Exploring Assessment of Language Proficiency through Applying a Functional-Notional Approach: A Lesson from Remote EFL Teachers

Abstract

The functional-notional approach, which emphasizes communicative competence over rote grammatical knowledge, has gained renewed significance in remote and resource-constrained English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. This study explores how remote EFL teachers implement functional-notional assessments and identifies the challenges and adaptations they employ when delivering assessments through digital platforms. Adopting a qualitative research design within an interpretivist paradigm, the study recruited 10–15 remote English teachers through purposive sampling, focusing on those with at least two years of experience in digital or low-resource environments. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis, and analyzed thematically following Braun and Clarke’s framework. The findings reveal that teachers design assessments around authentic communicative tasks such as role-plays, situational dialogues, and project-based activities, with strong emphasis on fluency and pragmatic use of language. However, technological limitations such as unstable internet connectivity and restricted device access often hinder synchronous assessments, prompting teachers to adapt by using asynchronous recordings, chat-based dialogues, and simplified written tasks. Teachers also integrate learners’ cultural and community realities into tasks, ensuring contextual relevance and stronger engagement. While fluency is prioritized initially, accuracy is gradually emphasized as learners progress, often through modified rubrics and multimodal feedback strategies. The study concludes that functional-notional assessment, when adapted with flexibility, enhances learner autonomy and communicative competence in remote contexts. Its implications highlight the need for professional development, culturally responsive curriculum design, and technological support to sustain effective language assessment practices.