Bridging the gap in oral language assessment: ORAToR, a comprehensive tool for measuring oral summarization competence

Oral communication is a fundamental skill in education, yet its assessment remains a significant challenge due to the lack of valid and reliable tools designed for children, particularly for research purposes. This gap limits both the understanding and study of oral skills in educational contexts. In response, we developed ORAToR (Oral Recap Assessment Tool with Reliability), a comprehensive and rigorously validated tool designed specifically for researchers to assess pupils' proficiency in orally summarizing knowledge. This paper details the 10-step process involved in constructing ORAToR, highlighting the importance of expert consultation and pilot studies to ensure robust content validity. Exploratory factor analysis revealed three factors: Informational Content, Interaction with the Interlocutor, and Clarity of the Message Conveyed. While inter-rater reliability was strong for most criteria, evaluation of the relevance of the message and paraverbal elements needs further attention. These findings underscore the need for validated tools such as ORAToR to advance research on oral communication.