Validity Consideration in Designing an Oral English Test

To make oral test accurately reflect the actual English spoken ability of candidates and play its role in guiding and promoting the improvement of English learners in the teaching, we must ensure that the design of scientific questions, the feasibility and validity of judgments to make an accurate and fair measurement of testers' language ability.

Validity Considerations in Designing an Oral English Test

Speaking is the main purpose and most important skill for second language learning.This paper reviews the important validity considerations in designing a test,such as face validity,content validity,on the basis of which the author analyzes the oral test paper for the postgraduate entrance interview in Shaanxi University of Technology,thus putting forward some methods to improve the test paper.

A Study of the English Oral Tests in Light of the Communicative Language Testing Theory

Speaking,as a productive skill,is a priority for many foreign-language learners.They often evaluate their success in language learning on the basis of how much they feel they have improved in their spoken language proficiency.Consequently,testing of oral skills has hardly been neglected in college English examination.The communicative testing theory in 1970s greatly influenced language testing,especially the oral tests.This essay briefly explores the theory of communicative language testing and discusses the methods of TOEFL oral test and college English oral test and proposes ways to the latter one for further improve ment.

Reliability and Validity of the English Oral Test

English oral test aimsto provide a fair and valid measure of a testee'soral proficiency so asto give an accurate description of his/her oral communicative ability.This paper analysesthe validity and reliability of the college entrance English oral test paper of Guangdong province of 2005.In designing an oral test,in order to make the test reliable,the teacher should take the following factors into consideration:test content,test method,testees'mood,rating scales and rater characteristics.

Assessment of Oral English: Testing the Non-English Major Students at Guangxi TCM University in P.R. China

This paper intends to give a brief overview of oral English testing for non-English major students in Guangxi Traditional Chinese Medical (TCM) University, which is located in a minority autonomous province in the southern part of P.R. China. It arises from the concrete problems facing Chinese teachers of English who feel troubled when offering an oral English test to an ever increasing number of non-English major students at the end of each semester. The frustration comes not only from the labor intensive and time consuming activity but also from the surrounding ethical issues of subjectivity by the teachers and of injustice to the students to give and receive fair marks. Moreover, there is a conflicting gap between the criteria used by the foreign native English speaking teachers and Chinese teachers of English because of their different cultural background and concept of testing. Nevertheless, an oral English test was designed and the procedures were devised, adopted, and administered to assess the student’s performance. The test and procedures, based on the national course syllabus for testing non-English majors, the level of attainment in oral English of the students, and the limited number of teaching personnel in the TCM University, utilized two different approaches. The native English speakers follow their own concept of devising formats of group testing procedures and assessment criteria forms highlighting communicative interaction. Meanwhile, the Chinese teachers of English emphasize individual rehearsed presentations and ask the student to follow up questions, to make further comment, and inquire about learning experience from the passage in order to make assessment and evaluation. Final student scores were calculated by combining daily participation of the student, the assessment foreign teacher, and the evaluation of Chinese teachers.

Correlation and Regression Analyses on the Washback effects of Achievement Oral Test on College English Learning

The purpose of this study was to investigate how washback effect of a reformed test influenced students'perspectives in their spoken English learning. This study was expected to enrich the existing literature in testing washback in English as a foreign language context.Findings indicate that the adding of oral part in achievement test does have a positive washback effect on students'learning. However, such a washback effect on students'learning is quite superficial and limited.

The Washback Effect of a High-stakes Oral Test

In 2004,Guangzhou Education Bureau introduced an English oral test into its existing Guangzhou Senior Secondary School Entrance Examination(hereafter,SSSEE)with the intention of shifting from grammar-based English teaching at junior secondary school to a communication-based teaching approach.This paper presents preliminary research findings related to the washback effects of the oral test on teaching.The data were collected via focus groups and questionnaires.The nature of the washback effects of the SSSEE English oral test is discussed from six dimensions.The study shows that washback is a complex phenomenon and it can be conceptualised via a multidimensional model.

A Description of Oral Errors for English Speaking Learners in Technical Colleges

Technical college students often commit different oral errors in their English learning. The type of students'spoken English errors is analyzed in this paper and the common errors are classified into four groups: phonological errors, lexical errors, grammatical errors and pragmatic errors. The result shows that lexical errors and grammatical errors are more common for learners from technical colleges.

On Teachers' Role in Spoken English Class

The paper analyzes the characteristics of the spoken English class and proposes the suggestions to the teachers in term of how to design the spoken English class, organize and administrate the class and assess the learners' oral English ability. The paper introduces the various classroom activities and how to conduct them in teachers' teaching process as well.

基于在线英语口语诊断测试的语篇表现典型特征分析

语篇能力是口语能力的重要组成部分,以往研究较少从语篇表现层面关注不同水平英语学习者,尤其是大学生群体的口语能力。本研究基于口语语篇衔接和连贯表现,使用某在线诊断测试任务中的真实语料,结合量化分析和质性分析,探究可区别大学生口语水平的语篇表现典型特征。结果表明,在衔接表现方面:补充词和前指照应词可以明显区分高、中、低水平学生,水平更高的学生更多地使用补充词和前指照应词;对比词可以明显区分高水平学生,高水平学生更多地使用对比词;因果词、重复和近义词可以明显区分低水平学生,低水平学生更少地使用这些手段。在连贯表现方面,除产出语篇类型外,C-单元间的联系和话题与任务关联度均能明显区分不同水平学生:低水平学生的观点间联系松散,缺少具体说明和解释;中等水平学生的观点间有一定联系但准确性欠佳,能适当推进话题发展;高水平学生的观点间联系紧密,能有效推进话题发展。本研究为英语口语测试评分标准的优化、诊断反馈指标的确定及测试效度论证提供一定的参考。

对英语口语测试真实性的多维分析

英语口语测试中的真实性一直是个颇具争议的概念。英语口语测试过程的真实性具有四个维度,即测试任务和测试情景的真实性、受试者与测试任务之间互动的真实性、受试者之间互动的真实性、评价标准及实施过程的真实性。对此进行探究发现,英语口语测试的真实性是一个主观的和相对的概念。

互动式测试:英语口试的新模式

英语口试是考查受试者运用英语作为一种交流思想的口头工具的效率和效果,根据现代语言测试的理论,信度和效度正是科学的语言测试的两个根本要求。然而,现行的英语口试在信度和效度上都存在问题,不能有效而准确地检测考生的实际语言运用能力。因此,尝试构建一种可行的互动式口语测试模式,使之真正成为一种能衡量考生实际口语水平的测试手段,并对英语教学起到良好的、积极的反拨作用。

基于交际语言测试理论的大学英语口语考试方法探索

基于Bachman的交际语言测试理论,运用实验班和对照班比较的方式,采用交际性测试特有的考试形式、考试内容和评分方式,对大学英语三级口语考试改革进行了探索。并通过对三级口语考试成绩和针对英语口语考试改革进行的问卷调查的分析,提出了新的口语考试能够取得较好效果,是受学生欢迎的一项教改措施。

基于交际语言测试理论的大学英语口语测试改革研究

交际语言测试理论是大学英语口语测试改革的出发点和理论依据。基于交际语言测试理论分析,指出目前大学英语口语测试中存在的主要问题,并提出口语测试改革的具体操作步骤和实施方法是非常重要的。认为改革体现了未来口语教学测试的方向,同时也对大学英语教学起到良好的反拨作用。

大学英语大规模口语测试的探讨

口语测试是大学英语测试的一个重要组成部分,同时它对大学英语教学工作起到明显的反拔作用。该文对大学英语大规模口语测试的必要性、内容与形式、评分标准等进行了分析和探讨。

计算机辅助大学英语口语测试研究

本研究从目前我校大学英语正在实施的机上口语测试研究入手,旨在了解学生对口语机考这种测试形式和机考不同题型的态度,以探讨适合我校大学英语口语考试的试题设计和内容。研究结果表明,学生对目前正在实施的大规模大学英语口语测试持肯定态度。学生对不同机考题型的态度和答题表现,不仅为大学英语教学提供了有价值的信息,也为今后的机助口语测试研究提供了方向。

英语口语测试中性别差异现象及其分析

男女学生在口语测试中成绩表现不同,女生的口语表达能力较男生要强,但对难度较大的口试内容男生具有更好的发挥能力,这对英语口语教学具有一定的启示意义。

论交际性口语测试的构建

交际性口语测试主要测试人们在进行交际时运用语言知识的能力。以交际能力理论为基础,以交际性口语测试的真实性、互动性、情景性和综合性四个特征为指引,结合当前英语口语测试的现状,探索建立一套完整的交际性口语测试的设计原则与评分标准,以期提高口语测试的有效性。

英语口语机考评分系统研究与实现

英语口语机考应该像传统的口语测试一样,评估受试者的语音、语法和内容这几个方面。针对目前四、六级网考试点考试中口语测试中效度不高的问题,文章提出了英语口语机考评分实现途径,既通过语种识别、语音识别、语音文本转换文字文本、文字文本评分四个环节来实现英语口语机考的自动评分。通过这四个环节的结合,形成一种方法,使之能够有效地实现四、六级网考中英语口语评估的难题。

英语口试中综合式与分析式评分的异同——基于考生话语的分析

本文依据Upshur and Turner(1999)考试与评分的理论模型,将考生口语产出的话语语言特征作为参照,研究口语考试中综合式与分析式评分的异同。实验结果表明考生口语产出的话语特征中流利度衡量指标之每分钟有意义音节数对两种不同评分模式都产生显著影响;评分员在两种评分过程中都注重考生话语的流利性,忽视语言准确性和复杂性。文章进一步对此进行了分析并从考生话语角度揭示口试评分中误差控制的问题。