Topic 4 : Assessing Listening and Speaking Skills

Topic 4 : Assessing Listening and Speaking SkillsKANAGESWARY CHANDRANPRIYA DARSHINI MURUGANIssues in Assessing Listening and SpeakingA test often leaves out important skills because of practical constraints.

Teachers usually ONLY teaches things that are going to be asked in examinations.

For example : The national examinations at Year 6 and Form 3 (UPSR and PMR) did not have listening and speaking component in them and many teachers did not pay sufficient attention to these very important skills for this reason.

Some teachers use the formats used in testing for teaching purpose.

Pupils only learn to choose one answer by answering multiple choices of questions. They will only learn for examination sake and do not develop their communication (listening and speaking) skills.

Teaching vs. TestingTeaching TestingEnabling the pupils to succeed in theprocess of learning.Vs.Assessing the products of learning.e.g.: to monitor progress.Prepare pupils for current and futurelearning.Assess the pupils previous learning.