Gerardo Valazza, MEd ELT, RSA Dip TEFLA

Preparing for the Speaking Paper

(Cambridge English Exams)

To explore the usefulness of these scales as a tool for describing and analysing specific aspects of spoken language

To share practical ideas for: • evaluating learners’ speaking and identifying areas of

strength/weakness • developing speaking skills in order to prepare for the

tests.

To develop teachers’ awareness of the assessment of speaking across the CEFR levels, and the Cambridge English Speaking Assessment Scales

1

2

3

Aims of the seminar

Seminar overview

Introduction

Speaking Assessment Scales

Problems in assessing speaking

Samples of scales applied to tests

Some practical ideas & resources for evaluating and developing speaking

Round-up and summary

Discussion questions:

a) Why is speaking a difficult skill to assess?

b) What practical problems are often involved when assessing speaking in class?

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• 1) Introduce yourself

• 2) Send me a 1-minute report of what you discussed

Issues around assessing speaking

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• It is ephemeral, fast, easily lost, difficult to hold onto to analyse, and generally there is no record

• There are many aspects to assess

• Different profiles of strong and weak aspects can combine to make up the same level of performance

• There is often no right/wrong outcome

• It is assessed over a block of performance, not sentence by sentence

Why is speaking a difficult skill to assess?

• Teachers often have large numbers of students and little time to devote to speaking assessment

• During speaking activities many people are talking at the same time

• Sometimes teachers lack the expertise/ confidence to develop speaking tests and rating scales or to evaluate performance in any detail

• Teachers don’t always have a fixed ‘benchmark’ to compare performances against

What practical problems are often involved?

So, what do we need

to assess students’ speaking fairly and consistently over time?

So, what do we need to assess students’ speaking fairly and consistently over time?

ASSESSMENT SCALES!

• Following a CLT approach by assessing different communicative competences

• Describing what candidates Can Do (Positive Approach)

• Making assessment objective and fair

• Providing a coherent whole - the levels ‘stack’ to form a common scale

• Providing a link between the CEFR and Cambridge English Language Assessment

Rationale for Assessment Scales

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Assessment levels and criteria

Levels:

• A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2.

Speaking assessment criteria in General Cambridge English speaking tests:

• Grammar and vocabulary

• Discourse management

• Pronunciation

• Interactive communication

Glossary of Terms

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• Which two sets of descriptors are identical? Why do you think this is?

• How do the criteria categories change at different levels? Why do you think this is?

• What is not assessed at one level? Why?

Overall Speaking Assessment Scales

Which level?

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a) Good control of simple grammatical forms. Attempts some complex grammatical forms.

b) Maintains control of a wide range of grammatical forms.

c) Uses a range of appropriate vocabulary to give and exchange views on familiar and unfamiliar topics.

d) Uses appropriate vocabulary to give and exchange views on a range of familiar topics.

e) Produces responses which are extended beyond short phrases, despite hesitation.

f) Produces extended stretches of language with ease and with very little hesitation.

g) Is mostly intelligible, despite limited control of phonological features.

h) Maintains and develops the interaction and negotiates towards an outcome.

Which level?

a) B2

b) C2

c) C1

d) B2

e) B1

f) C2

g) A2

h) C1

Which level? Key

Assessing speaking performance

Teacher Guide – B2 Level

Assessing speaking performanceFCE for Schools Part 2

Pronunciation

Intelligibility: Is intelligible throughout the test.

Intonation: Is usually appropriate. • I recently started a book called Clockwork Angels. • For the second picture it’s either a marathon, or running. • Just try and you will know.

Stress: Sentence stress is accurately placed.• I’m not a shopping person. The university will be more interested in

you because you are multi-lingual. • Learning a new skill is better than doing nothing.

Word stress is generally accurate placed.

Individual sounds: Are generally articulated clearly.

B2 Pronunciation: Kok Wee (4)

Intelligibility: Is intelligible, though in a few places her responses could be clearer. At times the volume and pitch of her voice are very low, which means the listener has to concentrate carefully to catch what she says. This could easily be improved by varying the pitch of her voice (see intonation below) and speaking slightly louder.

Intonation: Is a little flat and would be clearer if her voice rose and fell when she was expressing her ideas.

Stress: Sentence stress is generally accurately placed:

• Everybody can draw

Word stress is generally accurate:

• Foreign … popular … attract … practise

Individual sounds: Are generally articulated clearly.

B2 Pronunciation: Chris (3)

Assessing speaking performanceCAE Part 4

Lexical Resource

Raphael Maude

Uses a range of appropriate vocabulary to give and exchange views on familiar and unfamiliar topics.

• I have two years to go (Part 1)

• Keep in touch … see them face to face (Part 1)

• Baking a cake … similar … guys … work in a team (Part 2)

• Study the subject … university (Part 3)

• Different view … topic … scared about … early age … (Part 4)

C1 Lexical resource: Raphael (3)

Maude uses a range of appropriate vocabulary to give and exchange views on familiar and unfamiliar topics, for example:

• Book a holiday … Not very used to … play a role … encourage

• Pushy parents

with some evidence of a wider range, e.g.:

• Don’t really get to make your own decisions

• Where to settle

C1 Lexical resource: Maude (4)

• Using the B2 Scales

• B2 Assessment Scales

• Videos with Assessment Commentaries made by Speaking Examiners

• Teaching & Learning Tips

• Overview of the Speaking Paper

• Activities based on FCE Part 1

• Activities based on FCE Part 2

• Activities based on FCE Part 3

• Activities based on FCE Part 4

Assessing and developing speaking in class (FCE)

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The assessor gives 0–5 marks for each of the following criteria: Grammatical Resource; Lexical Resource; Discourse Management; Pronunciation; and Interactive Communication. Marks for each of these criteria are doubled. (50)

The interlocutor gives a mark of 0–5 for Global Achievement. This mark is then multiplied by five. Examiners may award half marks. (25)

Marks for all criteria are then combined, meaning there are 75 marks available in the Speaking test.

Working out the CAE/CPE Speaking Score

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The assessor gives 0–5 marks for each of the following criteria: Grammar and Vocabulary; Discourse Management; Pronunciation; and Interactive Communication. Marks for each of these criteria are doubled. (20x2 = 40)

The interlocutor gives a mark of 0–5 for Global Achievement. This mark is then multiplied by four. Examiners may award half marks. (5x4 = 20)

Marks for all criteria are then combined, meaning there are 60 marks available in the Speaking test.

Working out the FCE Speaking Score

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The assessor gives 0–5 marks for each of the following criteria: Grammar and Vocabulary; Discourse Management; Pronunciation; and Interactive Communication. (20)

The interlocutor gives a mark of 0–5 for Global Achievement. This mark is then multiplied by two. Examiners may award half marks. (5x2 = 10)

Marks for all criteria are then combined, meaning there are 30 marks available in the Speaking test.

Working out the PET Speaking Score

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The assessor gives 0–5 marks for each of the following criteria: Grammar and Vocabulary; Pronunciation; and Interactive Communication. Marks for each of these criteria are doubled. (15x2 = 30)

The interlocutor gives a mark of 0–5 for Global Achievement. This mark is then multiplied by three. Examiners may award half marks. (5x3 = 15)

Marks for all criteria are then combined, meaning there are 45 marks available in the Speaking test.

Working out the KET Speaking Score

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Seminar overview

Introduction

Speaking Assessment Scales

Problems in assessing speaking

Samples of scales applied to tests

Evaluating and developing speaking in the classroom – some practical ideas & resources

Round-up and summary

Thank you

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Gerardo Valazza, MEd ELT, RSA Dip TEFLAgvalazza@anglo.edu.uy