Journal of English and literature Vol. 3(6), pp.

136-149, October 2012

Available online http://www.academicjournals.org/IJEL
DOI: 10.5897/IJEL12.095
ISSN 2141-2626 ©2012 Academic Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Speaking as an indicator of general proficiency in

placement test
Zahra Shirinzadeh Aghdam1* and Ali Akbar Farahani2
1
Payam-e-noor University, Tehran, Iran.
2
University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
Accepted 7 August, 2012

This study investigates whether there is a strong correlation between the speaking abilities of Iranian
learners of English and their general proficiency as reported in placement tests. Thirty intermediate
learners from three English conversation classes at an English language Institute in Tabriz participated
in the study. A standardized 300 D test of Nelson English Test was used to determine their overall
English language proficiency. In addition, an oral interview was conducted to test their speaking ability.
The scoring criteria for assessing the oral interview were pronunciation, vocabulary, and fluency. The
results obtained were used as indicators of learners’ English proficiency levels and their oral abilities. A
Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was used to determine the strength of the correlation
between the accuracy rates drawn from the Nelson Test and those from the oral interview. Data
indicated that there was a statistically significant correlation between the two types of testing indicating
that learners’ general proficiency shown in the Nelson placement test could be easily achieved by
evaluating their speaking ability.

Key words: Speaking, general proficiency, oral interview, placement test, communicative competence.

INTRODUCTION

In today’s competitive and technological world, students Speaking ability can be tested indirectly and directly.
need to develop effective skills in the English language in Indirect measures such as talking about pictures,
order to communicate ideas, concepts, scientific and transforming statements, following commands, retelling,
technological findings successfully. One of the most explaining, giving short talks, and role playing are
important abilities to develop is the oral proficiency. Oral performed through quasi-realistic activities, while direct
proficiency testing has become one of the most central tests are based on activities that aim to duplicate the
topics in language testing and with the advent of setting and the operation of real-life circumstances. The
communicative language teaching the role of speaking most common direct measure of speaking is the oral
ability has become more important. According to Burns interview test (Hughes, 2003).
and Joyce (1997), speaking is an interactive process of As is true for other language skills, speaking plays
constructing meaning, which involves the receiving, important roles in language learning. Being aware of
processing, and production of information. It is a social these roles will enable teachers to attend to them all and
activity because it is enacted for the purpose of to see speaking as one important element in developing
communicating certain thoughts to the listener to make each language skill and conveying cultural knowledge
himself understood. The speaker must hold the listener’s (Chastain, 1988).
attention with ease and fluency. Thus, tests of speaking Speaking is used in many ways and for many reasons,
attempt to determine whether the examinees have the therefore serving many purposes and different
ability to communicate accurately and effectively in real- environments such as formal and informal settings. For
life situations. this reason, effective speaking or fluency takes time and
practice. This is an even harder task when the spoken
language is not our native language. The process of
learning to speak a second language is quite different
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. from learning a first language; it involves the knowledge
 Aghdam and Farahani 137

and competence of many aspects in the targeted communicative language teaching the role of speaking
language. Anyone who wishes to speak a second ability has become more important (Nakamura, 1997).
language must learn grammar and vocabulary and The reason behind performing a research on the
master the pronunciation or auditory system. Also, a relationship between speaking and language proficiency
person has to think and plan what to say, in a way that is the focus of almost all language institutes in Iran on
his/her spoken words form a coherent stream of improving oral abilities, that is, listening and speaking.
sentences, which are produced naturally and This emphasis directs one’s mind to the point that
automatically to be considered fluent. An effective whether speaking can be really an indicator of language
speaker opens and closes conversations properly and proficiency or not. If the findings of the research reveal a
manages topic changes correctly. The speaker also strong relationship between speaking and language
understands other cultural and social aspects of the proficiency, then it may be logical to emphasize so much
language such as turn taking and appropriate ways to on oral abilities and if not, in a country like Iran where
address people in different circumstances. The correct there is not much need to be able to communicate in
use of language helps us maintain appropriate roles and English, it is preferred to put emphasis on other language
relationships with others (Fulcher, 2003). skills like reading and listening comprehension, since
Researchers in the field of language teaching and they are urgently required for the learners in their higher
testing put emphasis on the fundamental role that education.
speaking plays in second language assessment. As The present study was an attempt to probe whether the
Knight (1992) asserts the significant role that speaking oral interview test can be utilized as a suitable, parallel
skill plays in SLA learning and teaching has been choice for evaluating general proficiency in English or
frequently supported in oral language assessment not. In other words, the purpose of the present research
research. Speaking skill is an important part of the was to examine the correlation between speaking ability
curriculum in language teaching, and this makes it an and general proficiency of Iranian EFL students, that is,
important object of assessment as well. the investigation of the correlation between the students’
Speaking skill can serve the improvement and scores on the Oral Interview Test and their scores on the
enhancement of other language skills. It should be vital to Nelson test.
test learner’s speaking ability directly if it is important to To conduct this study from an empirical perspective,
recognize whether a learner can speak a second answer to the following major question was sought:
language or not. Speaking is an important section of the
language syllabus in communicative language teaching. Is there any relationship between speaking and English
In a general English curriculum, speaking is a significant language proficiency of Iranian EFL students?
channel of communication. Therefore, oral proficiency
testing has become one of the most central topics in
language testing and with the advent of communicative METHODOLOGY
language teaching the role of speaking ability has
Participants
become more important (Nakamura, 1997).
Language proficiency as defined by Bachman (1990) is
The participants of this study were 30 lower-intermediate female
the ability in language use. Language proficiency is not a students studying English at an English Language Institute in
single unitary ability, but it is made up of several distinct Tabriz. They were selected based on the results of their
but connected constructs as well as a general construct performance on Standardized Proficiency Test of PET (See
of language proficiency. It ranges from zero to native-like Appendix A) out of 55 students who took the test. The learners
proficiency. The zero is not absolute because the second whose scores fell one SD above and below the mean were selected
to take part in the study. This ensured that all the participants were
language learner as a speaker of at least another homogeneous and in the intermediate level. The participants also
language, his first language, knows language and how it were between the ages of 18 to 30 years old. When the data of the
functions. present study were collected, most of these learners had been
She also asserts that hardly ever do second language learning English as Foreign Language for two years. None of them
learners reach the complete competence in the language had ever been to an English speaking country and they had little
they are dealing with. Therefore one of the problems opportunity to use English for communicative purposes outside their
classrooms.
which is open to research is why and how to assess The participants started their learning English from the first
language proficiency. Whether a relationship exists semester of institute and at the end of each semester they were
between speaking ability and language proficiency is also supposed to get 70 from 100 to be allowed to go to next semester.
of paramount importance. 47 students who were in Sixth semester (intermediate level) were
invited and agreed to participate in PET test and actually competed
to be selected for the present study. As students, they had six
hours of English each week during which they practiced all four
Current study
skills equally (that is, listening, speaking, reading, and writing).
In fact, they responded enthusiastically to the opportunity. They
Oral proficiency testing has become one of the most were told that the test and task they would complete were for the
central topics in language testing and with the advent of purposes of research but were not told the precise purpose and
138 Int. J. English Lit.

Table 1. Descriptive statistics.

Oral interview test

Valid 30
N
Missing 0
Mean 22.6000
Median 22.00
Mode 22.00
Std. Deviation 1.94049
Variance 3.766
Oral interview
Skewness -0.55
test
Std. Error of Skewness 0.43
Normality Test for Skewness -1.28
Kurtosis -0.80
Std. Error of Kurtosis 0.83
Normality Test for Kurtosis -0.96 Oral interview
Minimum 15
Maximum 25 Figure 1. Oral interview test.

Valid 30
N calculated as 0.56 based on Kr-21 method which is an acceptable
Missing 0
reliability index. Rating scale from the known source for the purpose
Mean 41.7333 of assessing students’ oral proficiency skill was also used. The oral
Median 43.00 interview was tape recorded during each individual administration of
Mode 43.00 the test.

Std. Deviation 6.64848

Variance 44.202 Procedure
Nelson test Skewness -0.75
Std. Error of Skewness 0.43 As mentioned earlier, the purpose of this study was to find out the
relationship between speaking and general proficiency of Iranian
Normality Test for Skewness -1.75 students. So, in order to achieve this goal, a placement test of
Kurtosis -0.61 Nelson Test was first administered to the participating students, so
Std. Error of Kurtosis 0.83 as to decide their overall English language proficiency. The
subtests included reading comprehension, grammar and written
Normality Test for Kurtosis -0.73 expressions, and vocabulary. To test the speaking ability of the
Minimum 29 subjects, it was also arranged an interview. The grading criteria for
Maximum 50 assessing the interview were pronunciation, vocabulary, and
fluency, to all of which equal points were assigned. After
administrating the placement test and conducting the interview, the
results of different parts of the test and the interview were used as
they were assured that the information collected would have a an indicator of each student’s estimated English language
decisive effect in their semester final scoring. proficiency and speaking score respectively. Then the coefficient of
correlation between two sets of scores was calculated.
Instruments

The data collection instruments employed in the present study

included the following: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

1. A language proficiency test (PET) to homogenize the prospective The data collection tools comprising the Nelson test, and
students for the study. The PET employed in the study was a oral interview test were administered to the participants
standard one released by Cambridge University Exam Center and
was accounted as a standard test (Appendix A).
and the results were inputted to some statistical
2. A standardized 300 D test of Nelson English tests was procedures to arrive at answer to the research question.
administered to the participants, so as to decide their overall The descriptive statistics of the administered tests are
English language proficiency (Appendix B). The subtests included tabulated in Table 1.
reading comprehension, grammar and written expressions, and Figures 1 and 2 displays the distribution of the scores
vocabulary (See Appendix B). on the oral interview and Nelson tests. As the indices of
3. An oral interview test in which the interviewees were asked to
answer, in 15 to 20 min, some general and personal questions, for normality indicate (Table 1), none of the figures show
example, about their homes, families, jobs, studies, interests, and a severe departures from a normal distribution.
range of similar topic areas. The reliability of this speaking test was Having collected the data pertaining to the participants'
 Aghdam and Farahani 139

Table 2. Correlation coefficient between Oral interview test result and Nelson test score.

Test Oral interview test Nelson test

Pearson Correlation 1 0.950**
OIT Sig. (2-tailed) 0.0 0.000
N 30 30

Pearson Correlation 0.950** 1

Nelson test Sig. (2-tailed) 0.000 0.0
N 30 30
**Significant at 0.01 level.

correlation is considered as positive or direct correlation.

In case speaking ability is a true indicator of general
language proficiency, then there may be little room for
language institutes to assess learners on other language
skills. English private institutes might employ the results
of “speaking assessment” as a placement test, placing
students at appropriate language levels. This indication
may be helpful to the English Departments in redesigning
some parts of the present curriculum, emphasizing on the
speaking skill more than before. The material developers
also might employ the findings of the research to develop
tasks pertaining to enriching learners’ speaking ability.
This way the real needs and capabilities of the students
would be focused on within the framework of the second
Nelson language learning programs in advance. English teachers
Figure 2. Nelson test. can be benefitted from the findings of the present
research to design their lesson plan and process-based
syllabuses the way that they could cover the true needs
of the learners.
performance on the Nelson test, and the oral interview
test, the researcher used the Pearson Product-moment
formula to estimate the correlation coefficient between Answer to the research question
the obtained test scores. The result of correlational
analysis is reported in Table 2. A Pearson correlation is run to probe any significant
The value for the correlation between the oral interview relationship between the Oral Interview and the Nelson
and Nelson tests is r=0.95, significant at P<0.01. The test of the Iranian EFL students. The R-observed value is
correlation coefficient between scores on the oral 0.95 (P = 0.000 < 0.05). This amount of R-value is higher
interview test and scores on the Nelson test is positive, than the critical value of 0.38 at 28 degrees of freedom.
significant and strong (r=0.950; P<0.01). Therefore, Based on these results it can be concluded that there is a
considering these results it could be suggested that the significant relationship between the Oral Interview and
oral interview test could be used as an alternative to the the Nelson test of the Iranian EFL students. Thus the
Nelson test to indicate EFL students' general English null-hypothesis as there is no relationship between
proficiency. So, it is possible to make valid predictions of speaking and English language proficiency of the Iranian
EFL students' general English proficiency by using the EFL students is rejected.
oral interview test. The results of this study are both statistically significant
The following Scatter plot is obtained by plotting the and meaningful. Based on the criteria developed by
points that show the total students' scores on the oral Cohen (1988; Cited from Filed: 2005) a Pearson R-value
interview test and their scores on the Nelson test. It of 0.50 and above is considered as strong.
shows that the data of the study appear to be
approximated by a straight line. Thus, a linear Conclusion
relationship exists between the variables. In such a case,
the students' scores on the oral interview test tend to The present study aimed at investigating the possibility of
increase as the scores on the Nelson test increases. This using speaking test as a predictive tool of students’
140 Int. J. English Lit.

Thus, speaking can be used to make valid predictions of

the Iranian EFL students' general English proficiency.
This is in accordance with the results reported in a
number of previous studies and it could be claimed with
confidence that these two measures reveal an interesting
pattern of interrelationships, as can be seen in Figure 3.

REFERENCES

Bachman L (1990). Fundamental considerations in language testing.

Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Burns A, Joyce H (1997). Focus on Speaking. Sydney: National Centre
for English. Language Teaching and Research. Retrieved January
12, 2012, from education.arts.unsw.edu.au/staff/anne-burns-
1097.html
Chastain K (1988). Developing second-language skills: Theory to
Figure 3. Scatter plot: Nelson test with Oral Interview Test. practice (3rd ed.). Chicago: Rand McNally College Publishing
Positive relationship (r=0.95, p<0.01). Company. pp. 270-271.
Fulcher G (2003). Testing second language speaking. Great Britain:
Pearson Education Limited. pp. 152-154.
Hughes A (2003). Testing for language teachers. Cambridge:
general English proficiency in a desired placement test. Cambridge University Press.
The results of the present study show that the oral Knight B (1992). Assessing speaking skills: A workshop for teacher
interview test correlates positively and significantly with development. ELT. J. 46(3):294-302.
Nakamura Y (1997). Development of an English speaking test-
the Nelson test. The correlation coefficient between establishing validity through multi-trait multi-method (MTMM)
scores on the oral interview test and scores on the Analysis. Educ. Stud. 39:141-167.
Nelson test is positive, significant and strong (r=0.950;
P<0.01). Therefore, considering these results it could be
suggested that the oral interview test could be used as an
alternative to the Nelson test to indicate Iranian EFL
students' general English proficiency in placement test.
 Aghdam and Farahani 141

APPENDIXES

Appendix A: Standardized proficiency test of PET

Reading part 1

Look in the text in each question (1-5). What does it say?

Drivers: reduce speed now Lorries turning onto this road 400 m ahead.
Lorry drivers should slow down within the next 400 m
Drivers can avoid slow traffic by turning onto another road in 400 m
Drive more slowly as Lorries are joining the road 400 m ahead.

Only books already paid for can be taken into the bookshop café.
Do not read our books while you are eating in the café
Pay in the café for any books that you want to buy
Do not take books which you haven’t bought yet into the café

Weekend timetable: we apologize for delays to some trains, caused by essential engineering works.
This weekend, some trains
Will be canceled
Will take a different route
Will be late

Andrea went sightseeing in the city today after looking round the museum. Visited a wonderful castle on the way to the
beach yesterday. Back Friday.
Andrea went sightseeing after she went to the beach yesterday
Andrea visited the museum before she went sightseeing
Andrea went to the beach before she visited a castle

Kitchen product: tell us if our products ever fall below the quality you expect
We will inform you if our kitchen products take longer to deliver than expected
We are continuing to improve the quality of our kitchen products
We need to know if there is something wrong with our kitchen products

Reading part 2

The people (6-10) all want to spend their holidays camping in the UK. Decide which campsite would be the most suitable
for the following people.

Campsites in the UK – top choices

Valley camping: This campsite is in a peaceful location, within minute of a safe, sandy beach, and an hour from a pretty
market town. Inland, there are castles and churches to visit. Valley camping has a swimming pool and supermarket on
site.

Sea view Camping: Sea view has beaches. Caves and islands to explore a short distance away. There is a lake for
fishing and children can feed the ducks. The swimming pool has exciting waterslides and under 5 s can use the nursery
pool. Sea view has an ice cream café and juice bar on site.

Lake side Camping: This luxury campsite offers something for everyone.ans even has some fields for tents away from
the main site which are less busy .there are countryside views, pony rides and a soccer camp for children. The lake
offers canoe hire and water –skiing lessons, with a separate area for fishing an evening bus service goes to the nearby
town with its many bars and restaurants.
142 Int. J. English Lit.

The two fountains: this is an inexpensive riverside campsite a short walk from a busy ferry port. The town is lively during
the day with pavement café and souvenir shops however there are few cultural attraction and little choice of evening
entertainment.

Karl and Matthias are studying English at University. They want a cheap holiday swimming and sunbathing with some
nightlife they want to stay away from busy town.
a) Valley camping b) sea view camping c) Lake side d) the tow fountains

Carlos and Ana would like a relaxing holiday at a quiet campsite with beautiful scenery. They are both good swimmer,
and want to learn other water sports. They don’t want to cook for themselves every day.
a) Valley camping b) sea view camping c) Lake side d) the tow fountains

Mike and Jackie are interested in visiting historic buildings. Their nine years old son Steven likes looking after animals
and playing on the beach.
a) Valley camping b) sea view camping c) Lake side d) the tow fountains

Angela enjoys walking in the countryside. And wants to try climbing in a group. As she will be in the open air all day. She
needs to buy food to take with her.
a) Valley camping b) sea view camping c) Lake side d) the tow fountains

The DuPont family wants a seaside camping where their children aged five and eight, can join in organized activities,
while the parents go walking in the countryside.
a) Valley camping b) sea view camping c) Lake side d) the tow fountain

Reading part 3

Read the text about collection postcards. For the following sentences (11-20) check yes if the sentence is correct or no if
the sentence is incorrect.

Collecting picture postcards

It is thought to be second only to stamp collecting as a collector’s interest. And each year in August the biggest show of
its kind worldwide takes place in London. Collecting postcards is a growing market, with fans all around the world,
thousands of whom will be in England for this year’s picture postcard show. There will be exhibition of a wide range of
postcards and many will be on sale from the 120 UK and international traders who will also be there.
Postcard collecting is growing very fast says Harry Taylor , who collects postcards of ships and as chairman of the
Postcard Traders’ Association , has been one of the organizers of the London show for the last ten years. The price is
one of the reasons why collectors are attracted to Postcards.
Postcards that appeared between 1900 and 1918 are the ones that attract the most attention. At that time, the cost of
sending a letter or postcard was less than a penny. They emptied the boxes every hour in London and the post would
sometimes be delivered seven times a day. Says Paul Marshall, who works at Asquith’s Auctioneers, which holds three
postcard sales a year. Picture postcards, but it was no until the 1890s that they were accepted by the Post Office .in
1902 Mr., Marshall says, the rules were changed again, allowing both message and address to be put on the same
side. Before that, the message had to be written beside the picture.

Collection postcards are generally believed to be more popular than collecting stamps.
a) Yes b) No

Visitors will be able to buy postcards from 120 different traders at the picture postcard show.
a) Yes b) No

Harry Taylor has helped to run the picture postcard show for ten years.
a) Yes b) No

People choose to collect postcards partly because they are affordable.

a) Yes b) No
 Aghdam and Farahani 143

Collectors expect to pay a maximum of 30 $ for an unusual postcard.

a) Yes b) No

Collectors are particularly interested in postcards that were printed between 1900 and 1918.
a) Yes b) No

It was possible to receive mail 7 times a day in London between 1900 and 1918.
a) Yes b) No

Before 1902 the post office only accepted post cards with sender’s messages written next to the picture.
a) Yes b) No

Postcards of popular seaside towns that were printed the early 1900s are valuable.
a) Yes b) No

A card without a message is worth more than the same card with writing on it.
a) Yes b) No

Reading part 4: Read the text and answer the question

Breaking the ice Michael sharps visit an outdoor pool

It’s just before 7 am and I’m at an outdoor swimming pool in London, Where the temperature of the water is only 11
degrees above freezing. Amazingly, there are already 8 people swimming.
I had intended to discover, by taking a swim myself, why anyone would want to swim in such cold water. However, in the
end, I decided to ask people instead. Peter Smith has been a swimmer here for 3 years, coming every morning before
work. It’s wonderful on a cold winter morning. He says. ‘I thought it would make me healthier and I haven’t been ill once
since I started.’ They all feel fitter. However, not everyone agrees with them. Some doctors say it helps fight illness,
while others say it could be dangerous, especially for your heart.
I asked Peter what they did on the days when the pool was frozen. That’s easy he said. There’s a place in the middle
where the ice is thin and easy to break. You have to avoid the sides where the ice is thicker. I did try to swim there once
just to see what it was like, but I found that it was impossible to break through ice.
I would like to be able to say that I too dived happily into the water and swam a couple of 100 meters. But the truth fears
the worst; I walked very carefully into the pool, stood there almost in shock and then got out again after 30 seconds
before I become a block of ice.

What is trying to do in this text?

Explain why some people like swimming in the cold
Prove an idea ha has had about keeping fit.
Warn people not to go swimming in cold water.
Advise people on ways to stay healthy.

What can a reader find out from this text?

Where to go swimming in London
What happened to the writer at the pool?
How to keep warm in cold water
How often the writer goes swimming

What does Peter Smith say about his morning swim?

It has helped him recover from a recent illness
He enjoys it when the pool is covered in ice
It is the reason why he keeps well all year
He thinks it makes him work better

What did writer feel about swimming at the pool?

It was as cold as he expected
144 Int. J. English Lit.

He did not like the ice

It made him feel healthier
He enjoyed swimming up and down

What do you think the writer would say to his friend?

My doctor has advised me not to go swimming there.
It’s amazing how the pool stays clear of ice all winter,
I really enjoyed my early morning swim at the outdoor pool.
I was surprised at the number of people in the pool- they must be crazy.

Reading part 5: read the text and choose the correct word

Jacque Swift

Jacque swift has worked as journalist for newspapers, a music magazine and TV programmes. At the ……26……….,
she is writing for a music website ……27….. Started last month.I ………..28…... to write for the Internet because this is
where you find the very latest information about bands. I love the speed of the internet. I can write a piece in the morning
and see it ……29………. On the website in the afternoon. The same story won’t be in the newspapers……30………. the
next day. It may ……….31……. up to six weeks before you see it in some magazine. I am a ………….32…….. Of a
team. We have to work fast and mustn’t make any ………33………., so it can be stressful. But we all get along
……….34…… with each other. I find it really exciting to think that our work …..35…… read all round the world.

a) period b) time c) moment d) date

a) which b) what c) who d) when
a) thought b) persuaded c) imagined d) decided
a) show b) appear c) attend d) display
a) over b) during c) toward d) until
a) take b) last c) stay d) remain
a) worker b) colleague c) member d) person
a) faults b) mistakes c) accident d) failures
a) good b) strongly c) well d) happy
a) is b) will c) has d) does

Writing part 1: answer the question below write 35 -45 words in the text.

Dan, an American student who is staying with you, wants to go to the cinema tonight with you and your friends.
Write a not to leave for Dan in your not you should

Tell Dan which cinema you are going to

Say what film you plan to see
Suggest what time you will meet Dan

Writing part 2:

This is a part of letter you receive from some English friends. Write a letter answering your friend question
For our next holiday, we want to visit your country. Is it best time to spend our time in a city or in the countryside? Which
would you recommend and why?

Listening part: you will hear a young man called Toby Wood talking on the radio about what it’s like to work in the
kitchen of a famous chef

Toby says that working in Oliver Rix’s restaurant kitchen was

a) Very enjoyable b) too hard c) very amusing
 Aghdam and Farahani 145

What was one of the Toby’s problems in the kitchen?

a) He made too much noise b) he couldn’t find anything c) He prepared too many vegetables
What is important to Oliver about the biscuit?
a) Learning to cook them b) making them look good c) checking they taste nice
Oliver becomes angry when
a) The customers complain b) his cook throw food away c) Food isn’t ready on time
What do the kitchen staffs say about Oliver?
a) He should pay them more b) he is wrong to shout at them c) He teaches them many times
Oliver encourages his young cooks to
a) Continue working for him b) train with other chef c) Learn from each other

Listening part 3: you will hear someone talking to passengers on a boat from England to France. For each Q, fill in the
missing information in the numbered space.

Voyage from Portsmouth to St Malo

Time voyage takes ……….42………hours. Weather forecast ……..43………. in emergency, go to longue

……….44…….. Food: lunch and dinner in Ocean Grill……….45…… and drinks in Captain’s Café. At 3; 30 in children’s
play center, there’s a ………46……show. Buy stamps in…….47……….

Listening part 4: look at the 6 sentences for this part. You will hear a conversation between a girl, Charlotte, and her
father about what she’s going to study next year. Check yes or no answer

Charlotte wants to study Spanish because she thinks Spanish grammar is easy.
a) Yes b) No
Charlotte’s grandmother was born in England.
a) Yes b) No
Charlotte’s father is sorry he can’t speak Chinese.
a) Yes b) No
Charlotte’s father is keen on her study in China.
a) Yes b) No
Charlotte plans to go to China alone.
a) Yes b) No
Charlotte and her father agree that mother wants to visit China.
a) Yes b) No

Appendix B: Standardized 300 D test of Nelson English Tests

Choose the correct answer

My wife’s mother was taken ill two days ago so my wife had to go and look after her. Before...1... my wife said, “I had
better tell you where everything is or you ..2.. know what to do. But my train is leaving in half an hour’s time and I must
get to mother’s house as soon as I ..3…” “..4..,” I said. “ I can look after myself.”
Now I realize that I ..5.. for a map of the house. If I...6.., I would have found all the food I needed.
But when my wife ...7... back tomorrow, she won’t have any dirty dishes to wash up because I ..8.. in restaurants since
she went away.

a. she was leaving b. that she left c. leaving d. to leave

a. shan’t b. shouldn’t c. wouldn’t d. won’t
a. A can b. may c. could d. might
a. Not to mind b. Don’t worry c. Not to import d. Don’t matter
a. had to ask b. ought to ask c. must have asked d. should have asked
a. had b. have c. did d. would
a. comes b. come c. shall come d. will come
a. am eating b. eat c. have been eating d. ate
146 Int. J. English Lit.

Choose the correct answer

He’s ……….his sister.

a. much taller than b. much taller that c. much more tall than d. much more tall that
She had three sons, all…………became doctors.
a. of which b. which c. of whom d. who
You……..go now. It’s getting late.
a. had rather b. would rather c. would better d. had better
I am going to spend a few days with some …..of mine, who live in the north of Scotland.
a. relatives b. familiars c. neighbors d. companies
The …………outside the house said “No Parking”.
a. advice b. signal c. label d. notice
He has no…….. of winning.
a. occasion b. luck c. opportunity d. chance
Those people over there are speaking a language I don’t understand. They must be………
a. foreign b. Strange c. rare d. outlandish
I didn’t write it. That is not my……….on the cheque.
a. mark b. letter c. firm d. signature
The actors have to ……..before they appear in front of the strong lights on television.
a. cover up b. paint up c. make up d. do up
It’s a difficult problem but we must find the answer…………
a. by one way or other b. somehow or other c. anyhow or other d. anyway or other
I want ……….immediately.
a. that this work is made b. this work made c. that this work is done d. work done
He’s used to……….in public.
a. be speaking b. the speaking c. speaking d. speak
You can fly to London this evening ………you don’t mind changing planes in Paris.
a. provided b. except c. unless d. so far as
It’s ages………him.
a. that I don’t see b. that I didn’t see c. ago I saw d .since I saw
He made me ……….
a. angry b. be angry c. to be angry d. that I got angry
Do what you think is right, they say.
a. however b. whatever c. whichever d. for all
He arrived late, ………was annoying.
a. what b. that c. which d. the which
His job is……….yours.
a. the same that b. as c. alike d. similar to
He needs a ………
a. few days’ rest b. few days’ rest c. little days’ rest d. little days rest
Do you know……….the repairs?
a. to do b. how to do c. to make d. how to make
We usually have fine weather……… summer.
a. at b. on c. in d. while
My flat is………… the third floor of the building.
a. by b. at c. in d. on
They live ……… the other side of the road.
a. in b. on c. for d. by
He isn’t………..to reach the ceiling.
a. so tall b. as tall c. enough tall d .tall enough
They treated him……..a king when he won all that money.
a. as b. as being c. like d. like he was
I’ve told him several times but he ………..doesn’t understand.
a. yet b. already c. longer d. still
……….did you go in the car this morning?
a. How far b. How much far c. How long d. How much
 Aghdam and Farahani 147

He’d done that before,…………?

a wouldn’t he b. shouldn’t he c. hadn’t he d. didn’t he
………….of them understood him.
a. None b. No one c. Anyone d. Someone
It’s…………. mountain in the world.
a. the more high b. the higher c. the highest d. the most high
I am going to a concert tomorrow evening. So ……….
a. I am b. am I c. I will d. will I
That’s the firm………….
a. what we’ve been dealing with b. we’ve been dealing with c. we’ve been treating with
d. we’ve been treating with
She let the children…………to play.
a. going out b. that they went out c. to go out d. go out
It was ……….that he couldn’t finish it alone.
a. a so difficult work b. a so difficult job c. such a difficult job d. such a difficult work
I ………… photographs.
a. enjoy taking b. to take c. amuse taking d. amuse to take
I ……..me what happened.
a. would like you tell b. would like you to tell c. would like you telling
d. would like that you tell
45 …….. he wasn’t hungry, he ate a big meal.
a. Although b. In spite c. Unless d. Even

In this series of questions, three words have the same sound but one does not. Choose the one that does not

Example:
a. go b. so c. show d. do
a. cleared b. feared c. beard d. heard
a. shoes b. goes c. blows d. knows
a. wait b. state c. great d. heat
a. among b. wrong c. rung d. sung
a. broad b. load c. showed d. road

Appendix C: Questions for oral interview

Phase Question or Request

I. Warm-up Hello, How are you?
(2-4 minutes) What’s your name?
How do you spell that?
How has your day been today?

II. Level check 1. Where are you from? What town are you from?
(2-8 minutes) 2. How well can you speak English?
3. Why do you like speaking English?
4. Do you speak English outside the classroom? Where?
5. What are your strongest or weakest points in English?
6. Can you count up to twenty?
7. Could you spell your name for me?
8. Tell me a little about your family?
9. Can you tell me the time?
10. What were you doing at this same time yesterday?
11. What do you like about the English language?
12. What kind of strategies have you used to help you learn English?
13. What is your academic major or professional interest?
148 Int. J. English Lit.

14. What are your personal hobbies (or interests)?

15. Do you like reading?
16. What book are you reading?
17. Do you like it? Why?
18. What do you do in your free time?
19. Do you have a part time job?
20. What do you (want to) do?
21. Why do you want to learn English?
22. Have you ever been to the United States? Where?
23. What other countries have you visited?
24. What country would you like to visit next and why?
25. Please describe _____________ to me.
(Participant describes something that is familiar to them which he/she has provided in their
answers e.g. special person: an aunt, best friend or a place: your home, country, a pet or a
thing: house, car).

III. Probe 26. What are your goals for learning English?
(4-6 minutes) 27. Tell me three things you did yesterday?
28. Describe your academic field to me. What do you like and dislike about it?
29. Do you have any questions for me?
30. Ask me any questions about my family, job or interests.
31. If you could interview the governor of Tabriz what would you ask him?
32. What is your opinion about the global warming of earth?
33. Describe someone you greatly respect, and tell me why you respect that person?
34. If you were governor of Tabriz, what would you like to change?
35. Imagine you are writing an article about a topic in a magazine or newspaper (for
example, global warming, economics or effects of stress). Ask me some questions about it.

IV. Wind-down & closure Did you feel okay with this interview?
(1-2 minutes) What are your plans for the rest of your day?
Do you have any questions you wish to ask me?
It was very interesting speaking with you. Thank you for your
Participation.
Sources: Underhill (1987) Cambridge University Press; Brown (2004) Pearson Education, Inc.

Appendix D: SOT Oral Interview Rating Skill

Participant# ------------

Date-----------------------

Language skill criteria# 1: Pronunciation

Component descriptor
Intermediate
Frequent inaccurate (nonnative) 1 pronunciation.
Has inaccurate pronunciation that can cause speaker to be occasionally unintelligible. But in general the speaker
has the capability of being understood.
Easily and correctly responds simple, direct conversations on generally predictable
topics (daily, personal and academics).
4 Speaker has accent and intonation.
Sources: ACTFL Guidelines, Rubistar.com and Douglas (2004) Pearson Education.
 Aghdam and Farahani 149

1. Native‐like: Speech that resembles that of a highly articulate, well educated English speaker.
2. Intelligible: to correctly pronounce words; articulate or capable of being understood.

Participant# ------------

Date-----------------------

Language skill criteria# 2. Vocabulary

Component descriptor
Intermediate
Uses isolated words or sentence fragments; with some use or help of native language.
2 Creates language by combining learned elements such as words, phrases.
3 Has limited vocabulary that allows responding to simple, direct conversations on predictable topics (daily,
personal, social & academics).
4 Uses sufficient vocabulary to communicate in some social, academic and personal contexts.
Sources: ACTFL Guidelines, Rubistar.com and Douglas (2004) Pearson Education.

1. Native‐like: Speech that resembles that of a highly articulate, well educated English speaker.
2. Intelligible: to correctly pronounce words; articulate or capable of being understood.

Participant# ------------

Date-----------------------

Language skill criteria# 3: Fluency.

Component descriptor
Intermediate
1 Uses phrases or simple sentences with some use or help of native language.
2 Speaker needs help to understand interlocutor, get clarification or search for words or forms.
Can handle with confidence but not facility most social conversations, including introductions and casual
conversations. Sometimes unable to make a response.
3 Has limited fluency that allows responding to simple, direct conversations on generally predictable topics (daily,
personal, social & academics).
4 Speech is effortless and smooth, but perceptively non-native in speed and evenness.
Sources: ACTFL Guidelines, Rubistar.com and Douglas (2004) Pearson Education.

Appendix E. Weighting table

Language skill 1 2 3 4 (A)

Pronunciation 0 1 2 2
Vocabulary 4 8 12 16
Fluency 2 4 6 8
Total
(Adams and Frith, 1979: 35-38).