Report on Students

A Special Report on Students’ Attitudes Toward the New Speaking Test

By Janpha Thadphoothon, DPU LI Testing Center Manager

This brief report was divided into 3 parts: (1) Introduction, (2) The students' Attitudes, and (3) Their Comments.

Introduction

This brief report is due to the fact that there have been a number of concerns from teachers, administrators, and students regarding a new approach of English speaking test. The new approach is, in many respects, in line with the communicative teaching approach that is currently being implemented at the Language Institute of Dhurakijpundit University. Since many procedures are new to the students, psychological reactions from the students, directly affected by the imposed change, would in many respects give the LI and other stakeholders valuable information. The main purpose of this report is to look into the students’ reactions to the newly-introduced system of the speaking test. The obtained feedback will be of great help for all parties involved. It, if wisely utilized, can help all involved make better decisions regarding the future of the speaking test.

As the speaking test of the FE courses is significantly different from that of the BE, the survey results are presented separately.

Students' Attitudes

It has been recognized that attitude is one of the most important psychological constructs. In fact, some psychologists regard it as the most important construct. Many studies correlates this internal affective orientation with performance e.g. test results. Gardner (1975), for instance, suggests that a learner's attitudes have indirect effects on their language achievement. Attitude has many meanings based on the theoretical orientation of the writer. This survey relies on the operational definition proposed by Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) as: " a learned predisposition to respond in a consistently favorable or unfavorable manner with respect to a given object." By an attitude object, they (Ibid) refer to a category, class, or set of phenomena: physical objects, events, behaviors, or even constructs. In the broad sense, we all have attitudes towards things around us. In most cases, we have developed our attitudes towards something based on our future stakes in that thing as well as our experience (Thadphoothon, Orsirichaivet, and Hunkaewchomphu, 1998).

A number of 200 questionnaires were randomly distributed to the students: 100 for FE students and 100 for BE students. Those students have taken this type of test. 83 questionnaires from the FE students and 53 from the BE students were returned. The questionnaire was developed based on the study on reliability of the oral interview by Elena Shohamy (1983). It consists of 11 items: 8 positive statements, and 3 negative ones. Cronbach Alfa has been analyzed using SPSS for Window to express the internal consistency for the 11 items, which is found to be as high as .87. The results of the analysis are as follows:

Positive Statements

The speaking test is challenging.

Courses	Frequency (%)				Mean
Courses	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Mean
FE	45.1	46.3	6.1	2.4	3.34
BE	47.2	52.8	0.0	0.0	3.47

2. The speaking test gives me the opportunity to use the language.

Courses	Frequency (%)				Mean
Courses	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Mean
FE	29.3	65.9	4.9	0.0	3.24
BE	34.0	64.2	1.9	0.0	3.32

3. It is a useful test.

Courses	Frequency (%)				Mean
Courses	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Mean
FE	39.0	58.5	2.4	0.0	3.37
BE	49.1	50.9	0.0	0.0	3.49

4. I like this sort of test.

Courses	Frequency (%)				Mean
Courses	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Mean
FE	14.6	54.9	26.8	3.7	2.80
BE	7.5	49.1	37.7	5.7	2.58

5. The speaking test is an accurate measure of the speaking ability.

Courses	Frequency (%)				Mean
Courses	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Mean
FE	25.6	54.9	18.3	1.2	3.05
BE	30.2	60.4	9.4	0.0	3.21

6. The speaking test is interesting.

Courses	Frequency (%)				Mean
Courses	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Mean
FE	12.2	76.8	11.0	0.0	3.01
BE	30.2	58.5	9.4	1.9	3.17

7. The speaking test gives me the feedback on my weak areas in speaking English.

Courses	Frequency (%)				Mean
Courses	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Mean
FE	36.6	58.5	4.9	0.0	3.32
BE	49.1	45.3	5.7	0.0	3.43

8.The speaking test is a fair test.

Courses	Frequency (%)				Mean
Courses	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Mean
FE	24.4	57.3	15.9	2.4	3.04
BE	13.2	69.8	15.1	1.9	2.94

Negative Statements

1. I dislike this kind of test.

Courses	Frequency (%)				Mean
Courses	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Mean
FE	4.9	28.0	54.9	12.2	2.26
BE	9.4	26.4	50.9	13.2	2.32

2. The speaking test is difficult.

Courses	Frequency (%)				Mean
Courses	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Mean
FE	1.2	36.6	43.9	18.3	2.79
BE	22.6	50.9	22.6	3.8	2.92

3.The speaking test makes me confused.

Courses	Frequency (%)				Mean
Courses	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Mean
FE	13.4	43.9	39.0	3.7	2.67
BE	26.4	37.7	32.1	3.8	2.87

Note: BE: based on 53 randomly selected students, and FE: 82.

Students’ Comments and Suggestions

Comments & Suggestions from FE Students

The topics to be tested should be made known in advance, so as to enable us to better prepare ourselves.

It is a very good test, but our English is poor. Many of us can't speak English.

Great! But the teachers (as examiners) should be compassionate to us and understand our feelings. Most of us don’t like it, and we don’t have time for this thing. We have been tied up with too much course work.

The test is good because it is one way of reviewing the lessons. It gives me the courage to speak English. However, the booking is a mess, and the testing time should be better organized.

It’s good, but some of us don’t have time.

The speaking test is good because we can practice speaking. I myself like speaking, but I lack confidence.

Fantastic! I like those challenging stuffs. Nobody is born a genius without learning or practicing.

Some groups have been given more time to do the test, but some groups have been given less. And why the heck the booking time and the testing time did not match?

the examiners should use some Thai. You see, sometimes, we students do not understand their English. Ad we do not know enough vocabulary.

The speaking test is a good move, for it gives me the opportunity to use the language, and it can motivate me to speak English.

The booking was confusing. The testing procedure wasn’t clearly explained.

The testing system should be improved. The students should be allowed to book the test and be tested by their own teachers. It would be less chaotic.

It is a good test. But the testing venue is not at all convenient. The cubicle is too small, and the lifts are always jammed and too slow.

I would like to be interviewed by my own teacher.

It was fun!

Comments & Suggestions from BE Students

We should be allowed to sit for the speaking test conducted by our own teachers. The testing time should be fixed in order to speed up the test. And the test should be better organized.

I would like to see more language tests similar to this kind of test, for it gives the students opportunities to actually use English.

The teachers as the examiners should be a bit friendlier. Had they been friendlier to us, we would not have been too nervous to utter words in English.

All I like to do is to practice speaking, not to be tested or examined. Honestly, I only wish to practice speaking. Many times, the teachers are too rigid and serious, aggressive, and unfriendly, so we students are often too scared and forget what we have to say in English.

This style of testing is good even though I myself don’t particularly enjoy it. I am afraid I can't do it. nevertheless, it should be continued.

It is a way to practice speaking English, especially the practice of pronunciation. Before the test, we had to practice the conversation and the pronunciation.

The number of topics given to choose should be reduced. The more topics, the more confusion (the harder for us).

The drawing of the topics makes most of us too nervous, for we don’t know which topic we will get. It is not fair. Some students get the easier ones, some the more difficult. I think giving each of us only one topic to work on should be more than enough.

Generally, it is a good method of testing English. We can feel that we have actually used the language.

The speaking test is a way to practice speaking, and it gives us the courage to speak English.

I myself think the test is great. But the time we have to prepare for the test is insufficient. The teachers should give us more chances, and should not be too strict.

The students should not be asked to wait for the test without proper arrangement. For example, some students came on the date and time according to the booking table. But the booking did not specify the waiting order. Thus, some students jumped the queue. When the time slot was over, we were asked to come again on a later date, so we had to spend more time waiting. The order of the testing, the time, and date should be better arranged. Many of us had to wait for a long time. As a result, the testing time has eaten up our studying time of other courses. Moreover, it should not be carried out during the examination season because we couldn’t catch up with other lessons.

The test should be focused on meaning rather than focusing too much on grammatical accuracy.

The speaking test makes me feel confident to speak English with native speakers.

References

Fishbein, M. & Ajzen, I. (1975). Belief, Attitudes, Intention, and Behavior: An Introduction to Theory and Research Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

Gardner, R. C. (1985). Social Psychology and Social Language Learning. London: Arnold.

Shohamy, E. (1983). Interrater and intrarater reliability of the oral interview and concurrent validity with cloze procedure in Hebrew. In J. W. Oller, Jr. (Ed.), Issues in language testing research (pp. 229-236). Rowley, Mass.: Newbury House. 229-36.

Thadphoothon, J., Orsirichaivet, O, and Hunkaewchomphu, A. Attitudes of the Metropolitan Waterworks Organization' s Staff towards Overtime Working. (An unpublished 1998 report)

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	It is a very good test, but our English is poor. Many of us can't speak English.
	Great! But the teachers (as examiners) should be compassionate to us and understand our feelings. Most of us don’t like it, and we don’t have time for this thing. We have been tied up with too much course work.
	The test is good because it is one way of reviewing the lessons. It gives me the courage to speak English. However, the booking is a mess, and the testing time should be better organized.
	It’s good, but some of us don’t have time.
	The speaking test is good because we can practice speaking. I myself like speaking, but I lack confidence.
	Fantastic! I like those challenging stuffs. Nobody is born a genius without learning or practicing.
	Some groups have been given more time to do the test, but some groups have been given less. And why the heck the booking time and the testing time did not match?
	the examiners should use some Thai. You see, sometimes, we students do not understand their English. Ad we do not know enough vocabulary.
	The speaking test is a good move, for it gives me the opportunity to use the language, and it can motivate me to speak English.
	The booking was confusing. The testing procedure wasn’t clearly explained.
	The testing system should be improved. The students should be allowed to book the test and be tested by their own teachers. It would be less chaotic.
	It is a good test. But the testing venue is not at all convenient. The cubicle is too small, and the lifts are always jammed and too slow.
	I would like to be interviewed by my own teacher.
	It was fun!

	We should be allowed to sit for the speaking test conducted by our own teachers. The testing time should be fixed in order to speed up the test. And the test should be better organized.
	I would like to see more language tests similar to this kind of test, for it gives the students opportunities to actually use English.
	The teachers as the examiners should be a bit friendlier. Had they been friendlier to us, we would not have been too nervous to utter words in English.
	All I like to do is to practice speaking, not to be tested or examined. Honestly, I only wish to practice speaking. Many times, the teachers are too rigid and serious, aggressive, and unfriendly, so we students are often too scared and forget what we have to say in English.
	This style of testing is good even though I myself don’t particularly enjoy it. I am afraid I can't do it. nevertheless, it should be continued.
	It is a way to practice speaking English, especially the practice of pronunciation. Before the test, we had to practice the conversation and the pronunciation.
	The number of topics given to choose should be reduced. The more topics, the more confusion (the harder for us).
	The drawing of the topics makes most of us too nervous, for we don’t know which topic we will get. It is not fair. Some students get the easier ones, some the more difficult. I think giving each of us only one topic to work on should be more than enough.
	Generally, it is a good method of testing English. We can feel that we have actually used the language.
	The speaking test is a way to practice speaking, and it gives us the courage to speak English.
	I myself think the test is great. But the time we have to prepare for the test is insufficient. The teachers should give us more chances, and should not be too strict.
	The students should not be asked to wait for the test without proper arrangement. For example, some students came on the date and time according to the booking table. But the booking did not specify the waiting order. Thus, some students jumped the queue. When the time slot was over, we were asked to come again on a later date, so we had to spend more time waiting. The order of the testing, the time, and date should be better arranged. Many of us had to wait for a long time. As a result, the testing time has eaten up our studying time of other courses. Moreover, it should not be carried out during the examination season because we couldn’t catch up with other lessons.
	The test should be focused on meaning rather than focusing too much on grammatical accuracy.
	The speaking test makes me feel confident to speak English with native speakers.