Test, Assessment and Evaluation Speaking Across Levels
This essay explains the
terms of test, evaluation and assessment on speaking skills across the level.
The writer aims to elaborate those on how to test, to evaluate and to assess.
Additionally, The Common European Framework of Reference is discussed in my
essay as the guide of teachers for language learning, teaching and assessment. This
framework is known as international standard for describing language
ability.
According to Cambridge dictionary,
the word test means that the act or a practice to give someone’s test to
measure his/her ability. Indeed, tests are a special form. Tests are assessment
made under contrived circumstances especially so that they may be administered
(Klizk 2012). In other words all tests can be called assessments, yet not all
assessments are tests. The test is conducted at the end of the lesson or unit.
For example, to test students’ speaking skill, a teacher can use interview,
role play or other possible techniques.
Assessments is a judgement
or determination the amount of value, quality, or another important something.
Bob Klizk (2012) describes an assessment as a process where the information is
obtained relative to some known objective or goal. Both explicit and implicit,
assessment is most usefully connected to some goals or objectives for which
assessment is designed. So that assessment is a process which is conducted to
collect some data, for example the data of students which is used to see the
ability or difficulties experienced by the students. The data is used to give a
judgment on what is being needed by the students indeed.
To asses speaking, there are
5 aspects must be considered. The aspects are vocabulary, grammar, fluency,
pronunciation and task completion. The vocabulary and grammar need to be
considered by regarding to range as well as the accuracy. Fluency and
pronunciation should be adjudicated on how comprehensible the students is and
how is it difficult or easy to be understood. Moreover, we can take a
consideration about the participation. The participation is how the students
get engage in the class, group, or with partner in the discussion. We can
observed the activeness of the students to use the target language in social
interaction, in class for instance.
While evaluation is more
complex term. Evaluation is the procedure which is used to determine whether
the subject, for example the students meet a pre-set criteria, such as
qualifying for special education service (Klizk, 2012). I explain that
evaluation is systematic ways to make a decision, to know the progress of a
program. For example, in evaluating, Teacher can asks to his/her students to
record theirspeech. Then teacher listen the recording repeatedly in order to
focus on more aspects of their work.
Cited from British Council,
Paul Kaye explains the things what can be evaluated. She added that there are
some aspects should be considered. For example, the phonological features,
rules of language, communicative function and social meaning. Phonological
features consists of the sound, stressed, weak sounds, speech, rhythm and
intonation in every word uttered by the interlocutor. How the interlocutor
speak each word clearly and understandably.Rules of language includes the
correctness of the grammar and the diction used by the interlocutors. So that
the conveying message can be easily understood. In other words it makes sense
to the hearer. The communicative function is the aim of the interlocutor selects
the words, grammar, manage the intonation and stress, changing the volume and
tone used to speak. Therefore, this aspects can be evaluated through
observation. During the observation, she
suggests to use some questions like, does the speaker use intonation and stress
effectively to support their message, and does the speaker use the right
functional language to express their message. While social function is the
ability of the speaker to use the language in different situation. They
distinguish the language used which ones is formal and informal.
More than that, the testing,
evaluating and assessing speaking must be considered in each level. Because I
think that level determines the proficiency. For example, let us compare the testing,
evaluating and assessing between basic user (A1, A2) and independent user (B1,
B2)there must be differentiation on the language achievement, language function
for instance. In the basic user, students are expected to master the language function
especially to introduce their self, greeting, making and responding invitation.
In contrast, independent user (B1, B2) students are expected to be able to respond
and express feeling such as surprise, happiness and sadness. Richard and Rodgers (2014:165) mentions CEFR
(The Common European Framework) as a framework for language teaching and
assessment. This framework describes six levels of achievement divided into
three broad categories from lowest (A1), to highest (C2) which describe what
learner should be able to do in listening, speaking, reading and writing each
level.
English test A1 (Beginner)
where the students can use familiar everyday expression and every basic aimed
at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Students can introduce their
self and can ask and answer question about personal details, such as the use of
WH Question. They can interact in simple way provided the other person talks
slowly and clearly. English test A2 (Elementary), students can understand sentences and frequently used
expressions related on familiar and routine matters. Students can describe in
simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters
in areas of immediate needto areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic
personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment).
English test B1
(Intermediate), students can understand the main points of clear standard input
on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc.
Students can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an
area where the language is spoken, can produce simple connected text on topics they
are interested in. Students can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes
& ambitions and explaining so. English test B2 (Upper-Intermediate),
studentcan understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and
abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialization,
can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity which makes regular
interaction with native speakers quite possible without any anxiety. More than
that, students can give opinion about advantages and disadvantages to some
objects optioned.
Meanwhile, English
test C1 (Advanced) is the highest level where students can use language
flexibly and effectively for social purpose, including emotional, allusive and
joking usage. English test C2 (Proficiency) student can understand easily on
what they hear or recite, students can sum up information from different spoken
and written sources, students can reconstruct arguments, in a presentation for
instance,student express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and
precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex
situations (Richard & Rodgers 2014:166) as cited in Council Europe (2001).
Based on my
elaboration above, I conclude that the test, evaluation and assessment term is
interrelated to each other. There are some aspects which can be considered in
assessing speaking skills, like grammar, fluency, pronunciation, and
vocabulary. Moreover, the language ability descriptor based the levels which
were framed by CEFR can be used as guide in assessment as well as teaching
language in classroom.
References
Klizlik, Bob. 2012. Measurement, Assesment and
Evaluation in Education. Retrieved http://www.adprima.com/measurement.htm.
Richard J. C., Rodger T. S. 2014. Approaches and
Methods in Language Teaching. 3rd edn. India: Cambridge University
Press.
Kaye, Paul. Evaluating Speaking. https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/evaluating-speaking-part-2
