L’évaluation de l’anglais : une pratique française

The way a language exam is conceived along with its assessment grid is part of assessment practices as much as marking itself. These practices are deeply rooted within the culture of a country. The educational system reflects as much as it constructs this «national » culture. A survey comparing the teachers’ results at the English part of the BTS exam (i. e HND in Britain) shows that ‘ French’ (or non-native) teachers obtain better results for their students than their ‘ English’ (or ‘ native’) colleagues. The analysis reveals that success is not really linked to explicit teaching/ learning processes but rather depends on ‘ implicit’ cultural practices embedded within an assessment system.The way a language exam is conceived along with its assessment grid is part of assessment practices as much as marking itself. These practices are deeply rooted within the culture of a country. The educational system reflects as much as it constructs this «national » culture. A survey comparing the teachers’ results at the English part of the BTS exam (i. e HND in Britain) shows that ‘ French’ (or non-native) teachers obtain better results for their students than their ‘ English’ (or ‘ native’) colleagues. The analysis reveals that success is not really linked to explicit teaching/ learning processes but rather depends on ‘ implicit’ cultural practices embedded within an assessment system.Derivry-Plard Martine. L’évaluation de l’anglais : une pratique française. In: Les dossiers des sciences de l'éducation, N°13, 2005. Évaluations et cultures. pp. 33-42