UNIVERSIDAD TECNICA DE AMBATO

TEFL MASTER’S PROGRAM

TESTING SPEAKINGBY SANDRA AMAGUAYA

TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN CAMBRIDGE SPEAKING TEST…

TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE FOLLOWING…

SPEAKING : DIFFICULT TO SCORE!

- It is quite subjective.- Not strong candidate’s confidence.- Nerves!!! Candidates need to take care about

it!- Anxiety- Pronunciation- Difficult to see it fair.

WHAT FEATURES OF SPEAKING THEY TEST

Simple reproduction of language. When test takers just listen and repeat what they have listened. Or read aloud what they see in the screen.Monologue speech.

Find out and describe the differences between two pictures on test takers own.Monologue speech.

Discussing a topic in a pair or a group.Go beyond just reproducing language but interacting among test takers.More challenging!

SPEAKING SUBSKILLS

Generate ideas.Non-verbal ideas

Conceptualization of ideas.

Ideas converted into language through:

Grammar and vocabulary.Ideas converted into sounds:

ArticulationSelf-monitoring of ideas

To tell a story you need to:

All of them must be produced flexible and spontanousIn other words: automatically!

TYPES OF TASKS

TALK ABOUT A TOPIC

Monologue DESCRIBE/COMPARE

PHOTOGRAPHSMonologue

TELL/SUMMARIZE A STORY

Monologue

QUESTION & ANSWER

InteractionDISCUSSIONInteraction

INFORMATION GAP ACTIVITIESInteraction

ROLE PLAYSInteraction

Talk about yourself or your hobbies

SPEAKING TASKS

ADVANTAGES- Offer more interaction.- More brainstorming.- Communicative- Test takers are familiarized with

this task because it is very common in classroom and it is quite similar to real life speaking.

LIMITATIONS- One candidate might be

monopolizing the conversation.- He or she might dominate the

conversation.- One candidate might talk too shy.- Partners may depend on each

other.- Language ability could affect

interaction.

TASK DIFFICULTY: TOPIC & TYPE OF INFORMATION

- Pair interaction task.- Concrete task in a familiar context.- B1 level task.- Personal, familiar, concrete.

EASIER

- Pair interaction task.- Needs more complex grammar and vocabulary knowledge.- Test taker needs to present an argument.- Task is more abstract.- Open-ended.- C1 level topic. Giving opinions.- Non-personal, unfamiliar, abstract.

MORE DIFFICULT

TASK DIFFICULTY: SPEECH FUNCTIONS

- INFORMATIONAL FUNCTIONS: expressing opinions and comparing.

EASIER

- INTERACTIONAL FUNCTION : agreeing, asking for opinion, Persuading.

- INTERACTIONAL MANAGEMENT FUNCTION: starting to speak, interrupting

MORE DIFFICULT

OTHER FACTORS WHICH AFFECTS TASK FAIRNESSCLEARNESS

The task must be clear. Ex. “Talk about” is less clear that “talk together” or “talk on your own”

The purpose of the task must be clear. Test takers need to know if they have to describe or compare something, to tell a story, or to answer a question, etc.

TIMING AND MARKING CRITERIA “How long each task is” may be

demandable at the time of taking a test. It is important to tell the students how

they are going to be marked on the test.

OTHER FACTORS WHICH AFFECTS TASK FAIRNESSRANGE OF TASK

Question types have different strengths and limitations.

Including a range of tasks could minimize limitations and optimize their strengths.

ORDER OF TASKS

Tasks and ítems arranged in a justifiable order.

Easier to difficult. Ex. Question and answer tasks may be easier than interaction tasks.

ASSESSMENT SCALES

Assessment scales are the links between the tasks are generated and the score.Assessment criteria must be explicity stated what the test aims to measure. Ex. Fluency, pronunciation, or grammar.Criteria: Quality of ideas, interaction skills, pronunciation, interaction.

ANALYTIC SCALES Privides diagnostic information, it is

useful in training. It is also good because it fits very good

when the students do not have the same level of English.

HOWEVER It is time consuming And cognitively demanding for the

grader.

HOLISTIC SCALES Faster

HOWEVER Single score Difficult when students are not in the

same level.

INTERESTING IDEASWHAT IS FLUENCY?

How automated is your language ability.How many pauses you make.How faster or slow you speak.

It is crucially importantto have more or less tohave language ability inorder to perform pair tasks.

To improve conceptualization, it is useful to use mind maps, Pictures, everything that can help to make ideas up.

To suppor students who are shy, it is important toDevelop familiarity with the tasks. Practice makes The master.

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