Study Guide

Field 080: Chinese (Mandarin) 
Sample Oral Expression Assignment

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The following materials contain:

General Test Directions

This test consists of five sections. Directions for each section appear immediately before the section.

Test Directions for the Oral Expression Assignment

[ start bold Note to examinee: end bold  These test directions are provided here to familiarize you with the directions you will see on the actual test. They may refer to features whose functionality is not enabled in this study guide. You will hear and see on the screen:]

For this section of the test, you will record a spoken response in the  start bold target language end bold  to an assignment presented on-screen.

At the conclusion of these directions, the test will automatically advance and the speaking assignment will be presented on the next screen. Listen to the directions carefully and review the assignment. You will have one minute to review the assignment and prepare your response. When your preparation time is over, you will be notified that your preparation time is complete and you should be ready to begin speaking. Watch the screen as the test advances and a Recorded Answer box is presented.  start bold You will have two minutes to record your response. end bold  Do  start uppercase NOT end uppercase  begin speaking until the screen advances and you see the Recorded Answer box presented on-screen. A sample of the Recorded Answer box appears below.

recorded answer box

Monitor your recording time by referring to the Recorded Answer box. The time in the Recorded Answer box will count down from 120 seconds (2 minutes) and the status bar will fill as your recording time progresses.

When your recording time is over, the current status on the Recorded Answer box will change to "Completed," indicating the conclusion of the speaking assignment. You will automatically be advanced to the next screen. Do not click the  start bold Next end bold  button unless you have finished recording your response with time remaining and wish to move to the next screen. If you advance to the next screen with recording time remaining, you will not be able to go back.

You will be provided with a list of suggestions to help direct your response. It is not necessary that you address every point on the list, nor are you limited to the points mentioned. However, what you say must be relevant to the situation with which you are presented, and part of your score will be based on the degree to which you elaborate on the topic by addressing either the suggested points or points of your choosing.

You may use the erasable notebooklet provided to make notes; however,  start bold you will be scored only on the response that is recorded in the test. end bold 

Your response to the oral expression assignment will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:

 start bold CONTENT: end bold   adequacy of the information presented, including the number of ideas, the development of ideas, and the depth and specificity of supporting details

 start bold COHERENCE: end bold   organization and clarity of ideas communicated

 start bold GRAMMAR: end bold   accuracy of grammatical and syntactic constructions

 start italics VOCABULARY: end italics   command of vocabulary and idiomatic expressions and appropriateness of word choice

 start italics FLUENCY: end italics   ability to maintain a flow of speech, without hesitation or pauses, which affect the overall comprehensibility of the response

 start italics PRONUNCIATION: end italics   comprehensibility of articulation and the correct use of tone

Be sure to speak about the assigned topic. You may not use any reference materials during the test.

You will have only  start bold and uppercase ONE end bold and uppercase  opportunity to record your response. Once the recording has begun, it cannot be stopped, nor can you re-record your response. Be sure that your microphone is in a downward position near your mouth before you begin speaking.

The screen will now advance and the speaking assignment will be presented.

[You will hear and see on the screen:]

 start italics Read the instructions below. You will have 1 minute to study these instructions and prepare your response, and then 2 minutes to record your final response. You will be told when the preparation time is over and the recording is about to begin. Begin studying the instructions and preparing your response now.  end italics 

[You will see the assignment on the screen, with 1 minute of dead air recorded. Then you will hear:]

"Your preparation time is now over. At the conclusion of these directions, the screen will automatically advance and recording will automatically begin. Begin speaking when you see the Recorded Answer box presented on the next screen. Prepare to begin speaking now."

[You will see on the screen:]

 start bold Begin to respond in Mandarin now. You may take up to 2 minutes to complete your response. end bold 

[You will see on the screen for 2 minutes: the assignment, the Recorded Answer box counting down, and the line of text below.]

 start bold  start uppercase DO NOT end uppercase  click the Next button unless you have finished recording your response. end bold 

Sample Oral Expression Assignment

Competency 0015–In response to a prompt, construct connected oral discourse in Chinese (Mandarin) that communicates a message effectively and that demonstrates command of a range of vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, time frames, cohesive devices, and simple and complex language structures. 

[ start bold Note to examinee: end bold  During the test, you will hear and see on-screen the directions below (for complete test directions to this assignment, see above):]

 start bold Read the instructions below. You will have 1 minute to study these instructions and prepare your response, and then 2 minutes to record your final response. You will be told when the preparation time is over and the recording is about to begin. Begin studying the instructions and preparing your response now. end bold 

Imagine that you have just met a teacher from a Mandarin-speaking area of China who is on a two-week visit to the area where you live. You wish to give her an orientation to the local area to help make her visit as enjoyable as possible. Speaking in Mandarin, provide her with information about the area that will help make her visit as enjoyable as possible. You may wish to include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

Strong Response Characteristics for the Oral Expression Assignment

An excellent response to the assignment would address the assigned topic and develop it by extensive elaboration of specific points. The response would be delivered in a consistently clear manner. The examinee would speak fluently, using a variety of sentences. The examinee's vocabulary would show mastery of a broad vocabulary including appropriate idiomatic expressions. The examinee would handle simple and complex linguistic constructions, avoiding errors that interfere with communication. The speaker would exhibit good to excellent pronunciation and intonation.

Performance Characteristics for the Oral Expression Assignment

The following characteristics guide the scoring of responses to the oral expression assignment.

Characteristics that guide the scoring of responses
CONTENT adequacy of the information presented, including the number of ideas, the development of ideas, and the depth and specificity of supporting details
COHERENCE organization and clarity of ideas communicated
GRAMMAR accuracy of grammatical and syntactic constructions
VOCABULARY command of vocabulary and idiomatic expressions and appropriateness of word choice
FLUENCY ability to maintain a flow of speech, without hesitation or pauses, which affect the overall comprehensibility of the response
PRONUNCIATION comprehensibility of articulation and the correct use of tone

Scoring Scale for the Oral Expression Assignment

Scores will be assigned to each response to the oral expression assignment according to the following scoring scale.

Score Scale with description for each score point.
Score Point Score Point Description
4  start bold The "4" response reflects a thorough application and strong command of the performance characteristics for the speaking assignment. end bold 
  • The candidate's ideas are well developed and elaborated.
  • The candidate's ideas are logically sequenced, well connected, and consistently clear.
  • The response shows a comprehensive command of syntax and grammar, containing only minor errors that do not interfere with the comprehensibility of ideas.
  • The candidate demonstrates extensive command of appropriate vocabulary and idiomatic expressions.
  • The candidate maintains a strong flow of speech with few, if any, hesitations or pauses.
  • The candidate's pronunciation is easily intelligible with few, if any, errors.
3  start bold The "3" response reflects a general application and command of the performance characteristics for the speaking assignment. end bold 
  • The candidate's ideas are generally developed, with some elaboration.
  • The candidate's ideas are organized and are generally clear.
  • The response shows good command of syntax and grammar, though some errors may cause minor interruptions in the comprehensibility of ideas.
  • The candidate demonstrates a good command of generally appropriate vocabulary and idiomatic expressions.
  • The candidate generally maintains a steady flow of speech with only occasional hesitations and pauses.
  • The candidate's pronunciation is generally intelligible with only minor errors.
2  start bold The "2" response reflects a partial application and limited command of the performance characteristics for the speaking assignment.  end bold 
  • The candidate's ideas show limited development and elaboration.
  • The candidate's ideas are only partially organized and are at times unclear.
  • The response shows a limited command of syntax and grammar, containing frequent errors that partially impede the comprehensibility of ideas.
  • The candidate demonstrates a limited range of expression, using very simple vocabulary and lacking some key words and phrases.
  • The candidate does not maintain a consistent flow of speech, with frequent hesitations and pauses.
  • The candidate's pronunciation contains several errors and is occasionally difficult to understand.
1  start bold The "1" response reflects a weak application and little or no command of the performance characteristics for the speaking assignment.  end bold 
  • The candidate's response provides few, if any, comprehensible ideas, with minimal development.
  • The candidate's ideas are not organized and are largely unclear.
  • The response shows little command of basic elements of grammar or syntax, containing numerous and frequent errors that make ideas incomprehensible.
  • The candidate demonstrates little knowledge of vocabulary beyond the most common words and may misuse and misform numerous words and expressions.
  • The candidate does not maintain any flow of speech, with frequent hesitations and pauses that interrupt comprehensibility.
  • The candidate's pronunciation contains numerous errors and is at times unintelligible.
U  start bold The response is unrelated to the assigned topic, inaudible/incomprehensible, not spoken in the required language, not of sufficient length to score, or merely a repetition of the assignment. end bold 
B  start bold There is no response to the assignment. end bold