Factors Affecting the Oral Communication Assessment in ESL Students Essay

Factors Affecting the Oral Communication Assessment in ESL Students - Essay Example However, there are several issues that are thrown against the ways in which the English language are taught. Perhaps one of the most significant issue that concerns the study of the English language among these students are the ways in which oral communication is taught as distinct from the written communication. Moreover, these two major forms of communication have significant uses in which they are utilized appropriately. The oral communication which involves the speaking ability of the person is utilized most of the time as he or she is required to speak upon personal interaction with various people. One is expected to exhibit proficiency in the oral communication such that it is one of the most common forms of interaction. The inability to showcase good speaking skills creates an impression of incompetence. On the other hand, the written form of communication is yet another major form, however, not as often used as the oral form. Mostly utilized in academic and creative aspects of communication, it is considered that the written form of communication is the ones that focus more on the technical aspect of the English language because there is enough room to evaluate the language's technical aspects such as grammar and sentence construction. Oral commThe Oral Communication and its Proficiency Test Oral communication is observed to be the most and the widely used form of communication, thus lies the need to help student in this area is considered to be greater than in the written form. In one's daily undertakings, he communicates more orally then in the written form. Therefore, the use of the English language in oral communication must be given as much attention that is necessary especially among English as a second language (ESL) learners. Being able to communicate proficiently in using the English language had become a measure of an ESL student's communicative competence. As the dominant form of communication in one's daily interaction, oral communication - in the form of conversation - a person is able to demonstrate his skill and ability to participate actively and appropriately in group discussions. This communication skill is what second language learners would need to achieve, not alone for competitiveness in the job market, but for self-confidence as well. (Kormos, 1999) Competency in participating actively and appropriately in a group discussion encourages various rooms for improving ones oral communication skills. When a second language learner is able to take part in a group discussion, he is provided with an overwhelming opportunity to show his skills in a conversation. According to Kormos (1999), conversational competence is illustrated in oral communication into the various situations. If a person is able to "perform openings, re-openings, closings and pre-closings, establish and change topics, hold and yield the floor, backchannel, interrupt and to collaborate, as well as recognize and produce adjacency pair," therefore he has mastered the art of conversation. When a second language learner is able to perform these factors that are deemed important in a conversation, he is then able to exhibit competency in oral communication. (Kormos, 1999) On the other hand, Annie Brown (2003) made a contrasting