6 Assessing productive and interactive skills Personal refl ection

 
Assessing productive and interactive skills 
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the abilities or competences (e.g., grammatical competence, pragmatic 
competence, etc.) believed to underlie and support language use. Ability-
oriented scales represent language use in terms of degree or frequency in 
relation to theoretical categories, while those in the behavioural 
tradition offer more concrete descriptions of the observable behaviours 
associated with a level of performance (see 
Table 6.7
).
Sometimes more ability-oriented scales are 
nested
within more 
behaviourally oriented level defi nitions. The Graded Examinations in 
Spoken English (GESE) developed by Trinity College, London, for 
example, include tests or grades targeting 12 distinct levels of speaking 
ability. Each grade of the suite represents a different level of challenge 
for the test taker. 
Table 6.7
 
Differences between ability and behaviour-focused scales
Focus
Ability/interaction/normative
Behavioural/real world 
Examples 
of scales
Cohen and Olshtain (1993) 
ETS Test of Spoken English (TSE) 
and Test of Written English (TWE)
American Council for the Teaching of 
Foreign Languages (ACTFL, 1999), 
NATO STANAG 6001
Scales used with the Common 
European Framework of Reference 
(Council of Europe, 2000) and the 
Canadian Language Benchmarks 
(Pawlikowska-Smith, 2000)
Example 
descriptors
Uses linguistic forms that are fully 
appropriate for expressing the 
intended speech act
|
Some use of inappropriate 
linguistic forms for expressing the 
speech act
|
Continuous use of inappropriate 
linguistic forms for expressing the 
speech act
(Cohen and Olshtain, 1993)
Demonstrates syntactic variety 
and appropriate word choice
|
Demonstrates adequate but 
possibly inconsistent facility with 
syntax and usage
|
Serious and frequent errors in 
sentence structure and/or usage
(Test of Written English, ETS, 
1990)
Can follow specialised lectures and 
presentations employing a high 
degree of colloquialism, regional 
usage or unfamiliar terminology.
|
Can understand the main points of 
radio news bulletins and simpler 
recorded material about familiar 
subjects delivered relatively slowly 
and clearly.
(Council of Europe, 2001)
Advanced-mid speakers can handle 
successfully and with relative ease 
the linguistic challenges presented by 
a complication or unexpected turn of 
events that occurs within the context 
of a routine situation or 
communicative task with which they 
are otherwise familiar. 
Communicative strategies such as 
circumlocution or rephrasing are 
often employed for this purpose 
(ACTFL, 1999).

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