中国高等教育非英语专业学生基于课堂环境下的口语测试研究

论文摘要

随着改革开放政策的不断深化,中国与世界的联系和交流越来越紧密,英语毫无疑问在国际交流中发挥着非常重要的作用,英语口语更是因其快速直接的本质而在交际中具有先天性的优势。基于此,越来越多的人开始意识到英语口语的重要性。为了适应社会经济等各方面的需求,国家教育部于2004年制定并颁布了《大学英语课程教学要求》(试用版),明确指出大学英语的教学目标是培养学生的英语综合应用能力,特别是听说能力。自《大学英语课程教学要求》(试用版)施行以来,我国高等教育积极推动大学英语教学和评估改革,开设了基于计算机和课堂的多媒体英语听说课程,并逐步推行大学英语口语测试。然而,口语能力的评估一直以来都是众多学者公认的在语言技能中最难考核的。在语言测试学领域,长期以来,绝大部分的关注都放在了大规模的高风险性口语测试,如托福口语测试、雅思口语测试、大学英语四、六级口语测试,对于学校自身组织的大学英语口语测试研究很少。正是基于这样的背景,本文以学校自身组织的大学英语口语测试为研究对象,旨在提供我国高等教育非英语专业学生口语能力测试现状的全图。本文以湖北省某两所全国重点大学(A大学和B大学)为研究载体,调查它们自身组织的大学英语口语测试实践,通过问卷调查和电话访谈的方式了解每所大学的老师和学生对施行的大学英语口语测试各个层面的反馈意见。研究结果表明,A大学组织的大学英语口语测试无论是在整体设计、测试任务的选定,还是评分标准的制定上,都优于B大学的大学英语口语测试,相应地,A大学的口语测试在教师和学生中获得的反馈也比B大学的更为积极。总体而言,这两所大学的教师群体普遍比学生群体更为肯定学校自身组织的大学英语口语测试的各个层面。然而,尽管如此,本研究发现,当前我国大学自身组织的大学英语口语测试主要存在以下几个问题：测试目标和目的不够明确,测试任务欠多样化,测试内容吸引力不强,评分主观化现象严重,没有提供学生详细的反馈,教师专业知识欠缺,培训机制匮乏,缺少学生的参与。研究建议应该从相应的儿个方面推动和改善我国高等教育大学英语口语测试的现状：细化大学英语教学和测试目标,增加测试任务的多样性和内容的有趣性,及时提供学生详细的反馈,加强学生在口语测试中的参与度,建立完善的培训机制,从而提高口语测试在大学英语口语教和学上的积极反拔作用。

论文目录

• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• 中文摘要
• Abstract
• Contents
• 1. Introduction
• 1.1 Research background
• 1.2 Research significance and objectives
• 1.3 Structure of this thesis
• 2. Lite rature Review
• 2.1 Relevant concepts in assessment
• 2.1.1 Assessment and tests
• 2.1.2 Assessment types
• 2.2 Oral assessment history,models and designs
• 2.2.1 Oral assessment history
• 2.2.2 Oral assessment models
• 2.2.3 Oral assessment designs
• 2.3 Studies on oral assessment
• 2.3.1 Studies on oral assessment methods
• 2.3.2 Studies on oral assessment tasks
• 2.3.3 Studies on oral assessment rating
• 2.3.4 Studies on oral assessment validity and reliability
• 2.3.5 Studies on oral assessment washback effect
• 2.3.6 Review of oral assessment studies
• 3. Methodology
• 3.1 Research Contexts
• 3.2 Participants
• 3.3 Instruments
• 3.3.1 Samples of oral assessment
• 3.3.2 Questionnaires
• 3.3.3 Interview
• 3.4 Data Collection Procedures
• 3.4.1 Documentations of oral assessment in A and B
• 3.4.2 Administering teacher and student questionnaires
• 3.4.3 Conducting interviews
• 3.5 Data Analysis
• 4. Results
• 4.1 Classroom-based oral assessment in the two universities
• 4.1.1 Teachers and students' participation
• 4.1.2 Oral assessment format,content and task
• 4.1.3 Oral assessment scoring
• 4.2 Teachers and students' perceptions of the classroom-based oral assessment
• 4.2.1 Oral English ability and the necessity of the CBOA
• 4.2.2 The overall design of the CBOA
• 4.2.3 The content of the CBOA
• 4.2.4 The tasks of the CBOA
• 4.2.5 The atmosphere,time and inspector of the CBOA
• 4.2.6 The scoring of the CBOA
• 4.2.7 Their participation in the CBOA
• 4.2.8 The washback of the CBOA
• 4.2.9 Expertise and training in the oral assessment field
• 5. Discussion
• 5.1 Merits of the current classroom-based oral assessment practices
• 5.2 Common problems with the current classroom-based oral assessment
• 5.2.1 Unspecific goals and purposes for the oral assessment
• 5.2.2 Inadequate task variety and uninteresting topics for oral assessment
• 5.2.3 Subjectivity in scoring and confusing components of oral grades
• 5.2.4 Poor feedback to students and lack of self-evaluation mechanism
• 5.2.5 Teacher's deficient expertise in oral assessment and limited training opportunities
• 5.2.6 Absence of students' involvement
• 5.3 From assessment of learning to assessment for learning
• 6. Conclusion
• 6.1 Summary of findings in the present study
• 6.2 Implications for practice
• 6.2.1 Attaching more importance to oral English teaching
• 6.2.2 Decoding standards into specific and measurable assessment objectives
• 6.2.3 Enhancing more descriptive feedback to students
• 6.2.4 Increasing more formative assessment and students' involvement
• 6.2.5 Establishing assessment database and self-evaluation mechanism
• 6.2.6 Providing teachers with more training opportunities in oral assessment
• 6.3 Limitations of the present study
• Bibliography
• Appendix A
• Appendix B
• Appendix C