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.