Assessing Speaking

“Assessing Speaking”

Ingrid Bello Acuña

Paulina Escobar Aguayo

June 08th, 2012

Introduction

Speaking is a productive skill which is really difficult to assess because of its

subjectivity. According to the book Language Testing, 1961, p. 239 “The ability to speak a

foreign language is without doubt the most prized language skill,”

In the following assessment we are going to measure an oral performance which

will be taken to a group of 35 students of a 1st Medio from the “Liceo Comercial de Tomé”.

The level of these students is lower. For this reason the following “oral evaluation” has

three different parts whose purpose is to measure vocabulary learnt in class, grammar

(basic grammar structures) and pronunciation, the last item is focus on the pronunciation of

the vocabulary.

In order to test the three previous levels of proficiency (vocabulary, grammar and

pronunciation) we created an analytic rubric which contains four indicators (from 1 to 4).

Finally, the idea of this assessment was prepared the most reliable, valid and

authentic oral performance considering the level of English of the students.

Unit 3: How to assess “speaking”

School: Liceo Comercial de Tomé (Public highschool)

Grade: 1st Medio

Level of English: Lower

Test specifications:

The test’s purpose: To assess speaking, especially vocabulary learnt in class.

Description of the examinees: Students of 1st Medio from a public highschool called “Liceo Comercial de Tomé”.

Test level: 1st Medio.

Number of section: 1

Time for each section: 2 or 2 ½ minutes.

Weighting for each section: 3 different items.

Target language situation: Level of English “Lower”

Text- types: Pictures.

Text-Length: Two pictures for each student.

Language skills to be tasted: Speaking

Language element to be tested:

Vocabulary

Grammar

Pronunciation

Test methods: The procedure to measure “speaking” in this case is firstly through an interview and then using pictures with which students have to guess what the correct picture is and also ask for the specific location of different objects and people.

Criteria for scoring: The weight of the task is the same because of the level of complexity. We do not multiply any indicator because for us all of them have the same degree of importance.

Tasks

Task 1

The examiner introduces him/her and then asks you and your partner to say your

names and spell them. This examiner then asks you questions about yourself, your daily

life, interests, etc.

Possible questions:

What’s your name?

How do you spell your name?

What do you think about the weather today?

What’s your favourite subject at school? Why?

- Task Orientation: Guided. Students have to speak according to some specific

information. (Name, likes, etc.). The answers are predictable and these have not

many variations.

You must answer the examiner (the teacher) 3 questions about yourself.

- Interactional Relationship: One way interaction. The student is asked to

communicate some opinions and maybe the teacher is going to ask him/her for

clarification.

- Goal Orientation: There is goal orientation in this case, because students have to

speak someone else, in this opportunity to the teacher.

- Interlocutor status: Balanced. Because the three participant here (both students and

the teacher) know each other.

- Familiarity: In this case the familiarity is high between both students because they

selected their partner and probably they choose a friend. Unlike the familiarity

between students and the teacher which is balanced.

- Topics: Personal information likes and dislikes.

Task 2

You each have a chance to talk by yourselves. The examiner gives you a black and white photograph with a man in 4 different situations (A, B, C and D), but in the same room. You have to look at and choose one. Then you have to describe the once you choose and your partner has to guess which is the correct picture (A, B, C or D).

A B

C D

Student “A” has to describe one of the 4 black and white pictures to student “B”. Student “B” has to guess what the correct picture is. (You have 60 second to describe the picture)

Taken from the book: “Language Assessment: Principles and Classroom Practices”, page 158.

- Task Orientation: Guided, because although the task is limited and the students

have to answer according a specific picture they can paraphrase some phrases or

words, or maybe use synonyms.

- Interactional Relationship: Interactional, Two ways interaction. Both students

have to communicate each other.

- Goal Orientation: There is goal orientation, because students have to speak

someone else. In this task the students have to communicate each other.

- Interlocutor status: Higher, both are known each other (Student- Student).

- Familiarity: High, because both speakers know each other.

- Topics: Activities at home, elements that a person uses when he/she studies.

Task 3

The examiner shows you a picture in which appear different objects and different people. Both students have to ask each other at least for both the location of 3 different objects and what 2 people are doing in the picture. Students have to answer with both the correct location and the correct activity. The examiner is going to give the students an example of the questions they have to ask to their partner.

- Possible questions asked by the students

Where is the TV?

Where is the Lamp?

What is the girl with curly hair doing? etc.

You have to ask to your partner for the location of 3 different objects and at least what 2 people are doing in the picture. Your partner has to answer you and then is the chance of your partner to do the same. I’m going to give you an example of the questions you have to ask to your partner. E.g.: Where are the sodas? What is the woman doing?

Taken from the book: “Language Assessment: Principles and Classroom Practices”, page 154.

Task Orientation: Closed, because they have to speak according to a specific

information, tenses and words. In this task they have to ask for location and

activities that people are doing. They cannot ask for something else. In addition,

they are given some specific structure they have to follow.

Interactional Relationship: Interactional, Two ways interaction. Both students

have to communicate each other.

Goal Orientation: There is goal orientation in this case, because students have to

speak someone else.

Interlocutor status: High, both are known each other (Teacher- Student).

Familiarity: High, because both students know each other.

Topics: Giving specific location and activities.

References

H. Douglas Brown. (2004). Language assessment “Principles and Classroom

Practices”, pages 140-183.

University of Cambridge. (2003) “Cambridge Preliminary English test”, page 25

Luoma (2004), “Test specifications”, page 114.