On March 24, 2026, the Department of Foreign Languages and Teaching Methods at Berdyansk State Pedagogical University hosted an open guest lecture titled “Alternative Assessment Tools in ESL Teaching” via Zoom. The event attracted over 100 participants, including students, faculty members, and educators from partner institutions.

The lecture was delivered by Tetiana Hryhorivna Korol, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor at the Department of General Linguistics and Foreign Languages of the National University “Yuriy Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic.” Dr. Korol is a recognized expert in English language teaching methodology and assessment practices.

The session was built around a structured agenda covering six key topics:

• Tuning-in activity to engage participants
• Types of assessment in language learning
• Evolution of assessment approaches over time
• Traditional vs. alternative assessment tools
• Overview of alternative assessment tools for ESL classrooms
• Q&A session

Dr. Korol opened the lecture with an interactive tuning-in exercise inviting participants to reflect on their own experiences as students of assessment. She then introduced a memorable framework for understanding assessment types — using the analogy of soup-tasting: formative assessment as the chef tasting the soup during cooking, and summative assessment as the customer tasting the final dish.

Participants explored the distinguishing parameters between traditional and alternative assessment tools, including assessment type (summative vs. formative), assessment focus (product vs. process), assessment agent (teacher, student, or peer group), learner orientation (average vs. individual needs), and the nature of data received (quantitative vs. qualitative).

Special attention was given to the principle that formative assessment comes first: from teacher feedback on essay drafts and peer feedback on speaking tasks to exit tickets, Kahoot quizzes for vocabulary checks, and pre-submission presentation feedback.

The lecture provided practical insights that educators can immediately apply in their ESL classrooms to make assessment more meaningful, learner-centred, and effective.