CiC3-TB

Practicality : This is a highly practical test that you can do with even larger classes. Naturally the more students you have, the shorter the dialogs should be, or else schedule the performances of more than one class. As with the other formats of this type, remember that you can have the students write and work on their conversation outside of class. For example, if you would like to test your students after completing Units 1 & 2, put students in pairs, have them start writing up their conversations in the textbook on pages 40-41, then hold the test the following week. R ECORD & T RANSCRIBE Option 1: 1. In pairs, students have 20 minutes (or so) to record a short 2~3 minute dialog on their smartphones . They can do as many takes as 11 they want within the allotted time. 2. After the recording phase ends, students transcribe their conversation. 3. Students send you a copy of their recording and hand in their transcript, either by email (if typed) or by hand. This testing format

back and forth as the construct the dialog together. 2. After writing, students memorize the dialog and practice it until they can deliver it smoothly. 3. Students perform the dialog to the teacher. They may not use any notes. 4. (optional) For an added challenge, as a random follow-up question to each student. Of all the “write + speak” formats, this one is the most challenging. Here students must actually memorize their

prepared dialog and deliver it without any supporting notes. As such, it is a good format to use for higher level students. For an added challenge, ask a

couple of follow-up questions after the students perform their dialog. This will give you a sense of how well they can speak off the cuff. Reliability : Like the other tests of this type, this is a solidly reliable format if the students are clear on how they’ll be marked during the speaking portion of the test. Since you are not participating in their conversation, you can put more effort into marking their performances. If you decide to challenge them with follow-up questions, make sure you’ll be able to accurately assess what you are looking for. What aspects of conversation will you look at? Clarify that, let the students know, and you’re all set. As with any pair test, take care to match the levels as best you can to avoid huge gaps in ability. Validity : This format has a fairly high validity as a measure of speaking skill, but it is still not true conversation. To push it more in this direction, ask a few follow-up questions to see how the students react. Often they can seem pretty strong when they’re on script, but how well can they speak when they go off it?

leverages the powerful pocket computers that nearly all students these days carry. In this 1st option, each pair has a set amount of time to record a short conversation.

They can do as many takes as they like until they are satisfied. This takes a bit of pressure off, as they can mess up a few times and keep going until they get it right. Once done, the recording is transcribed and then handed in, along with a copy of the recording. You then mark the test outside of class within the comfort of your own office on your own time.

Nearly all students have smartphones these days that contain a free built-in recording app. Recordings can easily be emailed or shared to 11 a dedicated folder on Dropbox or another cloud storage service. If a student does not have a smartphone, they can pair with one who does. How do I test my students? 126