Communicative language teaching is based on the notion that involving learners in interactive
tasks where meaningful dialogue and functional language is transferred will promote learning.
Curriculum development which includes assessment must integrate information skills
objectives and training to meet the challenges facing the students now and in the future. Many
teachers feel ill equipped to assess spoken language though they acknowledge the importance of
assessing their students' communicative competence. This book describes comprehensive research
undertaken to identify critical components of formative speaking tests investigates whether
diagnostic oral skills tests are available and leads to the development of a framework for
designing formative oral speaking tests which reflect previous teaching learning in the
classroom. Altogether 246 teachers trainers and language testing experts and 110 students
participated in the study.
