Understanding speaking assessment:what every teacher should know

Evelina Galaczi and Nahal Khabbazbashi

Who are you?

A. I’m a teacher.B. I’m the co‐ordinator/director of studies.

C. I’m a learner.D. I’m a parent.

Why are you here?

A. I need evidence of Continuous Professional Development

B. I want to earn an Open BadgeC. I want to know more about Speaking Assessment 

D.Other

Understanding speaking assessment:what every teacher should know

Evelina Galaczi and Nahal Khabbazbashi

Our aim today

Explore:

• key questions

• practical tips

Why am I testing?

Who am I testing?

What am I testing?

How am I testing?

How am I scoring? 

How is my test 

benefiting learners?

Our aim today

Explore:

• key questions

• practical tips

Why am I testing?

Who am I testing?

What am I testing?

How am I testing?

How am I scoring? 

How is my test 

benefiting learners?

Our aim today

Explore:

• key questions

• practical tips

Why am I testing?

Who am I testing?

What am I testing?

How am I testing?

How am I scoring? 

How is my test 

benefiting learners?

Our aim today

Explore:

• key questions

• practical tips

Why am I testing?

Who am I testing?

What am I testing?

How am I testing?

How am I scoring? 

How is my test 

benefiting learners?

Our aim today

Explore:

• key questions

• practical tips

Why am I testing?

Who am I testing?

What am I testing?

How am I testing?

How am I scoring? 

How is my test 

benefiting learners?

Our aim today

Explore:

• key questions

• practical tips

Why am I testing?

Who am I testing?

What am I testing?

How am I testing?

How am I scoring? 

How is my test 

benefiting learners?

Our aim today

Explore:

• key questions

• practical tips

Why am I testing?

Who am I testing?

What am I testing?

How am I testing?

How am I scoring? 

How is my test 

benefiting learners?

What can make speaking more difficult to assess than other skills?

© Jojje

Why am I testing?

Who am I testing?

What am I testing?

How am I testing?

How am I scoring? 

How is my test 

benefiting learners?

Find the difference between the two pictures

Discuss a topic in a group of two or three

Describe a person who has greatly 

influenced you in your life. 

You should say: 

1. where you met them 

2. what was special about them 

3. why this person influenced you so much. 

Interaction

Monologue

Reproduction

COGNITIVE KNOWLEDGE AND PROCESSING

• Generation of ideas (conceptualisation)What is 

speaking?

COGNITIVE KNOWLEDGE AND PROCESSING

• Generation of ideas (conceptualisation)

• Knowledge of grammar

• Knowledge of vocabulary

What is speaking?

COGNITIVE KNOWLEDGE AND PROCESSING

• Generation of ideas (conceptualisation)

• Knowledge of grammar

• Knowledge of vocabulary

• Knowledge of sounds 

• Articulation

What is speaking?

COGNITIVE KNOWLEDGE AND PROCESSING

• Generation of ideas (conceptualisation)

• Knowledge of grammar

• Knowledge of vocabulary

• Knowledge of sounds 

• Articulation

• Self‐monitoring

What is speaking?

COGNITIVE KNOWLEDGE AND PROCESSING

• Generation of ideas (conceptualisation)

• Knowledge of grammar

• Knowledge of vocabulary

• Knowledge of sounds 

• Articulation

• Self‐monitoring

Automatic

What is speaking?

the mechanics of driving  = core linguistic knowledge

© Rawpixel.com

a range of driving situations  =  

© Rawpixel.com

CEFR

the mechanics of driving  =  core linguistic knowledge

a range of communicative situations

Why am I testing?

Who am I testing?

What am I testing?

How am I testing?

How am I scoring? 

How is my test 

benefiting learners?

Test tasks

• Talk about a topic• Describe a photograph, compare photographs

• Tell/summarise a story• Question and answer • Discussion• Information gap activities• Role plays

Paired tasksWhat are some advantages andpossible disadvantages of this task?

© Jojje

Advantages:• high authenticity• interactional skills

Paired tasks

Advantages:• high authenticity• interactional skills

Limitations:• role of personality, age, gender, language ability, etc.

Paired tasks

What should we do about the possible limitations of a task?

• Include a range of task types:o question and answero monologueo paired interaction.

What should we do about the possible limitations of a task?

• Include a range of task types and a range of different channels:o question and answero monologueo paired interaction.

• Use of analytical and global criteria and scales 

No ‘best’ way to test speaking

• Each task has its unique advantages and limitations

• Each task is suitable for different purposes

Task difficulty

© Jojje

Task AA young man on holiday in North America wants to buy a present to take home to his parents. Talk together about the different presents he could buy, and say which would be best.Here is a picture with some ideas to help you.

Task B

Task difficulty

© Jojje

Cambridge English: Preliminary (CEFR level B1)

• Concrete topic

• Familiar context  

Cambridge English: Advanced (CEFR Level C1)

• Open‐ended • Abstract topic• Giving opinions

Task difficulty: topic/type of information

Personal

Familiar

Concrete

Non‐personal

Unfamiliar

Abstract

LESS MORE

Task difficulty: speech functions

Speech functions• Informational functions (e.g. expressing opinions, comparing)

• Interactional functions (e.g. agreeing, asking for opinion, persuading)

• Interaction management functions (starting to speak, interrupting)

Task difficulty: example

Description

Task difficulty: example

Description

DescriptionExpressing/justifying opinionsComparing

Other factors which affect task fairness

• Are the instructions clear?

Other factors which affect task fairness

• Are the instructions clear?• Is the purpose of the task clear to the test takers?

Other factors which affect task fairness

• Are the instructions clear?• Is the purpose of the task clear to the test takers?

• Is there a range of tasks?

Other factors which affect task fairness

• Are the instructions clear?• Is the purpose of the task clear to the test takers?

• Is there a range of tasks?• Are the items/tasks in a justifiable order?

Other factors which affect task fairness

• Are the instructions clear?• Is the purpose of the task clear to the test takers?

• Is there a range of tasks?• Are the items/tasks in a justifiable order?• Is the timing for each part of the test appropriate?

Other factors which affect task fairness

• Are the instructions clear?• Is the purpose of the task clear to the test takers?

• Is there a range of tasks?• Are the items/tasks in a justifiable order?• Is the timing for each part of the test appropriate?

• Are the marking criteria clear to the test takers?

Why am I testing?

Who am I testing?

What am I testing?

How am I testing?

How am I scoring? 

How is my test 

benefiting learners?

Assessment scales: why do we need them?

Speech ScoreAssessment scale and criteria

Rating scales and criteria = reflect test constructRating scales and criteria = help with test reliability

Assessment criteria: which ones?

Picture description task

Assessment criteria: which ones?

Paired discussion task

Types of scales

Holistic• General impression • One overall mark

Analytic • Broken down into separate features• Several marks – one for each assessment criterion

Analytic scales

Strengths• Diagnostic information• Useful in rater training• Useful for L2 learners who have an uneven profile.

Limitations• Time‐consuming

Holistic scales

Strengths• Practicality: faster

Limitations• No useful diagnostic information (single score)

• Difficult to use when skills are unevenly developed

Fair Speaking tests Clear test 

purpose

Suitable test 

construct

Range of task types

Examiner training

Appropriate assessment 

scales

Further information

Teaching English

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Further information

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Understanding Test Scores14 and 16 November 2016