Speaking Exams.

It has  been a long week with  the end course evaluations.

Work weeks in my Social Service keep being interesting and busy. Level one is over and I am left with   exams and paperwork to mark. This week involved the exhausting final evaluation process to close midterm courses during the semester.  Some evaluation issues with regards oral evaluation seeme  to have not entirely gotten solved yet .  Some colleagues are students'  favorites not  because they favor them with good grades, but because they make  students feel relax and welcoming during the evaluation. “ The teacher just looked at me in a very kind way, and I immediately felt relaxed  and started to remember  everything, and I was able to answer most of what she asked.” a shy student of mine said the day after she had her speaking test. On the other hand a group of my students went in class “ Oh, no!” ( like in a  chorus) when they  heard the name of their speaking test examiner. I encourage them to just relax and feel confident during such exams.

The teachers’ board has constantly pointed out the issues concerning oral evaluation, but only very few teachers still seem to believe   that oral examinations should be  fast, serious and challenging – they do not openly say it; they just keep on rushing students into answering as if they were in a police station.

There is a couple of  lines, that one of the teachers  keeps on posting as a note  in the material that is handed  in   to the speaking  examiners before the  exam day, that says “ Dear colleagues, let´s make this  a meaningful experience for students, rather than a bitter one."

Thanks for reading me. I would also  like to mention that I have new data  to comment  about my blending learning project,  but it will have to be in my next post.  

Take care and  see you soon.