speaking task.docx

Test’s purpose to assess students abilities to speak about suggesting places

Description of the examinee

First-year students of the English Teaching Program

Test level Intermediate

Definition of construct (theoretical framework for the test)

Language ability construct: Accuracy/ fluencyIntonation, pronunciation, rythm.Making suggestions: use of modals (you/he/she should, could). How about, what about. Agreement or disagreement: I agree/ I disagree Discribing: sentence structure/ use of adjectives,indoor and outdoor places, natural sceneries, travellingLikes/dislikes: I like, I don’t like.Strategic competence: communicative clarity/peer interactionConveying message, clear ideas.Turn taking is respected and fluent conversation.Topical Knowledge: vocabularyToursim, travelling, places, activities, culture, nature.

Number of sections/papers

2

Time for each section/paper

Section 1: Student A – 1.30min Student B – 1.30min Section 2: Both students – 3 - 4 min

Weighting for each section/paper

Section 1: 40% of the final markSection 2: 60% of the final mark

Target language situation

Task 1:Students will have to suggest a place for tourist to visit in Chile.Task 2: Students will have to agree on a place in Concepcion to take a cultural assistant for the first tiem in the city.

Text-types -interview -descriptive texts -transactional conversation

Text length Task1 : 1:30 min each student (3min)Task2: 3-4 min both students (4min)Teacher’s Instructions: 1:30 total= 8:30 minutes

Language skills to be tested

Speaking

Language elements to be tested

Places (indoors/outdoors),descriptions of places , comparative forms, likes and dislikes when suggesting a place in extended production

response.function: suggesting (he should), agreeing( I agree with you) ,describing( use of verb to be + adjectives).

Test tasks Task 1 :Question and Answer.Task2: Transactional conversation between both students

Test methods T asks a couple of students to come inside, they have a seat and Teacher chooses student A and tells instructions to him/her: You will see five pictures of different touristic places in Chile on the screen and you will have to choose one you would suggest to a tourist visiting Chile for the first time. T also indicate he/she has 1:30 min to answer.After that, T repeat the same procedure with student B. Then T talks to both and says the following situation:A new English assistant has just arrived in Concepcion and both of you have to decide among this five (showing pictures on the screen) places which is the best to take him, considering advantages and disadvantages, costs and cultural distinctiveness. You have 3 min. to talk.

Rubrics Later on

Description of what candidates at each level can do in the real world

For both task Students will have to agree and suggest agree on a place for a tourist visiting Chilefunction suggesting, agreeing,description.

Sample papersSample of students’ performance task.

Later on

Task 1

Student A will be shown five pictures of different touristic places in Chile. Student A will have to choose one of this to recommend to a foreigner indicating why he/she should visit that place. Student A will have 1.30min to speak. Then, student B will be shown five pictures of different touristic places in Chile. Student B will have to choose one of this to recommend to a foreigner indicating why he/she should visit that place. Student B will have 1.30min to speak.

Task 2 A new English assistant has just arrived to Concepcion and student A and B have to decide on the best place for him to go.

Students will see five pictures of different places in Concepcion and they will have to discuss an come to an agreement to choose one of the places considering advantages and disadvantages, costs and cultural distinctiveness.

Rubrics

Task 1

Needs Improvement

Acceptable Proficient Excellent

Accomplishment of the task

Task is hardly accomplished

Accomplish the task with lot of difficulty

Accomplish the task with little difficulty

Accomplish the task with no difficulty

fluency Limited, many pauses interrupt the speech

some fluency, intonation and rhythm is attempted

Fluency, Intonation and rhythm are generally appropiatte.

Fluency Intonation, rhythm and right hesitation are naturally along the speech

Accuracy Pronunciation, sentence structure and tenses are often not precise

Pronunciation, sentence structure and tenses are not always accurate and appropriate.

Pronunciation, sentence structure and verb tenses are mostly accurate.

Pronunciation, sentence structure and verb tenses are used accurately and appropriately

Vocabulary Limited range of vocabulary used

Reasonably range of vocabulary used

Good range of vocabulary used

Extensive range of vocabulary used

Clarity of communication

Message is not clearly conveyed

Parts of the message is conveyed clearly

Most of the message is conveyed clearly

Message is clearly conveyed

Task 2

Peer Interaction Not fluent conversation and discussion and turn taking is not respected.

Not fluent conversation or discussion. Speaks more/less than the partner.

Fluent conversation, discussion and respecting turn taking.

Fluent conversation, discussion and respecting turn taking.

Task 1

Student A. You will see seven pictures of different touristic places in Chile. You will have to choose one of the pictures to recommend a foreigner indicating why he/she should visit that place. You will have 1.30min to speak.

Student B. You will see seven pictures of different touristic places in Chile. You will have to choose one of the pictures to recommend a foreigner indicating why he/she should visit that place. You will have 1.30min to speak.

Task 2

A new English assistant has just arrived to Concepcion and you both have to decide on the best place for him to go.

You will see five pictures of different places in Concepcion and you will have to discuss an come to an agreement to choose one of the places, considering advantages and disadvantages, costs and cultural distinctiveness.

Task 1 Task 2

Task Orientation Opened. Students will be given certain topic, but they will be free to talk and communicate as they wish.

Opened. Students will be given certain topic, but they will be free to talk and communicate as they wish.

Interactional relationship Interactional > One way interaction. The student will be asked to answer a specific question and argument his/her answer.

Interactional > Two way interaction. Students A and B will be asked to discuss about a certain issue and to come to an agreement. The teacher does not interfere.

Goal Orientation Communicative. Students have to talk to the teacher with a communicative purpose; argumenting his/her answer.

Communicative. Students have to talk to each other with a communicative purpose; discussing and comming to an agreement.

Interlocutor status Balanced. The people who are interacting, teacher and student, know each other.

Balanced. The people who are interacting, both students, know each other.

topics Nature, travelling, hobbies, acitivties

Nature, Travelling, hobbies, activities