This document discusses considerations for oral exams and evaluating students' speaking skills. It provides examples of different types of speaking tasks that could be used for exams, including one-way tasks like describing experiences and two-way tasks like role plays and discussions. Some characteristics of good speaking tasks are outlined, such as replicating real-life language use and allowing students to contribute equally. The document also provides rubrics and criteria that could be used to evaluate students' pronunciation, fluency, structure, vocabulary, and comprehension. Suggestions are made to focus on these language features when grading oral exams.

2. 1.Some considerations
regarding oral exams
2.Why must we give an oral
exam?
3.What we are doing now
4.What we should be doing
5.Rubrics are a must

3. 
I evaluate my students’
speaking skills by _____.

The criteria I use to grade
my students’ oral
communication skills are
_____.

The problems and
challenges I have with
evaluating my students’
oral skills are _____.

5. • Tasks resemble what
people do in real life.
• Performance needs to be
spontaneous.
• Examination tasks are not
prepared in advance.
• Ss language ability need
assessing in different
speech contexts.

6. • One-way information flow
tasks:
• describing experiences,
events, activities, habits,
plans, people;
• comparing and contrasting
pictures;
• sequencing activities, events,
pictures;
• giving instructions or
directions.

7. • Two-way information flow
activities:
• transactions to obtain
goods and services,
• casual conversations,
• informal or formal
discussions,
• interviews, etc.

9. The third wheel
Take a picture card and find
the other two people who
match your group.
Ex.: Batman, Robin &
Catwoman

10. Discuss in your groups:
Why should we do oral
exams?
(come up with at least
three answers)

11. For Ss to demonstrate:
1.Knowledge
2.Ability to communicate
3.They can interact
4.They can manage language
5.Balance accuracy and
fluency

13. Work in pairs. Look at the
following statements.
Discuss with your partner.
Are the statements true or
false? Explain your
decision.

14. 2.Good speaking tasks try to
1.Speaking tasks can be
3.In role play tasks both
replicate real life language
use.
used with any student
irrespective of their level of
proficiency.
students should have an
opportunity to contribute
equally to the exchange.

15. 5.Speaking tasks should
6.Any classroom teacher
4.activities in
generate a rateable
language sample from
candidates.
can write speaking tasks
for assessment purposes.
course books can be used
as test tasks.

16. Speaking tasks should:
• measure intended level and
skills;
• provide scope for Ss to
perform;
• provide Ss with opportunity
to contribute equally ;

17. Speaking tasks should:
• replicate real life language
use;
• explore topics Ss can
express an opinion;
• generate rateable language
sample from Ss.

18. Tell a story or personal
anecdote
Ss tell a story they make up
or a true story about
something that has
happened to them.

19. Tell a story or
personal anecdote
Tell me about a holiday you had.
Tell me about a difficult journey you
had.
Tell me about a perfect day you’ve
had.
Tell me about a special event in
your life.

20. Information gap
activities
A student looks at some
information and another looks
at different information and
then they talk and exchange
the information.

21. Information gap
activities
Student A: Look at the information
about films at the local cinema.
Listen to your partner’s questions
and use the information to answer
them.
Student B: Look at the information
about films at the local cinema and
ask your partner questions to find
out more about the films.

22. Discussions
Present Ss with a topic that
has pros and cons, or
advantages and
disadvantages.

23. Discussions
• Young people under 15
shouldn’t use mobile phones.
• There shouldn’t be any
advertising on TV during
children’s programs.
• Famous celebrities shouldn’t
complain if the paparazzi take
photos of them every day.
• It is the children’s responsibility
to look after their parents when
they get

24. Talk about a photo
Present Ss with a picture of any
sort.
Ss can describe the picture.
Invent a story based on it.

25. Talk about a photo

26. I usually grade Ss on:
Pronunciation
Fluency
Structure
Vocabulary
Comprehension
But I apply the «ojo de buen
cubero»

27. Let’s group up:

28.  Notes on Assessing Speaking; B.
O’Sullivan; 2008
 5 Keys to Designing and Conducting
Effective ESL Speaking Tests; C.
Pesce; 2012
 Into Europe: The Speaking
Handbook; I. Csépes, G. Együd;
 Assessing speaking skills: a
workshop for teacher development;
Ben Knight; ELT Journal Volume
46/3 July 1992
 Task difficulty in speaking tests; G.
Fulcher, R. M6rquez Reiter;
Language Testing; 2003
 http://learnenglishteens.britishcounci
l.org/exams/speaking-exams/fluency

29. destrell@espol.edu.ec