Assessing oral presentations at the B2 level: Quantitative and qualitative analysis

Abstract

The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) describes the B2 level as having limited operational proficiency, where speakers have an adequate response to situations normally encountered. In the spoken domain a B2 user is said to interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity, to produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and to explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options. Besides that, a B2 user should be able to spontaneously depart from the previously prepared presentation material and to interact with an audience to develop interesting parts of his/her presentation. This paper, accordingly, focuses on oral presentations of university students who were put at the B2 level of CEFR. The sample comprises students who study English as their major and students of other departments who take classes of English as a foreign language. The primary method of research is observation done by the teacher while students present previously chosen and prepared topics. The aim of the research is to determine whether the students from the sample, representative of their population, fit into the description and criteria of the B2 level.