Assessment of speaking and listening skills (ASL)
The CBSE had introduced the formal assessment of speaking and listening skills in class Xi with effect from the session 2012-13. As a part of the CCE, it is believed that assessment should be used to control and regulate the quality and also to maintain the desired standard of performance in specific areas of learning. As good communication skills raise the self esteem and gives student confidence to face the challenges of life, it is desired that the student acquires proficiency in it by the time he or she completes secondary education. In the present time, speaking and listening are considered to be the essential skills of listening a language which are extensively used in one’s life. Hence, the formal assessment of speaking and listening skills has been added in the overall assignment scheme with a view to bring in a ‘wasback’ effect in the teaching process. While the focus of listening skills is to assess a student’ s competency in listening for understanding the main points for identifying general and specific information for a purpose, distinguished the main points from the supporting details, interpreting messages, understanding and following instructions, advice requests, etc, the linguistic and nonlinguistic features of a launguage,etc , and appropriate activities may be used for assessing the above mentioned objectives.
Introduction to listening
The aim of introducing Listening assessment is to help the learner of English develop skills to cope with listening in real life. Listening is an important through difficult skill which is not given sufficient important in formal teaching of English. The various situations where you, as an individual will have to comprehend speech are as follows:
. Listening to a talk or lecture;
. Participating in a meeting, seminar, debate or discussion;
. Listening to a conversation;
. Listening to announcement at school and at public places outside school;
. Taking part in a play;
. Participating in a conference call;
. Listening to recorded speeches, talks, commentaries and wheather forecasts;
. Watching a film; and
. Being interviewed;
As a prestigious national board, the CBSE essentially desires its students to acquire proficiency in communicative skills of English language by the time they leave the portal of the school. In order to achieve this, the provision of assessment of speaking and listening skills has been made compulsory in summative as well as Formative assessment in secondary classes and in internal assessment and term end examination.
Students will be formally assessed in speaking and listening skills. The CBSE has collaborated with Trinity College, London, to implement this project — CBSE – ASL project ( C T A P ) 2013- 2022.
Trinity College, London, is an established name in English language assessment.
Standards in communication have to be raised and this is only possible when students are assessed in all the skills of the language. Speaking and listening has never been assessed in a formal manner and keeping with international standards the CBSE has put this assessment in place.
The overall purpose of the test is to help improve and standardise students’ communicative skills. The assignment of speaking and listening in English language will be conducted in the terms end summative I and II assessment as well as in all the formative assessment. There will be the inclusion of weightage of 20% in the assessment of these skills.
As students you have to develop these skills during the course of the launguage learning. You have to learn and practice in the class whatever you are expected to be tested in.
It is with this view, that a test frame has been constructed in both speaking and listening skills. This book will give you adequate practice to make you confident and suru of taking the speaking and the listening tests without any inhibitions.
Assessment of listening
The listening assessment comprises of a variety of tasks. These tasks are graded according to the length of the task and the difficulty level. Schools may download the sample tasks and recognize them in two parts transcripts and the marking scheme for the examiner and the worksheets for the students on which students will write answers.
The listening comprehension section will test your ability to listen for basic interpersonal, instructional and academic purposes. The following are some of the sub skills of listening which will be assessed in the formative and summative assessment:
i). Listening for specific information
ii). Listening for general understanding
iii). Predictive listening
iv). Inferential listening
v). Listening for pleasure
vi). Intensive listening
vii). Evaluative listening
Role of Examiner:
An examiner is a person who is assigned the job of assessing a candidate’ s performance in any of the skills that is to be assessed.
For the purpose of the summative assessment, an examiner will be a teacher who will conduct the examination and do the assessment of skills.
It is extremely important to keep in mind the factors listed below as they can significantly influence the expected outcome of the listening Test.
. Size of the room . Seating arrangements . Acoustics of the room . Equipment used . Quality of the recording of the listening input . Quality of the oral rendering of the listening input ( in case it is to be read aloud by the Examiner), in terms of volume , clarity, enunciation, intonation, pace, etc .
Hearing vs. Listening
Do you think there is a difference between hearing and listening? You are right, there is! Hearing is simply the act of perceiving sound by the ear. If you are not hearing impaired, hearing simply happens. Listening, however, is something you consciously choose to do. Listening requires concentration so that your brain processes meaning from words and sentences. Listening leads to learning.
Task of listening can be of two kinds
. Extensive listening
. Intensive listening
1. Extensive listening: Here as a listener you listen to lengthy story, radio programme or an anecdote. The listening material may be lengthy. As a learner you listen for pressure and there is some amount of challenge so that the learner feels motivated to complete the task. As you complete the task you get practice in specific listening skills.
A Good Listener:
. Looks at the speaker and makes Eye contact
. Does not finish the other person’ s sentences. There is nothing more irritating than trying to express an original thought when someone cuts in and assumes the rest of the statement.
. Uses positive body language.
. Uses positive verbal signals. Says ” u – huh ” or ” hmmm, ” ” I understand”.
. Uses positive facial expressions. Smiles often, even when on the telephone; it shows up in the voice.
. Asks good question to promt further discussion and develops questions from the other person’s responses. To do this effectively, the listener must be attentive.
. Focuses on what the speaker is saying and not on his/ her own next statement.
. Exhibits patience.
. Does the 80-20 rule. Simply stated, you speak 20per cent of the time and listen 80 per cent of the time.
General instructions for students:
You are not allowed to ask questions or interrupt the examiner at any point.
1. You are being tested on your listening skills.
2. You will hear a set of recording of the listening input or listen to a reading of the listening input.
3. Each of the recording will be played twice. In case there is an oral rendering of the listening input, it shall take Place twice.
4. You are required to answer a set of questions based on each of the listening inputs.
5. The assessment consists of 4 tasks.
6. You are required to attempt all 4 tasks of the assessment.
7. Familiarize yourself with the questions on the worksheet. It will help you to answer them later on.
8. After you have listened to the input, you will be given specified minutes to answer the questions on your worksheet
9. You may answer the questions on your worksheet while listening.
10. Do not interact or comment until you have moved out of the examination Room
Remember: The only time we learn is when our ears are open, and our mouths closed.
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Assessment of speaking and listening skills (ASL) for class ix th class 9 th class 9th class 9th assessment of speaking and listening skills ASL for class 9th, 10th 11th ASL for class 9th 10th 11th