Developing and Trialing the English Oral Test for Universities of Science and Technology in Tawian: Challenges and Future Tasks

科技大學英語口語測驗工具之發展與試行：未來挑戰與任務

台灣技職高等教育隨著國際化與職場需求，英語教育規劃逐漸著重培養口語溝通能力， 然而在英語口語能力評量卻缺乏可靠有效之評量工具以符合技職科技大學校內英語口語學習成就評量之需求。本文旨在闡述南台科大發展英語口語測驗工具以及試行過程。該測驗工具主要用在評量大一學生英語口語訓練課程之學習成果，並展現「測驗即學習」評量思維以及英語教育職場與口語溝通導向之變革趨勢。在口語測驗發展階段，口語能力學習目標依照三個能力面向先確立：（1）英語口說品質，（2）口語表達，（3）口語互動。 課堂口語學習任務則考量英語口語課程目標與學生能力高低，並仿照明尼蘇達語言能力評量方針設計。 另外也發展出包含五種能力構面以及四種能力等級之分析式英語口語能力評量表。該口語評量工具之先導研究過程包含三階段口試之預試，評分老師之評分標準討論與口語評量表之樣本校準。 口語測驗工具經過先導研究結果以及尋求遵循內容、試境、評分等測驗效度進行調整後於期中考進行試行測試。本文最後探討該口語測驗工具所可能帶來之影響層面以及未來口語測驗之挑戰與發展任務。 另外，本文也針對未來在英語口語能力測驗工具發展之研究方向提出建議。

English curriculum in Taiwanese technological and vocational higher education is undergoing critical revamping to elevate students’ English proficiency in the context of academic and professional globalization. With the curriculum gearing toward employability, upgrading of the oral skill has strategically and pragmatically been gaining ascendancy relative to that of other skills. This paper explicated the development and trial running of the English oral achievement test for the first-year required oral training courses. During the development stage, the English speaking learning goals of the three ability groups were established in terms of the three oral ability dimensions: oral English quality, oral production, and oral interaction. The oral learning tasks were tailored for the students and course objectives, drawing on the performance-based assessment guidelines of Minnesota Language Proficiency Assessments. Also developed was an analytic assessment rubric for English oral ability incorporating five oral ability components and four performance levels. The test piloting was conducted to calibrate and adjust the oral rating scale and rehearse the 3-step test procedures. The panel meetings including all affected teacher raters were in session to finalize the oral rating scale and the trialing of the oral test procedures in the midterm exam. Three validity constructs were sought for, and deemed most relevant to, the developed domain-referenced oral test. Uses of the IEOT and limitations or challenges as well as future tasks were addressed, and suggestions for further test validation studies were also made.