Motivation and Learner Training Through Oral Quizzing

Joshua Kurzweil
kjosheka [at] yahoo.com
Kansai University (Osaka, Japan)
The oral quiz is an easily implemented style of communicative testing, designed to create positive washback,
both in learner motivation and habits.

What is the Oral Quiz?

The oral quiz is a revamping of the traditional practice of calling on students to give
short responses to factual questions. The critical factor in doing the oral quiz is to
create different types of questions that the students are aware of before the test. I
usually introduce each quiz type as a practice activity during class that is performed in
pairs. Later, after the students have practiced and know exactly what is expected of
them, I inform them that a quiz will occur the following week.
In this testing style students answer in real-time. This can be done either by calling on
individuals or by having all students write their answers. This type of testing forces
students to listen carefully and to respond quickly as they must do in authentic
conversations. Traditional written tests give students much more time to think before
answering and allow students to utilize reading and test-taking skills. Those skills are
important if, for example, your students need to prepare for a standardized test like the
TOEFL, however, if the class objective goal is to improve students conversational ability,
it makes sense to test them in ways which require conversational skills such as
listening, para-linguistics, clarification, and quick thinking.
Here are some examples of typical exchanges in class:
Quiz A: Actions and Past Tense (What did I do?)
Teacher: (Gestures) What did I do?
Student: You raised your hand.
Teacher: Good!
Quiz B: Actions and Conversational Skills (Please...)
Teacher: Please use a rejoinder and ask me a follow up question. I went out to eat last
night
Student: Oh yeah? Where did you go?
Teacher: I went to the Hard Rock Cafe. Good question!
Teacher: (Please respond.) How's it going?
Student: Pretty good. How about you?
Teacher: Good. Thanks. (Remember to make eye contact)
Quiz C: Questions (Listen to the answer and tell me the question.)
Teacher: The answer is twice a week. Tell me the question.
Student 1: Sorry I don't know.

Teacher: No problem. Okay, same question.

Student 2: How often do you ... ?
Teacher: Right!
Teacher: (Travel questions) It's really exciting. There are lots of shops and cafes around.
Student: What's the area like?
Teacher: Good! (Remember to put the stress on "What's" and "area.")
Quiz D: Grammar Patterns (Listen to the key words and make a sentence.)
Teacher: (Make an opinion.) Being active...important.
Student: I think being active is important.
Teacher: Perfect!
Quiz E: Vocabulary (Listen to the meaning and tell me the word.)
Teacher: This is something that happens to you. It means you don't know where you
are.
Student: Sorry. Could you say that again?
Teacher: Sure. I said, this is something...
Student: Do you mean get lost?
Teacher: Yeah, that's it!
Quiz F: Vocabulary (Use the word in a sentence.)
Teacher: Scared.
Student: I scared of ghosts.
Teacher: That's close. There's a small mistake.
Student: I am scared of ghosts.
Teacher: Great!!

Why do the Oral Quiz?

Creating a Positive Washback
As mentioned earlier, students are aware of the question style of the quiz before they
are tested. Each lesson I introduce and practice some of the quiz types as part of the
class and then test them in the same way that they have been practicing. The students
do not know the exact content of the quiz but they do know the type of question. By
introducing the quiz types in this way, my hope is to create a positive washback in the
class. Since the students know exactly how and what to study, it is easier for them to
review the material in a productive way. I often give them time in class to review and let
them decide with their partners what areas they need to focus on. This kind of freedom
fosters autonomy in students and gives them responsibility for their own learning. As a
teacher, I am not trying to trick them with my test but rather set the standard so that they
know how to succeed.

Creating Good Habits

In addition, through these quizzes, I can implement aspects of learner training to instill
positive habits that mirror the actions of good language learners. For example, in Quiz B
students need to listen carefully to an utterance so they can ask a follow-up question
just as they would in a real conversation. Likewise, in Quiz F, students learn that they
need to be able to use a word in a sentence and not just translate it into L1. Additionally,
when students do not know an answer they can say "Sorry, I don't know" and still
receive get 60% for the question. This simple point teaches students that they need to
respond when spoken to and that silence conveys a certain level of rudeness in many
English speaking cultures. This socio-pragmatic issue is often difficult to convey,
however the oral quiz addresses this problem through clear modeling and
comprehensible results of students actions. At the same time, students see through the
grading system that it is better to try, make a mistake, and learn from than to opt out. In
this way, I hope to validate risk-taking as students try to communicate their ideas.
In brief, the oral quiz requires students to define, explain, ask questions, give examples,
and answer questions in ways similar to what they may encounter when speaking and
listening to English in the real world. Aside from replicating authentic conversations and
having a clear purpose to the students, the quiz questions actually train students in
positive conversational habits. The questions are flexible and I expect that other
teachers will be able to expand on the basic types presented here and adapt this
approach to target their course objectives. Another important benefit of creating the quiz
types and allowing students to know the general content in advance - is to bridge the
gap between what I want my students to be able to do and what they think they need to
do to succeed in the class.

Motivation
Students are fully aware of the quiz content. There is no mystery and no hidden tricks.
This means that the responsibility is placed on the students to be ready for the quiz and
to review. I generally start the class with some warm up activity or free conversation and
then do the quiz. Active review through quiz style questions between students makes
students more ready to use the language as opposed to just having a passive
understanding of it. Students often reveal to me in their course evaluations that they
realized how much they learned, and that they would not have studied regularly without
the quiz.

Adapting to Different Learning Paces

I have found that the constant review of class material over the course of the semester
allows students the time to learn things that they might have otherwise given up on. I
have often seen students during review time having "ah hah" experiences with each
other over material we had covered weeks before. As an educator, this was a very
important lesson that exemplified how people learn when they are truly ready to learn.

Ongoing Assessment
The quiz is also a way to quickly gauge student progress or lack of - and it gives both
teacher and student some very necessary instant feedback. The teacher can take notes
during in-class pair work review time and the actual quiz can provide a warning for any
problematic areas. At this point, some of these trouble spots can be recycled into future
lessons or as a quiz by itself. As an assessment measurement, the oral quiz often
serves to raise student interest in a weak point and has the empowerment factor to let
students work on their speaking skills as the semester continues.

Grading Students
When I first introduce the quiz, I write the following scale on the board.
90 - 100% = Perfect
(Students give quick communicative answer with little or no errors in pronunciation or
grammar.)
70 -89% = Small mistake(s) (Close!)
(Understandable, but with some small errors in pronunciation or grammar.)
61 -69% = Big mistake(s) (Nice try!)
(Way off but made the attempt trying based on what he/she thought was correct. )
60% "Sorry, I don't know.
0% = If you say nothing
(I give students five seconds to say something.)
Obviously, each teacher will need to adjust the scale according to his/her own situation
and beliefs; however, I encourage teachers to share their criteria with their students.
Part of the power of this style of testing is that students actually become able to grade
each other, which they begin to naturally do during review sessions.

Procedural Considerations
I usually make a point of mixing in quiz questions from the entire semester and not just
the last lesson. When students ask me about the content of the day's quiz, I simply reply
... everything. This approach forces students to continually review and aids in long-term
memory. Although the oral quiz is an integral part of their learning, it is important that it
not take up too much time. If it is too long, it takes time away from the lesson and it risks
becoming a boring exercise for the students.
Following the quiz, I usually give students time to review in class with a partner. During

this time students should be actively testing each other with one student taking the role
of the teacher and the other taking the role of the student. This provides me an
opportunity to monitor and help individual students as they peer teach each other. In this
way, students are also receiving training in how to study. The actual quiz questions offer
many more possibilities for review than simple translation which unfortunately is what
students often revert to when reviewing.
When calling on students during the quiz, I always say the question first, let it linger for
a moment, and then call out a student's name. In this way, I try to encourage all of the
students to answer all of the questions. Students also need to listen to each other's
answers because if one student makes a mistake, I will ask the same question to
another student. The teacher can also offer questions and have students volunteer
answers. The latter is especially useful for creating or encouraging a sense of
enthusiasm among the students in a game-like atmosphere.
The oral quiz can be done with large groups of students provided that the teacher
knows their names or has a good seating chart. I use a sheet with their names and
pictures on it. It usually takes only 15 30 seconds for each student, which means that
the teacher can quiz ten to fifteen students very quickly. There is no grading at home
since the teacher marks the score upon hearing the student response. Students get
immediate feedback on their response, which exploits the learning opportunity. This
opportunity is so often missed in testing, since students often lose interest when they
don't get feedback right away.
Another option is to have students write their answers to a set of questions you ask.
When I do this I usually have students exchange papers and do peer correction. This
option is a big time saver for the teacher and helps students learn the material more
thoroughly. In this case, the scale I use is as follows:
Each answer is worth 3 points.
3 points: perfect!
2 points: some small mistake(s), but the meaning is clear.
1 point: a big mistake. Nice try, but the meaning is not clear (or is wrong).
1/2 point: "Sorry, I don't know."

Some Extra Tips for Making the Quiz Go Smoothly

Prepare quiz questions in advance. With some practice, the teacher will
become quite adept at making quiz questions on the spot just looking at what the
class has studied, however it's crucial that the questions come in rapid succession,
otherwise the students can get bored or distracted.
Speak naturally. It's okay to speak slowly, but use normal intonation, stress and
connected speech patterns. It forces students to get used to spoken English and to
use all their L2 coping strategies.

Try to set up a playful game-like atmosphere. If a student does not answer

correctly or says he/she does not know, just move on without any kind of judgment
or facial reaction. Do not condemn students' performance verbally or otherwise. For
similar reasons, do not pressure students to answer if they have said they do not
know. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule (such as when you heard the
student answer the same thing during review time), but in general I have found that
"Sorry, I don't know, is the escape route for students and that THEY are the ones
who need to decide when that should happen.
Offer bonus questions. This can be useful especially if a student has given an
incorrect or incomplete answer. Offer the same question as a bonus. The morale of
the class changes dramatically if the teacher is always the one who gives the right
answer as opposed to another student.
Give examples of quiz questions when possible, especially when changing
question types. If a student does not understand the question type, it is usually
very difficult to explain it to them once you have asked the question. If
communication really breaks down, be ready to say, "I'm sorry, bad question. I will
come back to you later.

Conclusion
I have often heard the line: "It is the students who must do the learning." I believe this
speaks to the fact that no matter how well we as teachers set up engaging activities it is
the students who must actively make efforts to study, remember and use the new
language and skills. I believe the oral quiz helps teachers support students in that
endeavor by guiding them toward clear goals and positive learning habits.
The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. IX, No. 8, August 2003
http://iteslj.org/
http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Kurzweil-OralQuizzing.html

A Method for Oral Testing in University English

Programs at Korean Universities
David B. Kent
dbkent [at] mail.inha.ac.kr
http://konglish.terrashare.com
Inha University (Incheon. South Korea)
This article describes a method that EFL teachers can employ when conducting oral tests with their students.

Exam Objectives

Primary Objective: To assess the oral skill level of students in a pre-planned

communicative context, as well as testing listening comprehension through
question/answer based tasks.
Secondary Objective: To allow students to expand their use of language, centered on a
theme of their own interest, and engage in oral communication on a familiar topic
covered by the class syllabus.

Exam Approach
Students sign up for the exam, in class, one week prior to the testing date. Students
should be allowed to select their own partner, and come in pairs to the exam. As a result
students will feel more comfortable, and relaxed, during the testing process.
The exam structure is "semi-free". Students should be informed that chapter headings
of the course syllabus provide the topics for the exam, and that they can discuss any
one area of relevance to each topic. Typical topics covered by course syllabuses may
include the following: around the community, eating, education and school life, friends
and family, the global village, health, homes, love and dating, nature, as well as work
and lifestyles. As example areas of relevance to school life, the instructor may provide
the following suggestions of topic areas: activities and membership of school clubs,
participation and impressions of the university festival, and comparison between high
school and university life. Students should then be tested for approximately 10 minutes
per pair.

Exam Method
Initially, students should engage in a prepared conversation for around 5 minutes. At
this point the examination criteria, see below, should be checked by the instructor at
relevant points of the students' conversation. As students had pre-planned their
conversations, they should be expected to exhibit a high degree of familiarity with the
topic material.
Secondly, after students have completed their paired conversation, the instructor should
ask several questions of each student. The points of evaluation for each student can
then be further completed or re-evaluated as necessary. At this phase of the test the
instructors approach should be based upon the selected topic of the student pair. For
example, if students elect to discuss a topic such as their hometown then the instructors
line of questioning may revolve around asking the students to persuade the instructor
that it is a good place for a few days holiday. This phase of testing should be planned to
take around 5 minutes.

Exam Critique
Overall, students should be able to complete a pre-planned conversation of the
appropriate length for the test conditions. Instructors may find that some pairs of Korean

students will read all of their pre-planned conversation, even though the evaluation is
not a reading test. As a disincentive for doing this, the instructor may inform students
that 50% of their exam score will be deducted if they read their prepared conversations.
As appropriate, instructor's may allow students to bring notes, or memory cards, along
with them to the test.
Further, familiarity with the topic material selected by students should allow them to
adequately respond to the questions asked by the instructor in the second phase of
testing. Even those students who never speak in class should be able to interact, to a
higher or lesser degree, with the instructor at an appropriate level for the line of
questioning.
The downside to this kind of testing in large class environments where an instructor has
more than 200 students, and up to 300 students to test, is that both students and
instructors feel rushed especially with only 10 minutes per exam. Therefore, times
should not be indicated on the exam sign-up sheet, only number order should be
provided. In this way, students know they can take as long as they need, as the next
pair will enter only after they complete the exam. This approach will see students
generally keep to the set 5 minutes for their prepared conversation, some going over
and some going under. The instructor can the control the line of questioning, to see the
pair finish up on schedule.

Exam Evaluation Criteria

Fluency of Speech
1

Poor

Below average

Average

Above average

Excellent

Grammar Use
1

Poor

Below average

Average

Above average

Excellent

Listening Comprehension
1

Poor

Below average

Average

Above average

Excellent

Pronunciation
1

Poor

Below average

Average

Above average

Excellent

Vocabulary Appropriateness and Complexity

1

Poor

Below average

Average

Above average

Excellent

TOTAL:
Comments:

Examination Criteria Explained

Evaluation should be conducted when students engage in their prepared conversations.
Revision of the instructor's evaluation can be conducted, if necessary, during the
question/answer phase of the exam. For each point of evaluation, students are graded
on a Likert-type scale (1 being poor, through to 5 being excellent). The comments
section of the exam evaluation sheet can be used to record points of feedback for each
student. For example, problematic points of pronunciation, or grammar mistakes
continuously employed by the student throughout the duration of the test.
Fluency of Speech: This point of evaluation should be based upon the smoothness of
speech, not speed, and take into account the normal use of hesitancy in conversation. If
students cease their conversation to giggle, or if they have memorized their
conversation and can not continue by relying upon their inherent communication skills
then this should reflect in a lower rating. Students who speak efficiently, and without
awkwardness, should in turn be granted a higher rating.
Grammar Use: It is unrealistic to expect that any Korean EFL student will come to an
exam and speak without any grammar problems; emphasis should therefore be placed
on being able to understand the students communicative intent even if grammar errors
are present in sentence structures. However, continual use of the same grammar errors
by a student, such as the use of simple past for all past tense terms, should reflect in a
lower rating. Alternatively, those students who are able to recognize that they had made
a grammar error, and correct it during conversation, should be provided a higher rating.
Listening Comprehension: This phase of evaluation is initially tested during the
prepared conversation section of the exam. As some students will not understand what
their partners are saying. In some cases, Korean students will remain silent and wait for
their partner to repeat their statement, and this should reflect in a lower rating. At other
times a student may ask for clarification, or ask their partner to repeat what they had
said, and this should reflect in a higher rating. Further more, this section of evaluation
should be applied in the question/answer tasks of the exam. Some students may not
understand the instructor's question, even after rewording, whereas other students will
understand the same question immediately.

Pronunciation: As native English speakers possess a high degree of tolerance to

ambiguity accent is not considered a viable point of exam evaluation, except where it
hinders communicative understanding in the case of radically influencing pronunciation.
In situations where continual mispronunciation occurs, or understanding is lost due to
incorrect pronunciation of terminology, students should be given a lower rating.
Alternatively, if students correct their mispronunciation, or recognize their
mispronunciation and attempt to correct it throughout the exam, then this should reflect
in a higher rating.
Vocabulary Appropriateness and Complexity: Depending on the student choice of
topic, certain terms or vocabulary items can be selected from the course materials and
incorporated within student conversational presentations. If students use higher level
vocabulary, and select terms taught from the textbook then they should receive a higher
rating. If students employ very simple vocabulary terms for a complex topic, such as
health, then this should reflect in a lower rating.

References

Brown, H. Douglas. (1994). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching. 3rd

Ed. USA: Prentice Hall, Inc.
Hubbard, P., Jones, H., Thornton, B., and Wheeler, R. (1996). A Training Course
for TEFL. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

The English Teacher

Oral Quiz
Oral quizzes serve a number of purposes. When students are not reading their reading
assignments, the teacher may give them written quizzes to motivate the class to do
their homework. Depending on the class, the students may not be motivated by low
grades to do their reading. If that is the case, sometimes an oral quiz will create the
motivation.
The quiz consists of three parts. In part one, the instructor calls upon students in some
pre-determined fashion such as alphabetically, reverse order, or working from the
middle of the class list to the beginning and the end, etc. Each student who is called
upon tells part of the narrative, in chronological order. That is, they have to know the
story sufficiently well to state what event comes next in the story. The teacher allows
each student only enough answer time to determine their familiarity with the story. [In
this way, each has a 'first' chance.] If the order of students is changed each time, the

class will not read just the first part of the story, or that section they may be called
upon to know.
When they have all been called upon the 'first time,' then anyone who knew enough to
answer in the first round can volunteer a detail from the story not mentioned in the first
round. [NOTE: If anyone can participate in the second round whether they knew the
story well or not, students will only scan the story for a few specific details.] In the
'second' round these details do not need to be in chronological order. The first who
answer may not be too challenged but eventually as details are 'used,' the oral quiz
becomes more challenging. No one should be allowed a third turn until all have had a
chance to answer in the second round.
Then when all students have had a second turn, a third round is started. Students who
successfully answered the second round, can volunteer an answer for the third round.
The third round usually tests everyone's memory and the students who can answer
those 'questions' feel satisfied with their work.
They receive a 'C' for a successful first round question, a 'B' for the second round, and
an 'A' for the third round. After you give the first quiz of this type some students may
feel that it was unfair since they didn't know what to study for, etc. Tell them the first
quiz was mainly practice, but you will be doing it again and now they know how the
procedure works.
There are two factors to consider when giving this type of quiz. First, it does work
better than written ones because the whole class knows who has studied and those
students who haven't, and many don't want everyone to know that they haven't studied
day after day. Also those who complain about the teachers' unfairness or bias for their
low grades don't have that excuse because everyone can see for themselves how
prepared the 'complainer' is. The second factor is that the teacher has to know the story
very well to conduct this type of quiz. The teacher can not go to the book or notes to
check details that students are expected to know without them.
In summary then, this oral quiz works quite well in motivating a class to read their
daily homework assignments.
http://teacher2b.com/strategies/oralquiz.htm