Oral Testing of Accuracy and Fluency: Editorial Macmillan

Oral Testing of Accuracy and
Fluency
Editorial Macmillan
miller@efltasks.net
www.efltasks.net
Fluency
 The ability to produce written and / or spoken
language with ease
 Speak with a good but not necessarily perfect
command of intonation, vocabulary and
grammar
 Communicate ideas effectively
 Produce continuous speech without causing
comprehension difficulties or a breakdown in
communication
Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied

Linguistics
Accuracy
 Ability to produce grammatically correct
sentences
 May not include the ability to speak or
write fluently.
Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied

Linguistics
An example: foreign
visitors
 Tour of factory—fluency; must be
prepared for unexpected questions and
explanations
 Formal presentation of a product—

accuracy; time to plan, rehearse
What is a task?
 A goal-oriented activity in which learners use
language to achieve a real outcome.
 Learners use whatever target language

resources they have in order to solve a
problem, do a puzzle, play a game, or share
and compare experiences.
Fluency in Tasks
“Learners need opportunities to process
language for communicative purposes
as receivers and producers.
“These opportunities should be unfettered
by the perceived need to conform to
teacher expectations in terms of the
production of specific language forms.”
Dave Willis, “Accuracy, fluency and conformity” Challenge and

Change in Language Teaching, J. Willis and D. Willis, ed.
Heinemann, 1996. P. 50
Accuracy in Tasks
“Whenever learners are involved in
communication they are concerned with
accuracy…making the best use of their
language systems…
“In spontaneous communication [they] have
little time to reflect on the language they
produce.
“ If…they are given time to prepare what they
have to produce, there will be a concern for
formal accuracy…”
Dave Willis, “Accuracy, fluency and conformity” Challenge and

Change in Language Teaching, J. Willis and D. Willis, ed.
Heinemann, 1996. P. 50
Speaking
 Fluency: “concerns the learner’s
capacity to produce language in real
time without undue pausing or
hesitation.”
 Accuracy: “how well language is
produced in relation to the rule system
of the target language.”
Peter Skehan, “Second language acquisition research and

task-based instruction”, Challenge and Change in Language
Teaching, J. Willis and D. Willis, ed. Heinemann, 1996. P. 22.
Implications
“Teachers should balance issues of
fluency and accuracy depending on the
specific needs of learners and the
resources of time and materials for
instruction.”
Miriam Eisenstein Ebsworth, “Accuracy Vs. Fluency: Which

Comes First in ESL Instruction?”, ESL Magazine. 1:2, 24-26.
March/April 1998.
The teaching situation
 Private, multi-level (high school, university,
post-grad) university in Mexico (17 campuses
throughout country)
 Institutional EFL programs
 Total 35,000+ students
 Groups of 25-30 in language lab
 Native and non-native teachers with varying
abilities and experience
Grading
 Objective grading required as much as
possible (by government, school and
parents)
 Each course: 2 written exams in
classroom (functions, structures,
vocabulary, reading, writing); 2 exams
in lab (listening comprehension and oral
production)
Oral Exam
Accuracy Fluency
 Role play  Role play with

 5 minutes+ teacher and another
preparation student
 Perform for teacher  No preparation
 1-2 minutes  Cues only
maximum
Oral Exam Organization
 Students (pairs)  Come to the front of
given role cards as the class, talk only
they enter to teacher
classroom
 Perform
 Told to prepare—
 Either stay together
when finish exam,
can leave or separate for
 Can use any second role-play
reference or ask
questions
5 point scale
Accuracy Fluency
1 ---Little or no language 1 ---Little or no communication.
produced. 2 ---Very hesitant and brief
2 --Poor vocabulary, serious utterances, sometimes
mistakes in grammar, poor difficult to understand.
pronunciation. 3 ---Communicates ideas, but
3 --Adequate vocabulary, hesitantly and briefly
mistakes in grammar, 4 ---Effective communication,
adequate pronunciation. but does not elaborate on
4 --Good vocabulary, response.
occasional errors in 5 ---Easy and efficient
grammar, good communication. Elaborates
pronunciation. on responses.
5 --Wide vocabulary, very few
errors in grammar, very
good pronunciation.
I. Pair Roleplay. Used to grade accuracy. (5
points)
Instructions:
• Give each pair of SS a roleplay card. Give them at
least 5 minutes to prepare their talk.
• Call pairs of Ss to the front. They perform without
written notes.
• Grade them based on the following scale: [5-point
scale presented here.]
Note: Please take S's level into account. A Course 1 student

cannot produce as much language as a Course 3 student.
To get 3 points, the student should be able to use structures
and vocabulary taught in the course he/she just finished.
However, expect errors since the student has not fully
acquired the material. To get 5 points, the student may still
make a few isolated errors, but will speak much above a
typical student at the same level.
II. Roleplay with the teacher. Use to grade fluency.
(5 points)
Instructions:
 Choose one of the situations given below.
 If three people are needed in the situation, keep
the pair together. If not, separate Ss and grade
individually.
 S does not see situations.
 Explain the situation to the S and perform your part
of the roleplay.
 Grade S on the following scale: [5-point scale
presented here.]
Note: Students should be graded considering their

course level.
Student A: Imagine you are at Student B: Imagine you are at
a meeting and not in an exam. a meeting and not in an exam.
All of your classmates are at All of your classmates are at
the meeting too. Your partner the meeting too. You don’t
doesn’t know anyone. Tell him know anyone. Ask your partner
who the people are. who the people are.
Student A: Tell your partner Student B: Tell your partner

about an accident you or some about an accident you or some
member of your family had. member of your family had.
When he/she tells you, ask When he/she tells you, ask
some intelligent questions or some intelligent questions or
make relevant comments. make relevant comments.
Student A: You are making a Student B: Your partner is making
survey about what people think a survey. Answer his/her questions.
they will be able to do with
telecommunications in twenty
years. Ask your partner at least
three questions about the topic.
II. Roleplay with the teacher. Use to grade fluency.
(5 points) (Do not show these questions to
the Ss. )
1. Keep students together. Ask them what they plan to do when

they finish school. Then ask them to tell you the pros and
cons of that job.
2. Separate students for a moment. You are going to give one

student a message for the other student. For example, ask
Student A to tell Student B you are going to meet him/her
after class. Then have the student pass on the message.
Make the messages a little bit complicated. When you finish,
give Student B messages for Student A.
3. Separate students. Tell student to imagine his girlfriend / her

boyfriend is angry. Ask him / her what he / she will do. Then
ask a “what if” question: What if he doesn’t believe you?
What if he goes out with someone else?, etc.
Part I is the listening
comprehension exam. It is on the
same page.
II. Oral Exam (10 points)
Role Play 1: 5 4 3 2 1 0
Role Play 2: 5 4 3 2 1 0
Total Oral points: ___/10

Thank you very much….
www.efltasks.net
www.room20.org
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Oral Testing of Accuracy and

Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied

Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied

 Formal presentation of a product—

 Learners use whatever target language

Dave Willis, “Accuracy, fluency and conformity” Challenge and

Dave Willis, “Accuracy, fluency and conformity” Challenge and

Peter Skehan, “Second language acquisition research and

Miriam Eisenstein Ebsworth, “Accuracy Vs. Fluency: Which

 Role play  Role play with

Note: Please take S's level into account. A Course 1 student

Note: Students should be graded considering their

Student A: Tell your partner Student B: Tell your partner

1. Keep students together. Ask them what they plan to do when

2. Separate students for a moment. You are going to give one

3. Separate students. Tell student to imagine his girlfriend / her

Total Oral points: ___/10

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