Pictures, maps and diagrams can be used in oral production tests in similar ways to

those described in the previous chapter on testing the listening skills. Pictures of single objects

can be used for testing the production of significant phoneme contrast, while a picture of a

scene or an incident can be used for examining the total oral skills. This section will

concentrate on the use of pictures for description and narration.

Another effective way of assessing a student’s ability to speak, however, is to give pairs

or groups of students a simple task to perform. Working in pairs students can describe their

won picture before listening to their partner’s