Investigating the Types of Assessment Used by EFL University Teachers in the Productive Skills

In recent years, researchers focus on finding out what types of assessment used by EFL university teachers to improve the teaching methods. In this line, the present study tries to investigate the types of assessment used by EFL university teachers when assessing the productive skills. As such, the following research questions are formulated (1) “Do EFL teachers follow summative or formative assessment when assessing the productive skills ? (2) What are the major aspects of productive skills followed by EFL teachers in assessing speaking and writing? (3) What are the major activities of productive skills followed by EFL teachers in assessing speaking and writing? and (4) What are the major barriers that EFL teachers face while assessing the productive skills?”. It is hypothesized that (1) EFL teachers follow both types of assessment when assessing speaking and writing skills, (2) EFL teachers assess fluency, accuracy, content , and organizational skills When assessing both speaking and writing, (3) EFL teachers follow specific strategies in assessing speaking and they assess writing through the subjects of  essay and composition writing, and (4) the large number of  students and time constrain form the main barriers in assessing speaking and writing. To collect data, two semi-structured interviews are used. One address speaking assessment and the other addresses writing assessment. The results show that EFL university teachers follow both types of assessment in assessing the productive skills. They also show that teachers focus on the significant speaking and writing aspects; the most important activities that support the teachers’ way of assessment.