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| 2019年度 異文化言語教育評価論 |
CH2 Assessing Spoken Proficiency: What are
the issues?
2.1 Introduction
-
The development of FL students’ spoken communicative proficiency is an
important component of FL teaching and
learning programs (CLT framework)
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It is particularly important if the language program put emphasis on
‘meaningful,
authentic exchanges’ and ‘interpersonal
negotiation among learners’.
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Spoken communication proficiency will be an important focus for assessment, and
that valid assessments
of this proficiency will aim to measure language use as
authentic as possible.
-Two
questions to be answered in this chapter:
①
What
does it mean to speak proficiently in FL?
-> Define a
communicate proficiency construct
②
What
modes of assessment might best capture authentic instances of spoken
proficiency for measurement purpose?
-> Different issues to be
discussed in this chapter: static vs dynamic, task-based vs construct-based;
single- or paired/group performances
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2.2 What does it mean to
communicate proficiently? (Question One)
2.2.1 Communicative Competence as
the underlying theoretical framework
-Canale
and Swain’s (1980) framework
Using a language for
communicating purposes involve 4 essential dimension:
|
Competence |
Definition |
|
Grammatical
|
ability
to use the language code accurately |
|
Sociolinguistics |
ability
to use and understand the language appropriate to different context |
|
Discourse |
to
create texts in different situations and apply coherent and cohesion rules
appropriately |
|
Strategic |
ability
to use both verbal and non-verbal strategies during communication |
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When the framework applies to measure learners spoken communicative proficiency:
|
Competence |
Definition |
|
Grammatical |
speaking
using accurate language, adequate pronunciation |
|
Sociolinguistics |
learners
will be able to use and understand the language appropriate to different context |
|
Discourse |
learners
will be able apply coherent and cohesion rules appropriately and therefore
can speak fluently |
|
Strategic |
learners
will be able to cope with different authentic communicative situations and be
able to keep the communicative channel open by using appropriate strategies
such as questioning or hesitating. |
2.2.2 Developing the framework of
Communicative competence
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Problem of this framework?
The first three
components can be assessed by individual spoken performance, however, the last
component cannot be assessed without reference to some kind of interaction
ability-> meaningful interaction is important
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Developing the framework of Communicative Competence:
It includes all four
components proposed by Canale and Swain’s, adds more elaborations to some
components and adds new competence:
|
Competence |
Definition |
|
Grammatical |
speaking
using accurate language, adequate pronunciation |
|
Sociolinguistics |
learners
will be able to use and understand the language appropriate to different
context |
|
Discourse
|
1. learners
will be able apply coherent and cohesion rules appropriately and therefore
can speak fluently 2.
knowledge of discourse markers and the management of various conversational
rules (turn-taking) |
|
Strategic |
learners
will be able to cope with different authentic communicative situations and be
able to keep the communicative channel open by using appropriate strategies
such as questioning or hesitating. |
|
NEW Pragmatic |
can use formal and informal styles (Some researchers agree, but some rejects-> it can be included
in discourse or sociolinguistics competence) |
|
NEW Intercultural |
ability to produce an appropriate spoken text within a particular
social cultural context, be aware of rules of behavior that exist in a particular
community in order to avoid possible miscommunication and be able to use
non-verbal communication -> However, difficult to assess |
-Test setters design a test with two aims:
①
Adequate
target language use
EX: can use target
language in the TLU domain
②
To
measure adequately the different facets of a spoken communicative proficiency
construct as demonstrated in the performance
EX: to what extent the display of a
range of competencies is sufficient to fulfil the task and obtain the goal
- To decide the most effective way of
measuring spoken communicative proficiency, means not only taking the spoken
communicative proficiency construct into consideration, but also considering
other factors which might influence the outcome of the assessment.
2.3 Static
or Dynamic
-Assessment ‘paradigm shift’:
Educational Thinking now─broader
modal of assessment (standardized test, classroom assessment, profolio..)
-Why?
To fulfill a
wide range of educational purposes
Purpose of
these assessment:
|
Purpose |
Managerial
and accountability goal |
Professional
and learning goal |
|
Assessment |
Summative
assessment |
Formative
assessment (Dynamic
Assessment-> modifying
learners performance during the assessment itself) |
|
When
to use the assessment? |
measure
at the end of the course |
evaluate
during the teaching and learning process |
|
Assessment
of learning focus on? |
outcome |
enhancing
learning |
|
Duration |
Static (only
one time) |
Dynamic
(many
times in a period of time) |
2.3.1 The Static Assessment Paradigm
|
Assessment
Type |
Summative
Assessment |
|
Purpose |
1.
Identify different levels of test takers proficiency 2.
Predict future academic performance |
|
Grading |
present
as a mark or grade ->
compare with other students |
|
Concern
of this assessment |
1.
Standardization (Reliability and validity) 2.
Grades are meaningful to all stackholders
|
|
Merits |
Normative
in a range of contexts, with the implication that
they are sufficient and may be able to fit for purpose to
measure communicative proficiency (Luoma, 2004) |
|
Demerits |
1.
Examine sentence-level grammatical proficiency, knowledge of vocabulary, not
authentic interaction 2.
By using discrete-point language test, it evaluates the discrete four language skills. -> Limit the evaluation on
speaking skills Incomplete evidence of speaking
performance |
|
Compensate
for negative effects |
Include alternative
assessment to address negative connotation or negative impacts of the
assessment |
Discussion:
What communicative
competence will you take into account while measuring students’
speaking
ability? What kind of speaking task do you think is suitable to obtain your
goal
to measure
these competence?