This article will provide the reader with information on how to do an English speaking test. You may want to carry out a speaking (aural) test if you are teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) or even if you are teaching English to native speakers.

Speaking is an important part of any language, this is no different for English. Most people communicate with speaking and being able to speak English in a way that the listener can understand is very important to any student or person learning English either as a second language or as a first (native) language. Indeed, speaking is a core skill of learning the English language.

The first thing to remember is that you need a topic. It is generally a good idea to set a topic so that you can apply the same marking criteria to each student. If you give the students a 'free' topic, you have the risk that they do not speak about anything that is interesting or has any substance. For example, in one test, the student spoke about their best friend. They had not prepared for the test and the topic and length of speaking showed this.

Secondly, the student who is taking the English speaking test, must speak for a sufficient length of time for the teacher to be able to provide an accurate score for the student. If the test is too short, the teacher cannot effectively assess the student, if the speaking is too long, you may not have enough time to complete all the required tests for all the students in the class.

Thirdly, before you do the English speaking test, give you students some advice before hand. Tell them what grammar, vocabulary and topic that you want them to talk about. And use this as a criteria to assess the English speaking test. Give an example to your students, do a quick talk about the subject you have given the students. Give the students some ideas of what to talk about and where they can get more information. Always do the test about something that you have taught them already!

Finally, an important part of the English speaking test is that you mark each student with the same criteria. Set this out clearly before you start. If for example you are marking with a score out of 20, award a set number of points for each criteria. For example, 5 for pronunciation, 5 for grammar, 5 for vocabulary and 5 for the content of the speaking. It is important that the criteria is the same for each student so that their final mark for the English speaking test reflects their actual English speaking skills.

To conclude, you can carry out a test about anything. For example, a presentation on the environment or a job interview. As a teacher, you must be fair to all students and not grade according to how much you like or dislike the student, each student must have their English speaking test scored against the same criteria.

Remember that different students react different under stress or nerves and speaking in front of a large number of people can hinder the student. Some students revel in speaking in front of others, some do not. Think about doing different types of tests over the duration of the course, for example, you might want to do a presentation in front of the whole class, or assess the students conversational skills in a one to one environment. However, you complete you English speaking test, always ensure that it is fair and that each student fully understand what is required of them before they take the English speaking test.