Empowering Speaking Skills through Speaking Assessment in the Process of ELT in Think-E Course

There are some kinds of speaking assessments, the accuracy in choosing the type of assessment determines the success of the student in speaking English. This can be seen in Think-E course, Think-E course is successful in choosing the type of assessment so that the students in Think-E course can speak English fluently. The aim of the study is to describe types of assessments used in the English language Teaching at Think-E course, and how this assessment affects the speaking skills of the students in the Think-E course. The researcher focused on macro skills speaking because the teaching-learning process in Think-E uses communicative function according to situation, participants, and goals. The method used by the researcher is qualitative. The researchers collected the data through observation. The participants of this research were the students in Bee 2 class. The finding shows that there are three types of speaking assessment used in English language Teaching at the Think-E course, they are intensive assessment, responsive assessment, and interactive assessment. In conclusion, the assessment used in Think-E course affect the students dare to speak English and the students also get used to speaking English, so that they can speak English fluently.

Discourse Analysis in Second Language Speaking Assessment

Discourse analysis has been widely used in the field of language testing. This chapter provides an overview of research examining features of test-taker discourse across different task types and under different task conditions and the extent to which these features align with rating scale criteria. Attention is also drawn to discourse analytic studies of the language demands of study and work domains and the extent to which test tasks can elicit relevant features. The chapter concludes by reflecting on the challenges posed to existing high-stakes test constructs by increasing diversity in universities and workplaces and the potential for discourse analytic approaches to establish stronger alignments between testing practices and the aspects of spoken discourse relevant and valued in communication.

Perspectives of Test Examiners of the Localized Speaking Assessment Framework: A Case Study in Vietnam

The present study explores the test examiners'' perspectives on the role and qualitative aspects of the current localized speaking assessment framework used in Vietnam. A case study with two experienced test examiner-cum-English lecturers was conducted. Inductive content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data findings obtained from individual semi-structured interviews. Drawbacks, merits, and standardization issues of the current localized speaking assessment frameworks, i.e., the Vietnamese Standardized Test of English Proficiency (VSTEP), were also discussed, especially in comparison to internationally recognized examinations and frameworks such as the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and the Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) as well as the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The study informed both English educators and policymakers to improve localized speaking assessment to suit the local teaching needs while still meeting the requirements of widely accepted international proficiency tests.

EXPLORING THE EFFECTIVENESS AND STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF E-LEARNING IN ENGLISH AS SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) SPEAKING CLASSES AMIDST COVID-19

The COVID-19 outbreak quickly demonstrates the importance of adopting online education in teaching and learning. It has forced education systems worldwide to find alternatives to face-to-face interactions. Language instructors have made attempts to explore and utilise e-learning tools to enrich their teaching and assist learners in improving their language learning. This paper, therefore, attempts to shed light on the effectiveness of adopting e-learning tools in ESL speaking class and their perception of it. Fifty-three pre-university students from the Foundation Programme of the Preparatory Centre for Science and Technology were involved in this study. Data analysed in this paper were derived from a threaded online discussion via Dotstorming. The structured interview questions were carefully designed based on the objectives to elicit the students’ opinions on the topic of interest. To explore the effectiveness of e-learning in developing the students’ speaking skills, scores of Individual Speaking Assessment and Group Speaking Assessment of each student were collected. These assessments were marked based on the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) Speaking Rubric – Task Fulfilment, Language, and Communicative Ability. The findings show that the adoption of technology in ESL speaking classes improves the students’ speaking abilities. The thematic analysis also shows that the use of e-learning tools in language learning received positive feedbacks from the students, suggesting it would be a promising virtual platform to improve the student's confidence, knowledge, and language.

The Role Of ‘Think-Pair-Share’ In Enhancing the Moroccan University Students’ Speaking Skills in Online Classes

Speaking English as a foreign language presents one of the most common challenges for learners of English due to many factors related to their perception of the teacher as “a sage on the stage,” their own shyness, a lack of appropriate vocabulary and accurate grammar, and a lack of cooperative learning skills. To help students remedy this problem, the Think-Pair-Share’ strategy was used in this study of online classes during the COVID 19 pandemic. Research has demonstrated that learners can improve their speaking skills and learn more effectively through meaningful collaboration and sharing. This study aims to investigate the role of the Think-Pair-Share’ approach in promoting students’ speaking skills. The study adopts a qualitative approach and addresses the following two research questions: (i) To what extent does the Think-Pair- Share help in improving students’ speaking skills? (ii) How can this improvement be justified? Twenty-eight first-year Moroccan university students took part in this study. The research instruments used combined pre- and post-speaking tests, students’ self-evaluation, and classroom observations. Data were video recorded, analysed qualitatively using the FCE speaking-assessment criteria, and compared to the students’ self- evaluation of their own performance. The results show that the Think-Pair-Share strategy enabled predominantly average and weak students to exchange their views on a range of familiar topics with more ease, confidence, and fluency using more appropriate vocabulary and a clearer organisation of ideas. Although the learners still had problems with their pronunciation and accurate grammar, they demonstrated better interactive communication.

Assessment and peer assessment of foreign speaking production competence of the 1st year pre – service teachers

The article focuses on the assessment and peer – assessment of the foreign language speaking production skills of the 1st year pre – service teachers. The analysis of the existing evaluative tasks for speaking assessment has been done and best tasks for 2 types of monologues – a monologue – description and a monologue – narration have been collected. Successful assessment requires definite criteria to be chosen. In this paper criteria have been established and explained and 2 rating scales for a monologue – description and a monologue – narration have been developed.

Classroom Assessment for EFL Learning to Speak at Junior high School

The present study investigated the current practice of EFL Classroom assessment focusing on speaking skills in Junior High School. Speaking Assessment is a tool used to evaluate students’ oral skills in the formal system by the English teachers. The investigation of classroom speaking assessment in this school was based on its effectiveness in light of alternative assessment tool and pedagogical values. By using ADDIE model, we constructed an oral assessment in accordance with the needs and levels of students as well as components on the oral assessment. There were five commons models such as Oral Interview, Role Play, Guessing Games, Story Telling and Oral Report that are communicative, relevant, continues, simple and various forms. These models can be used to assess students’ speaking skills regardless of time and place as its validity and practicality tests appeared to be high (93.75 and 87.5). It can be concluded that these assessment models are applicable for teachers to assess students’ speaking skill. The paper further elaborates discussion on the utilizing of students’ ability, progress, and their learning process. In short, it is a high time for the teachers to apply these models in the classroom.