How to Test Speaking Skills in Japan

Resources

JALT TEVAL (Testing and Evaluation) SIG Established in 1996, this special interest group is a great place to find out more information on both language testing in general and how it applies to ELT in Japan They have produced a number of pub lications that are targeted towards the testing beginner and expert alike, covering both theory and practice Check out the wealth of information in their archives You may also want to join the TEVAL SIG to keep up with language testing news and events in Japan (and get a free book introducing statistics to language teachers)! Consider using and sharing your newfound testing knowledge with a submis sion to the TEVAL SIG Shiken Journal For more information, visit their website: teval.jalt.org Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) This is an internationally recognized standard for describing lan guage ability It sorts learners out across a range of levels, and the unique “can-do statement” level descriptors are a good source of inspiration for constructing your own rating scales For more in formation, visit www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams/cefr or just google “CEFR can-do statements” Rubistar This is a free online service that enables you to easily create and share rubrics It makes the rubric creation process easier to manage by saving you the hassle of formatting tables Have a look around at rubistar4teachers.org

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