Preparing for the

Speaking Paper
(Cambridge English Exams)

Gerardo Valazza, MEd ELT, RSA Dip TEFLA

 Aims of the seminar
1 To develop teachers’ awareness of the assessment of
speaking across the CEFR levels, and the Cambridge English
Speaking Assessment Scales
2 To explore the usefulness of these scales as a tool for
describing and analysing specific aspects of spoken
language
3 To share practical ideas for:
• evaluating learners’ speaking and identifying areas of
strength/weakness
• developing speaking skills in order to prepare for the
tests.
 Seminar overview
Introduction
Problems in assessing speaking
Speaking Assessment Scales
Samples of scales applied to tests
Some practical ideas & resources for evaluating
and developing speaking
Round-up and summary
 Issues around
assessing speaking
Discussion questions:
a) Why is speaking a difficult skill
to assess?
b) What practical problems are
often involved when assessing
speaking in class?
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• 1) Introduce yourself
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what you discussed

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Why is speaking a difficult skill to assess?

• It is ephemeral, fast, easily lost, difficult to hold onto

to analyse, and generally there is no record
• There are many aspects to assess
• Different profiles of strong and weak aspects can
combine to make up the same level of performance
• There is often no right/wrong outcome
• It is assessed over a block of performance, not
sentence by sentence
What practical problems are often involved?

• Teachers often have large numbers of students and

little time to devote to speaking assessment
• During speaking activities many people are talking at
the same time
• Sometimes teachers lack the expertise/ confidence to
develop speaking tests and rating scales or to evaluate
performance in any detail
• Teachers don’t always have a fixed ‘benchmark’ to
compare performances against
So, what do we need
to assess students’ speaking
fairly and consistently over
time?
So, what do we need to
assess students’
speaking fairly and
ASSESSMENT
consistently over time?
SCALES!
 Rationale for Assessment Scales
• Following a CLT approach by assessing
different communicative competences
• Describing what candidates Can Do
(Positive Approach)
• Making assessment objective and fair
• Providing a coherent whole - the levels
‘stack’ to form a common scale
• Providing a link between the CEFR and
Cambridge English Language
Assessment

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 Assessment levels and criteria
Levels:
• A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2.

Speaking assessment criteria in General

Cambridge English speaking tests:
• Grammar and vocabulary
• Discourse management
• Pronunciation
• Interactive communication

Glossary of Terms

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Overall Speaking Assessment Scales

• Which two sets of descriptors are identical? Why do

you think this is?
• How do the criteria categories change at different
levels? Why do you think this is?
• What is not assessed at one level? Why?
Which level?

https://create.kahoot.it/ https://kahoot.it/
(Teacher) (Student)

Wi-Fi Password: anglowifi2

Which level?
a) Good control of simple grammatical forms. Attempts
some complex grammatical forms.
b) Maintains control of a wide range of grammatical forms.
c) Uses a range of appropriate vocabulary to give and
exchange views on familiar and unfamiliar topics.
d) Uses appropriate vocabulary to give and exchange views
on a range of familiar topics.
e) Produces responses which are extended beyond short
phrases, despite hesitation.
f) Produces extended stretches of language with ease and
with very little hesitation.
g) Is mostly intelligible, despite limited control of
phonological features.
h) Maintains and develops the interaction and negotiates
towards an outcome.
Which level? Key

a) B2
b) C2
c) C1
d) B2
e) B1
f) C2
g) A2
h) C1
Assessing speaking performance

Teacher Guide – B2 Level

Assessing speaking performance
FCE for Schools Part 2
Pronunciation
B2 Pronunciation: Kok Wee (4)
Intelligibility: Is intelligible throughout the test.
Intonation: Is usually appropriate.
• I recently started a book called Clockwork Angels.
• For the second picture it’s either a marathon, or running.
• Just try and you will know.
Stress: Sentence stress is accurately placed.
• I’m not a shopping person. The university will be more interested in
you because you are multi-lingual.
• Learning a new skill is better than doing nothing.

Word stress is generally accurate placed.

Individual sounds: Are generally articulated clearly.

B2 Pronunciation: Chris (3)
Intelligibility: Is intelligible, though in a few places her responses could be
clearer. At times the volume and pitch of her voice are very low, which means
the listener has to concentrate carefully to catch what she says. This could
easily be improved by varying the pitch of her voice (see intonation below) and
speaking slightly louder.

Intonation: Is a little flat and would be clearer if her voice rose and fell when
she was expressing her ideas.

Stress: Sentence stress is generally accurately placed:

• Everybody can draw

Word stress is generally accurate:

• Foreign … popular … attract … practise

Individual sounds: Are generally articulated clearly.

Assessing speaking performance
CAE Part 4
Lexical Resource

Raphael Maude
C1 Lexical resource: Raphael (3)

Uses a range of appropriate vocabulary to give and exchange

views on familiar and unfamiliar topics.
• I have two years to go (Part 1)
• Keep in touch … see them face to face (Part 1)
• Baking a cake … similar … guys … work in a team (Part 2)
• Study the subject … university (Part 3)
• Different view … topic … scared about … early age … (Part 4)
C1 Lexical resource: Maude (4)

Maude uses a range of appropriate vocabulary to give and

exchange views on familiar and unfamiliar topics, for example:
• Book a holiday … Not very used to … play a role … encourage
• Pushy parents
with some evidence of a wider range, e.g.:
• Don’t really get to make your own decisions
• Where to settle
 Assessing and developing
speaking in class (FCE)
• Using the B2 Scales
• B2 Assessment Scales
• Videos with Assessment
Commentaries made by Speaking
Examiners
• Teaching & Learning Tips
• Overview of the Speaking Paper
• Activities based on FCE Part 1
• Activities based on FCE Part 2
• Activities based on FCE Part 3
• Activities based on FCE Part 4

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from Shutterstock
 Working out the CAE/CPE
Speaking Score
The assessor gives 0–5 marks for each of
the following criteria: Grammatical
Resource; Lexical Resource; Discourse
Management; Pronunciation; and
Interactive Communication. Marks for
each of these criteria are doubled. (50)
The interlocutor gives a mark of 0–5 for
Global Achievement. This mark is then
multiplied by five. Examiners may award
half marks. (25)
Marks for all criteria are then combined,
meaning there are 75 marks available in
the Speaking test.
Image used under license
from Shutterstock
 Working out the FCE
Speaking Score
The assessor gives 0–5 marks for each of
the following criteria: Grammar and
Vocabulary; Discourse Management;
Pronunciation; and Interactive
Communication. Marks for each of these
criteria are doubled. (20x2 = 40)
The interlocutor gives a mark of 0–5 for
Global Achievement. This mark is then
multiplied by four. Examiners may award
half marks. (5x4 = 20)
Marks for all criteria are then combined,
meaning there are 60 marks available in
the Speaking test.
Image used under license
from Shutterstock
 Working out the PET
Speaking Score
The assessor gives 0–5 marks for each of
the following criteria: Grammar and
Vocabulary; Discourse Management;
Pronunciation; and Interactive
Communication. (20)
The interlocutor gives a mark of 0–5 for
Global Achievement. This mark is then
multiplied by two. Examiners may award
half marks. (5x2 = 10)
Marks for all criteria are then combined,
meaning there are 30 marks available in
the Speaking test.

Image used under license

from Shutterstock
 Working out the KET
Speaking Score
The assessor gives 0–5 marks for each of
the following criteria: Grammar and
Vocabulary; Pronunciation; and
Interactive Communication. Marks for
each of these criteria are doubled. (15x2
= 30)
The interlocutor gives a mark of 0–5 for
Global Achievement. This mark is then
multiplied by three. Examiners may
award half marks. (5x3 = 15)
Marks for all criteria are then combined,
meaning there are 45 marks available in
the Speaking test.
Image used under license
from Shutterstock
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 Seminar overview
Introduction
Problems in assessing speaking
Speaking Assessment Scales
Samples of scales applied to tests
Evaluating and developing speaking in the
classroom – some practical ideas & resources
Round-up and summary
 Thank you

www.AngloSeminars.wordpress.com

Gerardo Valazza, MEd ELT, RSA Dip TEFLA

gvalazza@anglo.edu.uy