Accuracy and grammatical complexity in a foreign language oral proficiency interview

This paper forms part of a doctorate thesis which investigates differences in the production of candidates to an English oral language test. It contributes to the body of research on validity and descriptors in criterion-referenced language test scales. Eight students graduating from a Language and Literature course in a public university in the state of Sao Paulo participate in this study. Results point to quantitative and qualitative differences between the scale bands for accuracy, and mainly qualitative ones for grammatical complexity. The discussion posed in this article is topical and pertinent to the Language Testing field in Brazil, at the moment when experts have been debating the need for measures to assess teachers' competences - amongst which proficiency in the target language.

本论文为某博士学位论文的组成部分，该论文聚焦于英语口语考试考生口语产出的差异研究。本研究可为标准参照语言考试量表的效度及评分描述项相关研究领域补充新的学术成果。本研究共招募8名来自圣保罗州某公立大学语言与文学专业的应届毕业生作为受试对象。研究结果显示，准确性维度的各量表层级间兼具定量与定性双重差异，而语法复杂度维度的差异则主要体现为定性差异。本文所展开的讨论兼具时效性与针对性，契合当前巴西语言测试（Language Testing）领域的研究热点——当下学界正热议建立教师能力测评体系的必要性，而目标语言熟练程度正是该体系中的核心测评维度之一。