ASSESSING SPEAKING

EFL Learners

5 BASIC TYPES OF SPEAKING

IMITATIVE

It is simply the ability to parrot back a word or phrase or a sentence.

INTENSIVE

It is the production of short stretches of oral language. Examples include directed response tasks, reading aloud, sentence and dialogue completion, limited picture-cued tasks.

REPSONSIVE

The tasks include interaction and test comprehension but at the limited level of short conversations, standard greetings, small talk, requests, and comments.

INTERACTIVE

The length and complexity of the interaction are more in interactive tasks than in responsive ones. The task sometimes includes multiple exchanges and/or multiple participants.

EXTENSIVE

The tasks include speeches, oral presentations, and story-telling. Oral interaction from listeners is either highly limited or ruled out altogether.

ASSESSMENT TASKS: IMITATIVE SPEAKING

What tasks to assess imitative speaking?Typical – listen and repeat.

What kinds of prompts would you use? Examples: Test-takers hear:

beat/bit bat/vat I bought a boat yesterday.The glow of the candle is growing.

Test-takers repeat the stimulus.

What tasks to assess imitative speaking?Typical – listen and repeat.

What kinds of prompts would you use? Examples: Test-takers hear:

beat/bit bat/vat I bought a boat yesterday.The glow of the candle is growing.

Test-takers repeat the stimulus.

SCORING FOR IMITATIVE TASKS How would you score these tasks? Example scoring scale:

2 acceptable pronunciation.1 comprehensible, partially correct.0 silence, seriously incorrect.

How would you score these tasks? Example scoring scale:

2 acceptable pronunciation.1 comprehensible, partially correct.0 silence, seriously incorrect.

PHONEPASS TEST Could you design a test that is done

over the phone? Where the test-taker talks to a

computer? What tasks could you include to test all

the five basic types of speaking? Let’s look and listen at a test called

PHONEPASS (Versant English Test – now offered by Pearson Education, Inc.)

http://www.ordinate.com/samples/english.jsp

PHONEPASS TEST What do you think about this test? Use

the five basic criteria.

PHONEPASS TEST What speaking skills can be

assessed/inferred from the PHONEPASS test?

Examples?

ASSESSMENT TASKS: INTENSIVE SPEAKING

What range of tasks can be used to assess intensive speaking?

List some with your partner…

ASSESSMENT TASKS: INTENSIVE SPEAKING

Typical: Directed Response Tasks What kinds of prompts would you use? Examples: Test-takers are directed to

respond:Tell me he went home.Tell me that you like rock music.Tell me that you aren’t interested in tennis.Tell him to come to my office at noon.Remind him what time it is.

ASSESSMENT TASKS: INTENSIVE SPEAKING

Typical: Reading aloud What kinds of prompts did PHONEPASS

use? What other tasks could you design? List

two other tasks with your partner…

VARIATIONS ON READ-ALOUD TASKS Reading a scripted dialogue. Reading sentences containing minimal

pairs.Examples: The man beat his dog.The man bit his dog.

Reading information from a table or chart.

Reading a scripted dialogue. Reading sentences containing minimal

pairs.Examples: The man beat his dog.The man bit his dog.

Reading information from a table or chart.

ASSESSMENT TASKS: INTENSIVE

What elements of speech would you assess? List two of the major ones.

Typical:PronunciationFluency

ASSESSMENT TASKS: INTENSIVE

Pronunciation: what scale would you design for scoring?

Example: 0.0—0.4 frequent errors and unintelligible.0.5—1.4 occasionally unintelligible.1.5—2.4 some errors but intelligible.2.5—3.0 occasional errors but always

intelligible.

Pronunciation: what scale would you design for scoring?

Example: 0.0—0.4 frequent errors and unintelligible.0.5—1.4 occasionally unintelligible.1.5—2.4 some errors but intelligible.2.5—3.0 occasional errors but always

intelligible.

ASSESSMENT TASKS: INTENSIVE

Fluency: what scale would you design for scoring?

Example: 0.0– 0.4 slow, hesitant, and unintelligible.0.5– 1.4 non-native pauses and flow that

interferes with intelligibility.1.5- 2.4 non-native pauses but the flow is

intelligible.2.5- 3.0 smooth and effortless.

Fluency: what scale would you design for scoring?

Example: 0.0– 0.4 slow, hesitant, and unintelligible.0.5– 1.4 non-native pauses and flow that

interferes with intelligibility.1.5- 2.4 non-native pauses but the flow is

intelligible.2.5- 3.0 smooth and effortless.

PHONEPASS SCORE REPORT Look at the PHONEPASS sample score

report and answer these questions.1. What is the range of possible scores?2. What are the different bands?3. What did the ‘sample’ candidate

score?4. What does the score tell the

candidate?5. How does PHONEPASS measure up

against other speaking tests?

ADVANTAGES OF INTENSIVE SPEAKING TASK?What are the advantages? Comparisons between students are

quite simple. Tests are easy to prepare and to

administer. Predictable output, practicality, and

reliability in scoring.

What are the advantages? Comparisons between students are

quite simple. Tests are easy to prepare and to

administer. Predictable output, practicality, and

reliability in scoring.

DISADVANTAGES OF INTENSIVE SPEAKING TASK?What are the disadvantages? It is not ‘really’ authentic is it?

Exceptions A parent reading to a child, sharing a story (news) with someone giving a scripted oral presentation.

It is not communicative in real contexts.

TOEFL iBT SPEAKING TEST Let’s take a look at some

speaking task samples from the TOEFL iBT TEST.

As you listen to the sample, make a note of thesimilarities and differences to the PHONEPASS testwhat tasks are used to assess the different types

of speaking

See research paper for background of test design.You can download the full sample iBT test.

SENTENCE/DIALOGUE COMPLETION TASKS IN iBT First, test-takers are given time to read

through the dialogue to get its gist, then the tape/teacher produces one part orally and the test-taker responds.

Advantages?More time to anticipate an answerNo potential ambiguity created by aural

misunderstanding (oral interview).

ASSESSMENT OF TASKS IN iBT

TOEFL iBT identifies three broad areas to assess in their scoring standards. What are they?D E L I V E R YL A N G U A G E U S E T O P I C D E V E L O P M E N T

TOEFL iBT identifies three broad areas to assess in their scoring standards. What are they?D E L I V E R YL A N G U A G E U S E T O P I C D E V E L O P M E N T

INTERACTIVE SPEAKING Oral Interview:

a test administrator and a test-taker direct face-to-face exchangeproceed through a protocol of questions and

directives. It can vary in length from 5 to 45 minutes,

depending on purpose and context. Placement interviews may need only 5 minutes Proficiency Interviews may require an hour.

Oral Interview:?a test administrator and a test-taker direct face-to-face exchangeproceed through a protocol of questions and

directives. It can vary in length from 5 to 45 minutes,

depending on purpose and context. Placement interviews may need only 5 minutes Proficiency Interviews may require an hour.

IELTS SPEAKING TEST Let’s take a look at the

IELTS TEST, part 1 and IELTS TEST, part2.

As you listen to the sample, make a note of the the differences between IELTS and

PHONEPASS the role of the ‘examiner’what different tasks are used, and why

ASSESSMENT OF TASKS IN IELTS IELTS has five broad areas in scoring:

C O M P R E H E N S I O N G R A M M A RV O C A B U L A R YP R O N U N C I A T I O NC O M M U N I C A T I V E C O M P E T E N C

E

IELTS has five broad areas in scoring:C O M P R E H E N S I O N G R A M M A RV O C A B U L A R YP R O N U N C I A T I O NC O M M U N I C A T I V E C O M P E T E N C

E

IELTS SPEAKING TEST Let’s take a look at the IELTS TEST, part

2. As you listen to the sample, try to

assess the speaker using the scoring grid provided.Note your score for each aspectCompare with your partner at the end

WHAT MAKES AN ORAL INTERVIEW A GOOD ASSESSMENT TOOL?How do these relate to the 5 criteria? Clear administrative PRACTICAL

procedures Focusing the questions and VALID

probes on the purpose ofthe assessment

Biased for best AUTHENTIC & WASHBACKperformance

Creating a consistent, RELIABLEworkable scoring system

How do these relate to the 5 criteria? Clear administrative PRACTICAL

procedures Focusing the questions and VALID

probes on the purpose ofthe assessment

Biased for best AUTHENTIC & WASHBACKperformance

Creating a consistent, RELIABLEworkable scoring system

LINGUISTIC PROFILING Let’s take a look at another totally different

approach to assessing speaking. Linguistic profiling suggests that language

development (first or second) follows a standard schedule.

Speech samples collected from learners Analysed to locate the patterns Patterns matched from the sample to the regularities

of the standard development schedule.See RAPID PROFILE as an example:http://groups.uni-paderborn.de/rapidprofile/

TRAINING - TEXT

TRAINING - AUDIO

TRAINING REPORT

OVERVIEW OF VARIOUS SPEAKING TASKS For your reference, what follows is a

summary of various tasks that can be used to assess different aspects of speaking.

These have been summarized from Brown (2003) Language Assessment Principles.

RESPONSIVE SPEAKINGQuestion and AnswerExamples:1. What is this called in English? ( to elicit

a predetermined correct response) 2. What are the steps governments

should take, if any, to stem the rate of de-forestation in tropical countries? ( given more opportunity to produce meaningful language in response)

QUESTIONS ELICITING OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES

1. What do you think about the weather today?

2. Why did you choose your academic major?

3. Personal questions:a. Have you ever been to the U. S. before?b. What other countries have you visited?c. Why did you go there? What did you like

best about it?

GIVING INSTRUCTIONS & DIRECTIONSExamples: how to operate an appliance how to put a bookshelf together, or how to create a dish.Scoring: based on (1) Comprehensibility(2) Specified grammatical/discourse

categories.

GIVING INSTRUCTIONS & DIRECTIONSTest-takers hear:

1. Describe how to make a typical dish2. What’s a good recipe for making _____?3. How do you access email on a PC

computer?4. How do I get from ___ to ____ in your city?

Test-takers respond.

ELICITING INSTRUCTIONS OR DIRECTIONSThe task should require the test-taker to

produce at least 5 or 6 sentences. Use familiar topics and test linguistic

competence. Paraphrasing, e.g. paraphrasing a story

or a phone message

CONSIDERATIONS OF PARAPHRASING1. elicit short stretches of output2. the criterion being assessed:

a. Is it a listening task more than production? b. Does it test short-term memory rather

than linguistic ability?c. How does the teacher determine scoring

of responses?

A FRAMEWORK FOR ORAL PROFICIENCY TESTING

Four stages: Warm-up, Level check, Probe, and Wind-down.

1. Warm-up the interviewer directs mutual

introductions, helps the test-taker become comfortable with the situation, apprises the format, and reduces anxieties.

2. Level check Through preplanned Qs, the test-takers

respond using expected forms and functions. Linguistic target criteria are scored.

A FRAMEWORK FOR ORAL PROFICIENCY TESTING

3. Probe: In this phase, test-takers go to the heights of

their ability and extend beyond the limits of the interviewer’s expectation.

Through probe questions, the interviewer discovers the test-taker’s proficiency. At the lower levels of proficiency, probe items may demand a higher range of vocabulary and grammar than predicted. At the higher levels, probe items will ask the t-t to give an opinion, to recount a narrative or to respond to questions.

A FRAMEWORK FOR ORAL PROFICIENCY TESTING

4. Wind-down the interviewer encourages the test-

taker to relax with some easy questions, sets the t-t’s mind at ease, and provides information about when and where to obtain the results of the interview. This part is not scored.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS OF AN ORAL INTERVIEW

1. Warm-up:How are you?/What’s your name?/What country are you from?/Let me tell your about this interview.

2. Level check:How long have you been in this city?/tell me about your family./What is your major?/How long have you been working at your degree?/What are your hobbies or interests?/Why do you like your hobby?What is your favorite food?/Tell me about your exciting experience you’ve had.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS OF AN ORAL INTERVIEW 3. Probe:

What are your goals for learning English in this program?/Describe your academic field to me. What do you like or dislike about it?/Describe someone you greatly respect, and tell me why you respect that person./If you were [president, prime minister] of your country, what would you like to change about your country?

SAMPLE QUESTIONS OF AN ORAL INTERVIEW 4. Wind-down:

Did you feel okay about this interview?/You’ll get your results from this interview next week./Do you have any question to ask?/It was interesting to talk with you. Best wishes.

PICTURE-CUED TASKS A picture-cued stimulus requires a

description from the test-taker. It may elicit a word, a phrase, a story, or incident.

Scoring scale for intensive tasks:2 comprehensible; acceptable target

form1 comprehensible; partially correct0 silence; or seriously incorrect

TRANSLATION Translation is a communicative device in

contexts where English is not a native lang.

English can be called on to be interpreted as a second language.

Conditions may vary from an instant translation of a native word, phrase, or sentence to a translation of longer texts.

Advantages: the control of the output & easily specified scoring.

ROLE PLAY It is a popular pedagogical activity in

communicative language-teaching classes.

The test administrator must determine the assessment objectives of the role play, then devise a scoring technique that pinpoints those objectives.

Examples: “Pretend that you’re a tourist asking me for directions”, “You are buying a necklace from me in a flea market, and want a lower price”.

DISCUSSIONS & CONVERSATIONS As informal techniques to assess

learners, D & C offer a level of authenticity and spontaneity that other assessment techniques may not provide:clarifying, questioning, paraphrasing,

intonation patterns, body language, eye contact, and other sociolinguistic factors

DESIGNING ASSESSMENTS: EXTENSIVE SPEAKING

Extensive speaking tasks are frequently variations on monologues, usually with minimal verbal interaction.

Oral Presentations:Examples: presenting a report, a paper, a

marketing plan, a sales idea, a design of a new product, or a method.

DESIGNING ASSESSMENTS: EXTENSIVE SPEAKINGRules for effective assessment: (a) specify the criterion, (b) set appropriate tasks, Elicit optimal output, and (d) establish practical, reliable scoring procedures. Oral presentation checklist

3 excellent 2 good 1 fair 0 poor Content:

The purpose or objective of the presentation was accomplished.

The introduction was lively and got my attention.The main idea or point was clearly stated toward

the beginning. The supporting points were clearly expressed and supported well by facts and argument.

The conclusion restated the main idea or purpose.

DESIGNING ASSESSMENTS: EXTENSIVE SPEAKING Delivery

The speaker used gestures and body language well.

The speaker maintained eye contact with the audience.

The speaker’s language was natural and fluent. The volume of speech was appropriate. The rate of speech was appropriate. The pronunciation was clear and comprehensible. The grammar was correct and didn’t prevent

understanding. Used visual aids, handouts, etc., effectively. Showed enthusiasm and interest. Responded to audience questions well.

PICTURE-CUED STORY-TELLING

At this level, a picture/a series of pictures is used as a stimulus for a longer story or description.

The objective of eliciting narrative discourse needs to be clear. (p. 181) (Tell & use the P. tense)

For example, are you testing for oral vocabulary, (girl, telephone, wet) for time relatives (before, after, when), for sentence connectors (then, so), for past tense of irregular verbs (woke, drank, rang), or for fluency in general?

Criteria for scoring need to be clear.

RETELLING A STORY, NEWS EVENT Test-takers hear /read a story or news

event that they are asked to retell. It differs from the paraphrasing task

discussed above in that it is a longer stretch of discourse and a different genre.

TRANSLATION (OF EXTENDED PROSE) Longer texts are presented for the

test-taker to read in the native language and then translate into English.

Texts vary in forms: dialogue, directions, play, movie, etc.

Advantages: the control of the content, vocabulary, the grammatical and discourse features.

Disadvantages: a highly specialized skill is needed.