How to Test Speaking Skills in Japan

106 Part 3: Three speaking test ideas then transcribing it, students put themselves in a strong position to self-evaluate their progress This testing activity consists of three stages, the first two com pleted in a single 90-minute lesson, with the final one done at home, for homework Stage 1: Record three 3-minute conversations In Stage 1, randomly assigned pairs record three 3-minute conver sations on their smartphones You will need to keep the time and help everyone stay synchronized during this portion of the exam Between each take, students will have five minutes to listen to their performance They can make a spot evaluation and implement some ideas for improvement They will only be assessed on their best take, so they can work together with less pressure and do their best on the exam Stage 2: Transcribe the best take After the three takes have been recorded, the students choose their best one and begin transcribing it on specially prepared transcript form (Appendix C) If doing this for the first time, you’ll need to provide a bit of guidance on a few basic transcription conventions, such as how to indicate noticeable pauses, simultaneous speech, and an instances of L1 Depending on student ability, it should take about 45 to 60 minutes to transcribe their favorite take Their re sulting transcripts may not be absolutely perfect, but that is okay— this is not a research exercise, after all The transcription process itself is the goal and is where much of the learning will take place Stage 3: Self-evaluation for homework Finally, in Stage 3, each student completes a self-evaluation ques-