How to Test Speaking Skills in Japan

66 Part 2: How can we mark & administer speaking tests?

Speaking Test Feedback Sheet Name: _____________________ Partner(s): _____________________________

Date:

Topic:

Fluency: How smooth you speak, and the pace at which you talk. 27-30 Excellent job! Very fluent speaking with no noticeable pauses; pace was natural and comfortable. 24-26 Not bad! Overall you spoke smoothly. Sometimes your pace was a bit choppy, but overall very good. 21-23 Okay, but you have room to improve. There were a few long pauses and your pace was too slow. 18-20 Not so good. Your conversation broke down a few times and there were several long, noticeable pauses. Keep practicing, and you’ll get better soon! < 17 Very poor: You could hardly talk. What happened? Intonation: How friendly your voice sounds and the accuracy of your inflections. 27-30 Excellent job! Your voice was full of warmth and energy, like you were really interested in talking to your partner. Your inflections were spot on. 24-26 Not bad! Your voice sounded friendly overall, but there were a few moments when it was a bit flat or low energy. Overall, it was very good, however. 21-23 Okay, but you have room to improve. Your voice seemed to lack energy or urgency to communicate at times. Inflections were often either flat or over the top. 18-20 Not so good, I’m afraid. Your voice had little to no energy; Inflections were very flat. It sounded like you did not want or could not talk. < 17 Very poor: You could hardly talk. What happened? Creativity: How much creative spark you showed in going beyond the basic requirements. 27-30 Excellent job! You went above and beyond the basics several times and showed much creative spark. 24-26 Not bad! You went beyond the basics a few times and showed a bit of creative spark. 21-23 Okay, but you have room to improve. Your conversation was quite minimal creatively and mostly did not go beyond the required elements. 18-20 Not so good, I’m afraid. You didn't show any creativity as you really struggled to get through the basics. < 17 Very poor; You could hardly talk. What happened? Accuracy: How well you avoided big grammar mistakes that made you hard to understand. 10 Excellent job! You didn’t make any big grammar mistakes. 8-9 Not bad! You made a few mistakes, but they didn’t get in the way of making yourself understood. 6-7 Okay, but you have room to improve. You made several big grammar mistakes that made you hard to understand. 5 Not so good, I’m afraid. Your speaking was broken and distorted by a lot of grammar mistakes. < 4 Very poor: You could hardly talk, let alone speak in correct sentences. What happened?

Number of times Japanese used: ____________ (-1 point for each time) Your total score: __________ / 100 Comments:

A sample marking/feedback sheet (analytic style)