Developing tools for learning oriented assessment of interactional competence: bridging theory and practice
Issue Date
2019-10-01Subjects
English language assessmentspeaking
interaction
X162 Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)
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In this paper we report on a project in which we developed tools to support the classroom assessment of learners’ interactional competence (IC) and provided learning oriented feedback in the context of preparation for a high-stakes face-to-face speaking test. Six trained examiners provided stimulated verbal reports (n=72) on 12 paired interactions, focusing on interactional features of candidates’ performance. We thematically analyzed the verbal reports to inform a draft checklist and materials, which were then trialled by four experienced teachers. Informed by both data sources, the final product comprised (a) a detailed IC checklist with nine main categories and over 50 sub-categories, accompanying detailed description of each area and feedback to learners, which teachers can adapt to suit their teaching and testing contexts, and (b) a concise IC checklist with four categories and bite-sized feedback for real-time classroom assessment. IC, a key aspect of face-to-face communication, is under-researched and under-explored in second/foreign language teaching, learning, and assessment contexts. This in-depth treatment of it, therefore, stands to contribute to learning contexts through raising teachers’ and learners’ awareness of micro-level features of the construct, and to assessment contexts through developing a more comprehensive understanding of the construct.Citation
May L, Nakatsuhara F, Lam D, Galaczi E (2020) 'Developing tools for learning oriented assessment of interactional competence: bridging theory and practice', Language Testing, 37(2), pp.165-188Publisher
SAGE PublicationsJournal
Language TestingAdditional Links
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0265532219879044Type
ArticleLanguage
enISSN
0265-5322Sponsors
Cambridge English Funded Research Programme, Round 7 (2016-2017)ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1177/0265532219879044
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