Assessment in the CSWE Professional Development Kit Speaking Developed by Marian Hargreaves for NEAS 2013 © NEAS Ltd 20141

Aims of this workshop To consider issues specific to assessing speaking skills To develop skills in designing and developing assessment tasks for speaking skills for the CSWE To validate materials for a speaking assessment task 2© NEAS Ltd 2014

Specific issues related to assessing speaking: the sections of this presentation 1.Designing the task 2.Administering the task: issues relating to the interlocutor 3.Assessing the learner: issues relating to rating/reliability 3© NEAS Ltd 2014

1. Designing the task Requirements of the Learning Outcome need to be explicit 4© NEAS Ltd 2014

CSWE 2 Module C LO 2 Participate in a spoken transaction for information/goods and services 1.Participate effectively in a spoken transaction to obtain information or goods and services. 2.Initiate transactional exchange or respond to opening appropriately. 3.Request information or goods and services using questions or statements - wh and yes/no questions. 4.Explain requirements/needs. 5.Respond to requests for information appropriately. 6.Record relevant details. 7.Use appropriate strategies. 8.Close transactional exchange or respond to closing appropriately. 9.Use appropriate vocabulary. 10.Pronounce key vocabulary and formulaic expressions/utterances with sufficient sound clarity and stress to be intelligible to the interlocutor. 5© NEAS Ltd 2014 Assessment criteria

Designing the task cont. Opportunity to meet requirements Context and motivation Collaborative/non-collaborative speech acts Comparability 6© NEAS Ltd 2014

Learner card 1 You want information about English classes for yourself. You inquire at a local teaching centre. Ask about the following and write the information in the spaces provided. Cost _______________________________________________________________________________________ Starting dates_______________________________________________________________________________ Class times _________________________________________________________________________________ Length _____________________________________________________________________________________ Class size __________________________________________________________________________________ Certificate __________________________________________________________________________________ Learner card 2 You want information about English classes for yourself. You enquire at a local teaching centre. Ask for the information you need and write it on the lines below. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 7 © NEAS Ltd 2014

Designing the task cont. Planning and pre-teaching integrated program practice peer-assessment formative evaluation constructive feedback familiarity informal assessment using recording for pre-teaching and preparation 8© NEAS Ltd 2014

2. Administering the task Interlocutors and raters/assessors The Interlocutor – Who is an interlocutor? – What qualities and skills does an interlocutor need? – What qualifications and experience does a successful interlocutor need? – What are the responsibilities of an interlocutor? – General advice to interlocutors 9© NEAS Ltd 2014

Administering the task cont. Recording – equipment: tape recorder or digital? – labelling – administration 10© NEAS Ltd 2014

3. Assessing the learner Rating/reliability Assessment grid Raters – inter rater; intra-rater Interpretation and moderation Intelligibility 11© NEAS Ltd 2014

Intelligibility: questions to consider: Difference recognisable/ intelligible? Is there a scale of intelligibility? How do you account for listener factors? – Familiarity – Sympathy – Interlocutor knowledge of the task/cues How do you identify sound clarity? Does pausing and intonation only matter at CSWE 3? How do you help less experienced teachers cope with assessing pronunciation? 12© NEAS Ltd 2014

Feedback An important part of the learning process Written/verbal Individual/group Confidential Security of materials for summative assessment 13© NEAS Ltd 2014

Activities Activity 1. Brainstorming Activity 2. Build a bank of materials (Preliminary and CSWE I) Activity 3. Designing a task for CSWE II G2 Participate in a simple interview Activity 4. Design a task for CSWE III C2 Negotiate a complex spoken exchange 14© NEAS Ltd 2014

Reminder! Validity Reliability Practicality 15© NEAS Ltd 2014

Resources and References City & Guilds, Guide to Interlocutors, Hargreaves, M. Professional Development Kit for Assessment Task Development, Yates, L. Pronunciation, professional development and assessment. Workshop presentation, Yates, L, Springall, J. Assessing Intelligibility, CSWE II G2 Assessment Grid 16© NEAS Ltd 2014