Introduction

The speakers introduce themselves and the topic of the webinar, which is understanding speaking assessment. They also outline the six key questions that need to be addressed when assessing any skill.

• Evelina Galaczi and Nahal Khabbazbashi introduce themselves.

• The topic of the webinar is understanding speaking assessment.

• Six key questions that need to be addressed when assessing any skill are outlined.

Key Questions for Assessment

The speakers discuss the six key questions that need to be addressed when assessing any skill, including speaking.

• The first question is "Why am I testing?" which relates to the purpose of the test.

• The second question is "Who am I testing?" which relates to the test-takers who will be taking the test.

• The third question is "What am I testing?" which refers to the skill being tested (the test construct).

• The fourth question is "How am I testing?" which refers to the tasks in the test.

• The fifth question is "How am I scoring?" which refers to how marks are assigned to performance.

• The sixth question is "How is my test benefiting learners?" which refers to the impact of the test on learning.

Three Key Questions for Speaking Assessment

The speakers focus on three of the six key questions related specifically to speaking assessment.

What Am I Testing?

• This question asks what exactly we are trying to assess in a speaking test, or what makes up our speaking construct.

How Am I Testing?

• This question focuses on different types of tasks used in a speaking assessment, such as role plays or picture descriptions.

How Am I Scoring?

• This section discusses the criteria used to assess speaking and the different types of scales used to ensure test reliability.

Difficulties in Assessing Speaking

The speakers ask the audience what they think makes assessing speaking more difficult than other skills, and summarize some of the responses.

• Some difficulties mentioned include subjectivity in marking, difficulty for teachers/examiners to give and score exams, student confidence, nerves/anxiety during testing, and difficulty assessing pronunciation.

Introduction

The speaker introduces the topic of the webinar and outlines some questions that will be addressed.

Questions to be Addressed

• How do you decide what tasks are suitable for assessing students at different levels of ability?

• How can we address student anxiety during speaking tests?

• What features of speaking should we aim to test?

Types of Speaking Tasks

The speaker discusses different types of speaking tasks and what they test.

Reading Aloud Task

• In a reading aloud task, test-takers simply reproduce language.

• This type of task does not require any interaction or monologue speech.

Picture Description Task

• In a picture description task, test-takers generate monologue speech.

• Test-takers must rely on their own vocabulary and grammar to complete the task.

Discussion Task

• In a discussion task, test-takers interact with other learners.

• This type of task requires more than just reproducing language or generating monologue speech.

Identifying Speaking Features in Tasks

The speaker asks the audience to identify which feature(s) of speaking are being tested in a particular task.

Describing an Influential Person Task

• Test-takers describe a person that greatly influenced them.

• Majority of people believe this task is eliciting monologue speech.

Conclusion

The speaker summarizes the different aspects of speaking that can be assessed in a test.

What Am I Testing?

• This question refers to the different aspects of speaking that can be assessed in a test.

• Different tasks elicit different kinds of speaking, such as simple reproduction of language, monologue speech, and interaction.

Understanding the Constructs of Speaking

In this section, the speaker explains why it is important to understand the constructs or subskills that speaking tasks assess. The speaker also discusses the different aspects of speaking and how they are related to driving.

Speaking as a Complex Activity

• Different speaking tasks elicit different aspects of speaking depending on their purpose.

• It is important to assess a range of processes involved in speaking.

• Speaking involves conceptualization, lexical knowledge, grammar and syntactic knowledge, and articulation.

• While speaking, we constantly monitor our ideas, vocabulary, and grammar to ensure effective communication.

Comparing Speaking to Driving

• Learning to speak is similar to learning how to drive.

• Learners start by developing core linguistic knowledge and skills before moving on to more complex functions.

Developing Speaking Skills

In this section, the speaker discusses how learners develop their speaking skills over time. The speaker also provides tips for teachers on how they can help learners improve their speaking abilities.

Stages of Development

• Learners start by imitating sounds and words before moving on to simple phrases.

• As learners gain more experience, they begin using more complex structures and functions.

• Eventually, learners become fluent speakers who can communicate effectively in a variety of contexts.

Tips for Teachers

• Encourage students to practice regularly outside of class.

• Provide opportunities for students to interact with native speakers.

• Use authentic materials such as news articles or podcasts to expose students to real-world language use.

• Provide feedback on both content and language use to help students improve.

Introduction to Speaking Skills

This section introduces the importance of speaking skills and how they are developed.

Importance of Range of Communicative Situations

• A learner needs to be exposed to a range of communicative situations, which involve monologues and interactions with others.

• Different situations put different cognitive demands on the learner. Experienced speakers can deal with different speaking situations flexibly.

• The CEFR level descriptors increasingly refer to the ability to be flexible and spontaneous as you go up the levels.

Eliciting Subskills in Speaking Tests

• Tasks such as talking about a topic, describing a photograph, or telling a story involve monologue speech. Other tasks tap into interaction like question-answer tasks, discussion tasks, information gap activities, and role plays.

• All these tasks have advantages and limitations that should be kept in mind when using them in tests or classrooms. A range of different tasks should be included to minimize task limitations.

Discussion Task Example

• In this example task, two test-takers discuss what gift they could give a girl who is moving away from their tennis club. They are given some ideas to help them come up with suggestions for gifts.

• Advantages: Encourages interaction between test-takers; allows for negotiation and agreement; provides opportunities for both fluency and accuracy practice.

Disadvantages: May not allow for equal participation; may require more preparation time than other types of tasks; may not elicit all subskills equally well (e.g., pronunciation).

Advantages and Limitations of Paired Tasks

This section discusses the advantages and limitations of paired tasks in a communicative classroom.

Advantages

• Offers more interaction

• Allows for more brainstorming

• Reflects real-life speaking situations

• Assesses interactional skills

Limitations

• One candidate might monopolize or dominate the conversation

• One student might feel too shy to talk to another student

• Language ability level can affect the interaction

• It's difficult to give individual scores when the conversation depends on both people.

• It may be too hard to practice in a big classroom.

Addressing Limitations

• Include a range of different task types, such as question-and-answer, monologue, and paired interaction tasks.

• Use different kinds of assessment scales and criteria that focus on different elements of speech, including grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and interaction skills.

Conclusion

This section summarizes the main points discussed in the transcript.

Paired tasks have advantages such as offering more interaction and reflecting real-life speaking situations while assessing interactional skills. However, they also have limitations such as language ability level affecting the interaction and difficulty giving individual scores when conversations depend on both people. To address these limitations, it is important to include a range of different task types and use different kinds of assessment scales and criteria.

Task Types and Difficulty

This section discusses the different types of speaking tasks and how to evaluate their difficulty.

Evaluating Task Difficulty

• Different types of tasks have unique advantages and disadvantages.

• Each type of task should be evaluated against the purpose for which it is to be used.

• Two paired interaction tasks are presented, and participants are asked to decide which one is more difficult and why.

• Task B is considered more difficult due to its abstract topic, requiring harder vocabulary, and a discussion element in deciding the outcome.

Importance of Topic in Task Difficulty

• The activity shows how important the role of topic is in task difficulty.

• Concrete topics like those found in Task A are generally easier than abstract topics like those found in Task B.

Speaking Assessment Criteria

This section discusses the criteria used to assess speaking skills.

Speaking Assessment Criteria

• There are four main criteria used to assess speaking skills: fluency, accuracy, complexity, and coherence.

• Fluency refers to the ability to speak smoothly without too many pauses or hesitations.

• Accuracy refers to using correct grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and intonation.

• Complexity refers to using a range of grammatical structures and vocabulary appropriate for the level being tested.

• Coherence refers to organizing ideas logically so that they can be easily understood by others.

Test-Taker Preparation Strategies

This section discusses strategies for test-takers to prepare for speaking assessments.

Test-Taker Preparation Strategies

• Practice speaking regularly with a partner or teacher.

• Record and listen to yourself speaking to identify areas for improvement.

• Familiarize yourself with the format of the test and practice answering different types of questions.

• Use a variety of resources, such as textbooks, online materials, and language exchange programs.

Task Difficulty and Evaluation

This section discusses how to evaluate the difficulty of language tasks based on their topic, type of information required, and functional language elicited. It also covers considerations when developing or choosing tasks.

Evaluating Task Difficulty

• Concrete topics in familiar contexts make for easier B1 level tasks.

• Abstract topics in less familiar situations that require opinions make for more difficult C1 level tasks.

• Personal, concrete, and familiar topics are easier than unfamiliar and abstract ones that require complex grammar and vocabulary.

• Informational functions like expressing opinions are generally easier than intellectual functions like persuading or taking the floor.

Developing or Choosing Tasks

• Clear instructions are important to generate the intended language.

• Test-takers need to know the purpose of the task to perform well.

• Including a range of task types minimizes limitations and optimizes strengths.

• Starting with easier tasks before moving on to more difficult ones is recommended.

• Consider timing for each part of the test and whether planning time is included.

• Clear marking criteria should be provided to test-takers.

Scoring the Speaking Test

This section discusses how to score the speaking test and what assessment criteria to use.

Assessment Criteria

• The assessment criteria must explicitly state what the test aims to measure, such as fluency, pronunciation, grammar, etc.

• The criteria have to reflect what the task is aiming to be testing.

• Some of the criteria that could be used for evaluating a student's performance include grammar, vocabulary or lexis, pronunciation, and fluency.

Video Clips

• Watch a short video clip of a student describing a photo and think about what criteria you would use to evaluate that student's performance.

• Watch another video clip of two test-takers discussing a goodbye present and think about what criteria you would use to evaluate their performance.

Conclusion

This section concludes the webinar by summarizing key points discussed in previous sections.

Key Points

• Assessing speaking requires clear assessment criteria that reflect what the task is aiming to test.

• Criteria could include fluency, pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary or lexis.

• Ideas are not scored in tasks where language is the focus.

• Video clips can help assessors determine appropriate assessment criteria.

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Assessing Speaking Skills

This webinar discusses the challenges of assessing speaking skills and provides strategies for creating a fair and objective assessment.

Challenges of Assessing Speaking Skills

• Fluency is subjective and difficult to assess.

• Analytic scales are time-consuming but offer more diagnostic information.

• Holistic scales are practical but limited in providing diagnostic information beyond a single score.

• Relevant aspects of speaking ability may not develop at the same rate.

Strategies for Creating a Fair Assessment

• Pay attention to the test purpose and have a clear purpose.

• Consider the test construct, or what you're trying to test.

• Match task types to what you want to assess.

• Use appropriate assessment scales and criteria.

• Provide training to ensure consistent and reliable scoring by examiners.

Conclusion

• A fair assessment requires attention to purpose, construct, task types, assessment scales, and examiner training.

Exam Structure and Task Types

This section discusses the structure of exams at Cambridge and how having a script to follow can provide more information and structure. It also highlights the importance of using time wisely during monologue tasks.

Exam Structure

• Examiners at Cambridge are given lots of training.

• The exam is structured, and test-takers have a script to follow.

• Having a bit of structure helps, but there is still some flexibility.

Task Types

• Different task types exist, including monologues.

• During monologues, test-takers have time to think about previous performance and what's coming up next.

Paired Tasks

This section discusses the importance of language ability in paired tasks and advises against pairing students with vastly different abilities.

Language Ability in Paired Tasks

• It is crucially important for paired task success that both test-takers have similar language abilities.

• If students have vastly different abilities, it is advised not to use paired tasks.

Generating Ideas for Speaking Tasks

This section provides tips on how to help students generate ideas for speaking tasks.

Tips for Generating Ideas

• Use pictures or pre-existing ideas to prompt discussion.

• Summarize or discuss something that has already been read or listened to.

• Engage students in coming up with a few ideas.

Supporting Shy Students

This section provides tips on how to support shy students and help them gain confidence in speaking.

Tips for Supporting Shy Students

• Develop familiarity with the tasks that will be on the test.

• Give learners practice time for all kinds of tasks, including reading aloud, monologue tasks, and interaction tasks.

• Provide ideas to talk about to take pressure off generating ideas.

• Involve students in the assessment process through peer or self-assessment.

Assessing Spoken Interaction

The speakers discuss the importance of assessing different aspects of speaking, such as grammar, vocabulary, fluency, and communication. They emphasize that all these features are important for coherent communication and should be given equal weight in assessment criteria.

Importance of Assessment Criteria

• Successful communication is the key aspect to focus on when assessing spoken interaction.

• Assessment criteria should depend on the purpose of the test.

• Grammar, vocabulary, fluency, and communication are all important aspects of speaking that should be given equal weight in assessment criteria.

Role of Grammar in Assessment

• Grammatical errors stand out to raters and are often emphasized in assessments.

• However, grammar should not be the only aspect assessed since successful communication is the ultimate goal.

Equal Weighting of Speaking Test

• In most Cambridge exams, all components have equal weighting including reading paper, listening paper, writing paper, grammar/vocabulary/use of English paper and speaking paper.

• Speaking contributes to the final mark as much as other papers.

Providing Feedback to Test-Takers

The speakers discuss how providing feedback to test-takers is essential for transparency and helping them understand what is expected from them during an exam.

Importance of Transparency

• It's important to let test-takers know how they're being scored in speaking tasks for transparency purposes.

• Making descriptors and criteria clear to test-takers is crucial so they know what's expected from them during an exam.

Role of Pronunciation in Assessment

The speakers discuss the role of pronunciation in assessments and emphasize that being intelligible is more important than having a native speaker accent.

Focus on Intelligibility

• The focus should be on being intelligible rather than having a native speaker accent.

• Non-native speakers can still get top marks as long as they are fully intelligible.

Duration of Speaking Tasks

The speakers discuss how there is no right or wrong answer for how long to ask people to speak, but clear instructions and structure are necessary. They also suggest trialing the test with students to determine an appropriate time limit.

Time Limit for Speaking Tasks

• There is no right or wrong answer for how long to ask people to speak.

• Clear instructions and structure are necessary when asking people to speak.

• Trialing the test with students can help determine an appropriate time limit.

Integrating Assessment as Part of Teaching

This section discusses how to integrate assessment as part of teaching and the importance of providing feedback during learning checks.

Frequency of Speaking Assessment

• The length of time for speaking assessments should not be too precise.

• Assessments should be integrated into teaching, with frequent and regular checks on speaking throughout the course.

• Feedback is important during every learning check on speaking.

Dealing with Larger Classes

This section provides tips for dealing with larger classes during speaking assessments.

Tips for Assessing Large Classes

• Pair up with another teacher to take over teaching while you assess groups of two or three people.

• Use technology such as recordings to give groups a task and record their discussion. They can listen to each other's discussions and provide feedback, promoting learner autonomy.

Prompting During Speaking Assessment

This section discusses whether prompting is valid during speaking assessment and how it can improve adaptability in face-to-face tests.

Validity of Prompting During Speaking Assessment

• Prompting is valid during face-to-face speaking assessments when students get stuck or don't understand the question.

• Adaptability is key in face-to-face tests, allowing teachers to prompt students when necessary.

• Students who need prompting should have it reflected in their mark.

Providing Ideas for Learners

The speakers discuss how to help students who are not familiar with certain topics in exams like IELTS. They emphasize the importance of providing ideas and unpacking the topic a little bit more for learners.

Generating Language, Not Ideas

• In Cambridge English exams, including IELTS, there is not only one topic. Students are given multiple topics to answer questions on.

• Even if a student doesn't have enough ideas about one of the topics, they will still be able to answer others.

• The focus should be on generating language rather than generating ideas.

• Giving students visuals and bullet points that unpack the topic can give them support to generate their own ideas.

Conclusion

The speakers conclude the webinar by thanking attendees and inviting them to future webinars.

• Thank you message from the speakers.

• Speakers look forward to seeing attendees at future webinars.

• Next webinar is on understanding test scores on November 14th and 16th.