How to Test Speaking Skills in Japan

71 Chapter 6: Plan out the test admin details ahead of time

chat with them right after they perform A great question to start off with is How do you think you did? This encourages students to self-evaluate a bit at first, allowing them to think more actively about what they are doing well and what needs work You can then acknowledge their opinions and base your comments off of theirs, pointing out a few things you noticed If you don’t have time right after the test, then schedule a meeting with each student at least once during the semester or talk to them outside of class somewhere, like in the student lounge or cafeteria They may feel nervous, but hopefully they will also appreciate the individual attention Think of it this way—how would you feel if your Japa nese teacher gave you individual time to go over your speaking test? What would that do for your motivation to study the language? The more feedback you give, the more you’ll notice how the interaction typically flows First, you’ll most likely be dealing with a lot of nerves Many students have remarked to me how nervous they felt during speaking tests, and I have spent a lot of time dealing with that I have become very clear on what I want to say on this point, and after a while it has become quite easy for me to provide effective reassurance For example, for students who engage in heavy self-criticism, I focus on the positive aspects of their performance I also remind them that learning to manage their nerves while speak ing is part of the learning process Speaking tests are a great training ground for actual real-life interactions with native speakers outside the classroom I cannot count how many times I’ve made this point The same holds true for the other constructs I’ve assessed Now I know exactly what to say about each one I am sure the same will happen to you if you stick with it Your ability to provide targeted