Oral language testing at tay nguyen university  (Page 32/53)

4.2.1 results

This sub-section first provides the list of the correct answers to the questions and the results collected from the survey.

List of the correct answers to the questions

The correct answers for the questions of the questionnaire are provided in Table 4.4 below.

Table 4.4: Correct Answers for the Questions in the Questionnaire

As far as the two functions of spoken language concerned, criteria for assessing test takers’ interactional and transactional short turns, as discussed in 2.1 (Chapter 2), are more based on their communicative reaction and successfully negotiated ideas rather than on content, size, cohesion or coherence like in taking transactional long turns. Thus, the correct order for Question 1 is d-f-h-e-b-c-a-g, and the correct order for Question 2 is i-h-f-d-g-e-b-c-a. However, every two positions of the last fourth (Question 1) and of the last fifth (Question 2) positions can be exchanged, but the first fourth positions cannot be put in the last fourth (Question 1) or the last fifth (Question 2) positions. That is to say, the order d-f-h-e of question 1, and i-h-f-d of question 2 cannot be changed, and these options must be given the highest priority based on the major features of communicative language testing, that is, interaction efficacy is the assessment prerequisite not accuracy of language forms.

For Question 3, related the number of test tasks/parts included in a test of overall oral proficiency, it is necessary to make use of at least 2 elicitation techniques representing 2 oral test types as demonstrated in 2.3.2 (Chapter 2). The correct answer to this question, hence, is either b, c, or d.

Concerning grading test tasks according to degree of communicative stress reviewed in 2.1 (Chapter 2), elicitation techniques suitable and adequate for each level of proficiency in Question 4 are as follows: Year 1: b, c, d, e, h, i; Year 2: a, b, c, d, f, g, h; and Year 3: a, b, c, f. Similarly, specific tasks in Question 5 used to measure speaking ability for each level are identified as follows: Year 1: b, e, i; Year 2: a, d, g; and Year 3: c, f, h.

As reviewed earlier in 2.4 (Chapter 2), all the steps, in Question 6, must be involved in the oral test design and operationalization process. Therefore, all the options of this question are to be chosen.

The data collected from the questionnaire

Table 4.5 on page 49 presents information regarding the subjects’ own criteria for assessing test takers’ performance on interactional and transactional short turns (Question 1).

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