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II. The Background of Oral Test
The assessment system in the Primary English teaching has not kept up with the society development, especially the spoken English assessment. An effective oral assessment is urgently needed. So this paper will first introduce some background information of oral test.
2.1 Theoretical Foundation
(1) Constructivism Theory
Constructivism Theory emphasizes students’ subjective initiative and believes that studying is a process which learners can construct their knowledge initiatively instead of accepting knowledge passively (Wen 55-122). Learners make sense of their world by connecting what they know and have experienced with what they are learning. They construct meaning through the process. The educational implication of Constructivism is that teaching-learning process is not a process that the teacher passes knowledge and skills to students but a process that learners construct their knowledge initiatively by driving their internal motivation. This theory is fit for the assessment of oral test, so that learners should be active participants in the process of assessment.
(2) Communicative Competence Theory
In the 1960s, Communicative Competence Theory has developed rapidly, especially when the CLA (Communicative Language Ability) Theory was proposed. This theory provides a broader view of language competence and holds that the various components of language interact with each other, and language competence is related both to the language user’s knowledge structures and the features of the context of situation. The development of communicative competence theory has greatly influenced language teaching and testing, which are marked by a shift of emphasis from linguistic mode to communicative dimension.
(3) Multiple Intelligences Theory
In the 1980s, Howard Gardner proposed the Multiple Intelligences Theory which provides a theoretical foundation for inpidualized teaching and learning. Gardner defines “intelligence” as “the ability to solve problems or to create products that are valued within one or more cultural settings” (178-230). The theory tells that human has intelligence with a variety of sub-intelligences, such as: language intelligence, logic intelligence, self-reflective intelligence and so on. The educational implication from the Multiple Intelligences Theory is that difference among intelligences lies in fields, but not quality. Intelligence itself is not good or bad. Every learner has the potential for development in different fields. Therefore, it is unreasonable to assess learners with the same criteria and methods since every learner has his or her own intelligent strengths in different areas.
2.2 Assessment Criteria
One function of oral test is to provide information to judge students’ speaking ability with certain scoring categories. In this respect, the marking system is a pretty important part of an oral test. It must be integrated into the whole process of test that designed from the beginning.
Traditional marking criteria concentrate on the language produced, which reflects the view that the accurate command of language is an end to language learning, but regardless of the language environment. Traditional marking components of language proficiency commonly are: grammar, vocabulary, fluency, content, pronunciation, intonation and stress. Now language is regarded as a tool for communication, so the modern style of marking criteria requires a consideration of the speaker, the context and the correctness of what is said----they include all aspects of a speaker’s performance, and sometimes are called “performance criteria”, for example:
---Size (How long are the speakers produced?)
---Complexity (How far does the speaker try to complex language?)
---Flexibility (Can the learners adapt quickly to changes in the task or topic?)