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{
    "pk": 6823,
    "title": "Oral Skills Testing: A Rhetorical Task Approach",
    "subtitle": null,
    "abstract": "This paper discusses the development, implementation, and evaluation of a semi-direct test of oral proficiency: the Rhetorical Task Examination (RTE). Many of the commonly used speaking instruments assess oral proficiency in terms of either discrete linguistic components-fluency, grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary-or in terms of a single, global ability rating. The RTE proposes a compromise approach to rating oral skills by having two scales: one which ascertains the functional ability to accomplish a variety of rhetorical tasks, the other to address the linguistic competence (Canale & Swain, 1980) displayed in the performance. On audiotape in a language laboratory setting, 52 students representing three levels of a university ESL program performed six tasks related to the rhetorical modes covered in their coursework: short questions and answers, description, narration, process (giving directions), opinion, and comparison- contrast. The construction and justification of both the instrument and the rating scales are explained; data obtained from administering the RTE across classes as well as before and after instruction are presented; and the relevant measurement characteristics of the test are discussed. Results of this study indicate that the Rhetorical Task Examination is promising as a measure of oral proficiency in terms of practicality, reliability, and validity.",
    "language": "en",
    "license": null,
    "keywords": [
        {
            "word": "Applied Linguistics"
        }
    ],
    "section": "Articles",
    "is_remote": true,
    "remote_url": "https://escholarship.org/uc/item/77h2z2xh",
    "frozenauthors": [
        {
            "first_name": "Anne",
            "middle_name": "",
            "last_name": "Lazaraton",
            "name_suffix": "",
            "institution": "University of California, Los Angeles",
            "department": "None"
        },
        {
            "first_name": "Heidi",
            "middle_name": "",
            "last_name": "Riggenbach",
            "name_suffix": "",
            "institution": "University of Washington, Seattle",
            "department": "None"
        }
    ],
    "date_submitted": "2011-02-12T08:00:00Z",
    "date_accepted": "2011-02-12T08:00:00Z",
    "date_published": "1990-12-30T08:00:00Z",
    "render_galley": null,
    "galleys": [
        {
            "label": "",
            "type": "pdf",
            "path": "https://journalpub.escholarship.org/ial/article/6823/galley/3922/download/"
        }
    ]
}