ECPE Speaking - improve performance

How to help students improve students’ linguistic performance

The New ECPE Speaking Test

Format of the Speaking Test

Number of candidates

2

3 (if one of the pair absent)

Each candidate

description of 2 different options

collaboration to decide on , present on, and defend a single option

Stages

5

ample opportunity to speak individually & engage in discussion

Duration

25-35 minutes (paired format)

35-45 minutes (3-way format)

Number of Examiners

2

Examiner 1 (stages 1- 4)

Examiner 2 (stages 4 and 5)

Examiner participation

Stage 1 & Stage 5

participant

Stages 2 through 4

involvement not beyond giving & answering test directions

participation minimal

Overall Candidate Expectations

Candidates expected to produce spoken language representative of Level C2

complete a speaking activity without examiner support (help with language)

participate in extended, coherent discourse with the other candidate not dominating during any stage

not playing a passive role

Evaluation

Each candidate

rated independently by two examiners

single consensus score

Evaluated on all stages

5-band rating scale

A – C (pass)

D & E (fail)

Salient features:

Discourse and Interaction

Development, Functional Range, & Listening Comprehension

Linguistic Resources

Range & Accuracy

Delivery and Intelligibility

Level C Linguistic Resources Descriptors

Linguistic Resources

Vocabulary Grammar

•Often uses moderate range of vocabulary accurately and appropriately•Occasionally uses idiomatic expressions and colloquial language•Occasionally uses incorrect collocations that may lead to vagueness

•Often uses a variety of basic and complex grammatical structures accurately and effectively •• Often uses a variety of grammatical structures that are pragmatically appropriate

•Range of vocabulary and grammatical structures extends beyond what has been provided orally and/or in writing•• Gaps and/or errors in vocabulary and/or grammar, sometimes self-corrected, frequently do not hinder communication, but may rarely cause interruptions in communication flow•• Accuracy in vocabulary and/or grammar often declines with an increase in rate of speech and/or with more challenging speech event

General guidelines for teacher feedback

Positive assessment

credit for what done well

Explain areas in need of improvement

Concrete examples of errors

elicitation of correct response

written feedback

Targeted focus in the classroom

common student errors

outside of classroom

individual work

Classroom Activity Setup

Teacher

role of examiner

Student volunteers

role of examinees

Rest of class

Focus questions

Teacher & Rest of class

Note-taking

Stage 1: Introductions and Small Talk (3 – 5 minutes)

Goal: Examiner 1 and candidates to introduce

themselves and for candidates to become comfortable interacting with each other.

Examiner 1 begins introductions

initiates conversation on general topics

Candidates to actively participate by providing expanded responses and

asking each other and Examiner 1

Stage 1: Guidelines for students

accurate linguistic resources

precise language

expansion & elaboration

Functional Language:

asking and answering Yes/No questions about e.g. occupation, education, interests and likes

asking and answering WH-Questions about e.g. occupation, education, interests and likes

expressing opinions

asking and providing for clarification

asking for repetition (if needed)

buying time

Stage 1: Video segment

Focus Questions:

1. Does he provide enough information and elaboration?

2. Does he use a moderate range of vocabulary accurately and appropriately?

3. Does he use a variety of complex grammatical structures accurately and effectively?

4. Do the errors in vocabulary and/or grammar impede communication?

Stage 1: Analysis of student performance

Grammar

basic errors

Vocabulary

limited

inaccurate

Concrete examples:

“Everything that…documents government exchange we guarantee for communications, not too much”

…“so many years I close to the software, I tend to the software”

… “the things take me…”

… “I didn’t have much time up to now”

“Now we do proficiency, so free time is away again”

Stage 1: Example of Teacher feedback

Positive Feedback:

involved in interaction

contributed to development of conversation

Room for improvement:

occupation

responsibilities/description

buying time to think/ organize

functional language

awareness of grammar, syntax and vocabulary errors

(self-correction)

Stage 2: Summarizing and Recommending (5 – 7 minutes)

Goal: Candidates to learn what all options are, to make

recommendation to their partner, and to choose silently one of their own options as the best.

information sheet with descriptions of 2 options given

note form

not to be shared

paraphrasing & summarizing descriptions (not reading)

2-3 minutes preparation time

listening carefully to other candidate

asking for clarification and/or repetition

recommending one from other candidate’s options


summarizing

paraphrasing

organizing, combining, & connecting bullet points

displaying linguistic resources

complex structures as well

good range of vocabulary

accurate

seeking clarification and/or asking for repetition (if necessary)

making recommendations

Functional language:

expressing opinions

asking and providing clarification

buying time

making recommendations

Stage 2: Description of option

Tokyo, Japan

Population over twelve million

Location of universities, museums, shopping and entertainment

Average summertime temperature of 28∘ Celsius

Safe transportation system

Five separate sites outside the city for the events

All housing facilities for athletes built

Commitment of local businesses uncertain


Focus Questions:

1. Does he adequately paraphrase?

2. Does he produce coherent speech and link ideas well?

3. Does he use a moderate range of vocabulary accurately and appropriately?

4. Does he use a variety of complex grammatical structures accurately and effectively?


Stage 2: Analysis of student’s performance

Bullet points

read not summarized

adequate connection

Grammar

basic structures

attempts at complex structures

Vocabulary

not displaying variety

inaccurate

Concrete Examples:

… “the bigger city in the world.”

“The average summertime is 28 degrees.”

“The transportation system is the famous Japanese transportation system, very safe and very accurate.”

“It has five separate cities…sites outside of the city for events that will take place.”

“All the housing facilities for the athletes are built.”

Stage 2: Example of teacher feedback

Summary

somewhat adequate

too reliant on written material

Bullet points to be

1. paraphrased

2. combined

3. connected

“bigger”

Is this form correct?

Stage 2: Common student problems

Subject-verb-agreement “He have good organizational skills.”

Word order/usage “Everything is provided in the city of facilities … ”

Tenses/ Pronoun-agreement “He has hosted the Olympics in 1976.”

Stage 2: Summarizing and Recommending

Candidate 1

(Option 1)

&

(Option 2)

Candidate 2

(Option 4)

Candidate 2

(Option 3)

&

(Option 4)

Candidate 1

(Option 1)

Stage 3: Consensus Reaching (5 – 7 minutes)

Goal: to come to an agreement on one single option

reporting on one of 2 own options

Candidate 1 – one option

paraphrasing descriptions

Candidate 2 – one option

paraphrasing descriptions

comparing & contrasting two remaining options

discussing advantages & disadvantages of each option


Presentation of selected option

Not reading directly from their handouts

Production of new language beyond aural & written

input accurate

Variety of structures & vocabulary language of comparison &

contrast

Natural rate of delivery

Appropriate response


expressing agreement

expressing disagreement

introducing an opposite point

expressing doubt

dealing with doubts

expressing opinions

Stage 3: Hiring a high school teacher

Jessica Peters

4 years of experience as laboratory technician

Recently graduated with science teaching certification

2003 “Employee of the Year” Award

Good presentation skills

Experience with newest technology

No experience with high school students


Focus Questions:

1. Does she use a variety of structures that are

pragmatically appropriate?

2. Does she produce new language ?

3. Does she use language of comparison &

contrast accurately?

4. Does she use a moderate range of

vocabulary accurately and appropriately?

5. Does she use a variety of complex

grammatical structures accurately and

effectively?

6. Do the errors in vocabulary and/or grammar

impede communication?


Students 1 & 2 involved in the

interaction able to present

arguments well mostly paraphrasing

Student 1: “She has good

presentation skills.” How is this utterance

different from the bullet point?

How else can we paraphrase this point?

Student 2: “ She hasn’t teached before.”

Is the verb form correct?

Student 2: When you talked about the

teachers “having practice” what exactly did you mean? It wasn’t clear. Could you explain that point?

Stage 3: Structures of comparisons

adjective-er + than + phrase/clause

more/less + adjective + than + phrase/clause

as + adjective + as + phrase/clause

so + adjective + that-clause

so + adjective + as to-clause

too + adjective + to-clause

adjective + enough + to-clause

Stages 3: Consensus Reaching

Candidate 1

(Option 1)

&

(Option 2)

Candidate 2

(Option 4)

Candidate 2

(Option 3)

&

(Option 4)

Candidate 1

(Option 1)

Candidate 1

(Option 1)

Stage 4: Presenting and Convincing(5 -7 minutes)

Goal: to present & convince Examiner 2 that the option

chosen is best

Formal presentation of consensus option

Examiner 2

High Status

2-3 minutes collaboration & planning time (non-assessed)

Presentation of two different reasons each

Explaining importance of reasons

Stage 4: Hiring a high school teacher

William Pierce

Candidate 1 chose to present:

28 years old

5 years experience as a science teacher

Candidate 2 chose to present:

Advanced degree in education

Organizes many field trips


Focus questions:

1. Do they use appropriate register (formal)?

2. Do they provide coherent and elaborate responses?

3. Do they produce new language ?

4. Do they use a moderate range of vocabulary accurately and appropriately?

5. Do they use a variety of complex grammatical structures accurately and effectively?



Positive Feedback:

Used a range of linguistic

resources

Well organized reasons

supporting details.

Avoided repetition

Used complex sentences.

Appropriate shift of register

“I” to “We”

Room for improvement:

Student 1: Gaps in vocabulary

Misuse of vocabulary

not vague

“young teachers are like… they are good.”

Student 2: colloquial expressions

“like", “you know”


giving/highlighting reasons

providing examples

Stage 5: Justifying and Defending (5 – 7 minutes)

Goal: Each candidate to address Examiner 2’s challenges and to justify and defend the reasons for the decision.

Functional language

justifying decisions

defending decisions


Focus questions:

1. Do they adequately justify and defend their reasons ?

2. Do they use appropriate register (formal)?

3. Do they provide coherent and elaborate responses?

4. Do they produce new language ?

5. Do they use a moderate range of vocabulary accurately and appropriately?

6. Do they use a variety of complex grammatical structures accurately and effectively?



Positive feedback

Involved participant

Produced coherent well-organized language to defend decision.

Room for improvement

Watch personal pronouns

“she” vs. “he”

“He made me loved it too”?

Is this form correct?

Classroom Activity: Feedback from students

Benefits to the students:

effectiveness of performance in each stage analyzed and discussed

strengths & weaknesses highlighted

learning to become interactive participants

awareness of errors raised

learning from teacher feedback

Students gradually become part of learning community

General guidelines for candidates

Listen carefully to your partner/examiner

Try to respond appropriately to your partner/examiner

Provide coherent and elaborate responses throughout

Speak at a normal rate of delivery throughout

Seek and provide clarification when necessary

Ask for information to be repeated when necessary

Try to display a range of appropriate vocabulary and grammar structures

Avoid looking at your partner’s handout during Stages 2-3

Organize and connect well the features under each option

Paraphrase the features of each of your options

using own language as much as possible

Avoid repeating language already produced or provided

Try to use appropriate register

Try to self-correct

Documents

ECPE Speaking - improve performance