Difficulties in the use of the descriptors in the SFL evaluation of speaking

Abstract

The present study is part of an ongoing research project focused on the adoption of a scale for assessing speaking performance in a simple of native Italian students who are learning Spanish as a foreign language. Scoresheets were also used in order for examiners to take notes of candidates’ representative speech samples. This second tool contributed to the participants’ final speaking evaluation and to a greater transparency of the evaluation process. However, while making their notes, the raters do not always reflect accurately the scale’s descriptors, which can lead to reliability issues of the evaluation process.
In this paper a classification of these “scale’s descriptors modifications” is presented. Moreover, an attempt was made to introduce some improvements regarding the evaluation process and in particular the characteristics of the scale, the scoresheets and the raters’ training.