CiC3-TB

A LTERNATE I NTERVIEW

Content is a score that measures use of required language. Having this metric on your test will encourage students to use taught language. For example, you could tally the number of times students use a Model Sentence , a conversation strategy, or give a longer “ +alpha ” answer. If you have a transcript to work from, you can look at the turns and give credit for extended sequences of conversation with no questions ( Golden Rule 3 ). Another way to look at content is the degree to which students go beyond the basic taught language. For instance, are they just rehashing the Guided Speaking Practice dialogs, or are they bringing some innovation and originality to their conversation? As always, define clearly what “content” means for you and let your students know. Use of L1 (Japanese) is another aspect you can measure by simply tallying the number of times you hear students speak their native language. A high score on this metric would mean the absence of any L1. If your students are having a hard time with staying in English, putting this aspect on the test will encourage them to clean up their act. Speaking test ideas There are many ways to conduct a good speaking test, but none of them are perfect. Each has its pros and cons that need to be weighed and balanced against whatever criteria you want your students to focus on. In other words, think of tests as specific tools you can wield to elicit whatever aspect of conversation you feel your students need to work on most. What follows is a menu of speaking test options that can be used with this textbook. For each option, we’ll lay out the methodology step-by-step and offer up an honest evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses based on its reliability, validity, and practicality. It is then up to you to try different ideas out with your students and determine what fits best with your teaching style and situation.

1. Ask three questions to the student. 2. The student then asks one (or more) questions back to you. The main point of this

test format is to put emphasis on quick answers, which is an important aspect of fluency. It’s also possible to emphasize intonation via a clear and positive voice. As such, it would be a good test to give near the beginning of the

year. If students find themselves in trouble and don’t know what to say, they must use one of the taught repair strategies to avoid prolonged silence. This all sounds very simple, but students may not find it so easy once they are on stage and in the spotlight. Reliability : If you use this format to encourage quick answers and fluency, make sure students know what you are looking for. Show them beforehand via a demonstration on how they will be marked. If you decide to give everyone an “overall” type of score, communicate to them what that really means. Also, be clear on how many questions you are expecting to hear from them. Taking part in the conversation and marking it at the same time is a tricky thing to pull off; it may take a bit of practice to develop your technique. Consider recording the tests on your smartphone as a backup to improve reliability. Validity : In order to do well on this type of test, students will need to have a firm knowledge of the content they’ll be tested on as well as the ability to use repair strategies to get themselves out of trouble. Nevertheless, the structure of the interaction is quite rigid, so this format is not exactly a true test of one’s ability to engage in free conversation. It’s more of a focused tool for encouraging a specific end (quick reactions, good intonation, etc). Practicality : This test format is easy to prepare and deliver, but it could be a bit tricky to mark because you are a part of the conversation. You’ll need a list of questions to ask and a marking sheet of some sort. If you decide to record the test and mark it later, this

How do I test my students? 123