How to Test Speaking Skills in Japan

98 Part 3: Three speaking test ideas another task, no one will get extra practice time This will add to the overall fairness of the exam in that students going first will not be penalized for having had less time to practice Overall, however, if these issues are taken into account, the ran dom pair conversation format is a pedagogically sound task that will double as an excellent language practice activity, one that will do wonders for developing your students’ communicative competence Getting Ready 1 Like with any other speaking test format, it’s a great idea to hold a practice test before conducting it for the first time This will give the students and you a chance to run through the process with less pressure and ensure a smooth test day experience 2 Prepare your marking/feedback sheet Feel free to adapt one of the samples from the Appendices Alternately, you could down load editable copies in docx format from the Alma Publishing website (wwwen almalang com) 3 Decide where to hold the exam The most practical and easy solution may be to conduct it in your classroom If so, then de cide where the students should go for their assessment Creating a little testing area in the front or back of the room is one idea If this won’t work for whatever reason, then make the necessary preparations to secure another testing location 4 Decide how long each pair (or group of three) will need to talk In general, 5 minutes should be enough to get a decent sample of their ability, but you’ll need to take into account various fac tors when deciding For example, if you have a lot of students to get through, or their overall level is not that high, then go with less time If they are more capable, and the class is not so large, then try a longer time frame One advantage of longer assess-