Instructions: Test Recordings and Assessment
Here readers find sample test recordings and different assessment guidelines/scoring rubrics. With this material, readers can organize collegial or research workshops where the test recordings can be assessed according to different types of scoring rubrics and test constructs that are made available. There will be discussion questions to facilitate the use of the materials and links to the relevant publications reported in the chapter.
There are three full test recordings on the website, with accompanying transcripts. The recordings were collected as part of the Testing Talk project [Swedish Research Council 2012-4129; see Chapter 1] in the spring of 2014. The test in question was part of the National Test of English 2013/14, and was developed at the University of Gothenburg, the NAFS project (see https://www.gu.se/nationella-prov-frammande-sprak) (NAFS Project, n.d.). The copyright holder of the test materials is the Swedish National Agency for Education (Swedish National Agency for Education, 2013a).
Recordings
Test 1 Audio [File code 11011181, transcript] One teacher; two test-takers
Test 2 Audio [File code 31171142, transcript] One teacher; two test-takers
Test 3 Audio [File code 31011081161, transcript] One teacher; three test-takers
References
NAFS Project. (n.d.). Nationellt prov i engelska för årskurs 9 [English National Test Year 9]. Retrieved from https://www.gu.se/nationella-prov-frammande-sprak/prov-och-bedomningsstod-i-engelska/engelska-arskurs-7-9/nationellt-prov-i-engelska-for-arskurs-9
Swedish National Agency for Education. (2013a). English. Ämnesprov, läsår 2013/2014. Lärarinformation inklusive bedömningsanvisningar till Delprov A. Årskurs 9 [English. National Test 2013/2014. Teacher information including assessment instructions for Part A. Year 9]. Swedish National Agency for Education.
Suggested activities for researchers and teachers
· Listen to a test and assess the test performances using one of the assessment guidelines/scoring rubrics provided below.
· Listen to a test and assess the test performances using several of the assessment guidelines/scoring rubrics provided below. Compare the criteria/descriptors of the different sources.
· Use your own test recordings and assess test performances using one or several of the assessment guidelines/scoring rubrics provided below.
· Let your own test-takers self-assess their own test performances using one or several of the assessment guidelines/scoring rubrics provided below. For this activity, we recommend using the self-assessment grid from CEFR (see link below). Discuss the results of the self-assessments and offer formative feedback based on your own assessment.
· If you assess the tests individually and compare to your colleagues’ assessment, where do you differ for these tests? Discuss possible reasons.
· If you assess collaboratively from the start, record your discussions and use the discussion as a starting point in further reflective practice.
Questions to reflect upon
· What is the role of the test administrator/examiner in the test?
· How are the tasks for the test taken up by test-takers?
· Is there a difference in the test performances in the paired and small group tests?
· How would you assess test-takers’ complexity, accuracy, and fluency in the tests?
· How are test-takers displaying their interactional competence, and how does IC relate to complexity, accuracy, and fluency?
· Do the different test topics managed by the test-takers seem to yield different test-taker performances?
National English Speaking Test sample test materials, Parts A, B, and C (see Chapter 1)
https://www.gu.se/nationella-prov-frammande-sprak/prov-och-bedomningsstod-i-engelska/engelska-arskurs-7-9/exempel-pa-uppgiftstyper-for-arskurs-9
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
Can-do statements
Self-assessment grid: Let learners self-assess their own L2 speaking ability (see ‘Spoken interaction’ and ‘Spoken production’) https://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=090000168045bb52
The CEFR illustrative descriptor scales – communicative language activities and strategies (see ‘Oral comprehension’ and ‘Oral production’) https://rm.coe.int/chapter-3-communicative-language-activities-and-strategies/1680a084b4
NCSSFL-ACTFL
The 2017 NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements are the result of collaboration between the National Council of State Supervisors for Languages (NCSSFL) and the American Council of the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), and they guide
· learners to identify and set learning goals and chart their progress towards language and intercultural proficiency;
· educators to write communication learning targets for curriculum, unit and lesson plans; and
· stakeholders to clarify how well learners at different stages can communicate (see NCSSFL-ACTFL, 2017)
Can-do statements, Proficiency benchmarks: https://www.actfl.org/uploads/files/general/Resources-Publications/Advanced-Can-Do_Statements.pdf
ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2012 (see ‘Speaking’): https://www.actfl.org/uploads/files/general/ACTFLProficiencyGuidelines2012.pdf
Tests of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL IBT©)
Speaking section https://www.ets.org/pdfs/toefl/toefl-ibt-performance-descriptors.pdf
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
Speaking band descriptors https://www.ielts.org/-/media/pdfs/ielts-speaking-band-descriptors.ashx
IELTS Speaking Key Assessment Criteria: Nine bands and four criteria (Fluency and Coherence; Lexical Resource; Grammatical Range and Accuracy; and Pronunciation) https://www.ielts.org/-/media/pdfs/ielts-speaking-key-assessment-criteria.ashx
