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Speaking evaluation Oral exams Speaking proficiency is evaluated on the basis of three criteria: pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary, and communicative competence, shown on our five-point scale evaluation grids. Here are our definitions of what is acceptable (OK), good (+), and poor (-) on the different measures we take into account. Evaluation criteria Pronunciation: We are interested in the level of correctness of students’ phonemes, stress and intonation patterns. OK A student with an acceptable pronunciation is entirely and immediately comprehensible to a native speaker. + A good level of pronunciation sounds something like a native speaker, with few phoneme errors and natural-sounding intonation. - Poor pronunciation often includes mispronounced sounds and words, incorrect word stress, and rising intonation with clipped, jerky delivery. Grammar and vocabulary: We consider the accuracy and complexity of students’ production OK Those who make fewer and more minor errors are more likely to pass. + Students who control more complex structures and use sophisticated vocabulary appropriately score higher. - Students who make frequent and/or major mistakes in grammar and vocabulary, and who attempt only simple structures and expressions are graded more severely. Communicative competence: We are also interested in the broader questions of fluency and appropriateness of language behaviour. OK Students who can speak fairly rapidly and smoothly, can respond easily to questions and whose comments are judged communicatively competent. + Good communicative skills include the ability to negotiate appropriately with interlocutors, take the initiative in discussion, and express complex notions spontaneously. - Students who are hesitant and unable to find words to express their thoughts, or who have little to say, score lower on this criterion. The final oral grade is an average of the student’s performance on these three criteria. In our LCE evaluation grid, pronunciation takes precedence, while we consider communication to be more important in the LEA evaluation grid. The same evaluation grids are used for both class grades and oral exams. A similar system is used to grade oral performances in the national competitive exams for English teachers (concours). Click here. ORAL EXAMS First and second year LCE students have an end-of-semester oral exam based on their portfolios. Third year LCE students have a content oral exam (on another topic in their general English programme) during which their oral proficiency is also evaluated. First year LEA off-campus students (étudiants non-assidus) have an oral exam at the end of each semester based on a short, unseen news article which they prepare and present to the examiners. All students who resit oral English exams in September must take this oral exam.
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