On-line Assessment of Spoken English - Imperial College London
Transcript of On-line Assessment of Spoken English - Imperial College London
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ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
Liz Chiu and Sharon Smith (ELSP Tutors, Humanities Department)
ASSESSING SPOKEN ENGLISH
English Language Support Programme (ELSP) provision has always included
Pronunciation classes, but there has not previously been any standardised
criterion referenced assessment of an individual’s needs before joining.
An on-line assessment of speaking could enable college members with
concerns about their spoken English to submit a speech sample at their own
convenience, receive an assessment of their level and be offered direction
towards appropriate study if necessary.
An assessment tool has been developed and tested using the new
Humanities digital language laboratory. Thirty students were successfully
tested, placed and profiled during the ELSP 2008 pre-sessional course.
This speaking and pronunciation assessment has evolved into a valuable
diagnostic tool which we now use as a basis for providing individual feedback
and study plans for all students who attend our introductory course.
NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH
ASSESSMENT
AND FEEDBACK
We have developed
a comprehensive
test of speaking and
pronunciation which
allows us to analyse
in depth the speech
of our registered
students. From a
five minute sample
we can build a
detailed picture of
individual difficulties
relating to sounds
(phonemes), word
or sentence stress,
linked speech and
intonation as well as
a variety of fluency
issues. These data
are used to inform
lesson content and
will drive curriculum
development.
For language learners, speaking is usually considered the most difficult skill
because sounds have to be physically produced at the same time as words
are being retrieved from memory and sentences are being constructed.
Additional problems are encountered by students who have studied from
books without learning what the words are supposed to sound like, or have
only had English teachers who were not native speakers and had poor
pronunciation themselves.
In October, second language students can select classes beginning
immediately if they feel very worried about their speaking skills, or classes
beginning after one month if they feel they can wait.
CURRENT SITUATION ELSP WEBSITE
Most students who wish to study pronunciation
are now assessed in class during a short
introductory course.
Students who are not able to attend testing
sessions in the language lab can download the
test from our website and make their own
recordings in the lab via self access. This
option is also available from home by
downloading the Sanako software from the
Humanities website, although some difficulties
still need to be resolved.
The online assessment provides a new
opportunity for members of the college to
submit a recording without having to join a
class. However, the number of assessments
that can be carried out, especially at busy times
of the year, is restricted by staff availability.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
John Hughes – ELSP Coordinator
Paul Chauncy – Audio Visual Support
David Lefevre – Senior E-learning Technologist
David Walker – Pronunciation Consultant
With thanks to colleagues and students who tested early versions of this assessment.
SANAKO SOFTWAREThe Sanako software used in our language labs is not intended for online applications.
There are issues of compatibility when it is downloaded to home computers running
different operating systems, with the result that some students have not been able to
record and save files. There is also a bug in the text synchronization function which is
yet to be resolved.
DIAGNOSTICS AND ASSESSMENT SHEET (PART A)
PART 2
THREE PART TEST
The components of the test have been
developed through classroom trials; both
fluency and accuracy are assessed in
informal and formal / academic speech.
Part 1 focuses on personal circumstances
to test the basic accuracy and range of
informal, high frequency language.
Part 2 assesses the pronunciation of both
informal and formal sentences for accurate
production of phonemes, word stress and
connected speech.
Part 3 requires the use of vocabulary
commonly found in scientific description,
and tests the ability to organise ideas
coherently. Preparation time is given for
this task.
DIAGNOSTICS AND ASSESSMENT SHEET (PART B)
English Language Support Programme
ONLINE ASSESSMENT OF SPOKEN ENGLISH
WIMBA AND THE FUTUREThe original proposal for developing this online assessment was made with the
assumption that we would have WIMBA software available through Blackboard, as the
college was trialling it at the time. Unfortunately, the funding was not forthcoming and so
we do not currently have access to it. We remain hopeful, however, that we will be able
to transfer our test to this platform in the future.
PART 1
PART 3
SPEECH ORGAN DIAGRAMS
These contrasting nasal phonemes present
a problem for many learners of English
including Chinese and Spanish speakers.
Typical errors have been collected in class
and used to produce test items.
It is quite simple to identify students who cannot communicate adequately, those who
speak but are not entirely clear, and those who speak fluently with only a regional
accent. Students can be grouped like this almost instantly when they speak to a teacher.
We assess three main areas that contribute towards intelligibility: fluency (including
vocabulary, organisation of ideas, degree of hesitancy), grammatical accuracy and
pronunciation. Fluency can be improved in conversation activities, and by more
extensive listening and reading to absorb new vocabulary.
Pronunciation has its own set of criteria: vowel length, voiced and voiceless consonants,
aspiration, fricatives in clusters, word and sentence stress, linking, intonation etc.