oral exam explanation

ORAL EXAMS

You will be divided into groups of three or four students. On the day your group is schedul-ed to present, you and your group members will be handed a set of magazine pictures at the beginning of class. You and your group members will then have exactly 10 minutes to put together a presentation based on these pictures. You will prepare your presentation in the classroom; those groups who are not presenting that day can work quietly at their desks during the 10 minutes. This presentation can be in the form of a skit, a narrative, a conversation, or any other oral-based model. At the end of 10 minutes, I will collect all sets of pictures -- this is done so that each group has exactly the same amount of time to pre-pare its presentation -- and, as each group comes to the front of the class to present, I will hand them their set of pictures. It is expected that each person in the group will give equal effort in the preparation of the pictures, and that each member will share equally in the oral presentation. The minimum length of the presentation is FIVE MINUTES. You will be graded individually on the first five criteria, and as a group on the last one:

1.	Fluency
2.	Vocabulary
3.	Structure
4.	Comprehensibility
5.	Creativity
6.	Time sharing

There will be a two minute period following your group's presentation in which it is expect-ed that your classmates will ask you questions based on your presentation. Up to a maxi-mum of five (5) points will be added to a student's ORAL EXAM I score for cogent questions asked of the presenters.

ORAL EXAM II :

You will give a 3 minute presentation (5 minute for SPAN 102 students) on a topic of your own choosing -- sort of a "show and tell" exercise. You will be responsible for the selection and preparation of the topic with which you feel most comfortable presenting to the class. Students have brought family pictures, boyfriends, dogs, geckos, children, rabbits, fish, championship rings, the mayor of Billings, Montana, husbands, roommates, guitars, and a whole bunch of other things to "talk about," so your subject is only limited by your imagina-tion!

Given that many of us are not consummate public speakers and that standing in front of a group of people isn't our idea of a great time, it is imperative that there exist an atmosphere of community and support in the classroom for each other. All students must be present on these two days, whether they're scheduled to present or not. You need to be there to ask questions...you need to be there to show support and respect for your classmates.

Personal Note:

	If I teach you nothing else this semester, it is my fervent hope that you have learned this: being a supportive member of our "classroom family" is not just a class require-ment, but it is the right thing to do!

	It has been said, "No man [or woman] is an island." Your lives will probably not be lived in solitude, somewhere on a mountain top, somewhere in Northern Canada. . . . You MUST learn how to live, work and succeed within the social dynamic of the greater society to which you belong. You do not 'magically' wake up some morning with this knowledge and skill. Yes, skill!

	Being respectful and supportive of other human beings does not come naturally to us human beings; it is just as much an acquired skill as winning at Nintendo games, shooting freethrows, casting your lure in the perfect spot, or any other endeavor that requires an investment of time, practice, patience, and persistence. . . .

	So, my requirement that you be respectful and supportive of your classmates, as they fulfill their classroom assignments, is teaching and training you to be successful in your life relationships: whether at work, at home, or in the thousands of interpersonal encounters that will challenge you throughout your lives.


So, having said that, you need to be aware of this:

	If you are absent on the day you and your group are assigned to present, you will automatically receive a grade of "0" for the exam.

	If you skip class on any of the days your classmates are doing their oral exam presentations, you will automatically receive a grade of "0" for the exam.

It is only natural that you might feel somewhat apprehensive or nervous about being in front of the class, but rest assured that each of us wants you to succeed and each of us is rootin' for you! I have been doing this assignment for the better part of 15 years in my SPAN 101-SPAN 102 classes, and it has always turned out to be a positive and worthwhile experience for the students. There is a little bit of actor and actress in all of us, and all my students have risen to the occasion and enjoyed themselves in spite of their fears. You'll do just fine! Trust me.

DEFINITIONS FOR SCALE INTERVALS

Fluency:

1	Speech halting and fragmentary; long, unnatural pauses, or utterances left unfinished
2	Speech very slow and uneven except for short or routine sentences
3	Speech frequently hesitant and jerky; sentences may be left uncompleted
4	Some definite stumbling, but manages to rephrase or continue
5	Speech generally natural and continuous; only slight stumbling or unnatural pauses
6	Speech natural and continuous; no unnatural pauses
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Vocabulary:

1-2	Lacks basic words; inadequate; inaccurate usage
3-4	Often lacks needed words; somewhat inaccurate usage
5-6	Occasionally lacks basic words; generally accurate usage
7-8	Rich and extensive vocabulary; very accurate usage
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Structure:

1	No utterances structurally correct
2	Very few utterances structurally correct
3	Some utterances rendered correctly, but major structural problems remain
4	Many correct utterances, buy with definite structural problems
5	Most utterances rendered correctly, with some minor structural errors
6	Utterances almost always correct
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Comprehensibility:

0-1	Almost entirely/entirely incomprehensible to native speaker of Spanish
2-3	Mostly incomprehensible; occasional phrases comprehensible
4-5	Many errors, about half incomprehensible
6-7	Many errors, but still mostly comprehensible
8-10	Almost entirely/entirely comprehensible to native speaker of Spanish; only an occasional word not comprehensible/no words incomprehensible
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Creativity:

1	Almost no/no creativity or originality; a virtual copy of another presentation, "textbook" language, lack of planning evident
2	Very little creativity shown; basic format similar to other presentations with some changes, little original language used, minimal planning evident (Skits: little use of props or costumes)
3	Some creativity and originality shown; different from any other presentation in format, some invention/creativity with language, appears to be the result of good planning (Skits: use of props and/or costumes)
4	Highly creative; unique in format, style and content, good use of customized language appropriate to the situation, appears to be the result of extensive planning (Skits: good use of props and costumes)
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Time sharing:

1-2	No or very little participation
3-4	Some participation
5-6	Total Participation
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ORAL EXAM GRADING SHEET

Name:_______________________		Name:_______________________
Fluency		Fluency
1 2 3 4 5 6		1 2 3 4 5 6
Vocabulary		Vocabulary
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Structure		Structure
1 2 3 4 5 6		1 2 3 4 5 6
Comprehensibility		Comprehensibility
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Creativity		Creativity
1 2 3 4		1 2 3 4
Time-sharing		Time-sharing
1 2 3 4 5 6		1 2 3 4 5 6



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