Preparing for the Oral English Proficiency AssessmentWhat is the
Oral English Proficiency Assessment?
The Oral English Proficiency Assessment is a 20-minute
test designed to measure your ability to communicate in
English in an instructional setting. The test uses
materials from your field of study and includes a variety
of situations to demonstrate how well you speak English
in the context of presenting information in your academic
area to undergraduates.
What does
this assessment measure that TOEFL, TWE and GRE Verbal do
not?
TOEFL measures passive listening, grammar, and reading, with an emphasis
on accuracy. TWE measures writing ability, and GRE Verbal measures reading
comprehension at the native speaker level. None of these tests examines
speaking skills. The Assessment, on the other hand, provides a measure
of your oral English proficiency, in other words, your ability to interpret,
express, and negotiate meaning in a given context or situation. For example,
the degree of proficiency required to survive as a tourist is very different
from what you would need to lead undergraduates in a discussion section
on physics.
Why are
communication skills so important?
Teaching occurs when one person helps another change
his/her knowledge through the process of communication.
Because learning results from this interaction between
teacher and student, teachers must communicate well in
order to teach effectively. So, in addition to being
knowledgeable about the subject matter, teachers must
possess specialized presentation skills and adequate
language proficiency.
What is the
format of the Assessment?
Two raters are present during the Assessment, which is audiotaped. Oral
proficiency is assessed in a face-to-face exam session and rated in terms
of pronunciation, grammar, fluency, and comprehensibility. You will receive
the results a few minutes after completing the Assessment. The exam consists
of a warm-up conversation (which is not scored) followed by five rated
teaching-related tasks:
- summary and
explanation of a four-page excerpt from a
textbook in your field (you will be given
this article 30 minutes prior to the test)
- pronunciation
of 40 terms from your field
- explanation
of two of these 40 terms
- description
and interpretation of a graph
- classroom
announcement role-play
How is the
test scored?
The Assessment is scored by two ESL professionals who
have received extensive training in tests of this type.
The two raters' scores are averaged. If the two scores
differ by 50 or more points, a third rater scores the
exam, and the third score is then averaged with the
closer of the two original scores. Scores range from
0-300 as follows: 250-300 = Passed, 230-245 = Conditionally
passed, 0-225 = Did not pass.
| What
do the scores represent in terms of your level of
proficiency in English? |
| 300 |
The speaker is always comprehensible
with perhaps occasional nonnative pronunciation errors or sporadic
minor grammatical errors that do not interfere with intelligibility.
Speech closely approximates that of a native speaker. |
| 250-295 |
The speaker
is almost always comprehensible with occasional
nonnative pronunciation errors or sporadic minor
grammatical errors that rarely interfere with
intelligibility. Speech is smooth and effortless,
and communication is very effective. |
| 230-245 |
The speaker
is usually comprehensible with errors in
pronunciation, grammar, word choice, or pauses or
rephrasing that generally do not interfere with
intelligibility. Communication is generally
effective. |
| 200-225 |
The speaker is somewhat comprehensible
with consistent, distracting errors in pronunciation, grammar, word
choice, or nonnative pauses that sometimes interfere with intelligibility.
The speaker struggles with the language needed to communicate ideas. |
| below 200 |
The speaker
is generally not comprehensible because of
frequent pronunciation errors and foreign stress
and intonation patterns, lack of grammatical
control, limited grasp of vocabulary, and
numerous pauses and/or rephrasing that often
interfere with intelligibility. Communication is
not effective, and the listener is left confused. |
How can you
give your best performance?
Speak loudly enough so that the raters can hear you
easily. Articulate clearly but do not slow down your rate
of speech unnaturally. Although your teaching skills are
not being evaluated, your presentation and delivery
skills do affect the quality of your communication. Your
knowledge of your field is not being evaluated, so do not
worry if you are unsure of some information. What is most
important is that you use appropriate strategies and
language to explain what you do know. Serious
unintelligibility results more often from non-native
intonation and fluency problems than from isolated errors
in pronunciation or grammar. To enhance your
comprehensibility, emphasize key words, link phrases
fluently, and use the rhythm and cadence of English
correctly.
How can you
prepare for the Oral English Proficiency Assessment?
Familiarize yourself with the directions for all five
sections of the Assessment and practice responding to
each section. It is very helpful to record yourself on
tape and then listen to how your speech actually sounds.
Suggested practice activities for each of the five
sections follow:
| |
1)
Summary and Explanation of an Article
From an undergraduate textbook or a journal in your field, choose
a three- or four-page excerpt related to one topic. Spend thirty minutes
reading and taking notes on the material. Give yourself three or four
minutes to summarize and explain the material orally to an audience
of educated native speakers who are novices in your field. |
| |
2)
Pronunciation of Terms
Make a list of 100 basic technical terms in your
field and read them to a native English speaker.
Ask this individual to help you with the
pronunciation of difficult terms, possibly
recording them on tape for you. You might also
practice with other terms that present similar
pronunciation problems. |
| |
3)
Explanation of Terms
Practice giving simple definitions for several of
the terms on your list, including examples if you
can. Give thorough definitions, not just synonyms
or related terms. |
| |
4)
Interpretation of a Graph
Practice describing and discussing information presented in a graph
or chart. This usually involves talking about numerical data, percentages,
and trends. You can find suitable graphic material in English-language
textbooks, periodicals, and newspapers. |
| |
5)
Classroom Announcement Role-Play
Imagine you are an instructor on the first day of
class and need to give your students information
about the class schedule, location, test dates,
textbooks or lab materials, etc. Make sure that
your message is clear and that you emphasize the
key points. |
Note:
A 16-minute video has been
developed which presents each of the steps involved in
the Oral English Proficiency Assessment. You can follow
an international graduate student as he completes the
English Certification process.
|
