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Section 7: Sample Interpersonal and Presentational Speaking Assignments
Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Spanish (613)

Directions for the Interpersonal and Presentational Speaking Assignments

This section of the exam consists of three assignments that measure different aspects of your speaking ability in the target language. This section lasts approximately 15 minutes and consists of the following tasks:

  1. Presentational Speaking: Integrated Skills
  2. Express an Opinion or Make an Oral Presentation
  3. Simulated Conversation

For each assignment, you will be given specific directions, including the amount of time allowed for preparation and speaking. Answer each question according to the directions. You may use the erasable notebooklet provided to write notes or organize your response; however, you will be scored only on your recorded oral response.

Be sure to speak naturally and appropriately in the target language when responding to the speaking assignments. There are no prescribed answers to these assignments; however, each response needs to follow all task directions. Say as much as you can until the response time is over or until you feel you have provided a thorough response.

Sample Interpersonal and Presentational Speaking Assignments

Presentational Speaking: Integrated Skills

For this assignment, you will complete a task related to the passage you read in the Presentational Writing: Integrated Skills section.

First, you will have 1 minute, 30 seconds to read the directions and review the passage again. Then, you will hear a prompt describing a task related to the passage. You will then be prompted to begin preparing your response and will have 2 minutes to prepare your response.

When the preparation time is complete, you will be prompted to begin speaking. You will have 2 minutes to complete your response in the target language. You should respond as fully and as appropriately as possible. The response you provide during the specified response time will be automatically recorded.

When the response time has ended, you will automatically be taken to the directions screen for the next assignment. You will not be able to return to previous questions.

Assignment 1

La universidad en tu computadora

En los últimos años el acceso a Internet ha crecido de manera exponencial poniendo al alcance de millones de personas herramientas e información que antes parecían lejanas.

Una de las áreas que está experimentando una revolución es la educación.

Los cursos abiertos en línea —MOOC: massive open online courses— están apareciendo por doquier dotando a miles de estudiantes de acceso a instituciones educativas en varios países.

Todo apunta a una revolución educativa.

Los MOOC son cursos ofrecidos por universidades de alto prestigio que duran unas cuantas semanas y están disponibles para cualquier persona que tenga una computadora.

No hay límites en cuántas personas pueden registrarse para un curso. Pueden contar hasta con 100.000 alumnos. Tampoco suele haber complicados requisitos de inscripción y la gran mayoría de los cursos son gratuitos. Requieren un compromiso de tiempo, entre 5 y 10 horas a la semana, incluyendo la entrega de trabajos y evaluaciones.

¿Pero cómo evaluar a 100.000 alumnos? Algunos MOOC usan un sistema automatizado que permite "leer" las respuestas, pero este método sólo suele ser válido para exámenes de opción múltiple o respuestas cerradas.

Para respuestas abiertas o más complejas, la mayoría de los cursos en línea utilizan un sistema de revisión entre alumnos. Uno entrega el trabajo y después revisa el de un compañero dando una detallada retroalimentación.

La mayoría de los MOOC se ofrecen por universidades en EE. UU., pero algunas en el Reino Unido también se han aliado para crear un nuevo proyecto llamado FutureLearn. La idea no es reemplazar a la educación tradicional sino "reeinventar la educación para aprovechar la tecnología y las redes sociales".

La mayoría de los MOOC son gratis porque su objetivo es ofrecer educación de calidad a gente alrededor del mundo que no tiene los recursos para pagar o asistir a cursos presenciales. El material que se prepara para 20 personas, puede utilizarse para miles más.

Pero algunos también están viendo en la tecnología una oportunidad para extender la educación y generar ingresos comerciales.

2U es una de esas empresas. A diferencia de los cursos cortos y gratuitos que ofrecen los MOOC, 2U se ha aliado con importantes universidades en EE. UU. para ofrecer cursos completos en línea que terminen con un título académico.

El costo es el mismo que el de acudir a la universidad, pero es una alternativa para aquellos que no pueden juntar los recursos suficientes para viajar a otro país y pagar los costos de su estancia. Los defensores de los MOOC aseguran que este nuevo modelo está ampliando la educación a lugares que antes no tenían acceso a distinguidos profesores. Afirman que es posible entender mejor a los estudiantes al recopilar datos sobre el momento en el que hicieron pausa en un video o cuánto tiempo les tomó completar una lección con lo que los cursos siempre se están reinventando.

Pero hay quienes ven en este tipo de cursos una amenaza a la educación y creen que será una salida fácil para cortar costos en universidades y dejar a miles de maestros sin empleo.

Más allá de las razones económicas y sociales, también hay quienes creen que los MOOC sólo sirven para pasar un poco de conocimiento pero no pueden reemplazar la experiencia de estar en un aula con otros estudiantes y un maestro.

Para ellos la presencia aún juega un papel fundamental en la educación.

Por lo pronto, Internet sigue avanzando y dotando a la comunidad educativa de más herramientas para llevar la información a más lugares.

La revolución continúa.

© BBC 2013

Speaking Assignment

Imagine que ha recibido una invitación para hablar sobre el tema de la educación a distancia, específicamente los cursos en línea. Ud. va a presentar información a favor de esta postura. Explique, dando un mínimo de dos razones, por qué puede resultar beneficioso este tipo de educación para muchas personas. Responda basándose en la información del artículo que ha leído.

Express an Opinion or Make an Oral Presentation

For this assignment, you will be presented with a situation and asked to give your opinion or propose a solution. First, you will have 15 seconds to review the directions and the situation presented on-screen. You will then hear the topic for the task and have 2 minutes to prepare your response.

When the preparation time is complete, you will be prompted to begin speaking. You will have 2 minutes to complete your response in the target language. You should respond as fully and as appropriately as possible. The response you provide during the specified response time will be automatically recorded.

When the response time has ended, you will automatically be taken to the directions screen for the next assignment. You will not be able to return to previous questions.

Assignment 2

Algunas personas piensan que trabajar desde la casa es una situación ideal y que tiene muchas ventajas. Otras personas opinan que trabajar desde la casa no es bueno ni para la familia ni para el individuo.

  • Explique y defienda su opinión sobre este tema.

Simulated Conversation Assignment

For this assignment, you will participate in a simulated conversation in the target language. On the first screen you will see instructions for the assignment and hear a scenario for the conversation. You will have 30 seconds to read the outline of the conversation presented on-screen. The shaded lines reflect a sense of what you will hear during the conversation, while the other lines reflect general ideas about what you will be expected to say.

When the 30 seconds of preparation time is complete, the exam will automatically advance to the next screen and the audio portion of conversation will automatically begin. You will not be able to pause, stop, or replay any portion of this audio.

You will have five turns to participate in the conversation. Each time it is your turn to respond, you will hear a tone and have 25 seconds of silence to respond to that portion of the conversation. A tone will indicate when to end speaking and then the conversation will continue. You should participate in the conversation as fully and as appropriately as possible. The responses you provide during the specified response times will be automatically recorded.

When the final response time has ended, you will automatically be taken to the next screen. You will not be able to return to previous questions.

Assignment 3

Imagínese que recibe una llamada telefónica sobre la solicitud que presentó para enseñar español en la Escuela Central.

The text below is a script that would be heard and not seen.

Scoring Rubrics

Scoring Rubric for Presentational Speaking: Integrated Skills

Score General Description Features/Dimensions
Task Completion Topic Development Language Use
3
High		 A response at this level is characterized by most of the following features/dimensions:
  • Fully addresses and completes the task
  • Directly relates to the topic; topic well developed
  • All or almost all supporting details or examples are appropriate and effective
  • Clearly demonstrates a high degree of understanding of the content in the text
  • Demonstrates high or mid-high degree of control of a variety of structures; a very few grammatical errors occur with no evident patterns
  • Varied vocabulary appropriate for the content used with precision
  • High level of fluency
  • Very good pronunciation
  • Well-organized, generally coherent response
  • Register is appropriate (accurate social and/or cultural references included)
2
Mid-High		 A response at this level is characterized by most of the following features/dimensions:
  • Addresses and completes the task
  • Relates to the topic
  • Most supporting details or examples are well defined
  • Demonstrates a moderate degree of understanding of the content in the text
  • Demonstrates a moderate degree of control of a variety of structures; some grammatical errors occur
  • Appropriate vocabulary with occasional errors such as making up words or code-switching
  • Moderate level of fluency with occasional hesitance; some successful self correction
  • Good pronunciation
  • Organized response with some coherence
  • Register is usually appropriate (generally accurate social and/or cultural references included)
1
Mid-Low		 A response at this level is characterized by most of the following features/dimensions:
  • Addresses and completes the task
  • Moderately relates to the topic
  • Some supporting details or examples are vague or not well defined
  • Demonstrates a low degree of understanding of the content in the text
  • Demonstrates a lack of control of a variety of structures; frequent grammatical errors occur
  • Limited vocabulary, frequent errors such as making up words and code-switching
  • Low level of fluency with frequent hesitance
  • Fair pronunciation with interference from another language
  • Disorganized response with little coherence
  • Register is inappropriate (inaccurate social and/or cultural references included)
0
Low		 A response at this level is characterized by most of the following features/dimensions:
  • Partially addresses and/or partially completes the task
  • Minimally relates to the topic
  • Most supporting details or examples are irrelevant or not effective
  • Demonstrates a poor degree of understanding of the content in the text
  • Demonstrates a lack of control of numerous structures; numerous grammatical errors impede communication
  • Insufficient vocabulary; constant interference from another language
  • Poor fluency with labored expression
  • Poor pronunciation, which affects comprehension
  • Disorganized response with no coherence
  • Minimal to no attention to register (inaccurate social and/or cultural references are included)

Scoring Rubric for Express an Opinion or Make an Oral Presentation

Score General Description Features/Dimensions
Task Completion Topic Development Language Use
3
High		 A response at this level is characterized by most of the following features/dimensions:
  • Fully addresses and completes the task
  • Directly relates to the topic, well-developed treatment of the topic
  • All or almost all supporting details or examples are appropriate and effective
  • Demonstrates high or mid-high degree of control of a variety of structures; a very few grammatical errors occur with no evident patterns
  • Varied vocabulary appropriate for the content used with precision
  • High level of fluency
  • Very good pronunciation
  • Well-organized, generally coherent response
  • Register is appropriate (accurate social and/or cultural references included)
2
Mid-High		 A response at this level is characterized by most of the following features/dimensions:
  • Addresses and completes the task
  • Relates to the topic
  • Most supporting details or examples are well defined
  • Demonstrates a moderate degree of control of a variety of structures, some grammatical errors occur
  • Appropriate vocabulary with occasional errors such as making up words or code-switching
  • Moderate level of fluency with occasional hesitance; some successful self correction
  • Good pronunciation
  • Organized response with some coherence
  • Register is usually appropriate (generally accurate social and/or cultural references included)
1
Mid-Low		 A response at this level is characterized by most of the following features/dimensions:
  • Addresses and completes the task
  • Moderately relates to the topic
  • Some supporting details or examples are vague or not well defined
  • Demonstrates a lack of control of a variety of structures; frequent grammatical errors occur
  • Limited vocabulary; frequent errors such as making up words and code-switching
  • Low level of fluency with frequent hesitance
  • Fair pronunciation with interference from another language
  • Disorganized response with little coherence
  • Register is inappropriate (inaccurate social and/or cultural references included)
0
Low		 A response at this level is characterized by most of the following features/dimensions:
  • Partially addresses and/or partially completes the task
  • Minimally relates to the topic
  • Most supporting details or examples are irrelevant or not effective
  • Demonstrates a lack of control of numerous structures; numerous grammatical errors impede communication
  • Insufficient vocabulary; constant interference from another language
  • Poor fluency with labored expression
  • Poor pronunciation, which affects comprehension
  • Disorganized response with no coherence
  • Minimal to no attention to register (inaccurate social and/or cultural references are included)

Scoring Rubric for Simulated Conversation

Score General Description Features/Dimensions
Task Completion Topic Development Language Use
3
High		 A response at this level is characterized by most of the following features/dimensions:
  • Fully addresses and completes the task
  • Responds fully to all or almost all of the parts/prompts of the conversation
  • Responses relate directly to the topic and include a well-developed treatment of all or almost all the elements in the thread of the conversation
  • Demonstrates high or mid-high degree of control of a variety of structures; a few grammatical errors occur with no evident patterns
  • Varied vocabulary appropriate for the content used with precision
  • High level of fluency
  • Very good pronunciation
  • Well-organized, generally coherent responses
  • Register is appropriate (accurate social and/or cultural references included)
2
Mid-High		 A response at this level is characterized by most of the following features/dimensions:
  • Addresses and completes the task
  • Responds to all or almost all of the parts/prompts of the conversation
  • Responses relate to the topic and include most elements in the thread of the conversation
  • Demonstrates a moderate degree of control of a variety of structures, some grammatical errors occur
  • Appropriate vocabulary with occasional errors such as making up words or code-switching
  • Moderate level of fluency with occasional hesitance; some successful self correction
  • Good pronunciation
  • Organized responses with some coherence
  • Register is usually appropriate (generally accurate social and/or cultural references included)
1
Mid-Low		 A response at this level is characterized by most of the following features/dimensions:
  • Addresses and completes some parts of the task
  • Responds to most parts/prompts of the conversation
  • Responses relate moderately to the topic and include some elements in the thread of the conversation
  • Demonstrates a lack of control of a variety of structures; frequent grammatical errors occur
  • Limited vocabulary, frequent errors such as making up words and code-switching
  • Low level of fluency with frequent hesitance
  • Fair pronunciation with interference from another language
  • Disorganized responses with little coherence
  • Register is inappropriate (inaccurate social and/or cultural references included)
0
Low		 A response at this level is characterized by most of the following features/dimensions:
  • Partially addresses and/or partially completes the task
  • Responds inappropriately to some parts/prompts of the conversation
  • Responses relate minimally to the topic and include few elements in the thread of the conversation
  • Demonstrates a lack of control of numerous structures; numerous grammatical errors impede communication
  • Insufficient vocabulary; constant interference from another language
  • Poor fluency with labored expression
  • Poor pronunciation, which affects comprehension
  • Disorganized responses with no coherence
  • Minimal to no attention to register (inaccurate social and/or cultural references are included)