SPEAK (test): Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Standardized test measuring proficiency in spoken English}} |
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The '''Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit''' (SPEAK) is an [[Speech communication|oral]] [[Test (student assessment)|test]] developed by the [[Educational Testing Service]] (ETS), publishers of the [[Test Of English as a Foreign Language]] ([[TOEFL]]), an industry standard for assessing English proficiency for non-native speakers. The SPEAK is administered to non-native [[English language|English]] speakers. Its aim is to evaluate the examinee's proficiency in spoken English. It is usually taken as a [[professional certification]], especially for graduate [[teaching assistants]] in the American college and university system, who are often required to hold office hours and converse in English with students. It is also used in the medical profession, where communication with patients is required. |
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{{mcn|date=January 2024}} |
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The '''Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit''' ('''SPEAK''') is a test developed by the [[Educational Testing Service]] (ETS) to measure a non-native speaker's proficiency in spoken [[English language|English]]. It is usually taken as a [[professional certification]], especially by graduate [[teaching assistants]] and medical professionals in the American college and university system for communication with their students and patients, respectively. It is very similar to the [[Test of Spoken English]] (TSE), and is in fact a form of the TSE developed for institutions by using retired forms of the TSE. |
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The SPEAK has been routinely criticized for not accurately testing how a speaker will perform in the real world, in part because it is administered through the individual speaking into a recording device rather than to a person, and for using native-speaker norms to judge non-native speakers.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Hoekje|first1=Barbara|title=Evaluating Spoken Language Tests for International Teaching Assistants|journal=TESOL Quarterly|date=Spring 1994|volume=28|issue=1|page=108|doi=10.2307/3587201|jstor=3587201}}</ref> In fact, independent audits of the SPEAK conducted in 2012 on some of the few institutions found to still administer this test revealed that the assessment standards provided by ETS were not even being used by the assessors. In fact, in some cases, the assessors of the test were not trained in any way to conduct the assessments, and were found to be assigning arbitrary grades to the candidates. Some of the raters audited were found to themselves have limited functional spoken grammar. |
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The SPEAK test is very similar to the [[Test of Spoken English]] (TSE) and is in fact a form of the TSE developed for institutions by using retired forms of the TSE. Both exams use the same scoring system. |
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The SPEAK is no longer supported by the ETS, and it is not offered at most academic institutions, but some still recognize it for enrollment in certain degree programs where the proficiency of an individual's spoken English is deemed to be the priority. However, academic institutions and other agencies that would recognize this test as a valid assessment of an individual's capabilities in spoken English should{{opinion|date=January 2024}} be aware that this test highly susceptible to fraud. Versions of the test that may still be in use by academic institutions administering this test are compromised, and it is highly likely that people with results from this test have had the opportunity to take exactly the same test multiple times. |
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The ETS developed the four skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing) TOEFL iBT test. The Speaking section of the TOEFL is not available separately from the other sections, but institutions wishing to test speaking skills only may want to use the [[TOEIC]] ( of English for International Communication) Speaking Test, also developed by the ETS and available as a stand-alone assessment.{{advert inline|date=January 2024}} |
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==References== |
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{{Reflist}} |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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* [http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/TOEFL/pdf/008659.pdf ETS SPEAK booklet, 2001–2002] |
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* [http://www.kumc.edu/international/esl_faq.html University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) frequently-asked questions list about the SPEAK test] |
* [http://www.kumc.edu/international/esl_faq.html University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) frequently-asked questions list about the SPEAK test] |
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{{Authority control}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Speak}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Speak}} |
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Latest revision as of 03:46, 11 September 2024
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2024) |
The Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK) is a test developed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to measure a non-native speaker's proficiency in spoken English. It is usually taken as a professional certification, especially by graduate teaching assistants and medical professionals in the American college and university system for communication with their students and patients, respectively. It is very similar to the Test of Spoken English (TSE), and is in fact a form of the TSE developed for institutions by using retired forms of the TSE.
The SPEAK has been routinely criticized for not accurately testing how a speaker will perform in the real world, in part because it is administered through the individual speaking into a recording device rather than to a person, and for using native-speaker norms to judge non-native speakers.[1] In fact, independent audits of the SPEAK conducted in 2012 on some of the few institutions found to still administer this test revealed that the assessment standards provided by ETS were not even being used by the assessors. In fact, in some cases, the assessors of the test were not trained in any way to conduct the assessments, and were found to be assigning arbitrary grades to the candidates. Some of the raters audited were found to themselves have limited functional spoken grammar.
The SPEAK is no longer supported by the ETS, and it is not offered at most academic institutions, but some still recognize it for enrollment in certain degree programs where the proficiency of an individual's spoken English is deemed to be the priority. However, academic institutions and other agencies that would recognize this test as a valid assessment of an individual's capabilities in spoken English should[opinion] be aware that this test highly susceptible to fraud. Versions of the test that may still be in use by academic institutions administering this test are compromised, and it is highly likely that people with results from this test have had the opportunity to take exactly the same test multiple times.
The ETS developed the four skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing) TOEFL iBT test. The Speaking section of the TOEFL is not available separately from the other sections, but institutions wishing to test speaking skills only may want to use the TOEIC ( of English for International Communication) Speaking Test, also developed by the ETS and available as a stand-alone assessment.[promotion?]
References
[edit]- ^ Hoekje, Barbara (Spring 1994). "Evaluating Spoken Language Tests for International Teaching Assistants". TESOL Quarterly. 28 (1): 108. doi:10.2307/3587201. JSTOR 3587201.
