Résumé:
T he following work tackles the issue of the evaluation of speaking skills
in the module of Oral Expression (O.E) by teachers of English at the University
ofMostaganem, Abdelhamid Ibn Badis. More specifically, it seeks to examine how
teachers at the department of English proceed to assess their students, both
summatively and formatively with a view of improving EFL learners’ speaking
skills. This descriptive study uses triangulation to increase the validity of the
research. Data were gathered through self-completion questionnaires administered
to second-year LMD learners and to teachers of Oral Expression at the Department
of English; through weekly observation of two teachers and their students during
O.E classes and through semi-guided and informal interviews of teachers of Oral
Expression. The study casts an eye on the many different aspects affecting
evaluation, namely: the setting of objectives to the O.E course, the development of
a framework for the teaching and assessment of speaking skills, the design and use
of tasks that help reach the set objectives, the provision of effective and timely
feedback on students’ performance, the use of comprehensive assessment criteria
and checklists (grids, scales), etc. The results have shown that some learners whose
teachers make use of specific criteria and who introduce students to formative
techniques of assessments are able to focus on areas of improvement, thus,
confirming our hypotheses. On the other hand, results revealed that some other
teachers hold a traditional vision of assessment and are not aware of some
formative assessment practices. Also, the absence of clearly defined criteria and
rating scales/checklists for speaking assessment makes the results of tests unreliable
and does not help learners improve their oral proficiency. This study has certainly
its limitations, but its findings revealed interesting implications.
