Transcript Oral Testing of Accuracy and Fluency

Oral Testing of Accuracy and
Fluency
JoAnn Miller, Editorial Macmillan
[email protected]
www.efltasks.net
Fluency
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The ability to produce written and / or spoken
language with ease
Speak with a good but not necessarily perfect
command of intonation, vocabulary and
grammar
Communicate ideas effectively
Produce continuous speech without causing
comprehension difficulties or a breakdown in
communication
Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics
Accuracy
Ability to produce grammatically correct
sentences
 May not include the ability to speak or
write fluently.
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Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics
An example: foreign visitors

Tour of factory—fluency; must be
prepared for unexpected questions and
explanations

Formal presentation of a product—
accuracy; time to plan, rehearse
What is a task?

A goal-oriented activity in which learners use
language to achieve a real outcome.

Learners use whatever target language
resources they have in order to solve a
problem, do a puzzle, play a game, or share
and compare experiences.
Fluency in Tasks
“Learners need opportunities to process
language for communicative purposes
as receivers and producers.
“These opportunities should be unfettered
by the perceived need to conform to
teacher expectations in terms of the
production of specific language forms.”
Dave Willis, “Accuracy, fluency and conformity” Challenge and Change in
Language Teaching, J. Willis and D. Willis, ed. Heinemann, 1996. P. 50
Accuracy in Tasks
“Whenever learners are involved in
communication they are concerned with
accuracy…making the best use of their
language systems…
“In spontaneous communication [they] have
little time to reflect on the language they
produce.
“ If…they are given time to prepare what they
have to produce, there will be a concern for
formal accuracy…”
Dave Willis, “Accuracy, fluency and conformity” Challenge and Change in
Language Teaching, J. Willis and D. Willis, ed. Heinemann, 1996. P. 50
Speaking
Fluency: “concerns the learner’s
capacity to produce language in real
time without undue pausing or
hesitation.”
 Accuracy: “how well language is
produced in relation to the rule system
of the target language.”

Peter Skehan, “Second language acquisition research and taskbased instruction”, Challenge and Change in Language Teaching, J.
Willis and D. Willis, ed. Heinemann, 1996. P. 22.
Implications
“Teachers should balance issues of
fluency and accuracy depending on the
specific needs of learners and the
resources of time and materials for
instruction.”
Miriam Eisenstein Ebsworth, “Accuracy Vs. Fluency: Which Comes
First in ESL Instruction?”, ESL Magazine. 1:2, 24-26. March/April
1998.
The teaching situation
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Private, multi-level (high school, university,
post-grad) university in Mexico (17 campuses
throughout country)
Institutional EFL programs
Total 35,000+ students
Groups of 25-30 in language lab
Native and non-native teachers with varying
abilities and experience
Grading
Objective grading required as much as
possible (by government, school and
parents)
 Each course: 2 written exams in
classroom (functions, structures,
vocabulary, reading, writing); 2 exams in
lab (listening comprehension and oral
production)
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Oral Exam
Accuracy
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Role play
5 minutes+
preparation
Perform for teacher
1-2 minutes
maximum
Fluency
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Role play with
teacher and another
student
No preparation
Cues only
Oral Exam Organization
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Students (pairs)
given role cards as
they enter
classroom
Told to prepare—
when finish exam,
can leave
Can use any
reference or ask
questions
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Come to the front of
the class, talk only
to teacher
Perform
Either stay together
or separate for
second role-play
5 point scale
Accuracy
Fluency
1 ---Little or no language
produced.
2 --Poor vocabulary, serious
mistakes in grammar, poor
pronunciation.
3 --Adequate vocabulary,
mistakes in grammar,
adequate pronunciation.
4 --Good vocabulary, occasional
errors in grammar, good
pronunciation.
5 --Wide vocabulary, very few
errors in grammar, very good
pronunciation.
1 ---Little or no communication.
2 ---Very hesitant and brief
utterances, sometimes
difficult to understand.
3 ---Communicates ideas, but
hesitantly and briefly
4 ---Effective communication,
but does not elaborate on
response.
5 ---Easy and efficient
communication. Elaborates
on responses.
I. Pair Roleplay. Used to grade accuracy. (5 points)
Instructions:
• Give each pair of SS a roleplay card. Give them at least
5 minutes to prepare their talk.
• Call pairs of Ss to the front. They perform without
written notes.
• Grade them based on the following scale: [5-point scale
presented here.]
Note: Please take S's level into account. A Course 1 student cannot
produce as much language as a Course 3 student. To get 3 points,
the student should be able to use structures and vocabulary taught
in the course he/she just finished. However, expect errors since the
student has not fully acquired the material. To get 5 points, the
student may still make a few isolated errors, but will speak much
above a typical student at the same level.
II. Roleplay with the teacher. Use to grade fluency.
(5 points)
Instructions:
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Choose one of the situations given below.
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If three people are needed in the situation, keep
the pair together. If not, separate Ss and grade
individually.
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S does not see situations.
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Explain the situation to the S and perform your part
of the roleplay.
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Grade S on the following scale: [5-point scale
presented here.]
Note: Students should be graded considering their
course level.
Student A: Imagine you are at
a meeting and not in an exam.
All of your classmates are at
the meeting too. Your partner
doesn’t know anyone. Tell him
who the people are.
Student B: Imagine you are at
a meeting and not in an exam.
All of your classmates are at
the meeting too. You don’t
know anyone. Ask your partner
who the people are.
Student A: Tell your partner
about an accident you or some
member of your family had.
When he/she tells you, ask
some intelligent questions or
make relevant comments.
Student B: Tell your partner
about an accident you or some
member of your family had.
When he/she tells you, ask
some intelligent questions or
make relevant comments.
Student A: You are making a
survey about what people think
they will be able to do with
telecommunications in twenty
years. Ask your partner at least
three questions about the topic.
Student B: Your partner is making
a survey. Answer his/her questions.
II. Roleplay with the teacher. Use to grade fluency.
(5 points) (Do not show these questions to the Ss. )
1. Keep students together. Ask them what they plan to do when
they finish school. Then ask them to tell you the pros and
cons of that job.
2. Separate students for a moment. You are going to give one
student a message for the other student. For example, ask
Student A to tell Student B you are going to meet him/her
after class. Then have the student pass on the message.
Make the messages a little bit complicated. When you finish,
give Student B messages for Student A.
3. Separate students. Tell student to imagine his girlfriend / her
boyfriend is angry. Ask him / her what he / she will do. Then
ask a “what if” question: What if he doesn’t believe you?
What if he goes out with someone else?, etc.
Part I is the listening comprehension
exam. It is on the same page.
II. Oral Exam (10 points)
Role Play 1: 5
4
3 2 1 0
Role Play 2: 5
4
3 2 1 0
Total Oral points: ___/10
Thank you very much….
JoAnn Miller
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.efltasks.net
www.room20.org
www.salondemaestros.com