English Speaking Assessment: Developing a Speaking Test for Students in a Preparatory School. (Published)
This article discusses the format for the speaking exam developed for the School of Foreign Languages at a Turkish university. The introduction and literature review provide the rationale and arguments for the suggested changes to an existing format. The areas for review and redesigning are: the structure of the exam, assessment rubric, exam questions, and supporting manual for assessors and interlocutors. Each area is considered from the standpoint of best practices in speaking skills assessment and the ways those practices should be utilized in a particular learning community. A detailed description of the procedures, logistics, and sample questions follows.
Keywords: Assessment, interlocutor, speaking task specification, testing speaking skills