Testing oral ability

Cristina Molino & Andrea Haya

Objective of teaching Spoken Language

PRODUCTION

COMPREHENSION

SUCCESSFUL INTERACTION

1. To set tasks that form a representative sample of the population of oral tasks we expect from candidates.

2. The tasks should elicit behaviour which represents candidate’s abilities.

3. The samples of behaviour will be scored valid and reliably.

Basic problems of Assessment

Specify all possible content.

A. Specified content of the Cambridge CCSE Test of Oral Interaction.

① OPERATIONS- Expressing - Eliciting- Directing - Narration- Describing - Reporting

1. Representative tasks

② TYPES OF TEXT- Discussion

③ ADRESSEES - Interlocutor- Fellow candidate

④ TOPICS- Unespecified

⑤ DIALECT, ACCENT AND STYLE-Unespecified

B. The Categorisation of the Operation (Bygate, 1987)

• Informational Skills

• Interactional Skills• Skills in Managing

Interactions.

REPRESENTATIVE SKILLS

- Provide personal information.- Provide non-personal information.- Narrate.- Give instructions.- Make comparisons.- Give explanations.- Apologise.- Justify opinions.- Complain.(…)

- Express purpose.- Express agreement.- Elicit opinions and information.- Persuade others.- Repair breakdowns in interaction.- Establish common ground.- Elicit clarification.- Indicate understanding or failure to understand.(…)

- Initiate interactions.-Change the topic of an interaction.- Share the responsability of the development of an interaction.- Take turns.- Give turns.- Come to a decision.- End an interaction.

INFORMATIONAL SKILLS

INTERACTIONAL SKILLS

SKILLS IN MANAGING

INTERACTIONS

② TYPES OF TEXT- Presentation (monologue)- Discussion- Conversation- Service encounter- Interview

③ OTHER SPEAKERS (ADDRESSEES)-May be of equal or higher status-May be known or unknown

④ TOPICS- Topics which are familiar or interesting to the candidate.

⑤ DIALECT-Standard British English or Standard American English.

⑥ ACCENT-Standard American.

⑦ STYLE-Formal and Informal.

⑧ VOCABULARY RANGE-Non-technical except as the result of

preparation for a presentation.

⑨ RATE OF SPEECH-Will vary according to the task

What of both options of assessment (Cambridge or Bygate) is the most specific one? Which one do you think is the best to assess the speaking ability?

2. Elicit a valid sample

INTERVIEW

• Questions and request for information• Pictures, role play, interpreting, prepared

monologue

INTERACTION WITH

FELLOWS

• Discussion• Role play

AUDIO-VIDEO RECORDINGS

• Described situations• Simulated conversations

1) Make the oral test as long as is feasible.2) Give the candidate as many ‘fresh starts’

as possible.3) Use a second tester for interviews.4) Carry out the interview in a quiet room

with good acoustic.5) Collect enough relevant information.6) Do not talk too much.7) Select interviewers carefully and train

them.

Plan and structure the test carefully

Create appropiate scales for scoring, which must be holistic or analytic.

3. Ensure valid and reliable scoring

Accuracy• Grammar,

pronunciation…

Appropriacy• To function and

to context

Range• A wide range

of vocabulary

Flexibility

• Adapt to new topics

Size• Expand and

develop ideas

Follow acceptable scoring procedures

Train the interviewers

Great care must be taken taken to ignore personal qualities of the candidates that are irrelevant to an assessment of their oral ability.

Interviewers need to be well trained in order to elicit a representative sample of the operations.

The accurate measurement of oral ability is not easy. It takes considerable time and effort, including training to obtain valid and reliable results.

Oral rating scales and techiques will depend upon the needs of individual institutions.

Conclusion

HUMAN BRAIN IS AMAZING.IT FUNCTIONS 24HRS. FOR 365 DAYS,

IT FUNCTIONS RIGHT FROM THE TIME WEWERE BORN & ONLY STOPS WHEN WE…

TAKE EXAMS.