Speaking Test Research Articles

The Correlation of Students’ Speaking Anxiety and Speaking Performance in Second Grade at SMA Negeri 1 Sipahutar

Improving students' speaking skills is important in the language learning process. This study aims to determine the correlation between speaking anxiety and speaking performance in students and determine what speaking anxiety factors affect students' speaking performance in the second grade of SMA Negeri 1 Sipahutar. The research method used is quantitative. data was collected through speaking tests, questionnaires, and interviews. The result of the data analysis shows the result on correlation coefficient (r = 0.394) which is defined as a positive relationship between anxiety and speaking performance, defined that there is a positive relationship between speaking anxiety and speaking performance and the factors that influence speaking anxiety and students' speaking performance is the Trait Anxiety factor. The hypothesis test states that there is a significant relationship between speaking anxiety and students' speaking performance and the hypothesis test states that there is a significant relationship between speaking anxiety and student performance.

The Effect of Gossiping Group Activities Toward Fluency in Speaking at the 10th Grade Of MAN 3 Agam

This research was motivated by the findings of the researcher during observations and interviews at the 10th grade of MAN 3 Agam. Researcher found that students often used pause fillers such as "hmm" and "eee", and had low vocabulary mastery that hindered fluency in speaking. They also had difficulty expressing ideas and opinions, so the speed and tempo of speaking were affected. The study aimed to determine the effect of gossiping group activities on students' speaking fluency. The study used a type of experimental research, namely a quasi-experiment with a nonequivalent control group design. The sample in this study was selected using a random technique and the selected class was XE.2 class as the control class and XE.4 class as the experimental class. Instruments in the form of oral speaking tests that had been validated with content validity and assessed with inter-rater reliability. Data analysis included prerequisite tests for normality and homogeneity, and utilized Paired sample t-Tests and Independent sample t-Tests to test hypotheses. From the results of data analysis, it was concluded that gossiping group activities had a significant effect on improving students' speaking fluency.

Speaking Performance of Maritime Students: A Pre-Experimental Study

The Philippines provides several workers all over the world, particularly in the Maritime industry. The need to train graduates who are proficient in the English language is a must. However, academic institutions need to identify ways that can facilitate enhancing the students' speaking skills. This pre-experimental study determined the speaking skills of 38 Maritime students enrolled in an English Proficiency class in one of the Higher Education Institutions in Ozamiz City. The Speaking Test performance of the participants and the intervention materials were taken from the DynEd courseware. The data were analyzed using Mean, Standard Deviation, and t-test. The study revealed that the participants' pretest performance for the Speaking Test was categorized at the elementary level, while their post-test performance was at a lower intermediate level. There was a significant difference in the participants' speaking test performance after the intervention was conducted. The use of computer-based instruction as facilitated by teachers could improve the English-speaking performance of language learners. It is recommended that institutions utilize computer software that can enhance the speaking skills of college students.

Linguistic Features of Different Proficiency Learners’ Oral Performance in a Project-Based Learning Context

Project-Based Learning (PBL) can potentially enhance learners’ oral proficiency. However, little evidence supports how PBL improves learners’ complexity, accuracy, and fluency, particularly for learners with different proficiency levels. This study examined the changes and linguistic features of varying proficiency learners’ complexity, accuracy, and fluency within a PBL context. It involved a homogeneous group of 45 Chinese college learners, categorized into high (N=15), medium (N=15), and low proficiency learners (N=15). Their oral complexity, accuracy, and fluency were assessed using speaking tests before and after PBL. The changes in their oral performance were evaluated using objective measures of complexity, accuracy, and fluency. The transcripts were also used to analyze the linguistic features of different proficiency learners. The results indicate that PBL significantly enhances syntactic complexity as learners’ proficiency levels increase. Significant differences were observed in lexical complexity, pronunciation accuracy, and self-repairs between high and low-proficiency learners. However, no significant differences were found in syntactic accuracy and speech rate across high, medium, and low proficiency learners. The findings also indicate that different proficiency learners reveal various linguistic features of syntactic complexity, syntactic accuracy, and self-repairs in their oral performance. This study provides implications for educators to design project-based activities for different proficiency learners to improve their complexity, accuracy, and fluency.

INFLUENCE OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE EXPOSURE MEDIA ON THE STUDENTS’ SPEAKING ABILITY

This research was conducted to find out whether English Language Exposure Media influence students’ speaking ability or not. This research also concentrated on utilizing different types of English language exposure media within the curriculum, including music videos, podcasts, and songs. All of the media were presented in English language to give them the exposure of the language. A pre-experimental design was utilized, incorporating a pre-test, post-test, and two treatment phases. Data were gathered using a measurement technique that involved a speaking test. The research findings revealed that the pre-test score averaged 54.60, while the post-test score averaged 78.33. The mean score difference between the pre-test and post-test was 25.73, indicating an improvement in students' speaking abilities following the treatments. The effect size (ES) was calculated to be 2.38, which is classified as a strong effect (ES > 1.00). The research demonstrated a substantial improvement in students' speaking ability, with a mean score increase from 54.60 to 78.33, indicating the effectiveness of English language exposure media. Future research could explore the long-term impact of English language exposure media on students' speaking skills. Additionally, examining the effectiveness of different types of media and their influence on various language skills would provide a more comprehensive understanding.

The Effect of Guided Conversation Method Toward Students’ Speaking Ability in Eleventh-Grade of MAN 2 Bukittinggi

This study aims to investigate the effect of using the guided conversation method on the speaking ability of eleventh-grade students at MAN 2 Bukittinggi. The research was motivated by the observation that students' speaking scores were below the standard, and teaching methods tended to emphasize memorization. Additionally, students struggled with speaking in English and received limited feedback on their performance. This quasi-experimental research involved pre-tests and post-tests with an experimental and control group. The sample consisted of 58 students selected through cluster random sampling, divided equally into two classes. A speaking test was used as the research instrument, and inter-rater reliability was applied to ensure test consistency. Data analysis included normality and homogeneity tests, while hypothesis testing employed paired sample T-tests and independent sample T-tests using SPSS. The results showed a significant improvement in the speaking ability of students taught using the guided conversation method (Sig. < 0.05). Moreover, a comparison between the experimental and control groups revealed a significant difference, with the experimental group achieving higher post-test scores. Thus, it can be concluded that the guided conversation method effectively improves students' speaking ability.

Investigating Iraqi EFL Learners’ Social Intelligence and Their Performance in Speaking: A Correlational Study

The ultimate goal of learning a language is to use it when interacting with others regardless of the mode of communication. This use of the language, however, is socially and psychologically affected. In this regard, social intelligence plays a crucial role in creating effective interactions. The problem is that the correlation between social intelligence and speaking skill has received little attention in the field of linguistics concerning the Iraqi context. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the correlation between these variables to better understand how they correlate to each other. It asks to what extent there is a correlation between them and whether some personal variables affect this correlation. To this end, the alternative hypothesis is adopted which claims that there is a statistically significant positive correlation among the variables. For this purpose, the correlation design that draws on the quantitative approach is adopted. Moreover, a sample of 77 EFL third-year students from the University of Mosul for the academic year 2023-2024 was randomly selected. They were males and females coming from ethnic backgrounds, namely, Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen. To collect data, two research instruments were used they were: an adopted and adapted social intelligence scale and a speaking test designed by the researcher. The data were statistically treated by a statistician using SPSS. The results of the study show that there is a positive moderate correlation between social intelligence and speaking skill. It is also concluded that personal variables such as gender and ethnicity have no significant influence on the correlation between the variables. Finally, some recommendations were presented based on the conclusions inferred.

Patterns of interaction in a paired speaking test: comparing L1 and L2 interactions

The shift of focus from a cognitive to social view has drawn the attention of second language assessment researchers to delve into interactional competence as an intriguing topic in paired oral tests. To fill the gap on how interactional patterns compare across L1 and L2 interactions this study was specifically set to explore and compare 45 paired interactions of L1 English speakers, L1 Persian speakers, and L2 English learners. While the findings indicated that the collaborative pattern was the most common pattern in the three groups less than half of the interactions in total were collaborative. Furthermore, not all the interactional patterns were found in all the groups. The frequency and prominence of the common patterns also varied. The findings could be explained by cultural norms of speech (e.g., in taking turns) and interlocutor effects (e.g., dominating the conversation or adopting a passive role). The findings imply challenges for fair assessment when using paired tasks as assessment tools. Furthermore, the findings call for rubric development and rater training programs to include description and discussion of interactional patterns to help raters improve their understanding and rating of paired interactions.

Listenership always matters: active listening ability in L2 business English paired speaking tasks

Abstract Active listening, foundational for meaningful social interaction, plays a pivotal role in enhancing interactional competence (IC) during dialogues. Despite its importance, current second language (L2) assessments, such as the TOEFL iBT and the Business English Certificate (BEC) Preliminary, notably does not include active listening in their evaluation metrics. The research presented here contributes significantly to this discourse by foregrounding the imperative of listener responses (LRs) in L2 communication and the diverse interactional functions they serve across different cultures. Notably, variations emerge, with Chinese speakers exhibiting more restrained verbal feedback compared to the more vocally expressive English counterparts. This study stands apart by underscoring the necessity of updating current L2 assessment rubrics, which currently prioritize grammatical proficiency, pronunciation, and vocabulary. By weaving in active listening, assessments can become more holistic, capturing more comprehensively a learner’s L2 interactional ability. Through rigorous quantitative and qualitative methodologies, this investigation probes the influence of active listening on BEC speaking test outcomes. Its findings are poised to revolutionize assessment strategies, urging a more encompassing approach that factors in both verbal and non-verbal cues, thereby reflecting genuine linguistic and interactional competence.

Lack of Acute Agomelatine Effect in a Model of Social Anxiety in Healthy Volunteers: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Agomelatine is an antidepressant drug that acts as an agonist of melatoninergic MT1/2 receptors and an antagonist of serotonergic 5-HT2C receptors. Studies suggest that agomelatine has anxiolytic properties in social anxiety, but there are no studies that assessed the effects of this compound in human experimental anxiety induced by a public speaking test. The objective of our investigation was to assess the effects of agomelatine on human experimental anxiety using the Simulation Public Speaking Test (SPST). Agomelatine (25 mg, n = 14), citalopram (20 mg, n = 14), venlafaxine (75 mg, n = 14), or placebo (n = 14) were administered in single doses to healthy volunteers in a double-blind study. Subjective anxiety was assessed with the Visual Analogue Mood Scale. Arterial blood pressure, heart rate, and blood levels of prolactin and cortisol were also recorded, as well as plasma levels of the 3 drugs. The SPST induced significant subjective, physiological, and hormonal effects in all groups. The SPST also increased the anxiety and decreased mental sedation Visual Analogue Mood Scale factors during the anticipatory and performance phases of the test. Citalopram increased anxiety during the test in females, whereas agomelatine and venlafaxine were not different from placebo. Confirming previous results, a serotonin selective reuptake inhibitor, citalopram, caused an anxiogenic effect in the SPST only in females. Acute administration of a low dose of agomelatine failed to modify the behavioral and physiological changes caused by this test. Future studies using higher doses and repeated administration should investigate if agomelatine behavioral and physiological effects could be detected in human experimental anxiety models.

The Use Of Job Interview Simulation In Enhancing English Speaking Skills At Ninth Grade Students Of MTs NWDI Pringgasela

The aim of this research is to enhance students' English speaking skills through interview simulation techniques with job application material, making them more active. This research uses experimental techniques that combined with quantitative research techniques through direct speaking tests. The research questions considered in this study are: What are interview simulation techniques effective in enhancing students' English speaking skills? How can interview simulation techniques enhance students' English speaking skills? The aim of this research is to determine the effectiveness of interview simulation techniques in improving students' English language skills. To assess student results regarding the use of interview simulation techniques in teaching speaking to enhance abilities. This research method consists of pre-test, treatment, post-test. The analytical methods used for data processing are included in Social Science Statistics 22.0 for Windows. The result was that before applying the interview simulation technique, only 50% of students were able to speak English. After applying the interview simulation technique, it increased students' ability to speak English by 80%. Analysis of student test results shows that the interview simulation technique is effective in enhancing students' English speaking skills. Applying simulation techniques in learning English, especially speaking, is the right strategy to enhance students' skills.

THE RHETORICAL MODEL OF IELTS SPEAKING TEST BAND 7 OR ABOVE

Rhetorical studies in various texts have been widely conducted. However, compared to studies in written text, spoken text still received very little scholarly attention. For example, studies on rhetorical structure within the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) are hardly found in the literature. Responding to this fundamental need, this study intends to investigate what rhetorical model IELTS test takers employ to make their English-speaking receive excellent scores. This study analyzes ten IELTS speaking tests that receive band seven or above to realize this intention. These ten videos of IELTS speaking tests were taken from YouTube using standard criteria. Their recordings were transcribed to find their rhetorical model, and a top-down analytical approach was employed to find functional moves and strategies to achieve speakers' intentions. The results showed two communicative moves and six strategies as a rhetorical model used by the IELTS test takers who received band seven or above in the present study. This finding implies that understanding the rhetorical model of IELTS speaking may improve awareness of responding to interviewers' requests.

Expressions of epistemic stance in computer-mediated L2 speaking assessment

Abstract Learner and L2 user corpora are increasingly valued in language testing and assessment as they can inform test design, revision, and validation. This paper illustrates the benefits of using an L2 corpus to explore patterns of epistemic stance marking in computer-mediated speaking tests with no live human interlocutor. Drawing on the British Council-Lancaster Aptis Corpus – comprising over 630,000 words of L2 speech – we explored the frequency of epistemic stance markers (adverbial, adjectival and verbal) across proficiency levels and speaking task types. The analysis revealed that epistemic stance was prevalent in test-taker discourse and that frequency was influenced by L2 proficiency and task type. The findings demonstrate that computer-mediated speaking tests can elicit expressions of epistemic stance in a comparable way to tests which involve human-human interaction. Implications are drawn for examiner training, test preparation, and an enriched understanding of the elements of pragmatic competence that can be elicited in computer-mediated speaking assessment.

PROJECT-BASED LEARNING INTEGRATED WITH HIGHER-ORDER THINKING SKILLS (HOTS) ASSESSMENT TO ENHANCE THE STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILLS IN THE EFL CLASSROOM

This study examined the implementation of project-based learning (PBL) integrated with HOTS assessment in helping students develop their English-speaking skills. In addition, this study sought to explore the challenges faced by the teacher when implementing PBL with HOTS assessment. Using classroom action research (CAR) involving 32 ninth-grade students of a junior high school, qualitative and quantitative data were gathered in two cycles. The quantitative data were obtained via speaking tests whereas the qualitative data were acquired through interviews and observations. This research indicated that project-based learning through HOTS assessment helped the students hone their speaking skills as they had more chances to practise speaking. The students were more confident to speak in English. They actively participated during the discussion and could think creatively while performing the project. However, the teacher faced challenges as there were still students with a low mastery of vocabulary and a lack of participation in designing mini-drama scripts. PBL with HOTS assessment can be used as an alternative to facilitate students’ speaking practice in the EFL classroom.

EVALUATING STUDENTS’ VIEWS ON THE IMPORTANCE AND USEFULESSNESS OF CEFR IN SPEAKING TEST

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is crucial for speaking tests as it provides a standardised framework to assess and gauge language proficiency accurately and consistently. This research evaluates ESL students’ awareness and perceived usefulness of the CEFR in group discussions. Data were obtained from 105 diploma students from UiTM Sarawak and UiTM Alor Gajah using an online questionnaire. The results indicate a moderate level of CEFR awareness, although opinions on its impact and role in language assessment and goal setting were varied. Respondents generally view CEFR-aligned speaking tests positively, showing a favourable perception of its usefulness. However, some have expressed concerns that these tests could be potential obstacles in their efforts to improve their language skills. The study highlighted the need for further education and training on CEFR-aligned assessments to enhance students’ comprehension and confidence in language proficiency development. It also emphasises the importance of designing assessments that help learners overcome potential barriers to improving language proficiency.

Test review: Computer-based English Listening and Speaking Test (CELST) of National Matriculation English Test (NMET) Guangdong version in China

Test review: Computer-based English Listening and Speaking Test (CELST) of National Matriculation English Test (NMET) Guangdong version in China

Integrating Storynomics into Language Education to Enhance Speaking Skills of Tourism Students in Bali, Indonesia

Speaking is a highly prioritized skill in English language learning, particularly in tourism. Storynomics is an approach in tourism that emphasizes storytelling, creative content, and living culture, utilizing culture's power as a destination's fundamental essence. This study aims to examine how the storynomics strategy can promote the’ speaking competence of tourism students in Bali. The study employed Research and Development (R&D) with an Exploratory Mixed Method design. Quasi-experimental research was applied to determine the effectiveness of the material design for students in the Tourism Management Department. The students were divided into two groups of 30 students in each group. The data were obtained through pretest and posttest speaking tests after the treatment was given. The result of the test indicated there is a significant difference between the two groups. The experimental group taught the storynomics strategy throughout the study to promote speaking ability, while the control group continued with conventional methods. At the end of treatment, a posttest was conducted in two groups, and the test results were compared. Statistical analysis showed that the experimental group obtained a higher average score in the posttest with an N-gain score of 0.58. These findings emphasize the positive impact of implementing a storynomics strategy in learning English as a foreign language, especially for describing local culture. It is expected that further development can be made in designing other teaching materials using a cultural approach and more diverse communication strategies with other theories or approaches. In addition, a deeper analysis is needed regarding the linguistic aspects of English language learning in the field of tour guiding.

How the Buzz Group Technique Affects Students' Speaking Skill

The purpose of this research was to see how the buzz group technique affected students' speaking skills in hortatory exposition. The study's design was quasi-experimental, there are one group experimental and one group control class include pre-test, post-test and treatment. The population of this study was eleventh grade students, with 74 individuals drawn from two classrooms. In this study, the researcher used a speaking test as the instrument of this research. Data analysis found that buzz group technique has affected to the students’ speaking skill. This was discovered by data calculated using the samples T-test procedure. The statistics clearly showed that Sig. 2 tailed was 0.000. The sig. 2 tailed 0.000 > 0.05 indicates that the Buzz Group Technique had an affected students' speaking skills in hortatory exposition material at SMA Negeri 4 Tanjungpinang. The researcher proposes that teachers utilize the buzz group technique to teach speaking since it has a considerable affected on students' speaking skills based on the data.

The Effect of Using the Contemplative Approach to Enhance Speaking and Critical Thinking Skills in the EFL Undergraduate Literature Classroom

This research study explored the effect of using the contemplative approach to enhance speaking skills and critical thinking skills in the EFL literature classroom which aimed to 1) investigate English speaking skills and 2) investigate students’ critical thinking skills in the EFL literature classroom. This research study applied a mixed-method research design. Data collection was conducted in both qualitative and quantitative formats. Instruments were an English speaking test, a critical thinking test, classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and a reflective journal. The sample group was eleven second-year students of the English studies major who enrolled in the literary adaptation course in the second semester of the academic year 2022 at Chiang Rai Rajabhat University, Thailand by purposive sampling with the volunteers who were interviewed and joined the activities. The quantitative data was analyzed by descriptive statistics while the qualitative data was classified, analyzed, and reported by the objective items. The findings indicate that contemplative approaches can significantly enhance students' English-speaking skills. Although the results suggest that participating in contemplative activities did not have a statistically significant impact on the participants' critical thinking abilities, a slight improvement was observed in their critical thinking skills.

SpEx: a German-language dataset of speech and executive function performance

This work presents data from 148 German native speakers (20–55 years of age), who completed several speaking tasks, ranging from formal tests such as word production tests to more ecologically valid spontaneous tasks that were designed to mimic natural speech. This speech data is supplemented by performance measures on several standardised, computer-based executive functioning (EF) tests covering domains of working-memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibition, and attention. The speech and EF data are further complemented by a rich collection of demographic data that documents education level, family status, and physical and psychological well-being. Additionally, the dataset includes information of the participants’ hormone levels (cortisol, progesterone, oestradiol, and testosterone) at the time of testing. This dataset is thus a carefully curated, expansive collection of data that spans over different EF domains and includes both formal speaking tests as well as spontaneous speaking tasks, supplemented by valuable phenotypical information. This will thus provide the unique opportunity to perform a variety of analyses in the context of speech, EF, and inter-individual differences, and to our knowledge is the first of its kind in the German language. We refer to this dataset as SpEx since it combines speech and executive functioning data. Researchers interested in conducting exploratory or hypothesis-driven analyses in the field of individual differences in language and executive functioning, are encouraged to request access to this resource. Applicants will then be provided with an encrypted version of the data which can be downloaded.