Chi-Yang Wu
T&L816
Dr. Markham
March 13, 2006
Speaking Assessment
I. Student’s Background:
Twelve international students are learning English as a Second Language in a
Speaking & Listening class taught through the Applied English Center at the
University of Kansas. This class is a Listening-Speaking Level 4 class(6 credit
hours)—high intermediate level, according to the AEC. Students need to come to the
class three times a week and each class lasts for 110 minutes.
We have been covering the topic humor for about a week. Along with the
material from the textbook and some extra information provided by the teacher,
students have become quite familiar with this issue related to humor, such as now
laughter can promote health, things that make you laugh, etc.
II. Assessment Objectives:
Before moving to the next topic, I would like to give a small-scale formal
speaking proficiency assessment. In order to evaluate students’ up-to-date learning
condition and estimate which parts we should put more emphasis on, this speaking
assessment will mainly serve as a way of keeping track on monitoring students’
improvement.
The speaking assessment primarily evaluates and elicits students’ current oral
proficiency regarding five elements of comprehension, fluency, vocabulary,
pronunciation, and grammar in terms of two parts: read-aloud task and picture-cue
elicitation.
By doing so, students would be able to be aware of their weakness, involving
possibly self-correcting and self-learning, and the teacher would be able to find right
ways to target those problematic places.
III. Procedure:
There are two parts in this speaking assessment. Part I is about read-aloud task:
one around 150 words passage, which relates to the current topic issue, will be
provided for the students to read out loud. Part II is about picture-cued elicitation: four
cartoon pictures will be presented to the students to elicit oral narrative within a
limited time. Students will be rated consistently according to the designated rating
criteria. During the assessment, there will be a digital recorder set aside and record
each student’s output, which make it easy to go back and review and check again for
better reliability.
During the assessment, each student will move to another classroom one by one,
and those who haven’t gone for assessment would stay in the original classroom for
preparation. Each student will have total seven minutes to be assessed. Once they
have done with their assessment, they can leave. Besides, we drew for the order of
assessment with regard to equality before the end of the last class. We also briefly
talked about the contents and rules that would be used to evaluate students’
proficiency in order to lower their anxiety and uneasiness.
Part I: Read-Aloud Task (see attachment I)
(Students will hear)
Instruction: Please read the following passage out loud.
(Students read it out loud within two minute.)
Note: The teacher could simultaneously grade students’ performance based on
the rating criteria and go back to check again with the aid of the digital recorder.
Part II: Picture-cued Elicitation (see attachment II)
(Students will hear)
Instruction: According to the four cartoon pictures I now give you, you will have
five minutes to respond. Please rank each cartoon on how funny you think it is
and give your reasons for why you think they are funny. You might use sentences
(students could have their choice to use them or not.) like: “I think the funniest
cartoon here is……..because……” “And then……..” Or “The least funny one
is…..” in your response. Before you start, you will have 30 seconds to preview
these four cartoons in advance. Now any questions? (pause for 30 seconds) Now,
you may start.
Note: The teacher could simultaneously grade students’ performance based on
the rating criteria and go back to check again with the aid of the digital recorder.
Also, except for giving an appropriate smile, nodding, and so on to help the
students relax and elicit the most authentic oral competence, the teacher won’t
provide any oral help and will just listen silently.
IV. Rating Criteria:
Part I will be rated in terms of pronunciation and fluency, ranging from 0 point to
3 points, as the following rubric:
Rubric for Rating “Read-Aloud Task”
0 point
1 points
2 points
3 points
Pronunciation
Frequent
phonemic errors
and foreign stress
and intonation
patterns that the
listener cannot
understand at all.
Some consistent
phonemic errors
and foreign stress
and intonation
patterns, but the
listener could
understand.
Almost
native-like
pronunciation,
few errors, and
the listener can
always
understand.
Fluency
Speech is halting,
fragmentary, or
has no flow at all.
Frequent
phonemic errors
and foreign stress
and intonation
patterns that the
listener
occasionally
understands.
Speech has a lot
of non-native
pauses and a
non-native flow.
Speech still has
some non-native
pauses, but with a
nearly native
flow.
Speech is smooth
and effortless,
closely to
native-like flow.
Adapted from TSE scoring scale (1987,p.10)
Part II will be rated in terms of comprehension, fluency, pronunciation,
vocabulary and grammar, ranging from 0 point to3 points as well, as the following
rubric:
Rubric for Rating “Picture-cued Elicitation”
0 point
1 points
2 points
3 points
Comprehension
The listener
cannot
understand even
simple sentences.
The listener
barely follow
sentences, even
words are spoken
slowly and
frequently.
The listener
understands every
words and
sentences well at
a nearly
native-like pace.
Fluency
Speech is halting,
fragmentary, or
has no flow at all.
Speech has a lot
of non-native
pauses and a
non-native flow.
Pronunciation
Pronunciation
problems so
severe that the
listener cannot
understand at all.
Pronunciation
problems exist
that the listener
must listen
repeatedly to
understand.
Vocabulary
limitations so
extreme that the
speech cannot be
understood.
Difficult to
understand
because of misuse
of words and
limited
vocabulary.
Difficult to
understand
because of errors
in grammar and
word order that
need to listen
carefully and
repeatedly.
The listener could
understand
everything at a
normal pace
though occasional
repetition may be
necessary.
Speech still has
some non-native
pauses, but with a
nearly native
flow.
Pronunciation can
be always
understood
though some
accent and
occasionally
improper
intonation
patterns.
Occasional use of
improper terms
but
understandable
due to limited
vocabulary
Occasional errors
in grammar and
word order, but
generally can be
understood and
acceptable.
Vocabulary
Grammar
Errors in
grammar and
word order so
severe that the
speech cannot be
understood.
Speech is smooth
and effortless,
closely to
native-like flow.
Pronunciation
and intonation are
approximately
those of
native-like
speakers.
Good use of
vocabulary and
idioms make the
smooth speech.
Few errors in
grammar and
word order that
approximately
those of a native
speaker.
Adapted from SOLOM teacher observation
Note:
1. The reason I emphasize “pronunciation and fluency” twice in both rubrics, as
shown on both of the rubric matrixes, is because most of the students could perform
orally pretty well and usually would be understandable from what they’re trying to
say since they are high-intermediate level, I purposefully put emphasis on these two
essential parts, “pronunciation and fluency,” of oral accuracy in order to encourage
students moving toward the goal of native-like speakers.
2. Pronunciation on the Rubric for Rating “Read-Aloud Task” focuses more on
specific items for clearly identifying students’ weakness because of the strong
control of students’ oral output; however, pronunciation on the Rubric for Rating
“Picture-cued Elicitation” aims at a broader view of the rating criteria.
In reference to section IV, Rating Criteria, the following is an example that
how the students actually get their grades.
A total score of each student will be counted by adding up the two parts and then
multiply five in terms of 100% scale for conveniently keeping records. For example,
if a student got 3 points for each items on read-aloud task and a total 12 points on
picture-cue elicitation (say, Comprehension:3pts, Fluency: 3pts, Pronunciation:2pts,
Vocabulary:2pts, and Grammar: 2pts. ), he will get (part I:3+3=6) ＋ (part II:
3+3+2+2+2=12)= 18 and then 18×5=90, as a final score. If a total score is above 100,
it will still be considered 100.