TEACHERS' ASSESSMENT PRACTICE OF SPEAKING SKILL TASKS IN ELT CLASSROOM: THE CASE OF THREE SELECTED GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN DERAMALO WOREDA, SNNPR.

Abstract

The major goal of this study is finding out teachers’ assessment practice of speaking skill in ELT classroom in Deramalo Woreda three government schools in SNNPR. This study aimed:- to assess the variety of speaking skill assessment tasks teachers using in EFL classroom; to examine the corresponding purposes of the variety of speaking assessment tasks, and to identify the frequency of the variety of speaking assessment tasks teachers using in EFL classroom. This study was also conducted in using qualitative methods, with 12 English language teachers. All twelve participants responded to classroom observations which used for the practice of speaking skill assessment tasks. Six of the twelve also participated in an interview for the purpose on using the variety of speaking assessment tasks and also all of the twelve teachers were asked about their document analysis qualitatively using available and comprehensive sampling techniques. Based on the observations, interviews and document analysis, the study was revealed that the teachers were not introduced the topic to students on what they will have to do at the assessment task stage and mightn't help the students to recall some language use that may be useful for the task. Teachers were also used a Grammar Translation Method and L1/mother tongue when they assess, give instructions and feedbacks to their students. As well, the study found that in some tasks, teachers didn't plan for speaking assessment tend to overlook it. For this reason, the students were not really speaking and memorizing from written scripts, and they were also not concerned with the validity and reliability of their assessments. The conclusion is reached that although the teachers need to have assistance and encouragement to try new variety of speaking assessment tasks in their EFL classrooms, they need to make themselves aware of the shift in social and educational needs to make conscious and persistent efforts.