Oral language testing at tay nguyen university  (Page 4/53)

The results of the study show that (1) the current oral testing practices at this institution are far from being consistent with the language testing theory, and (2) the staff have gained limited and insufficient knowledge of oral language testing. These findings serve as the basis for seven practical recommendations made for the improvement and standardisation of TNU current oral testing practices.

The seven recommendations are as follows. Recommendations 1,2,3,4&5 are made as an effort to make relevant applications which are based on Bachman&Palmer’s theoretical framework for test development. These recommendations can be considered as guidelines for developing speaking tests in general. Recommendations 6&7 are particularly intended for the sample operationalization of speaking tests for first-year students.

List of figures and tables

Table 1.1: The second-year students’ oral test results2

Table 1.2: The third-year students’ oral test results2

Figure 2.1: Continuum of Spoken Language Production8

Figure 2.2: Conditions of Communicative Stress in a Task8

Figure 2.3: Success of Meaning Negotiation10

Figure 2.4: The Model of Test Development15

Table 2.1: Level Scale of Language Proficiency Based on the Global Scale by Council of Europe21

Table 2.3: Oral Test Types and Elicitation Techniques26

Table 4.1: A checklist for Oral Test Development44

Table 4.2: Summary of Oral Test Types Used in the Achievement Speaking Test for the Second-Year Students (School Year 2002-2003)45

Table 4.3: Summary of the Students’ Oral Test Performance in the Achievement Speaking Test for the Second-Year Students47

Table 4.4: Correct Answers for the Questions in the Questionnaire56

Table 4.5: Teachers’ Assessment Priority Perception of Interactional and Transactional Short Turns58

Table 4.6: Teachers’ Assessment Priority Perception of Transactional Long Turns58

Table 4.7: Teachers’ Choice of Number of Tasks for a Speaking Test59

Table 4.8: Teachers’ Choice of Elicitation Techniques for Levels of Proficiency59

Table 4.9: Teachers’ Choice of Specific Test Tasks for Level of Proficiency60

Table 4.10: Teachers’ Choice of Steps to Be Considered in Oral Test Design and Operationalization60

Table 4.11: Teachers’ Confidence in Students’ Test Results60

Table 4.12: Teachers’ Lack of Confidence in Students’ Test Results61

Table 5.1: The Marking Scales for Task 1 of the Sample Term 1 Achievement Speaking Test76

Table 5.2: The Marking Scales for Task 2 of Sample Term 1 Achievement Speaking Test78

Table 5.3: The Marking Scales for Task 1 of Sample Term 2 Achievement Speaking Test80

Table 5.4: The Marking Scales for Task 2 of Sample Term 2 Achievement Speaking Test82

Chapter 1: introduction

This thesis reports the results of a study carried out to investigate the current practices of oral testing at Tay Nguyen University (TNU) in order to point out the existing problems and to make some practical suggestions for improvement. This introductory chapter describes in detail the problem the thesis attempts to solve, states the objectives of the study, and provides an overview of the thesis.