EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CLT- AND TBLT-ORIENTED ASSESSMENT TASKS IN MEASURING COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE IN ESP CONTEXTS

Abstract

In English for Specific Purposes (ESP) education, assessment plays a crucial role in determining learners’ ability to communicate effectively in professional contexts. However, many assessment practices continue to rely on traditional testing formats that inadequately measure communicative competence. This study examines the effectiveness of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)- and Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT)-oriented assessment tasks in evaluating communicative competence among adult ESP learners. Using a qualitative and analytical approach, the study analyzes the extent to which these assessment types reflect authentic language use, support communicative performance, and align with key assessment principles such as validity and reliability. The findings suggest that while both CLT- and TBLT-oriented assessments contribute to communicative language evaluation, TBLT-oriented tasks demonstrate stronger alignment with workplace-related communicative demands due to their emphasis on authentic performance and contextualized interaction. Nevertheless, issues related to scoring consistency and assessment practicality remain significant challenges. The study proposes a principle-based approach for integrating communicative and task-based assessment practices into ESP contexts more effectively.