Objective Evaluation of Oral Proficiency in the ESOL Classroom

Audio-lingual courses in English for speakers of other languages satisfy the conditions which warrant classroom testing of oral proficiency. Testing is a necessary part of teaching as the means whereby students are provided continuous information about the success of their attempts to speak English. This kind of information is necessary in skill learning. Tests are useful also as guides for control of instruction and for evaluation and proficiency reports. Testing entails (1) selection of test contents and techniques, (2) test taking, and (3) scoring. Tests can be improved by increasing the objectivity of selection and scoring, and increasing the subjectivity of test taking. Improvements are possible in tests which reflect two different but compatible views of language proficiency: that proficiency is measured by determining a speaker's knowledge of linguistically defined elements and processes which are useful for communication, and that proficiency is a measure of communication ability regardless of this knowledge. Cumulative records of instructional success provide the best measure of proficiency according to the first view. Communicative ability is best measured situationally. Interviews can be broadened to require the examinee to assume roles less restricted than 'interviewee'. Other techniques require the examinee to provide and seek information under various conditions and to alter his speech according to the comprehension abilities of his listeners.