How to Test Speaking Skills in Japan

40 Part 2: How can we mark & administer speaking tests? Advantages of analytic marking

This highlights one of the key advantages of an analytic marking scheme—it turns your speaking tests into really powerful diag nostic tools that generate a lot of positive washback Your students can really see how they are progressing along the cri teria you set out for them You are then in a much better position to suss out problems and areas where they need improvement As a result, a huge side benefit of analytic marking is all the knowledge you’ll gain about how conversation really works It’s a great way to train yourself to become a better teacher All of this happens because the constructs you choose communicate a message of what you feel is most important This draws students’ attention to these areas, and they end up putting effort into mastering them because they are on the test Analytic marking schemes are also quite useful in TESP contexts, where you are teaching students English they will need in their careers (Underhill, 1987) For example, you could choose unique constructs that push your students to grow in areas they’ll need for their jobs, such as clarity of diction and poise for flight cabin attendants, personal enthusiasm for prospective teachers, or bed side manner for future doctors Another advantage of analytic marks is that they are concep tually easier to give With holistic marking, you have all of these various constructs bubbling around in your head, so it can be hard to sort them out on a consistent basis In contrast, with analytic marking, you are just looking at one thing at a time Since it’s easier to keep your attention focused that way, you’re able to mark each construct more consistently, which is a boon to overall reliability (Underhill, 1987)