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What is Spoken Level and how should we assess it?

What is level ?. Speaking tests. Speaking tests. Speaking tests. Speaking tests. Speaking tests. What is Spoken Level and how should we assess it?. Assessment ?. Factors affecting performance; How do we assess learners? An Overview: University of Verona test procedure and criteria;

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What is Spoken Level and how should we assess it?

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  1. Sharon Hartle, University of Verona, sharon.hartle@univr.it Whatislevel? Speakingtests Speakingtests Speakingtests Speakingtests Speakingtests What is Spoken Level and how should we assess it? Assessment?

  2. Factors affecting performance; How do we assess learners? An Overview: University of Verona test procedure and criteria; What is level: the CEFR and a practical example of level at work; Continuous task based assessment; Conclusions and one suggested way forward. Sharon Hartle, University of Verona, sharon.hartle@univr.it GUIDE TO THE PRESENTATION

  3. SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE Linguistic competence (lexical, grammatical, phonological, register); Belief in your own ability; (Zoltan Dörnyei (2001) Confidence and understanding of topic being discussed/planning time in tests; Supportive environment/Low anxiety levels. Sharon Hartle, University of Verona, sharon.hartle@univr.it FACTORS AFFECTING PERFORMANCE

  4. Thinkaboutyourown “levelof performance” in your L1 or L2, L3 etc in theseconditions: • Whendescribing a topicyouhavenotfullyunderstood or havenothadtimetothinkabout; • Whenspeakingaboutsomethingspecialisedwithlexisyou are notcompletelyfamiliarwith; • Whenspeakingwithsupportivecolleaguesabout a lessonyouhaveplanned; • Whendescribing a memorableevent (a holiday, anenjoyablemeal) tofriends in a relaxedcontext; • Describingyourstrengths in a high stakes job interview; • Defendinganunpopulardecisionyouhavemadetoanunsupportive audience. Sharon Hartle, University of Verona, sharon.hartle@univr.it WHAT ABOUT YOUR LEVEL?

  5. Sharon Hartle, University of Verona, sharon.hartle@univr.it Types of assessment: CEFR: www.coe.int

  6. Sharon Hartle, University of Verona, sharon.hartle@univr.it Universityofveronacla:oraltesting procedure FORMAT: 1. Usually pairs (to ensure in particular interpersonal interaction and a more reassuring environment); 2. Raters encouraged to be supportive; TIMING: 10 to 20 minutes (level/task related) TASKS: (ALTE Can Do Statements) Level related/ designed to produce realistic performance: Describing a visual prompt (B1) Comparing/contrasting from a visual prompt (B2) Discussing more abstract topics (C1) CRITERIA: Canale and Swain (1981; 1983) According to Grammar: accuracy and range Vocabulary: accuracy, range and appropriacy Fluency:includes hesitation and discourse management; Pronunciation: single sounds, intonation, stress; Interactive communication: initiating and responding, turn-taking and negotiation

  7. Sharon Hartle, University of Verona, sharon.hartle@univr.it A european standard? Objectivity Standardisation is not a democratic process: there is no “your” B2: there is B2 Brian North Barcelona Iatefl Teasig/ Ealta Conference Putting the CEFR to Good Use: October 2010

  8. Sharon Hartle, University of Verona, sharon.hartle@univr.it B1/A2 levelsaccordingto the europeanframeworkofreference

  9. Sharon Hartle, University of Verona, sharon.hartle@univr.it A PRACTICAL EXAMPLE OF LEVEL AT WORK Discourse Management Grammar and LexicalResources " I spoketo my boyfriend about Easter in Poland... He said me that this..eh... water tradition is very old. When his grandmother was small...eh was a ... child, they did this. He said it is connectwithChristianity." Interactive Communication Pronunciation

  10. Sharon Hartle, University of Verona, sharon.hartle@univr.it HOW WELL CAN WE MEASURE THESE LEVELS? http://www.ciep.fr/publi_evalcert/dvd-productions-orales-cecrl/index.php 1 2 3

  11. Sharon Hartle, University of Verona, sharon.hartle@univr.it • What many teachers already do: • Mark homework; • Occasional or regular short achievement tests. • Other suggestions: • checklists/grids; • a series of focused tasks; • formal assessment of coursework; • a portfolio of samples of work, possibly in differing stages of drafting, and/or at different stages in the course. • (Taken from the CEFR p. 185) TASK BASED ASSESSMENT Integratedskills in class ExamPreparation Continuousassessment? B1final e-mail Experimentation Opportunitiesforassessment

  12. Realistic performance; Relevant to learners; (YouTube Monologues) Planning time; Reassuring, supportive environment; Learners are engaged: Sharon Hartle, University of Verona, sharon.hartle@univr.it TASK BASED ASSESSMENT

  13. Sharon Hartle, University of Verona, sharon.hartle@univr.it Conclusions • Oral tests need to be designed with tasks that are candidate relevant and appropriate for the level being tested; • Proficiency needs to be assessed in certification tests; • Raters need to be trained and standardised; • Criteria must also reflect the norm for the particular level; • Level is not a constant; • Ultimately, what this makes me think is that a balance of formal testing and continuous assessment is probably one of the most objective ways of assessing learner performance, if we have to find some way of "measuring the unmeasurable." A balancebetweencontinuousassessment and formal performance testing

  14. Sharon Hartle, University of Verona, sharon.hartle@univr.it THANK YOU AND GOODBYE

  15. Sharon Hartle, University of Verona, sharon.hartle@univr.it THREE FACTORS AFFECTING PERFORMANCE

  16. Sharon Hartle, University of Verona, sharon.hartle@univr.it competence

  17. Sharon Hartle, University of Verona, sharon.hartle@univr.it Psychologicalfactors Learnerbeliefs ZoltanDornyei PerceptionofIdentity

  18. Sharon Hartle, University of Verona, sharon.hartle@univr.it Social factors Status and hierarchy Stakes or externalconsequences IMPLICATIONS OF SUCCESS OR FAILURE Practical (Blocking your career) Psychological (Lack of belief in yourself as an L2 user)

  19. Sharon Hartle, University of Verona, sharon.hartle@univr.it RATER beliefs

  20. Task design should: produce natural discourse be reassuring Raters should: Be aware of their own beliefs and be able to modify them to meet the standards Even so we are only seeing one level at one particular moment in a performance test Sharon Hartle, University of Verona, sharon.hartle@univr.it A FEW SMALL POINTS

  21. Mixed feelings in my institution Disapproval from External Examining Boards Objectivity Performance in oral tests could differ from the norm. Continual assessment + oral performance tests probably ensures a fairer assessment Sharon Hartle, University of Verona, sharon.hartle@univr.it CONTINUAL ASSESSMENT OR FORMAL TESTS • B2 Written Production:Continual Assessment(optional) • First in class test: • To be held at the beginning of December, based on content of lessons, a kind ofProgress test • Second in class test: • Integrated Reading Comprehension and writing skillsi: candidates summarise ideas from a newspaper/magazine article (answering questions in a maximum of two sentencs). This test is identical in format, length + difficulty to thestandard comprehension tests of formal, general exam sessions.

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