Assessing Oral Language Proficiency in our students

Learning about speaking tests

The Lighter Side….

What’s on tap?

What are the principles of good test design?

Practice making test rubrics and assessing.

Learn how to deliver and design a “retelling” speaking test AND a level placement test.

The Objective of Education

What do you believe….?

We give tests so that ……………………..Tests provide teachers with ……………………..

When testing in my class, I usually ……………………..Tests help students ……………………..

A good speaking test should ……………………..All tests must ……………………..

My opinion on tests is ……………………..An example of one kind of test is ……………………..

1

Listening skills / C

omp.

Vocabulary

FluencyGram

mar

What should we assess?

Pronunciation

What does speaking consist of?

The Alphabet Soup of Assessment

Background: The Purpose of Tests

Andrew Finch, Kyungpook Nat. Univ. of Education , Daegu, S. Korea

Complete the Following…..

The purpose of testing is….Tests can easily become ….Classroom based tests

should ………Also, they should ……….

Complete the Following…..

The purpose of testing is…. To give information to the

students and teachers (also parents!)

Complete the Following…..

Tests can easily become ….

Normative and Comparative.

(but should be Criterion based and about what the student CAN do)

Complete the following

Classroom based tests should ………

- Non – threatening environment

- Focus on “real situations” and the process of learning.

Complete the Following…..

Also, they should ……….

Provide big picture. Emphasize thinking skills and collaboration.

provide information and be about the learning.

THE GOLDEN RULE!

Test what the student CAN do

NOT

What the student can’t!

Basics 1 – Making a rubric

What is a rubric?

"a scoring tool that lists the criteria for a piece of work or 'what counts.' "

-- Heidi Goodrich

2-3

Fill in the rubric with descriptors

Fluency

Pronunciation

Effort

Vocabulary

Limited

Parts clear Mostly clear Very clearunclear

some good WellDeveloped

limited adequate sound extensive

poor fair Good excellent

Assessing through an Interview

Students know the questions and have practiced.

Design the rubric. Select 4 questions to ask a

student. Score the student based on their

response.

Oral Assessment using retelling

Retelling is a powerful way to fully assess a student’s ability to produce language. It shows with validity that a student understands the language used and most importantly, can use it.

______________________________________1. List the main ideas of the story.2. Design a rubric or storytelling checklist.3. Ask the student(s) to retell the story. 4. Check all ideas that the student

successfully retells/relates. 5. Total the score.

Checklist

Major Ideas: Heungbu / Nolbu 1 2 3Two brothers, one good , one bad.Heungbu asks for food. Nolbu refuses.A swallow comes. Heungbu helps. Gets a seed.3 pumpkins grow. Treasure comes out.

Nolbu is jealous. Does the same. Monsters come out. Heungbu helps Nolbu. Nolbu changes.They live happily.

Score

Oral Assessment using “sequencing” – HOW TO…….

Explaining “how to” do something is an excellent way to assess student speaking ability. ________________________________

1. List the main steps. Teach / practice.2. Design a checklist.3. Ask the student(s) to explain “how to...” 4. Check all steps that the student

successfully retells/relates. 5. Total the score.

4

Checklist

Steps: How to make a P&J sandwich 1 2 3Get two slices of bread.

Put peanut butter on one.

Put jelly on top of the peanut butter.

Cut the sandwich in half.

Eat the sandwich!

Beware of “narrow” testing

Be Careful!

Assure all students understand the criteria of assessment (the rubric) Did you teach enough, the required content?

Check for “Silent Period”Provide a proper

environment / warm up.Test what you taught!

Give students specific feedback

allow for a retake. Praise!Flood & Lapp, 1992

Pre Test

During Testing

After Testing

Placement Testing

A great Picture

Questions in increasing difficulty

Vocabulary Rank

Key Vocabulary

Character 1: Character 2:

Websites to help test speaking

Teacher Evaluation

http://eflclassroom.ning.com

ddeubel@gmail.com

http://eflclassroom.ning.com

“one teaches, two learn.”