The Development of the Japanese Speaking Test and the Preliminary Japanese Speaking Test

This article discusses the development and validation of two different levels of simulated oral proficiency interviews (SOPIs) in Japanese. A SOPI is a semidirect test of oral proficiency that relies on a tape and test booklet in place of a live interviewer to test oral proficiency in a language. The Japaneses Speaking Test (JST) follows the model of earlier SOPIs, while the Preliminary Japanese Speaking Test (Pre-JST) employs a new version of the SOPI format, adapted for lower-level learners of Japanese. The new items for the Pre-JST were modelled according to the ACTFL guidelines. Following piloting and field-testing, it was discovered that the JST and Pre-JST are adequate measures of students’ oral proficiency in Japanese.