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How to help students improve students’ linguistic performance
The New ECPE Speaking Test
Format of the Speaking Test
Number of candidates
2
3 (if one of the pair absent)
Each candidate
description of 2 different options
collaboration to decide on , present on, and defend a single option
Stages
5
ample opportunity to speak individually & engage in discussion
Duration
25-35 minutes (paired format)
35-45 minutes (3-way format)
Number of Examiners
2
Examiner 1 (stages 1- 4)
Examiner 2 (stages 4 and 5)
Examiner participation
Stage 1 & Stage 5
participant
Stages 2 through 4
involvement not beyond giving & answering test directions
participation minimal
Overall Candidate Expectations
Candidates expected to produce spoken language representative of Level C2
complete a speaking activity without examiner support (help with language)
participate in extended, coherent discourse with the other candidate not dominating during any stage
not playing a passive role
Evaluation
Each candidate
rated independently by two examiners
single consensus score
Evaluated on all stages
5-band rating scale
A – C (pass)
D & E (fail)
Salient features:
Discourse and Interaction
Development, Functional Range, & Listening Comprehension
Linguistic Resources
Range & Accuracy
Delivery and Intelligibility
Level C Linguistic Resources Descriptors
Linguistic Resources
Vocabulary Grammar
•Often uses moderate range of vocabulary accurately and appropriately•Occasionally uses idiomatic expressions and colloquial language•Occasionally uses incorrect collocations that may lead to vagueness
•Often uses a variety of basic and complex grammatical structures accurately and effectively •• Often uses a variety of grammatical structures that are pragmatically appropriate
•Range of vocabulary and grammatical structures extends beyond what has been provided orally and/or in writing•• Gaps and/or errors in vocabulary and/or grammar, sometimes self-corrected, frequently do not hinder communication, but may rarely cause interruptions in communication flow•• Accuracy in vocabulary and/or grammar often declines with an increase in rate of speech and/or with more challenging speech event
General guidelines for teacher feedback
Positive assessment
credit for what done well
Explain areas in need of improvement
Concrete examples of errors
elicitation of correct response
written feedback
Targeted focus in the classroom
common student errors
outside of classroom
individual work
Classroom Activity Setup
Teacher
role of examiner
Student volunteers
role of examinees
Rest of class
Focus questions
Teacher & Rest of class
Note-taking
Stage 1: Introductions and Small Talk (3 – 5 minutes)
Goal: Examiner 1 and candidates to introduce
themselves and for candidates to become comfortable interacting with each other.
Examiner 1 begins introductions
initiates conversation on general topics
Candidates to actively participate by providing expanded responses and
asking each other and Examiner 1
Stage 1: Guidelines for students
accurate linguistic resources
precise language
expansion & elaboration
Functional Language:
asking and answering Yes/No questions about e.g. occupation, education, interests and likes
asking and answering WH-Questions about e.g. occupation, education, interests and likes
expressing opinions
asking and providing for clarification
asking for repetition (if needed)
buying time
Stage 1: Video segment
Focus Questions:
1. Does he provide enough information and elaboration?
2. Does he use a moderate range of vocabulary accurately and appropriately?
3. Does he use a variety of complex grammatical structures accurately and effectively?
4. Do the errors in vocabulary and/or grammar impede communication?
Stage 1: Analysis of student performance
Grammar
basic errors
Vocabulary
limited
inaccurate
Concrete examples:
“Everything that…documents government exchange we guarantee for communications, not too much”
…“so many years I close to the software, I tend to the software”
… “the things take me…”
… “I didn’t have much time up to now”
“Now we do proficiency, so free time is away again”
Stage 1: Example of Teacher feedback
Positive Feedback:
involved in interaction
contributed to development of conversation
Room for improvement:
occupation
responsibilities/description
buying time to think/ organize
functional language
awareness of grammar, syntax and vocabulary errors
(self-correction)
Stage 2: Summarizing and Recommending (5 – 7 minutes)
Goal: Candidates to learn what all options are, to make
recommendation to their partner, and to choose silently one of their own options as the best.
information sheet with descriptions of 2 options given
note form
not to be shared
paraphrasing & summarizing descriptions (not reading)
2-3 minutes preparation time
listening carefully to other candidate
asking for clarification and/or repetition
recommending one from other candidate’s options
Stage 2: Guidelines for students
summarizing
paraphrasing
organizing, combining, & connecting bullet points
displaying linguistic resources
complex structures as well
good range of vocabulary
accurate
seeking clarification and/or asking for repetition (if necessary)
making recommendations
Functional language:
expressing opinions
asking and providing clarification
buying time
making recommendations
Stage 2: Description of option
Tokyo, Japan
Population over twelve million
Location of universities, museums, shopping and entertainment
Average summertime temperature of 28∘ Celsius
Safe transportation system
Five separate sites outside the city for the events
All housing facilities for athletes built
Commitment of local businesses uncertain
Stage 2: Video segment
Focus Questions:
1. Does he adequately paraphrase?
2. Does he produce coherent speech and link ideas well?
3. Does he use a moderate range of vocabulary accurately and appropriately?
4. Does he use a variety of complex grammatical structures accurately and effectively?
5. Do the errors in vocabulary and/or grammar impede communication?
Stage 2: Analysis of student’s performance
Bullet points
read not summarized
adequate connection
Grammar
basic structures
attempts at complex structures
Vocabulary
not displaying variety
inaccurate
Concrete Examples:
… “the bigger city in the world.”
“The average summertime is 28 degrees.”
“The transportation system is the famous Japanese transportation system, very safe and very accurate.”
“It has five separate cities…sites outside of the city for events that will take place.”
“All the housing facilities for the athletes are built.”
Stage 2: Example of teacher feedback
Summary
somewhat adequate
too reliant on written material
Bullet points to be
1. paraphrased
2. combined
3. connected
“bigger”
Is this form correct?
Stage 2: Common student problems
Subject-verb-agreement “He have good organizational skills.”
Word order/usage “Everything is provided in the city of facilities … ”
Tenses/ Pronoun-agreement “He has hosted the Olympics in 1976.”
Stage 2: Summarizing and Recommending
Candidate 1
(Option 1)
&
(Option 2)
Candidate 2
(Option 4)
Candidate 2
(Option 3)
&
(Option 4)
Candidate 1
(Option 1)
Stage 3: Consensus Reaching (5 – 7 minutes)
Goal: to come to an agreement on one single option
reporting on one of 2 own options
Candidate 1 – one option
paraphrasing descriptions
Candidate 2 – one option
paraphrasing descriptions
comparing & contrasting two remaining options
discussing advantages & disadvantages of each option
Stage 3: Guidelines for students
Presentation of selected option
Not reading directly from their handouts
Production of new language beyond aural & written
input accurate
Variety of structures & vocabulary language of comparison &
contrast
Natural rate of delivery
Appropriate response
Functional language:
expressing agreement
expressing disagreement
introducing an opposite point
expressing doubt
dealing with doubts
expressing opinions
Stage 3: Hiring a high school teacher
Jessica Peters
4 years of experience as laboratory technician
Recently graduated with science teaching certification
2003 “Employee of the Year” Award
Good presentation skills
Experience with newest technology
No experience with high school students
Stage 3: Video segment
Focus Questions:
1. Does she use a variety of structures that are
pragmatically appropriate?
2. Does she produce new language ?
3. Does she use language of comparison &
contrast accurately?
4. Does she use a moderate range of
vocabulary accurately and appropriately?
5. Does she use a variety of complex
grammatical structures accurately and
effectively?
6. Do the errors in vocabulary and/or grammar
impede communication?
Stage 3: Example of teacher feedback
Students 1 & 2 involved in the
interaction able to present
arguments well mostly paraphrasing
Student 1: “She has good
presentation skills.” How is this utterance
different from the bullet point?
How else can we paraphrase this point?
Student 2: “ She hasn’t teached before.”
Is the verb form correct?
Student 2: When you talked about the
teachers “having practice” what exactly did you mean? It wasn’t clear. Could you explain that point?
Stage 3: Structures of comparisons
adjective-er + than + phrase/clause
more/less + adjective + than + phrase/clause
as + adjective + as + phrase/clause
so + adjective + that-clause
so + adjective + as to-clause
too + adjective + to-clause
adjective + enough + to-clause
Stages 3: Consensus Reaching
Candidate 1
(Option 1)
&
(Option 2)
Candidate 2
(Option 4)
Candidate 2
(Option 3)
&
(Option 4)
Candidate 1
(Option 1)
Candidate 1
(Option 1)
Stage 4: Presenting and Convincing(5 -7 minutes)
Goal: to present & convince Examiner 2 that the option
chosen is best
Formal presentation of consensus option
Examiner 2
High Status
2-3 minutes collaboration & planning time (non-assessed)
Presentation of two different reasons each
Explaining importance of reasons
Stage 4: Hiring a high school teacher
William Pierce
Candidate 1 chose to present:
28 years old
5 years experience as a science teacher
Candidate 2 chose to present:
Advanced degree in education
Organizes many field trips
Stage 4: Video segment
Focus questions:
1. Do they use appropriate register (formal)?
2. Do they provide coherent and elaborate responses?
3. Do they produce new language ?
4. Do they use a moderate range of vocabulary accurately and appropriately?
5. Do they use a variety of complex grammatical structures accurately and effectively?
6. Do the errors in vocabulary and/or grammar impede communication?
Stage 4: Example of teacher feedback
Positive Feedback:
Used a range of linguistic
resources
Well organized reasons
supporting details.
Avoided repetition
Used complex sentences.
Appropriate shift of register
“I” to “We”
Room for improvement:
Student 1: Gaps in vocabulary
Misuse of vocabulary
not vague
“young teachers are like… they are good.”
Student 2: colloquial expressions
“like", “you know”
Functional language:
giving/highlighting reasons
providing examples
Stage 5: Justifying and Defending (5 – 7 minutes)
Goal: Each candidate to address Examiner 2’s challenges and to justify and defend the reasons for the decision.
Functional language
justifying decisions
defending decisions
Stage 5: Video segment
Focus questions:
1. Do they adequately justify and defend their reasons ?
2. Do they use appropriate register (formal)?
3. Do they provide coherent and elaborate responses?
4. Do they produce new language ?
5. Do they use a moderate range of vocabulary accurately and appropriately?
6. Do they use a variety of complex grammatical structures accurately and effectively?
7. Do the errors in vocabulary and/or grammar impede communication?
Stage 5: Example of teacher feedback
Positive feedback
Involved participant
Produced coherent well-organized language to defend decision.
Room for improvement
Watch personal pronouns
“she” vs. “he”
“He made me loved it too”?
Is this form correct?
Classroom Activity: Feedback from students
Benefits to the students:
effectiveness of performance in each stage analyzed and discussed
strengths & weaknesses highlighted
learning to become interactive participants
awareness of errors raised
learning from teacher feedback
Students gradually become part of learning community
General guidelines for candidates
Listen carefully to your partner/examiner
Try to respond appropriately to your partner/examiner
Provide coherent and elaborate responses throughout
Speak at a normal rate of delivery throughout
Seek and provide clarification when necessary
Ask for information to be repeated when necessary
Try to display a range of appropriate vocabulary and grammar structures
Avoid looking at your partner’s handout during Stages 2-3
Organize and connect well the features under each option
Paraphrase the features of each of your options
using own language as much as possible
Avoid repeating language already produced or provided
Try to use appropriate register
Try to self-correct