Papers by Zhanna Shatrova
This article discusses the format for the speaking exam developed for the School of Foreign Langu... more This article discusses the format for the speaking exam developed for the School of Foreign Languages at a Turkish university. The introduction and literature review provide the rationale and arguments for the suggested changes to an existing format. The areas for review and redesigning are: the structure of the exam, assessment rubric, exam questions, and supporting manual for assessors and interlocutors. Each area is considered from the standpoint of best practices in speaking skills assessment and the ways those practices should be utilized in a particular learning community. A detailed description of the procedures, logistics, and sample questions follows.
International Journal of English Language Education, 2016
Speaking skills come upfront in teaching English due to rapidly growing global demand for profess... more Speaking skills come upfront in teaching English due to rapidly growing global demand for professionals with adequate level of the language proficiency. New approaches to teaching speaking are needed to meet these demands. The article describes how Toastmasters meeting format was utilized in a speaking course for the students at a Turkish university. The project had a twofold objective: to incorporate the format to the speaking course and investigate the effect of such a classroom environment on students’ preparedness for speaking assessment and their speaking anxiety. The paper presents the rationale, timeline, and components of the class. Engagement of the participants in a meaningful project and speaking activities in a non-threatening atmosphere contributed to improving students’ oral communication skills and decreasing speaking anxiety. Such format is believed to be beneficial for university level students in their academic progression.
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Papers by Zhanna Shatrova