Peer-Peer Interaction in a Speaking Test: The Case of the First Certificate in English Examination

This discourse-based study turns its attention to paired test-taker discourse in the First Certificate in English speaking test. Its primary aim is to focus on fundamental conversation management concepts, such as overall structural organisation, turn-taking, sequencing, and topic organisation found...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Language assessment quarterly 2008-04, Vol.5 (2), p.89-119
Main Author: Galaczi, Evelina D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Discourse analysis
English (Second Language)
English language
Evaluation
Interaction
Interviews
Language Tests
Peer Relationship
Peers
Reliability
Scores
Social interaction
Speech Communication
Studies
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Summary:This discourse-based study turns its attention to paired test-taker discourse in the First Certificate in English speaking test. Its primary aim is to focus on fundamental conversation management concepts, such as overall structural organisation, turn-taking, sequencing, and topic organisation found in the dyadic test-taker interaction in 30 pairs of test takers. The analysis highlights global patterns of interaction, termed "Collaborative," "Parallel" and "Asymmetric," and salient features of interaction characteristic to each pattern. A second goal of the study is to investigate a possible relationship between the patterns of peer-peer interaction and test scores for "Interactive Communication." The results show a close relationship between type of talk and test scores, thus providing validity evidence for the test scores. The study discusses implications for a more accurate understanding of the construct of conversation management underlying the FCE examination, and for the empirically-based construction of assessment criteria for speaking tests.
ISSN:1543-4303
1543-4311
DOI:10.1080/15434300801934702