INTO EUROPE The Speaking Handbook by Ildikó Csépes & Györgyi Együd

1. INTO EUROPEThe Speaking Handbookby Ildikó Csépes & Györgyi Együd Presentation by Ildikó Csépes Into Europe - European Standards in Language Assessment Conference Budapest, February 9-10, 2006

2. THE SPEAKING HANDBOOK IS MEANT TO REFLECT & ILLUSTRATE GOOD PRACTICE IN ORAL ASSESSMENT MODEL EXAM • developed by the Hungarian Examinations Reform Teacher Support Project of the British Council • aimed at A2 & B1, and B2 levels of the Common European Framework

3. GOOD PRACTICE IS REFLECTED THROUGH • careful test development procedure: constantly revised test specifications • strictly controlled item production procedure (tasks were revised and edited several times) • piloting all tasks with real students (DVD) • training item-writers • the use of item writer guidelines

4. GOOD PRACTICE IS REFLECTED THROUGH • standardised examination procedure (the use of an Interlocutor Frame) • examiner training focusing on both interlocutor & assessor training • the use of benchmarked performances in examiner training

5. WHO IS THE HANDBOOK FOR? LANGUAGE TEACHERS who need to learn how to design, administer or prepare students for tests of speaking ability

6. WHAT’S IN THE HANDBOOK? PART ONE: INTRODUCTION Background to the assessment of speaking ability • modern speaking examinations: what and how? • CEF scales for speaking • standardisation: importance of benchmarking • description of speaking skills • what may influence the test taker’s oral performance

7. WHAT’S IN THE HANDBOOK? PART TWO: DESIGNING ORAL EXAMINATION TASKS IN THE INDIVIDUAL AND PAIRED MODE • the Interview • the Individual Long Turn based on picture prompts • role plays • discussion activities

8. WHAT’S IN THE HANDBOOK ? PART THREE: STEP-BY-STEP DESRIPTION OF INTERLOCUTOR AND ASSESSOR TRAINING • guidelines for interlocutor and assessor behaviour • standard and non-standard interlocutor behaviour on DVD • role plays raising interlocutors’ awareness of how to handle difficult exam situations • benchmarked sample performances with detailed justifications for the marks

9. WHAT’S IN THE HANDBOOK ? PART FOUR: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR GOOD PRACTICE • classroom assessment • general guidelines for designing speaking tasks • differences between testing and teaching tasks • washback • measures of ongoing quality control

10. TRUE or FALSE? • Speaking tasks can be used with any candidates irrespective of their level of proficiency. • Good speaking tasks try to replicate real life language use. • In role play tasks the interlocutor and the candidate should have an opportunity to contribute equally to the exchange.

11. TRUE or FALSE? • Speaking tasks should generate a rateable language sample from candidates. • Speaking activities in course books can be used as test tasks. • Any classroom teacher can write speaking tasks for assessment purposes.

12. INTO EUROPE Series Editor: J. Charles Alderson The Speaking Handbook Ildikó Csépes & Györgyi Együd The Handbook is accompanied by a 5-hour DVD Published by Teleki László Foundation & The British Council Distributor: Libro Trade Info:books@librotrade.hu