Browsing by Subject "Speaking."

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Open Access
A comparison of computer assisted and face-to-face speaking assessment : performance, perceptions, anxiety, and computer attitudes
(2011) Öztekin, Ebru
Computer technology has long been applied to language testing as a time and cost efficient way to conveniently assess the proficiency of large numbers of students. Thus, a good deal of research have focused on the effect and efficiency of computer assisted (semi-direct) assessment in evaluating different constructs of the language. Nonetheless, little research has been conducted to compare computer assisted and face-to-face (direct) formats to find whether the two modes yield similar results in oral assessment and whether one is advantageous over the other. Even less investigated were the possible outcomes of administration of computer-assessited speaking tests on a local basis, as achievement tests. The purpose of this exploratory study is to fill the abovementioned gap via examining the relationships between a number of variables. Presented in the thesis are the relationships between test scores obtained in two different test modes at two different proficiency levels, the students’ perceptions of the test modes, and their anxiety levels with regard to speaking in a foreign language, speaking tests, and using computers. Data were collected through four computer assisted and four faceto-face speaking assessments, a questionnaire on Computer Asssisted Speaking Assesment (CASA) perceptions and another on Face-to-face Speaking Assessment (FTFsa) perceptions, a speaking test and speaking anxiety questionnaire, and a computer familiarity questionnaire. A total of 66 learners of English at tertiary level and four instructors of English participated in the study which was conducted at Uludağ University School of Foreign Languages. The quantitative and qualitative data analyses revealed that the two test modes give very different rankings to the students, and the students’ perceptions of the test modes, which have been found to be more positive about the FTFsa at both proficiency levels, are not strongly related to their performance in the speaking tests. The relationship between different types of anxiety mentioned above and test scores are only weakly related to the test scores and the degree of the relationships vary depending on the proficiency level. The results of this study are hoped to be beneficial to the language assessors, instructors, and institutions and researchers that are into language assessment.
Open Access
The effect of raters' prior knowledge of students' proficiency levels on their assessment during oral interviews
(2013) Tanrıverdi-Köksal, Fatma
This quasi-experimental study, focusing on scorer reliability in oral interview assessments, aims to investigate the possible existence of rater bias and the effect(s), if any, of the raters’ prior knowledge of students’ proficiency levels on rater scorings. With this aim, the study was carried out in two sessions as pre and post-test with 15 English as a foreign language (EFL) instructors who also perform as raters in the oral assessments at a Turkish state university where the study was conducted. The researcher selected six videos as rating materials recorded during 2011- 2012 academic year proficiency exam at the same university. Each of these videos included the oral interview performances of two students. The data collection started with a norming session in which the scores the raters assigned for the performances of four students recorded in two extra videos were discussed for standardization. After the norming session, using an analytic rubric, the participants performed individually as raters in the pre and post-test between which there was at least five week interval. In both the pre and post-test, the raters were asked to provide verbal reports about what they thought while assigning scores to these 12 students from three different proficiency levels. While no information about students’ proficiency levels were provided to the raters in the pre-test, the raters were informed about students’ levels both in oral and written format in the post-test. The scores the raters assigned were filed, and the think-alouds were video-recorded for data analysis. As a result, quantitative data analysis from the pre and post-test scores indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between the pre and post-test scorings of eight raters assigned to different components of the rubric such as Vocabulary, Comprehension, or Total Scores which represented the final score each student received. Further analysis on all the Total Scores assigned for individual students by these 15 raters revealed that compared to pre-test scores, ranging from one point difference to more than 10 points, 75 % of the Total Scores assigned by these raters ranked lower or higher in the post-test while 25 % did not change. When all the raters’ verbal reports were thematically analyzed in relation to the scores they assigned and the references they made to the students’ proficiency levels, it was observed that 11 raters referred to the proficiency levels of the students while assigning scores in the post-test. Furthermore, the Total Scores assigned for each group of students each of which consisted from a different proficiency level were analyzed, and the results indicated that the raters differed in their degree of severity/leniency while assigning scores for lower and higher level students.
Open Access
The effect of socio-affective language learning strategies and emotional intelligence training on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' foreign language anxiety in speaking classes
(2013) Gürman-Kahraman, Fatma
The study aims to explore the possible effects of socio-affective language learning strategies (LLSs) and emotional intelligence (EI) training on EFL students‟ foreign language anxiety (FLA) in speaking courses. With this aim, the study was carried out with 50 elementary level EFL learners and three speaking skills teachers at a state university in Turkey. The participating students had a five-week training based on the socioaffective LLSs suggested by Oxford (1990) and the skills in Bar-On‟s (2000) EI model in their speaking skills lessons. Before and after the interval, all the participating students were administered both the “Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale” (FLCAS) and the “Socio-Affective Strategy Inventory of Language Learning” (SASILL), which served as pre- and post-questionnaires. In addition, students were asked to fill in perception cards in each training week, and six students and the three teachers who gave the training were interviewed in order to collect qualitative data related to the participants‟ attitudes towards individual strategies/skill and the treatment in general. As a result, quantitative data analysis from the pre- and post-FLCAS indicated that there was a statistically significant decrease in the participating students‟ overall anxiety levels. However, the students‟ perceptions on the socioaffective strategies did not differ much after the training. Only two affective strategies were observed to have a significant increase in their uses: “rewarding yourself” and “lowering your anxiety”. The results of the content analysis of the perception cards revealed that the students mostly liked the training activity Give and Receive Compliments, which aimed to teach the “interpersonal relationship” competence of EI and the social LLS of “cooperating with others”. On the other hand, the activity that the students enjoyed the least was Use the System of ABCD, which aimed to address the affective LLS of “lowering your anxiety” and the EI skill of “impulse control”. Furthermore, the thematic analysis of student and teacher interviews demonstrated that the training was enjoyable, beneficial in general, and useful in diagnosing the feeling of foreign language anxiety; nevertheless, that some strategies and skills were difficult to apply and some training activities were mechanical and unattractive were the other reported common ideas.
Open Access
The effects of music on English language learners' speaking fluency and on their motivation
(2010) Sağlam, Emine Buket
Music has, so far, been noted to be beneficial in education. There have been some experimental studies that look at the effects of music on reading, vocabulary, and conversational skills in teaching foreign languages. However, there have been no studies searching for the effects of music in the arena of learners’ speaking fluency as well as their motivation/interest level. In this respect, several questions arose: Can music be a salient factor in the teaching of language skills, particularly speaking? Can music be a tool to enhance students’ capacity for speaking fluency? On a less direct but arguably even more important level for second language learning, can music play a role in improving students’ motivation/interest in language learning contexts? The purpose of this study was therefore to explore the above questions and, based on their answers, to guide English language teachers in their thinking about the use of songs in the classroom, both as a means of enhancing learners’ abilities to speak fluently and as a motivating tool. The data used in this study were obtained from 46 pre-intermediate level students studying at the School of Basic English (SOBE) at Karadeniz Technical University (KTU). The major instruments in the research were the tests that were used to measure the students’ speaking fluency, and the questionnaire given to assess the students’ motivation/interest levels for learning English. An interview with the teacher who taught both groups was another instrument. The reflections from the participants in the treatment group were also used for evaluating their thoughts with respect to the contributions of music to their speaking lessons. The data collected from the questionnaire and the oral assessments were analyzed using t-tests. Both the data gathered from the interview and the reflections from the students were analyzed based on the approaches of qualitative data analysis. In this study, descriptive analysis was also used for analyzing both the data collected from the interview and the students’ reflections. According to the results of the pre-test scores for oral assessment, the speaking fluency level of the contrast group was higher than the treatment group (6.83-5.27) whereas the motivation/interest level of both groups was approximately the same. After the treatment, although both groups’ motivation/interest scores actually decreased, the decrease in motivation/interest levels of the treatment group was observed to be significantly less than that of the contrast group. Post-test results for the oral assessment scores of both groups again showed those of the contrast group remaining slightly higher than those of the treatment group, but no longer significantly higher (7.92-7.42).
Open Access
Factors that promote effective speaking in Turkish universities
(1990) Çakır, Cemal
Open Access
The relationship between the evaluation of EFL speaking skills and learners' attitudes and performance
(1992) Önder, Sibel
In most EFL classrooms, the speaking skills are practised in the classroom but are frequently not tested for practical reasons related to the subjective nature of the scoring and the time required. Consequently, students do not concentrate on the speaking skills and consider the time spent on practising these skills to be useless since they will be assessed neither in the periodic tests nor in the final examination. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the speaking skills should be assessed in language testing. In this study, the relationship between the evaluation of the speaking skills and learners' performance and attitudes towards those skills was examined. In addition, the study investigated whether gains in learners' oral performance was related to their proficiency in grammar. The subjects consisted of 20 students studying at the Department of Basic English at the Middle East Technical University. Subjects were administered a "Paired Communication" pre- and post-test and an "Interest and Value" Questionnaire. The pre- and posttests were role-play tests in which two students were required to carry on a conversation based on the instructions given on the situation cards. The Interest and Value Questionnaire measured the subjects attitudes towards specific speaking activities at the beginning and the end of the study. The pretest scores were used to assign students to the experimental and control groups by matching with random sampling. The experimental group was subjected to frequent testing (once every two weeks) and students were informed of their grades. On the other hand, the control group received no speaking quizzes. To compare the performance of the subjects in the experimental group with that of the subjects in the control group post-test scores were used. The data was analyzed using a matched pairs t-test. The analysis revealed significant differences (p<.005) between the experimental and control groups with the experimental group demonstrating superior performance. The attitudes of the experimental and control groups towards the speaking skills were measured using an Interest and Value Questionnaire. The data was analyzed by using another matched pairs t-test. A significant difference (p<.005) was observed with the experimental group showing more positive attitudes towards the speaking skills. In order to determine whether there was a relationship between the grammar proficiency level of the learners and improvement in the speaking test, the gain scores from pre- to post-test were compared with the learners' proficiency in grammar. The learners were categorized as "more proficient" and "less proficient" in grammar skills. The results of a 2-way ANOVA indicated that such a relationship did not exist although the testing treatment was effective (p<.01) on learners' performance in the speaking skills. The study concluded that the evaluation of the speaking skills was a significant factor affecting learners' attitudes and performance in those skills. It was further concluded that proficiency in grammar skills was not related to learners' improvement in the speaking skills.
Open Access
The sources of foreign language speaking anxiety and the relationship between proficiency level and degree of foreign language speaking anxiety
(2009) Balemir, Serkan Hasan
This study investigated the sources of foreign language speaking anxiety and the relationship between proficiency levels and degree of foreign language speaking anxiety. The study was conducted at Hacettepe University, with the participation of 234 students from the departments of Basic English, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, International Relations and English Linguistics. Data were collected through a proficiency exam, a questionnaire and interviews. The proficiency exam is an adapted version of the Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency. The questionnaire had two parts. In the second part, the participants were given an adapted version of the Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety Scale (FLSAS), which was developed by Huang (2004). Afterwards, nine students were selected for participation in the interviews to get a more detailed analysis of the sources of foreign language speaking anxiety. The analysis of the quantitative data revealed that the participants had a moderate level of foreign language speaking anxiety, and that the level of learners‟ language proficiency did not play an important role in their degree of foreign language speaking anxiety. The quantitative data also revealed that teaching and testing procedures, personal reasons, and fear of negative evaluation were major anxiety provoking factors. The interview results showed that certain linguistic difficulties were additional sources of foreign language speaking anxiety in this EFL context.
Open Access
Speaking portfolios as an alternative way of assessment in an EFL context
(2012) Özdemir-Çağatay, Sibel
This thesis reports on research exploring students’ and instructors’ attitudes towards speaking portfolios with regard to certain advantages and disadvantages of these assessment tools at the tertiary level. The participants were 77 Turkish university students, five instructors and two administrators at an English preparatory program of a state university. At the end of one semester implementation of the Speaking Portfolio (SP), a questionnaire was administered to the students, and then five focal students, the instructors, and the program administrators were interviewed individually. The findings revealed that all stakeholders have positive attitudes to the implementation in general. In particular, an improvement in the students’ oral skills and self-reflection skills has been noted to be fostered through the use of the SP. While the stakeholders expressed their appreciation on these aspects, they also agreed that the SP increased the students’ level of anxiety and that the SP did not largely promote the students’ learner autonomy or motivation. The students and some instructors also thought that SP oral tasks were not authentic enough to fully reflect speaking skills. On some points there were discrepancies between the attitudes of the participants. Students did not see practicality as a big issue, whereas it caused a problem on the part of the teachers. While students stated that they have benefitted from peer-feedback, the instructors and administrators did not report a major improvement in this aspect. This study has enabled instructors, administrators, curriculum developers an alternative way to improve and assess speaking skills through speaking portfolios.
Open Access
Teachers' and students' perceptions about classroom-based speaking tests and their washback
(2011) Duran, Özlem
Testing is an indispensable part of the teaching and learning processes. Since testing, teaching, and learning are closely related, it is inevitable for them to have an influence on each other. Tests are thought to affect teaching and learning positively or negatively. Direct testing is seen to have greater effect on productive and receptive skills than other tests do. Speaking skills is one of the English language skills which is tested through direct tests. While the washback effect of worldwide or nationwide tests has been studied to a great extent, the washback effect of speaking tests has received little attention from researchers. As for the washback effect of classroombased speaking tests, the researcher has not been able to find one. This present study mainly aimed to investigate teachers‟ and students‟ perceptions of the washback effects of classroom-based speaking tests. In addition, since the subject is closely related to teachers' and students' attitudes towards and beliefs about teaching and testing speaking, these issues were also addressed. The study was conducted at Akdeniz University School of Foreign Languages in Antalya, Turkey with 307 preparatory class intermediate level students and 45 instructors of English. The data were collected through teacher and student questionnaires and teacher and student interviews. The results revealed that teachers stated that they are not influenced by the speaking tests in terms of what they do in classes, but they have positive attitudes towards teaching and testing speaking and they believe that speaking tests have a positive effect on their students‟ speaking ability. Teachers and students believe that getting ready for speaking tests improves the general speaking skills of students. Students are also quite positive towards teaching and testing speaking and speaking tests‟ positive effects. The students and instructors think that these speaking tests should remain as a component of all the exams. Moreover, the students think that speaking tests‟ weight should be increased. The curriculum development department and testing office of Akdeniz University School of Foreign Languages can utilize the results of the current study in order to create more positive washback.
Open Access
Teachers' and students' perceptions of flow in speaking activities
(2010) Ak Şentürk, Burcu
This study was designed to investigate the degree to which flow occurred in different kinds of tasks in speaking courses and examined teachers’ and students’ perceptions about the existence of flow experience in speaking courses. The study was conducted over a two-week period with 163 elementary level university students and their eight instructors of English in eight different speaking classes at Zonguldak Karaelmas University English Language Preparatory School. Designated speaking tasks were class discussion, role-play, language games, interview, information-gap, problem solving, picture narration, and storytelling. Data were collected through the administration of a questionnaire to measure students’ affective responses to tasks after each designated task, a short survey on teachers’ perceptions about each task and interviews with these eight teachers about their perceptions about flow theory, their flow experiences in their lessons and the degree to which students experience flow in the activities. Student means were used to investigate the motivational potential of tasks. Data were further analyzed using ANOVA tests in order to explore the differences in the experience of flow among the eight different activities. The qualitative and quantitative analyses indicated that flow exists in language classes; however, there is a significant difference among each task. The findings revealed that the class discussion activity produced more flow for both teachers and the students, whereas the information-gap activity resulted in more apathy. Results also showed that there is a significant relationship between the type of the activity and affective engagement in terms of students’ perception of task control, task appeal, focused attention and challenge. Overall the analysis showed that when activities included the four dimensions of flow, the students were more likely to perceive flow. The findings also revealed that teachers could facilitate the flow experience for students by developing tasks that might lead to flow. Lastly, the findings showed that an interactional pattern of group work produced significantly better results.