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Testing oral ability

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This document discusses challenges in testing oral ability and proposes solutions. It notes that oral tests must use representative tasks that elicit a valid sample of a candidate's oral skills. Three testing formats are proposed: interviews, interactions between candidates, and responses to audio/video stimuli. For interviews, the document recommends using a variety of question types, pictures, role plays, interpretations, and prepared monologues to elicit different language functions. It also provides tips for structuring tests, such as allowing sufficient time, avoiding reminders it is a test, and ensuring scorers are well-trained to reliably score responses. The goal is for oral tests to accurately measure a candidate's true oral communication abilities.

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TESTING ORAL ABILITY Paola Enr鱈quez D. 3.17.14
ORAL ABILITY Interact successfully Comprehension Production
PROBLEM IN TESTING ORAL ABILITY Representative sample of oral tasks Elicit behavior which truly represents the candidates ability Score validly and reliably
REPRESENTATIVE TASKS
Specify all possible content Functions Expressing, directing, describing, eliciting, narration, reporting Skills Informational, interactional, in managing interactions Types of text Addressees Topics Dialect, Accent, Style Include a representative sample of the specified content Content validity People will be better at some tasks than at others
Testing oral ability
ELICIT A VALID SAMPLE OF ORAL ABILITY
Choose the appropriate techniques Formats Interview Interaction with fellow candidates Responses to audio/video recorded stimuli
Format 1 - Interview Traditional form Relationship tester- candidate One style of speech is elicited
Questions and requests for information Try Avoid
Pictures Elicit descriptions
Role play Elicit other language functions Does it really elicit natural language?
Interpreting Test production and comprehension What do you think? Is it always feasible?
Prepared monologue Should be used only when the candidate needs the ability to make prepared presentations
Reading aloud Should be used only when the reading ability is a course objective
Format 2 Interaction with fellow candidates - Elicit language appropriate to exchanges between equals - Better performance - More confidence The performance of one candidate is likely to be affected by that of the others - Avoid more than groups of two people - Pairs should be carefully matched
Discussion Role play
Format 3 Responses to audio/video recordings - Uniformity of elicitation - Everybody receives the same information Inflexible
Described situations Remarks in isolation to respond to Simulated conversation You are walking through town one day and you meet two friends who you were sure had gone to live in the USA. What do you say? The candidate hears, Im afraid I havent managed to fix that cassette player of your yet. Sorry. The candidate is given information about a play which they are supposed to want to see, but not by themselves. The candidate is told to talk to a friend, Ann, on the telephone, and ask her to go to the theatre. The candidate hears a what Ann would say in the conversation.
Plan & structure the testing carefully Time of the test: as long as feasible Have a pattern to follow Give as many fresh starts as possible Avoid reminding candidates they are in a test Use second tester for interviews Set tasks & topics that cause no difficulty in the candidates first language Carry out the test in a quiet room Put the candidates at their ease so that the can show what they are capable of Collect enough relevant information Do not talk too much Select interviewers carefully & train them
ENSURE VALID AND RELIABLE SCORING
Create appropriate scales for scoring Calibrate the scale to be used Trains scorers Follow acceptable scoring procedures http://www.slideshare.net/rect/how-to-test-oral-production
American Foreign Service Institute
Testing oral ability
References Hughes, Arthur. Testing for Language Teachers.

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Testing oral ability

  • 1. TESTING ORAL ABILITY Paola Enr鱈quez D. 3.17.14
  • 3. PROBLEM IN TESTING ORAL ABILITY Representative sample of oral tasks Elicit behavior which truly represents the candidates ability Score validly and reliably
  • 5. Specify all possible content Functions Expressing, directing, describing, eliciting, narration, reporting Skills Informational, interactional, in managing interactions Types of text Addressees Topics Dialect, Accent, Style Include a representative sample of the specified content Content validity People will be better at some tasks than at others
  • 7. ELICIT A VALID SAMPLE OF ORAL ABILITY
  • 8. Choose the appropriate techniques Formats Interview Interaction with fellow candidates Responses to audio/video recorded stimuli
  • 9. Format 1 - Interview Traditional form Relationship tester- candidate One style of speech is elicited
  • 10. Questions and requests for information Try Avoid
  • 12. Role play Elicit other language functions Does it really elicit natural language?
  • 13. Interpreting Test production and comprehension What do you think? Is it always feasible?
  • 14. Prepared monologue Should be used only when the candidate needs the ability to make prepared presentations
  • 15. Reading aloud Should be used only when the reading ability is a course objective
  • 16. Format 2 Interaction with fellow candidates - Elicit language appropriate to exchanges between equals - Better performance - More confidence The performance of one candidate is likely to be affected by that of the others - Avoid more than groups of two people - Pairs should be carefully matched
  • 18. Format 3 Responses to audio/video recordings - Uniformity of elicitation - Everybody receives the same information Inflexible
  • 19. Described situations Remarks in isolation to respond to Simulated conversation You are walking through town one day and you meet two friends who you were sure had gone to live in the USA. What do you say? The candidate hears, Im afraid I havent managed to fix that cassette player of your yet. Sorry. The candidate is given information about a play which they are supposed to want to see, but not by themselves. The candidate is told to talk to a friend, Ann, on the telephone, and ask her to go to the theatre. The candidate hears a what Ann would say in the conversation.
  • 20. Plan & structure the testing carefully Time of the test: as long as feasible Have a pattern to follow Give as many fresh starts as possible Avoid reminding candidates they are in a test Use second tester for interviews Set tasks & topics that cause no difficulty in the candidates first language Carry out the test in a quiet room Put the candidates at their ease so that the can show what they are capable of Collect enough relevant information Do not talk too much Select interviewers carefully & train them
  • 21. ENSURE VALID AND RELIABLE SCORING
  • 22. Create appropriate scales for scoring Calibrate the scale to be used Trains scorers Follow acceptable scoring procedures http://www.slideshare.net/rect/how-to-test-oral-production
  • 25. References Hughes, Arthur. Testing for Language Teachers.