| This thesis investigates instructor and student perspectives on oral proficiency assessment in university foreign language courses. Given the various interpretations of oral proficiency, this study examines the different components of linguistic competence, four models of oral proficiency assessment, and seven standardized exams that measure oral proficiency. In order to investigate student and instructor perspectives, 135 students and seven instructors of intermediate-level French, German, and Spanish university courses were surveyed. The results indicate students from the three languages courses find that oral exams accurately measure their language level and they feel adequately prepared to take oral exams. Additionally, instructors and students find comprehensibility to be the most important skill for evaluating oral proficiency. The implications of this study are that the oral proficiency exams in university classrooms remain acceptable to students if they comply with the criteria for foreign language testing (Carroll, 1980) and the washback effect (Krashen & Terrell, 1983). |
