How to implement interactive speaking tests in junior and senior high school English classes: Insights from first-hand experiences

Although many English classes in Japan have taken on the communicative qualities, speaking tests have yet to become an integral part of the instructional routine at a junior and senior high school level. This paper provides a quick guide of how to create speaking tests to enable teachers to evaluate interactive performance. The key to the production of well-balanced tests for classroom assessment will be discussed with special emphasis on the treatment to lessen the vocabulary constraints. The discussion as to how to ensure validity, reliability, and practicality of the test follows with original speaking test sets.