Job Discussion Forums

[nashboroguy2]

I just finished my mid-term exams with my kids. In previous years, I did oral exams with them. I always felt this was a huge waste of time. For me, it was hundreds of students to examine in a short period. I never felt that I was able to give a proper evaluation to a student in just a 2 or 3 minutes. Sure. I could gauge who could speak English and who could not. But, to really evaluate them was impossible.

This year, I did a written examination that covered all of the material we discussed. I found it much more beneficial. It was much more work on myself. Having to develop, print, grade, and evaluate the results was very time consuming. But, I now have a better idea of who are my strong students are and who need much improvement.

I have about 70 students per 45 minute class, twice a week. It is nearly impossible for me to do a conversational English lesson with that many students. But, as all teachers in China will testify, we do what we can to make the best of bad situations.

So, the question is: Which do you prefer in giving examinations? Written or Oral? Why? ("No Why" is not an answer...Ha Ha).

By the way, I developed two different exams to help prevent the cheating in class.

[Bud Powell]

Oral English classes require an oral test,

Despite whatever the FL department says, I give the test over the period of 2-3 classes. (I usually have 42 students per university class--- though I've had more). They are given the usual assignments to study and perform in class. They aren't told that they're giving a final performance. Then, when finals day arrives, we have a chat and I tell them that they've already given their final oral performance. This works with university classes. I don't know how well it'd go down with primary and secondary schools.

I've done the same thing for writing classes. Their final is given a week or two before the scheduled test. This gives me time to evaluate and grade the papers. It also reduces students' anxiety.

While the students give their presentations (usually a situational dialogue which they create in response to a short prompt), the others write critiques of their performance. This way everyone stays engaged. It works.

[Non Sequitur]

My approach is pretty much the same as Bud's and I certainly believe Oral classes should be assessed orally.
Don't assess one to one. Give students a range of topics to choose from (3 is ample).
They choose their partners - max 3 students per group, otherwise you can't get a handle on individuals. How they approach the topic is up to them, but I insist all 3 have a share of the task.
Because my school requires 60 percent of final mark to be class activity, I do two assessments (mid semester and end), otherwise I just don't have enough class work to assess on.
Because at finals they already have an experience of one dialogue the students really do make an effort the second time.
The 3 most recent topics I've used are:
'Help me buy a new Winter coat'
'Let's play basketball after class'
'How are you settling into university life?' (freshmen).
My only beef is having to put in percentage marks. Oral is so subjective and assessing can run over 2 weeks of classes. Making a fair comparison of students performing the first week and the stragglers is very hard.

[Bud Powell]

[Non Sequitur]

You're on to me!

[Non Sequitur]

I was Skyping a former student (English Major) over the weekend and I asked her about what FTs delivered, as Oral English.
Haven't had E Majors anywhere else but at our uni these kids had an FT each and every semester. Other majors got one for one semester in their freshman year if lucky.
Content varied widely from dudes who wandered in an talked about whatever came into their heads (Halloween, Thanksgiving and my hotrod), to those let the students play scrabble, to those who actually had a plan and resources to deliver this*.
Seems to me there is a gap in the market for a wideawake publisher to get an offering into the marketplace for materials for a one semester Oral programme.
*There was even one who used a sock as a puppet and conducted dialogues with himself.

[Simon in Suzhou]

If it's an oral class, they should have an oral exam. Students already have listening, grammar, and writing classes with Chinese teachers.

For most Chinese students, speaking is by FAR their weakest English skill. Most students can comprehend what you are saying and write an answer (this is what they've been doing for the last 10 years of English study), but speaking is a whole 'nother matter. I can't tell you the number of times I've chatted online with a Chinese person and had really good conversations, only to find them mute and incomprehensible in person. I'm sure your students, who rarely get a chance to practice their oral English, were delighted that you gave them a written test!

I'm lucky, because i only have 20 students per class, so by the end of the term I have a very good idea of each student's level from classroom participation. This makes grading easier. I do feel, however, if you only have 3 minutes per student and you don't know them well, the key is to not allow them to give you some memorized pitch. This tells you nothing about their speaking ability in real-life situations. Make them answer questions spontaneously (which are appropriate for their level), and then gauge their pronunciation, grammar, and ability to use more complex sentences and vocabulary.

[buravirgil]

This poll provoked a little sharing and discussion of this issue.