Đang tải... (xem toàn văn)
This study investigates the application of testing assessment methods on speaking test skills through the participation of 30 second-year students of Nam Dinh teacher training college. Based on the analysis of the results, it was shown that the lecturers used different assessment types and steps to evaluate the students’ speaking skills.
100 TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC THỦ ĐÔ HÀ NỘI APPYING TESTING OF SPEAKING TETST AT NAM DINH TEACHER TRANING COLLEGE: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS Tran Quoc Viet(*) Hanoi Metropolitan University Abstract: This study investigates the application of testing assessment methods on speaking test skills through the participation of 30 second-year students of Nam Dinh teacher training college Based on the analysis of the results, it was shown that the lecturers used different assessment types and steps to evaluate the students’ speaking skills However, they still faced up with some problems such as not having enough time to evaluate all student activities and meeting difficulties in classifying oral tests In addition, the article also gives some suggestions to overcome the obstacles with the hope of contributing to improving the qualities of testing and evaluation in the near future Keywords: Assessment, speaking test, assessment test Received 16 July 2022 Revised and accepted for publication 23 August 2022 (*) Email: tqviet2@daihocthudo.edu.vn INTRODUCTION Assessment – both thinking about it and actively planning for it- gets put on the back burner because we get caught up in the “now” of teaching “What will I in class next week?” is a far more consuming question for new teachers than” How I know if my students are learning?”, but Teoh, Coggins, Guan, & Hiler (2014) found that “many teachers feel that test preparation takes up instructional time as well” and “the prepping for the test takes a lot of time Instead of possibly doing projects or more hands-on learning, we really focused on the testing format and preparing our students to be comfortable taking the test The prepping starts at the beginning of the year and ends in April” This is a considerable portion of time and it behooves us to take time to think about it I believe that assessment can be a process in which both students and teachers can find out how they are doing Upon this base, I have three branches: that teachers need to function within the reality of their situation that final grades reflect a variety of assessment techniques, and that students are aware of the techniques used Who can give a TẠP CHÍ KHOA HỌC − SỐ 63/2022 101 reliable assessment? Some researchers believed that the teacher is an excellent teacher if they have the trusts assessment Testing is an important part of every teaching and learning experience, because the effect of testing on teaching and learning can be harmful or beneficial It can be beneficial when a test is regarded as important and preparation for it comes to dominate all teaching and learning activities In contrast, it can be harmful when the test contents and testing techniques are at variance with the objectives of the course Good English tests can help create positive attitudes towards instruction by giving students a sense of accomplishment and a feeling that teachers’ evaluation of the test matches what he has taught them They also help students learn the language by requiring them to study hard, emphasizing course objectives, and by showing them what they need to improve In addition, teachers can use tests to diagnose their own efforts as well as those of their students As a teacher of English, I am fully aware of the importance of testing “is to help language teacher write better tests” (Hughes, 2003: XI) and “both teaching and testing are so closely inter-related that it is virtually impossible to work in either field without being constantly concerned with the other” (Heaton, 1988: 5) It is obvious that the relationship between teaching and testing is that of partnership However, there are sometimes some problems with test and test administration at my institution and elsewhere This is because some teachers are not sure how to design a good test “it takes the view that test construction is essentially a matter of problem solving, with every teaching situation setting a different testing problem In order to arrive at the best solution for any particular problem - the most appropriate test or testing system It is not enough to have at one’s disposal a collection of test techniques form which to choose It is also necessary to understand the principle of texts and how they can be applied in practice” (Hughes, 2003: XI) In this article, I go through a test specification and a sample speaking test for the English majors in their 4th term at Nam Dinh Teacher Training College I also provide and article on testing at my institution in which I focus on testing situation, problems and suggested solutions CONTENT 2.1 Test specifications for a progress test of speaking 2.1.1 The test’s purpose In developing language test, numerous researchers concluded that a test for an oral class must measure student’s oral ability In order to get a truly valid assessment of our students only, we need to give oral exams The speaking test for the second year students of English is designed to assess the student’ progress in the application of language and language functions in their communication The focus of the test is on fluency and accuracy of the English language 2.1.2 Brief description of the test takers To make this speaking test, the test takers are 30 second year students majoring in English (24 female students and male students) These include students coming from different areas 102 TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC THỦ ĐÔ HÀ NỘI in Nam Dinh province They are doing their three-year study course to become teachers of English at lower secondary schools All of them are Vietnamese by origin and their ages vary from 19 to 21 “for adults, learning to speak a new language is in many case far from satisfactory simply because they feel they need to cope with many different aspects at one time and that seems to be impossible in real conversation” (Betsabe’, 2007: 18) All of them are still single Because our college is a Teacher Training College, the students not have to pay tuition fee Those who have good result in their study can get scholarship ranging from VND 180,000 to 260,000 This to some extent is encouraging and a positive motivation for students to make further progress in their studies The students are in their 4th – semester, which means that their English proficiency is at a pre-mediate level or higher The level of these students’ English proficiency is different They hold speaking lessons regularly either periods per week and are expected to take their speaking exam at the end of the semester They also have chance to practice speaking during the lesson in other subjects such as integrated English, reading, listening, country study, and so on 2.1.3 Test level This speaking test was made basing on appropriate materials, which students are using at our institution The level of the test is equivalent to that of the materials which is PreIntermediate or so 2.1.4 Description of suitable textbook or language course One of the course books we use to develop our students’ general English ability is Headway series, of which Headway Pre-Intermediate (Liz & John Soars, 2000) is used as intergraded English course book for the 3rd and the 4th terms The book is very well organized and has highly systematic skills development work and has also authentic material and tasks to boost student’s confidence in dealing with real English Alongside, Headway Pre-Intermediate is also accompanied by a work book, two cassettes, a pronunciation book, which provides a range of supplementary activities to practice pronunciation and intonation We also use a collage-made speaking material, which is for internal use only The book was made by the staff of the Faculty of Foreign Languages to suit the student’s level and interests and lessons of various topics Students have good chance to practice their speaking with a wide range of activities to develop their language functions in different situations of communication 2.1.5 Number of sections of the test For each test, students are requested to ask and answer three or four questions from which they can expand their answer to prolong the dialogue These questions are related to the topic provided in the instructions 2.1.6 Language skills and language elements to be tested The test is designed to test students’ speaking skills That is will assess skills and structures students have actually learned during the term, such as proper usage of the vocabulary and grammar items The test should cover the language input that students have encountered while TẠP CHÍ KHOA HỌC − SỐ 63/2022 103 learning Through the fluency and accuracy (pronunciation grammar and vocabulary, and so on), they are also tested how good their knowledge of functional language is That is how well they can apply their English in daily communication 2.1.7 Test tasks Students the test in pairs to ask and answer questions based on the guides in the rubrics They have to take turn to ask and answer questions to make a dialogue Sometimes, they have to answer the examiner’s questions 2.1.8 Time allocation Students are given a certain amount of time to prepare their dialogue then they are called to sit in front of the examiners (two examiners) to act out their dialogues within the time slot of about ten minutes 2.1.9 Test methods The speaking test is held in a separated classroom building which is convenient for the test The exam rooms are clean, quiet, light enough, and on the enter the room for their preparation There are about twenty questions in each set and students choose randomly one to prepare for their dialogue After 10 minutes, the 1st pair is called to act out their dialogues They are to perform their dialogue during their time slot They are told that they could not read the dialogues to the examiners, but must speak it as naturally as possible with their partner The two examiners sit in front of the students facing to the back of the room I personally think this is good because they can prevent the other pairs from cheating (some students may bring materials into the exam room and copy some ideas from that, or they may ask questions from other pairs or make noise in general) During the test time, we always try to put the students at ease and help them warm up by spending the first few moments just chatting Sometimes, the examiner (s) can ask them some questions in order to have a short conversation with them The questions are related to their dialogues For instance, if their dialogues contained references to a birthday party, I would ask them questions about how Vietnamese/ Chinese people celebrate birthdays I might also include a few questions about their preparations for their other exams or their plans for the upcoming days This would conclude their oral exam Two examiners work independently, taking notes from the students’ performance on the marking sheet and decide what mark they give to the students When the first pair of students completes their task in their time slot, they are asked to sign their names in the list as evidence that they have taken the test The first pair is free now, and then the second pair is called to act out their dialogue The next pair waiting outside is allowed to enter the exam room for their preparation The rest in turn in the same way When the exam session is finished, the two examiners come to the conclusion and decide what mark they give to the students Students are called to enter the room to hear some feedbacks and marks from the examiners This is always done at my college so that students may avoid the bad things and bring into full play the good things in later times 104 TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC THỦ ĐÔ HÀ NỘI 2.1.10 Criteria for marking As it is the end –of term exam, students are expected to well to pass the exam with good results As the criteria for marking designed in the marking sheet, we grade them on pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, fluency and listening comprehension We usually use the marking sheet for oral test as introduced * Criteria for assessing accuracy: - Grammar: Students use correct word order tenses, agreement… - Vocabulary: Students have a range of vocabulary that corresponds to the syllabus year list and use words that have been taught - Pronunciation: When students speak, most people will understand, that is their message they get across is clear * Criteria for assessing fluency: - Lack of hesitation: Students speak smoothly, at a natural speed - Length: Students make full sentences and can speak for more than one sentence at a time Students can put ideas together to form a message or an argument - Independence: When the student is lost for a word or can not express an idea in English, he finds a way around the problem, re-expressing what he wants to say in a different/simpler way “negotiation or meaning” The students can keep talking and asking questions, and so on To keep their conversation going He is independent of the teacher/examiner 2.2 Testing situation - problems and solutions at Nam Dinh Teacher Training College I have been working as teacher at Nam Dinh Teacher Training College for three years I have had an opportunity to witness its changes and growth over the past years In the article, I have an intention of taking about the college’s testing situation I also analyze some of its problems and suggest several solutions, and hope that the college will make more outstanding achievements in the imminent future We all know that “the best test, may give unreliable and invalid results if it is not well administered” (Hughes, 2003: 215) In order to have a good test administration, a list of points should be done properly I am very proud of telling about the test preparation and administration at our college as it has continuously changed in an active way and gained a lot of positive achievements To begin with, our preparation for the exam questions is very careful and thorough As Hughes (2003: 215) indicated that “the key to successful test administration is careful advance preparation” Based on the written announcement from the director broad, selected teachers the departments are to design tests for the subjects they are teaching This is done weeks prior to the exam with full responsibility Teachers who teach the same subject for different classes are to discuss together to make tests After writing tests, they have to submit the handwriting versions to the head of divisions for confirmation and verification Next, the tests are typed, printed and administered by the Training Department Tests are carefully checked and well TẠP CHÍ KHOA HỌC − SỐ 63/2022 105 protected before the exam and verified by the vice-director and then randomly chosen for the first round of the exam The level of difficulty of the tests is equivalent in the first round and the retaking exams It is now time for me to talk about test administration Before each testing session, detailed instructions are prepared for all examiners In these, an attempt is made to cover all eventualities, through the unexpected will always occur; particularly oral examiners must be thoroughly familiar with the test procedures and rating system to be used For the Faculty of Foreign Languages, only teachers who are well trained and experienced are involved, because we don’t usually have many oral exam rooms so a certain number of oral examiners are required For students or candidates, they are also given full instructions such as where to go, at what time, what subject to take, what to bring, what they should if they arrive late, what will they result from cheating The name lists of candidates are well prepared and organized with much information about them such as examination number, date of birth, class, full name, gender, and so on Rooms for examination at our college are large enough to accommodate comfortably the planned number of candidates (usually 22-24 candidates) There is sufficient space between candidates to prevent them from copying from each other “rooms should be quiet and large enough to accommodate comfortably the intended numbers of candidates There should be sufficient space between candidates to prevent copying” (Hughes, 2003: 216) The desks are well arranged in advance Ideally, there is a big clock in each room which is visible to all candidates To discuss the test administration at our college, I must say that it is quite good since all teachers are aware of the importance of a good assessment Secondly, the identity of candidates is carefully checked by the examiners Students must bring their student card into the exam room for identification The candidates are always seated in such a way to prevent friends being in a position to pass information to each other The examiners always give clear instructions to candidates about what they are required to in the exam room and when they finish the test Candidates are also warned of the consequences of any irregular behavior, including cheating The necessity of maintaining silence throughout the duration of the test is also emphasized Thirdly, when materials are distributed to candidates individually, the examiners usually instruct them to provide the required details, (such as examination number, name, date…and so on.) on the answer sheet or test booklet Another point is that the examiners time the test precisely; making sure that everyone starts on time and does not continue after time When the test is in progress, the examiners (one sitting in front, at board, the other at the back of the room) carefully monitor the behavior of the candidates When there is ten minutes left, the candidates are informed and they have to stop work immediately when the time is over Candidates are required to remain in their places until 106 TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC THỦ ĐÔ HÀ NỘI ail materials have been collected and their numbers checked as well as they have to sign their names in the name list for verification as evidence Since our institution is a provincial college located for from developed centers, it is inevitable to have some problems here and there First of all, there is still a shortage of classroom building used for exam rooms at out college, the college is small, and we have to work in two shifts (both in the morning and afternoon) In addition, there are different curricula of study for different learners (regular, irregular, in-service training, correspondence courses …., and so on.) To gradually improve this, more rooms should be built and as an advantage the college is preparing for a status of university in the coming years Another problem is that acquaintances among the staff and students as I have already mentioned Students at our college come from only within the province Some teachers are their relatives It is unavoidable to have some negative effects on exam administration in these cases It may happen elsewhere but not only at our institution A stricter measure should be applied to raise the awareness in both teachers and students of importance of evaluation It is the whole process but not should be frankly criticized and students must be given appropriate punishment if they violate the exam rules Last but not least, students not try their best to in exams As it has been mentioned, students at our college not have to pay their tuition fee, they not seem to show many efforts, they are quite passive and not show full responsibility for their studies as well It is really not the way if they want to become good teachers at schools For the better improvement, I personally think that students at all educational institutions including teacher training colleges have to pay their tuition fee It is the in the Ministry of Educations (MoET) who decides the fee for study curricula at different institutions The fee may also be left to the decision of the institution itself Moreover, students should be further encouraged during their course of study Above all, they themselves have to renovate and spare no efforts in their studies CONCLUSION Test are always time consuming to construct and it is not easy at all to have satisfactory one In fact, not all teachers can be testers regardless how talented they are in teaching We have seen from above that progress achievement tests assess students’ development on a continuous basis during a semester or a course Although they require more making from teachers, they benefit both teachers and learners in the educational process They have many advantages of continuous assessment as stated in Geneses and Upshur (1996: 268) Through continuous assessment, teachers and students can recognize their shortcomings and successes Teachers are able to give student feedback about their language performance at various stages in the development process If learning a language is a process, assessment of all the efforts made by students would encourage them to better continuously I have presented test specifications and samples of speaking tests for English majors in their 4th term I hope that testing and assessment should be taken into consideration for their real in the whole process of teaching and learning Teachers should know how to design good TẠP CHÍ KHOA HỌC − SỐ 63/2022 107 tests, especially process tests so that both teachers and students can benefit much from testing and assessment TÀI LIỆU THAM KHẢO Betsabe’, N R (2007), Improving Speaking skills, Encounter, p18 Genesee, F & Upshur, J A (1996), Classroom-based evaluation in second language education Cambridge language education, Cambridge [England], New York: Cambridge University Press Heaton, J.B (1988), Writing English language Test, Longman: London and New York Hughes, A (2003), Testing for Language Teachers, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Liz & John Soars (2000), New Headway - Pre Intermediate Student’s Book, Oxford University Press Teoh, M., Coggins, C., Guan, C., and Hiler, T (2014), The student and the stopwatch: How much time American students spend on testing?, Retrieved from http://www.teachplus.org/ ÁP DỤNG PHƯƠNG PHÁP KIỂM TRA KỸ NĂNG BÀI THI NÓI TẠI TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG SƯ PHẠM NAM ĐỊNH: VẤN ĐỀ VÀ GIẢI PHÁP Tóm tắt: Mục đích nghiên cứu nhằm khảo sát việc áp dụng phương pháp kiểm tra kỹ thi nói thơng qua đánh giá 30 sinh viên năm thứ hai Trường Cao đẳng Sư phạm Nam Định Trên sở phân tích kết nghiên cứu cho thấy giảng viên sử dụng loại hình nhiều bước khác việc thực kiểm tra để đánh giá thi kỹ nói cho đối tượng sinh viên này; nhiên, họ gặp số vấn đề khơng có đủ thời gian để đánh giá tất hoạt động học sinh, khó khăn việc phân loại nói Bên cạnh đó, nghiên cứu đưa số gợi ý số giải pháp hy vọng sở đào tạo đưa nhiều giải pháp thực thi việc kiểm tra đánh giá thời gian tới Từ khóa: Đánh giá, thi nói, kiểm tra thi ... He is independent of the teacher/ examiner 2.2 Testing situation - problems and solutions at Nam Dinh Teacher Training College I have been working as teacher at Nam Dinh Teacher Training College... late, what will they result from cheating The name lists of candidates are well prepared and organized with much information about them such as examination number, date of birth, class, full name,... specification and a sample speaking test for the English majors in their 4th term at Nam Dinh Teacher Training College I also provide and article on testing at my institution in which I focus on testing