2023
Keynote Speech
Fumiyo Nakatsuhara
Transforming English educational systems: Speaking assessments in educational contexts
The introduction of speaking assessments in educational contexts can be controversial, despite the consensus among educators that assessing all four skills is essential for reforming English education systems. Japan is no exception. It recently faced deferral and cancellation in implementing a new university admission examination system, in which four-skill private-sector English examinations were to be used to supplement or replace the National Center Test for University Admissions English component, which did not include product skills. The Tokyo metropolitan government's initiative of introducing a new speaking test for all 3rd year junior high school students further exemplifies how such innovations can elicit strong reactions from critics, potentially hindering innovative policies. This talk discusses the testing of spoken skills in Japanese and other EFL countries’ educational settings and explores their potential contribution to the reform of English education.
Fumiyo Nakatsuhara is Professor of Language Assessment and Deputy Director of the Centre for Research in English Language Learning and Assessment (CRELLA) at the University of Bedfordshire, UK. Her research interests include the nature of co-constructed interaction and spoken production in various speaking test formats and delivery modes, the impact of test-taker characteristics on test performance, task design, rating scale development, and the relationship between listening and speaking skills. She has led a number of international testing projects, working with ministries, universities and examination boards.