ABSTRACT
Evidently, the assessment of speaking and writing must relate to the particular purposes of the activities being used. Criteria and tasks for measuring comprehension through responses in the TL (see Activity 10.1) inevitably differ in emphasis to those designed to appraise standards in speaking and writing as discrete skills. To further complicate the issue, neither the terminology nor the emphasis used by Awarding Bodies is consistent. Aspects such as communication, pronunciation, accuracy, fluency, range (i.e. versatility of the speaker), appropriacy of register, spontaneity of TL use, quality of language or content (including cultural knowledge and awareness), etc. are afforded different weightings by Awarding Bodies. This is one of the reasons why modern foreign languages (mfl) teachers need to select subject specifications (formerly syllabuses) very carefully. For criteria for choosing subject specifications see Chapter 2.
