‘Co-construction’ in the B2 and C1 KPG oral exams: a comparison of examiners as a factor involved in candidates’ performance

Abstract

Researchers who investigate oral testing invariably allude to the complexity of the procedure residing in the multitude of factors which influence its final outcome. One of these factors is the examiner who has been found to affect test takers’ performance through his/her role both as interlocutor and rater. There has also been a long discussion on the characteristics of this role in the so-called oral paired-exam in comparison to the oral proficiency interview. The present paper looks into two oral tests of the same examination battery, both of which are paired in that two candidates go into an examination room where there are two examiners. However, only in one of the two tests do the candidates engage in a paired activity. This article aspires to describe the differences between the two tests in terms of the ways in which the examiner is involved in the candidates’ language performance and discuss the implications of the findings for the two types of oral examination.

Keywords

• co-constructed performance
• examiner involvement
• categories of variation
• level of proficiency
• interlocutor