The Multimedia Assisted Test of English Speaking: The SOPI Approach

Abstract

The Multimedia Assisted Test of English Speaking was designed to assess global speaking competence of Korean speakers of English at Sookmyung Women's University. The test was developed with the help of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages for their proficiency guidelines and of the Center for Applied Linguistics for their expertise in computerized assessments. The test roughly follows the structure of the Simulated Oral Proficiency Interview (SOPI); it starts with simple tasks and progresses toward difficult tasks. It is a criterion-referenced test, and test takers' speech samples are scored on the basis of proficiency guidelines. The test has showed positive evidence for authenticity, interactiveness, and practicality. However, empirical studies need to be conducted in areas of reliability, validity, and impact as well as bias. This article also addresses practical implications when considering developing similar oral proficiency assessments—SOPI variants—in other contexts where English is used as a foreign language.