Oral language testing at tay nguyen university  (Page 16/53)

Picture story is widely used with more advantages than disadvantages. Before performing the test task, the test taker is given a picture or a sequence of pictures to look at. Then the test taker describes the picture(s) or story freely before being asked questions related to the story. This technique includes using several similar pictures, ordering pictures to create a picture story, using live action, and vocabulary naming from pictures. (Underhill, 1987, p. 66-69)

Role-play technique involves two people, each of whom takes on a particular role in a given particular situation. A few minutes just before the test the test taker(s) is given a set of written instructions to get prepared, and then he carries out his role in the given situation. This technique can be used between an assessor and a student, and between students. (Underhill, 1987, p. 51-52)

2.4.2.3 tests where the learner prepares in advance

Tests of this type give the test taker a sufficient amount time to prepare the task. The preparation time will range from a few minutes for a blank dialogue to several hours or days for a presentation. (Underhill, 1987, p. 33)

The underlying techniques may be oral report, reading blank dialogue, and re-telling a story.

Oral report technique requires the learner to give an oral presentation on a given topic lasting from five to ten minutes. He or she can refer to the notes, but reading aloud is strongly discouraged. The use of such aids as an overhead projector, a board or flipchart diagrams is encouraged if appropriate. At the end of the presentation, the test taker has to answer all the questions raised by the tester. This technique can be applied by making a mini-presentation with limited preparation time, and by identifying a topic of personal interest at a previous stage. (Underhill, 1987, p. 47-49)

Reading blank dialogue is used in the test context in which the learner is provided a dialogue with only one part written in and prepares the missing lines in a few minutes. The interviewer reads through the given lines and the test taker fills in the blanks aloud. (Underhill, 1987, p. 64-66)

Re-telling a story technique requires the test taker to re-tell a story in his own words after reading it. The test taker is not allowed to refer back to the written text once he has begun to re-tell it. This can be carried out by using notes, using a set text, and using an unseen text. (Underhill, 1987, p. 73-75)

2.4.2.4 mechanical/entirely predictable tests

Mechanical-type tests determine in advance what the test taker is expected to say, for there is always a single correct answer. This complete predictability makes such tests unauthentic and non-communicative. Hence, they cannot be used to measure the test taker’s oral fluency but to measure grammatical knowledge or the mechanical aspects of speech such as pronunciation, stress and intonation patterns. (Underhill, 1987, p. 33)

Tests of this type encompass such elicitation techniques as reading aloud, sentence transformation, sentence repetition, translating/interpreting, sentence completion, and sentence correction.