Job Discussion Forums

[gaijinalways]

I am currently giving oral tests to my university students, and since I need to observe pairs of students during that observation time (considering having the students video each other next time, though of course this entails after-hours viewing), I need the other students to do some other exercises with little or no supervision (I sometimes pop back and forth to keep an eye on what they're doing and to help out). I have six more pairs per class to do, with 2 conversations per pair.

The students are beginner to low intermediate level, first year Japanese university students. The first week when I tested half of each class (12 people, six pairs), I taught half of a normal class as well as had some written exercises for them to work on. I am thinking I should have them do more speaking/listening related for this next class. These activities have to be something easy to set up, ideally related to teaching the past (current topic), but could review anything from the first half of the book '50-50 book 1' which I covered last semester. I think I also intend to collect classwork that they did (last time was for homework, but many students had finished a good part of it) as otherwise some students tend to just doze while the teacher is away (I'm across the hall for the observations, better for students being tested; quieter, they can practice without interruption, etc.)

Any ideas for activities?

[Sherri]

Video taping would be good the next time, or you could just use audio tapes. You could have several making their tapes at once if you have more than one player and the space. If you have a language lab, you can have them all make their tapes at the same time.

But if you can't do the above for some reason, I would have the pairs waiting in the wings working on a dialogue or some kind of problem-solving activity which would require them to report back to you in the end or to write up what they talked about. It is also interesting to let different small groups or pairs record tapes for another group to listen to.
The important thing is that the activity has relevance to what you have been doing in class and there is some way for them to account for what they did during that time, and it should be something they couldn't do at home. Otherwise, just set up appointments and have the students you want to test show up for the appointment time.

Sherri

[gaijinalways]

The audio taping is another option, though it sometimes is useful to point out to students that eye contact is an important component of speech (as well as other appropriate body language), especially more so in the English language. As to setting up appointments, I am part-time, so that won't fly too well.

I was really wondering what other people have done (I have some students already practising beforehand), or does no one give oral tests?

[Sherri]

I've done all the things I mentioned for oral tests over the years. But I found over time that speaking is best assessed continuously with the use of rubrics.

I recently used a panel discussion for a final assessment in a listening and speaking class with the class divided in 2, so one day one group had their panel discussion with the other half as the audience (they had to do peer assessments). I also audio taped the whole thing so I could listen again and give more specific feedback.

If you teach body language and eye contact in your class, then you would want to assess that too, but I usually do that while observing and focus on the language use when I listen to the tapes later.
S

[Jizzo T. Clown]

I have my students record their assignments using PowerPoint then email them to me. Then I can save them to the class folder on the computer and by the end of the term I have a collection of speaking activities for each student which will (hopefully) show some progression over the semester.

Sherri--as always, thanks for the great ideas!

[gaijinalways]

Cool, but do you listen to them as you go along during the semester, or do you listen to them at the end? Also, who teaches your students to use Power Point (my students probably don't know how and I don't have a computer or computers in most of my classes).

Finally, are you full time? Either way, I am impressed, interesting use of technology.

[Jizzo T. Clown]

I listen to them as they do them. I usually assign a speaking component on each chapter test. Then at the end of the term I base their participation grade on the level of their improvement over the course.

The only problem is that sometimes I don't hear any improvement at all, (from those students who don't seem to understand the usefulness of hearing yourself speak English), and I've found that this type of assessment would really be best for a pronunciation class as opposed to simple speaking & listening.

I've posted a how-to on the class blog, and always walk through the steps with them in class (luckily our classroom has a computer and projector).

I'm working full-time as well (OVERTIME, actually--27 hours/week!).