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Speaking Tests

 
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I-am-me



Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Location: Hermit Kingdom

PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2009 12:20 am    Post subject: Speaking Tests Reply with quote

I had to laugh today. Kids memorized sentences word for word for several different questions. They were all pretty good but I was tempted to ask a question that they didnt memorize! I thought it was funny.
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Joe666



Joined: 19 Nov 2008
Location: Jesus it's hot down here!

PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2009 5:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had them all week. Monotonous. I had 3 sets of 4 questions and they did pass the info. between themselves. Alot of them gave it away by how quick they answered. Some even answered incorrectly before I finished stating the question. You pretty much have to have different questions for each class of a particular grade. Little bastards!!
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I-am-me



Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Location: Hermit Kingdom

PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2009 5:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

In my case, they were given the questions ahead of time. In one class they actually spent the hour writing out their answers! They all came in with their little notebook pages so I got a laugh when they started. It was word by word!. Even where they had a scratch mark is where they paused their speech. It was hilarious!!! Laughing
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Joe666



Joined: 19 Nov 2008
Location: Jesus it's hot down here!

PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2009 1:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mine was middle school, grades 1 and 2 (7 and 8 in the U.S.). I submitted my questions to my co-teachers, they checked them out etc. I don't understand your school's policy. It's a speaking test! It sounds like you gave them a writing test. I try to alway's heep in mind that we are here to expose these students to the true English voice (whatever that is?), and get them to speak out in English. An almost impossible feat.

I will admit, these kida are damn saavy and they have a good hold on the west, especially the U.S. I like it!!!!!
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Demophobe



Joined: 17 May 2004

PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2009 3:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Joe666 wrote:
I don't understand your school's policy. It's a speaking test! It sounds like you gave them a writing test.


QFT. "Speaking test"...more like "Spoken test".
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Joe666



Joined: 19 Nov 2008
Location: Jesus it's hot down here!

PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2009 5:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Demophobe: QFT. "Speaking test"...more like "Spoken test".

Demophobe, I am not big on the whole text message truncation of a language. I realize QFT is an acronym, but for what? Thanks brother, I am trying to get with the program. Not sure if the program wants me....
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Demophobe



Joined: 17 May 2004

PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2009 6:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Joe666 wrote:
Demophobe: QFT. "Speaking test"...more like "Spoken test".

Demophobe, I am not big on the whole text message truncation of a language. I realize QFT is an acronym, but for what? Thanks brother, I am trying to get with the program. Not sure if the program wants me....


Well, as far as my somewhat not-with-the-internet-slang-either self knows, it means "quoted for truth". This can be either in the pejorative, as in 'I am quoting your stupidity' or conversely, 'I am quoting your amazing insight'. I meant the latter.
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jinks



Joined: 27 Oct 2004
Location: Formerly: Lower North Island

PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2009 10:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

hahahaha
I read it as quite f***ing true
Not quite with the programme, but not far off
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Joe666



Joined: 19 Nov 2008
Location: Jesus it's hot down here!

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 12:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

jinks: hahahaha
I read it as quite f***ing true
Not quite with the programme, but not far off


Exactly the first thing that popped into my head. Just wanted to be sure! I wasn't sure if he was ripping me or agreeing. There seems to be quite a bit of "ripping" here at Davies.
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cruisemonkey



Joined: 04 Jul 2005
Location: Hopefully, the same place as my luggage.

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 12:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Joe666 wrote:
There seems to be quite a bit of "ripping" here at Davies.

Hey devil boy... it's the nature of the beast. Wink
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Joe666



Joined: 19 Nov 2008
Location: Jesus it's hot down here!

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 3:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

cruisemonkey: Hey devil boy... it's the nature of the beast.


I like it!
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Whistleblower



Joined: 03 Feb 2007

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 11:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Backwash" I say. "Backwash".
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Jammer113



Joined: 13 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2009 7:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

When I was in my beginning university Chinese class, my professor always gave the speaking test questions beforehand. I would study my butt off, and still have trouble answering the questions. I wasn't horrible at chinese, either. I could hold (simple) conversations with my chinese language exchange partner.

I'm not saying that it's a good or bad system for the students to have the answers beforehand.. just that it doesn't make it 'easy'. And I don't look down on students who can't do it, even after being given the answer.

And if a student can catch your question before you're finished asking it... he's certainly studied! He may be cheating (was it specified that students couldn't talk about their test?), but you at least have to give him credit for studying the cheat sheet to death.
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Demophobe



Joined: 17 May 2004

PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2009 1:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jammer113 wrote:
When I was in my beginning university Chinese class, my professor always gave the speaking test questions beforehand. I would study my butt off, and still have trouble answering the questions. I wasn't horrible at chinese, either. I could hold (simple) conversations with my chinese language exchange partner.

I'm not saying that it's a good or bad system for the students to have the answers beforehand.. just that it doesn't make it 'easy'. And I don't look down on students who can't do it, even after being given the answer.

And if a student can catch your question before you're finished asking it... he's certainly studied! He may be cheating (was it specified that students couldn't talk about their test?), but you at least have to give him credit for studying the cheat sheet to death.



Sounds like you are a proponent of the Korean notion of good memory = intelligent, an idea proven time and again to be incorrect, but they can't seem to remember that fact.

It may not make a recall quiz 'easy', giving them the answers, but it does make the idea of 'an English test' moot.
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Whistleblower



Joined: 03 Feb 2007

PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2009 1:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hmm:

http://eltj.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/49/1/13

Quote:
Teach: If you teach someone something you give them instructions so they know about it or how to do it; you make them think, feel or act in a new or different way; you explain or show students how to do something. (Collins' COBUILD Dictionary)

Test: To find out how much someone knows by asking them questions. (Longman's Active Study Dictionary).

�Teach� and �test� are quite close together in a dictionary, but in testing we do different things from the things we do when we teach. This article assesses the concept of �backwash� in language teaching, looks at the consequences of testing on teaching in a broad educational context, and suggests that �negative backwash� makes good language teaching more difficult. The two processes of testing and teaching are considered to be necessary but distinct. A system is described for distinguishing between them which is then applied to developing classroom activities for examination preparation classes, to help teachers move from testing to teaching procedures.


Typical forum backwash.
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