Uploaded byKarla Marcela Essmann Torres
Speaking tasks
This document outlines the specifications for an English speaking assessment given to university students in Chile. It consists of two tasks: 1) telling a story based on a series of pictures, and 2) expressing preferences and giving directions. The document provides details on the test purpose, examinees, constructs being tested, tasks, scoring rubrics, and procedures. It describes revising the scoring after piloting to use separate rubrics for each task instead of one combined rubric.
More Related Content
Speaking tasks
- 1. UNIVERSIDAD CATOLICA DELA SSMA. CONCEPCION ASSESSING SPEAKING ASSESSMENT EDUCATION FACULTY ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT KARLA ESSMANN TORRES ANALIA NOVA GONZALEZ PROFESSOR ROXANNA CORREA PEREZ DATE CONCEPCION, 2013
- 2. Assessing Speaking Página 2 Speakingtask 1 Please look at the six pictures below. Tell the story that the pictures show, starting with picture number 1 and going through picture number 6. Please take one minute to look at the pictures and think about the story. Do not begin the story until you are told to do so. Tell me the story that the pictures show. (3 minutes) (ETS, 2002) 2 31 54 6
- 3. Assessing Speaking Página 3 Speakingtask 2 Please look at the pictures below. When you need to buy some provisions, do you prefer a shop or a supermarket? Why? (2 minutes) Imagine that we are standing in front of your house. Tell me how to get to the shop or supermarket from there. Please take one minute to think about the answer. Do not answer until you are told to do so. Answer the question. (3 minutes) Shop Supermarket (© Nasjonalt læremiddelsenter, Norway, 1996) SEE ATTACHED HARD COPY
- 4. Assessing Speaking Página 4 Specificationsfrom Luoma (2004) 1. Test purpose: The purpose of the test is to evaluate the student’s capacity of telling a story, expressing preferences and giving directions. 2. Description of the examinees: Age: 18 years old Grade: First year at the University Level of English: Intermediate Hour of English: 2 modules per week (45 minutes each) Other English courses: English summer camps 2013 3. Test Level: For University students. Intermediate 4. Definition of construct: Luoma, S. (2004). Assessing speaking. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. 5. Number of sections/ papers: 2 sections. 6. Time for each section paper: - First section: 4 minutes. - Second section: 6 minutes.
- 5. Assessing Speaking Página 5 7.Weighting for each section: Each section contains 16 points. 8. Target language situation: “Sequencing events to tell a story”: First, second, then, next, finally, simple past tense. “Expressing preferences”: I prefer this...because... “Giving directions”: Go straight on, turn back./go back, turn left/right (into …-street), go along, cross, take the first/second road on the left/right, straight on, opposite, near, next to, between, at the end (of), on/at the corner, behind, in front of, around the corner. 9. Text types: Three pictures and written questions. 10. Text Length: Two pages long which take as a whole 10 minutes. 11. Language skill to be tested: Speaking (oral performance). 12. Language elements to be tested: Fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary, articulateness. 13. Test tasks: -Speaking task 1 Please look at the six pictures below. Tell me the story that the pictures show, starting with picture number 1 and going through picture number 6. Please take one minute to look at the pictures and think about the story. Do not begin the story until you are told to do so. Tell me the story that the pictures show. (3 minutes)
- 6. Assessing Speaking Página 6 -Speakingtask 2 Please look at the pictures below. When you need to buy some groceries, do you prefer a grocery shop or a supermarket? Why? (2 minutes) Imagine that we are standing in front of your house. Tell me how to get to the shop or supermarket from there. Please take one minute to think about the answer. Do not answer until you are told to do so. Answer the question. (3 minutes) 14. Test Methods: The test will be individual, in the first section the test taker will have 4 minutes to answer and in the second section the test taker will have 6 minutes to answer.
- 7. Assessing Speaking Página 7 15.Rubric: Rubric for assessing speaking performance Nº1: Name: _______________________________ Speaking rubric 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 Fluency - Language flows smoothly during the speech - Good pronunciation - Some hesitation during the speech - Some difficulty in pronunciation - Frequent hesitation during the speech - Frequent difficulty in pronunciation - Hesitation is shown in the whole speech - Difficulty in pronunciation is shown in the whole speech Language Control -Easy to follow - Message communicated without errors - Fairly easy to follow - Message communicated with few errors - Difficult to follow - Considerable errors that impede communication - Impossible to follow - Significant errors that impede communication Content -Wide variety of vocabulary and structures - Exceeds minimum requirements - Use of necessary vocabulary and structures - Meets minimum requirements - Use of less than necessary vocabulary and structures - Does not meet minimum requirements -Lacking in needed words and structures - Under minimum requirements Risk- taking -Very creative - Use of accurate words to clarify or convey meaning - Creative -Use of suitable words to clarify or convey meaning -Moderately creative - Use of few suitable words to clarify or convey meaning -Not creative - Use of unsuitable words to clarify or convey meaning OVERALL SCORE Adapted from: https://www.teachingforexcellence.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/WORLD-LANGUAGE-SAMPLE- WRITING-SPEAKING-RUBRICS.pdf
- 8. Assessing Speaking Página 8 Ratingscale for assessing speaking performance Nº2: Adapted from: www.ealmb.ca/.../speaking-rubric- - - 16. Criteria for marking: Task Nº1: Fluency, language control, content, risk taking. Task Nº2: Task instructions were followed, Speaks intelligibly, Purpose of communication is achieved, Language and content are relevant and appropriate for context, and purpose. 17. Description typical performance at each level: See page 7 and 8. 18. Description of what candidates at each level can do in the real world: See page 7 and 8. 19. Sample papers: See page 2 and 3. 20. Sample of student’s performance on task: See pages 12, 13 and 14. Holistic Criteria (Overall Effectiveness) Exceeds Level (4) Achieved Level (3) Elementary (2) Needs improvement (1) Task instructions were followed. Speaks intelligibly. Purpose of communication is achieved. Language and content are relevant and appropriate for context and purpose.
- 9. Assessing Speaking Página 9 FulcherSpecifications 1. Task Orientation: Guided since the structure and information is given by the examiner; however, the examinee is free to use different vocabulary or structures. 2. Interactional relationship: It is one way interaction, since the examiner and the examinee interact with each other. 3. Goal orientation: Convergent. 4. Interlocutor Status and familiarity: Teacher -Students: Higher status. Students – Teacher: Lower status. 5. Topic: Sequencing events to tell a story, expressing preferences, giving directions.
- 10. Assessing Speaking Página 10 ScoringProcedure Rubric for assessing speaking performance Nº1 Name: _______________________________ Speaking rubric 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 Fluency - Language flows smoothly during the speech - Good pronunciation - Some hesitation during the speech - Some difficulty in pronunciation - Frequent hesitation during the speech - Frequent difficulty in pronunciation - Hesitation is shown in the whole speech - Difficulty in pronunciation is shown in the whole speech Language Control -Easy to follow - Message communicated without errors - Fairly easy to follow - Message communicated with few errors - Difficult to follow - Considerable errors that impede communication - Impossible to follow - Significant errors that impede communication Content -Wide variety of vocabulary and structures - Exceeds minimum requirements - Use of necessary vocabulary and structures - Meets minimum requirements - Use of less than necessary vocabulary and structures - Does not meet minimum requirements -Lacking in needed words and structures - Under minimum requirements Risk- taking -Very creative - Use of accurate words to clarify or convey meaning - Creative -Use of suitable words to clarify or convey meaning -Moderately creative - Use of few suitable words to clarify or convey meaning -Not creative - Use of unsuitable words to clarify or convey meaning OVERALL SCORE Adapted from: https://www.teachingforexcellence.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/WORLD-LANGUAGE-SAMPLE- WRITING-SPEAKING-RUBRICS.pdf
- 11. Assessing Speaking Página 11 Ratingscale for assessing speaking performance Nº2 Name: _______________________________ Adapted from: www.ealmb.ca/.../speaking-rubric- - - Holistic Criteria (Overall Effectiveness) Exceeds Level (4) Achieved Level (3) Elementary (2) Needs improvement (1) Task instructions were followed. Speaks intelligibly. Purpose of communication is achieved. Language and content are relevant and appropriate for context and purpose.
- 12. Assessing Speaking Página 12 Firstattempt of scoring procedure At the beginning of this task our first attempt was to prepare only one rubric for the two different speaking tasks of the test. However, by piloting the test, it was detected that it is needed one rubric per task, since each task has different needs. Moreover, for the rater it was difficult to score two tasks at a time in only one rubric. Rubric for assessing speaking performance Nº1 Name: _______________________________ Speaking rubric 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 Fluency - Language flows smoothly during the speech - Good pronunciation - Some hesitation during the speech - Some difficulty in pronunciation - Frequent hesitation during the speech - Frequent difficulty in pronunciation - Hesitation is shown in the whole speech - Difficulty in pronunciation is shown in the whole speech Language Control -Easy to follow - Message communicated without errors - Fairly easy to follow - Message communicated with few errors - Difficult to follow - Considerable errors that impede communication - Impossible to follow - Significant errors that impede communication Content -Wide variety of vocabulary and structures - Exceeds minimum requirements - Use of necessary vocabulary and structures - Meets minimum requirements - Use of less than necessary vocabulary and structures - Does not meet minimum requirements -Lacking in needed words and structures - Under minimum requirements Risk- taking -Very creative - Use of accurate words to clarify or convey meaning - Creative -Use of suitable words to clarify or convey meaning -Moderately creative - Use of few suitable words to clarify or convey meaning -Not creative - Use of unsuitable words to clarify or convey meaning OVERALL SCORE Adapted from: https://www.teachingforexcellence.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/WORLD-LANGUAGE-SAMPLE- WRITING-SPEAKING-RUBRICS.pdf
- 13. Assessing Speaking Página 13 Secondattempt of scoring procedure In the second attempt of the piloting it was used the same first rubric but, in this case only for task Nº1. Besides, a rating scale was added for the second task in order to make the test organized and clear. Rubric for assessing speaking performance task Nº1 Name: _______________________________ Speaking rubric 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 Fluency - Language flows smoothly during the speech - Good pronunciation - Some hesitation during the speech - Some difficulty in pronunciation - Frequent hesitation during the speech - Frequent difficulty in pronunciation - Hesitation is shown in the whole speech - Difficulty in pronunciation is shown in the whole speech Language Control -Easy to follow - Message communicated without errors - Fairly easy to follow - Message communicated with few errors - Difficult to follow - Considerable errors that impede communication - Impossible to follow - Significant errors that impede communication Content -Wide variety of vocabulary and structures - Exceeds minimum requirements - Use of necessary vocabulary and structures - Meets minimum requirements - Use of less than necessary vocabulary and structures - Does not meet minimum requirements -Lacking in needed words and structures - Under minimum requirements Risk- taking -Very creative - Use of accurate words to clarify or convey meaning - Creative -Use of suitable words to clarify or convey meaning -Moderately creative - Use of few suitable words to clarify or convey meaning -Not creative - Use of unsuitable words to clarify or convey meaning OVERALL SCORE Adapted from: https://www.teachingforexcellence.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/WORLD-LANGUAGE-SAMPLE- WRITING-SPEAKING-RUBRICS.pdf
- 14. Assessing Speaking Página 14 Ratingscale for assessing speaking performance task Nº2 The following rubric is the instrument we used to asses task number 2 from the speaking test. Name: _______________________________ Adapted from: www.ealmb.ca/.../speaking-rubric- - - Holistic Criteria (Overall Effectiveness) Exceeds Level (4) Achieved Level (3) Elementary (2) Needs improvement (1) Task instructions were followed. Speaks intelligibly. Purpose of communication is achieved. Language and content are relevant and appropriate for context and purpose.
- 15. Assessing Speaking Página 15 References ETS(2002). TSE Practice Questions. Downloaded from http://www.toefl.org/tse/ tseindx.html under the Practice questions link, 15 May 2002. INSERT SIX PICTURE Fulcher, G. (n.d.). In Assessing Speaking: Putting the Pieces Together. Retrieved June 3, 2013, from http://uvirtual.ucsc.cl/file.php/9281/AssessingSpeaking4-12.pdf Luoma, S. (2004). Assessing speaking. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Nasjonalt læremiddelsenter (Norway) (1996). Kartleggning av kommunikativ kompetanse i engelsk. Speaking test. 8th class. Oslo: Nasjonalt læremiddelsenter.