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bigbadsuzie · Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 6:31 am Post subject: Speaking Tests

I need some pratical advice on how speaking tests can be most effectively administered .Usually there are two people involved ,an interlecotor (not sure about spelling ) and an assessor working with two speaking students ,who then confer on a mark after the activity has finished .Pretty straight forward usually .
Now we have a new kid on the block who proposes we have 4 groups of pairs (8 students) in the same room carrying out different speaking activities over a 40-50 minute period, we are on our own ,no one to confer with.The training does not give any real pratical strategies on how to get this task done ,hopefully this enlightened forum can think of a few .The kids take the test next Tuesday ,so a few ideas would be more than welcome .
Personally I think this method is flawed as the number of students speaking more or less at the same time is going to be hell to monitor let alone evaluate ,but my views don't count ,so I have to make the best of it .Once again any sensible ideas would be appreciated .Thanks .

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

laura1d · Joined: 13 Jan 2005 Posts: 108 Location: Spain

Hi, It is a far from ideal situation and I feel for you. I was stuck in a similar situation a few years ago and it wasn't fun.

You need to standardise the procedure as much as you can - make sure all of you follow the same question sheet - using exactly the same vocabulary, with the same prompts if needed (if the student doesn't understand the initial questions).

Also standardise the assessment criteria and make it is simple as you can to complete. Major points would be: use of English / control of grammar / pronunciation / fluency and an overall competency mark.

Arranging the furniture to shield the different examiners and students would also help - try to make 'mini' rooms within the large room.

I would advise having a meeting beforehand to discuss the level assessment to ensure you can standardise as much as possible. Create a score sheet out of 5 where 3 is the standard for a satisfactory student and anything above or below that recorded accordingly.

Good luck - let us know how it goes.
Laura

Otterman Ollie · Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 9:29 am Post subject:

Sounds like a nasty one ,what level are the kids ? Hopefully the instructions are idiotproof and the students can follow them,do you know if they are the ones you normally teach ?I think a general mark here is as much as you can reastically hope for .Good luck .

bigbadsuzie · Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 11:01 am Post subject:

Thanks for the responses ,so quick too.DMB sounds like you have done this before ,I have'nt tried this way before and I don't feel very confident withit ,a lot more practice would have been better .The students are at about intermediate level ,so the instructions should be easy for them to understand ,just have to be as coordinated and mobile as possible,having them set off at the same time means someone will finish before I get a chance to hear them . So what do I do then ?Ask them to repeat it ?

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

As I said Suzie, it's all in the setting up. Choose 4 activities that you think will last 15 minutes and stop them after 10 minutes. The purpose of this is assessment, it is not a goal orientated activity. Ss don't need to finish the activity. Are you in touch with Ian White down in Izmir? Speak to him about this way of assessment. After a few rakis he is quite opinuated about this. Razz

ddeubel · Joined: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 39

Is this summative? Or does it have some specific objectives regarding structures....? So many possibilities and variable to testing.

I have on my site , under teaching, an example of how to quickly assess students for leveled placement. Rubrik for speaking level also included. Scroll to find it. Andrew Finch in Daegu has some fine videos on assessment and is quite brave in asserting that teachers allow kids to design the assessment criteria (rubrik) and even a number of the questions / expected responses. I think that is the best function that testing has, it gives feedback to the learner about his/her learning. If it doesn't pass that litmus test, it is into the compost heap with it.

I hope more teachers think about how to incorporate students into the test design stage, even if only in thought. It is a start. Testing is always ongoing even though we pretend it isn't...

DD

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

The key question is do the students routinely do group work in class. If they do, then I fail to see the problem. Give them the role cards laying down what the activities are and set them up. Then walk around monitoring with a class list and space for the mark. After you've heard each student two or three times write down the mark.

I've done this on plenty of occasions and it works fine. The great advantage is that you have not wasted the whole lesson with each student only talking two minutes and the rest either queueing outside or sitting in the cafeteria.

Now if the students don't do group work routinely you have much more of a problem. I would spend one or two lessons beforehand with the students doing group work so they know what is expected.

bigbadsuzie · Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 2:06 pm Post subject:

Hey,this is great guys ,thanks a lot ,I have to confess that group work is not something I do alot with my students mostly pair work and then that is not too great ,perhaps thats why I'm a bit anxious about the whole thing .
I will try a bit more of that before the big day ,to get into the routine ,thats if they are prepared to listen esp on a friday ,can but try .Thanks dmb ,I will contact Ian he sometimes floats around the place when hes not doing other more challenging stuff,but being a mere prep class teacher our paths rarely cross,oh to hell with it I'll try knocking on his office door .
Many ,many, thanks for the responses thus far .
Ddeubel, can you give me your site link ,I 'd like to take a look

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

ddeubel · Joined: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 39

Sorry Suzie.

I thought it was part of my signature.

www.ddd.batcave.net

Click the teaching link and it takes you to the folder. Scroll and you'll find it.....

I would also add that with any speaking test, there should be something open ended whereby the teacher can adjust within a few percentage points, the test score of the student. This is crucial because a test is just one thing in a time and place and it is the teacher that best knows and knows how to elicit the language from the student. The teacher best knows from formative assessment, what the capabilities of the student is.....

But it is never easy this "mark" business.

DD

englishgibson · Joined: 09 Mar 2005 Posts: 4345

8 students in one simultaneous speaking exam is a rather interesting concept. I've tried that a few times before.

Now OP, I am a bit unclear about what kind of a school you are teaching at there or what kinds of courses are you providing for those fortunate ones there, but I am going to go ahead and assume that your courses are structured, leveled and students placed prior to courses.

What I have done and what I believe might be helpful for you is using that placement testing standards you've got there as a helper (if you have any), and then your course books breakdown. Couple those 8 students according to their abilities (as you should know them better by the end of your course). Once each of them has a suitable partner you might get more out of their role-plays. Stick to the topics and structure you have done in the course, since any unfamiliarity does usually throw some students off. If it is not a beginner class, then you might want to expand on the role-plays by asking them for their feedback further on. That way you'll increase your classroom's interactivity further on too. You will have to be at your best paying attention to all those points you need to and even then you'll still miss on something. The point is that this way your students might feel more comfy than speaking only to you in a closed room ONE on ONE.

Speaking exams have been a subject of conversations in many language schools, training centers and chain language operations as well as placement testings have. One on one placement tests do not work for every student apparently and speaking exams are not an exeption either. With regards to those speaking exams, they do attract some speaking efforts if they are done in a rather "social manner" and that's from my experience.

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

It is rather tough with setting up speaking tests and being able to monitor and not bore the rest of the class. I sometimes have other students working on class work I will collect later as well as another pair of students practicing before they do their role-play (while I7m evaluating the current pair). Another way to do it is to have 8 students in pairs with 4 tape-recorders. You listen to the tapes later (a guy does his presentations class this way) and make the evaluations then.

The circle setup with 8 is tough as you are going to get glimpses (which ideally will be enough), but what about the rest of the class?

Testing has no ideal setups, but I'm sure with the suggestions people have given you, you should be all right.