Chapter 7 :Oral production tests doc

Chapter 7:
Oral production
tests

I. Some difficulties in testing
the speaking skills

There aren’t still the exact criteria for measuring
speaking skills as well as the weighting given to
such components as correct pronunciation.

The interdependence of the speaking and

listening skill increases the difficulty of any
serious attempt to analyze precisely what is being
tested at one time.

Administration is another difficulty as it is
impossible to test a large number of students
because of limited time involved.

II. Reading aloud

generally used when it is desired to access
pronunciation as distinct from the total speaking

skills.

constructing suitable tests, testers should imagine
actual situations in real life in which the testees may
be required to read aloud.

The retelling of a short story or incident more
useful than reading aloud; but unfortunately this test
measures other skills: reading comprehension,
memory and organization.

III. Conversational exchanges

(Type 1&2)
(1) Testees are given a series of situations and are
required to construct sentences on the lines of a
certain pattern or a group of patterns. They read or
hear the situation and then make the appropriate
responses.
(2) This type of item is similar to the previous one, but
no model responses are given by the examiner
and the students are free to use whatever patterns
they wish.

Type 3, 4 & 5

(3) The testees hear a stimulus to which they must
respond in any appropriate way.
(4) This type is similar to type 3, but the stimuli and
responses form part of a longer dialogue and the
situation is developed.
(5) This item takes the form of incomplete dialogue
with prompts whispered in the student’s ear.

IV. Using pictures for assessing
oral production

Pictures of single objects can be used for testing

the production of significant phoneme contrasts.

Pictures are also used to test learners’ ability to
describe or narrate a story.

Advertisements, posters and strip cartoons may
be used for classroom tests.

IV. Using pictures for assessing
oral production (con.)

Careful selection of the pictures will help in

controlling the basic vocabulary required and may
determine the type of sentence structure

The most effective type of oral examination using
pictures requires not only narration or picture
description but also discussion about the picture
concerned.

Another effective way of assessing a student’s
ability to speak is to give pairs or groups of
students a task to perform

Notes
i) When scoring students’ performances, the
examiner should concentrate on what individual
students are doing with the target language, and
how they are using the target language to achieve
their purpose
ii) If students are examined in small groups, they
should be given a sequence of pictures to arrange.


VI. The oral interview


The scoring  highly subjective & sometimes low
reliability.

Testee’s performance in a particular interview may not
accurately reflect his or her true ability.

This kind of test offers a realistic means of assessing the
total oral skill in a natural speech situation.

However, oral interview is artificial and unrealistic as
testees are placed not in natural real-life speech situations
but in examination situations.


Testees are susceptible to psychological tensions,
constraints of necessary style and register in such a
situation.

Some ways to avoid problems in administrating
oral interviews (1-2)

The classroom teacher  the examiner; if
an external examiner required sitting at
the back of the room or in any obscure
place.


oral interview is usually the most difficult
for the examiner as (s) he must take the
dual role i.e. of both language partner and
assessor.

Some ways to avoid problems in
administrating oral interviews (3,4& 5)

never attempt to note down marks or
comments while the testee is still engaged
in the interview.


interviewing in pairs or groups to help
testees to avoid tension and language
constraints they will feel free to converse
and use language in a more natural and
purposeful way.

to ensure two sts have similar or
sympathetic personalities & have similar
levels of language ability

Some ways to avoid problems in

administrating oral interviews (6-7)

concerned more with the examinees’ use
of the target language to achieve their
goals rather than with their knowledge or
their actual ability to accomplish the task
given.

grammatical acceptability and
pronunciation, but also appropriacy of
language and effectiveness of
communication.

Some ways to avoid problems in
administrating oral interviews (8-9)

The oral interview should be scored only
after the student has left the room.

In order to devise a suitable scale, the
examiner should first describe clearly the
criteria for assessing oral ability.

VII. Some other techniques for oral examining

(1) the short talk

testees may be allowed several days or only a few
minutes to prepare the talk.

a realistic test of sustained speech, but an
extremely difficult exam for L2 learners at all but
the most advanced stages

preventing students from learning whole sections
of their talk


Vague subjects should be avoided

VII. Some other techniques for oral examining
(con.)
(2) group discussing and role playing

important techniques for assessing oral production,
the teacher can discover how students are thinking
and using the target language

taking a minor role to control the role play


feeling free to interrupt or control the discussion in a
diplomatic way to ensure that each member of the
group makes a contribution

General conclusions

Classroom teacher/the examiner & his/her continuous assessment
 a reliable method of measuring oral skills

the oral interview useful because of its beneficial backwash
effects on teaching


(1) an oral interview involving two testees; (2) a short problem-
solving activity involving the comparison or sequencing of pictures;
and (3) a longer activity comprising group discussion or a role play
(for classroom tests)

The teacher must frequently consider the effects of examination on
teaching and learning. For instance, if the reading aloud section is
considered harmful in its effects on teaching, it should be omitted
from the exam.