THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CRITERION-BASED ASSESSMENT IN EVALUATING DIALOGUE AND CONVERSATIONAL SKILLS

Abstract

This article presents the theoretical base for using criterion-based assessment to evaluate dialogue and conversational skills in secondary school English. Dialogue is treated as the most direct way to see communicative competence because it reveals how learners respond, question and negotiate meaning with a partner. The article argues that without criteria speaking remains judged by impression, which is neither fair nor useful for progress. Rubric based assessment makes dialogic ability visible through indicators of fluency, turn taking, vocabulary choice and pragmatic behavior. When teachers evaluate through criteria, students in Grades 7 and 8 develop clearer control of real communication, not only written accuracy.