Behind a spoken performance: test takers\u2019 strategic reactions in a simulated part 3 of the IELTS speaking test

Christina Judy Fernandez

doi:10.1186/s40468-018-0073-4

Abstract

Making inferences about a test taker’s language ability has been a concern for language testers. Defining language ability in a speaking test is made difficult because the construct involves factors within and beyond the test taker. One underlying factor is the use of strategies. This study probes test takers’ strategic processes and their use in completing the simulated part 3 of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Speaking Test. Data based on stimulated recall from 12 international university students in Sydney, Australia, upon the completion of the speaking task reveal that strategies are mobilised from the moment an input question is presented to the end of a response. Overall, a total of 18 individual strategies from three categories were used by participants in this study: seven cognitive, five communication and six metacognitive strategies. Findings suggest that strategies were deployed in clusters to produce a response. Commonly mobilised strategies were not always useful nor did they positively impact participants’ test response quality.

Highlights

With the growing international mobilisation of individuals, especially for migration and higher education purposes comes the demand for individuals with elevated language proficiency or ability levels (Bachman 2014; Purpura 2016)
The present study was motivated by the lack of strategy use studies in the speaking test domain, especially involving direct or face-to-face tests
The use of strategies or strategic competence has been acknowledged as a key component affecting individual test takers’ performance in various models of speaking ability, it has yet to be included in assessment rubrics or scales

Summary

Introduction

With the growing international mobilisation of individuals, especially for migration and higher education purposes comes the demand for individuals with elevated language proficiency or ability levels (Bachman 2014; Purpura 2016). Governments and educational institutions alike require these individuals to prove their proficiency levels by taking a language proficiency test. For Australian-bound international students, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is one of the four English proficiency test evidence shown to support their visa and university applications (Australian Government Department of Home Affairs n.d.). Test takers are awarded an aggregated score based on the four sub-tests where a Band 1 is deemed a ‘Non-user’ while a Band 9 is an ‘Expert user’ (IELTS 2017). Decision to admit or reject a prospective student into a university program is made on that single test score by a university staff member

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