ORAL LANGUAGE EXAMINATIONS AND ROMANIAN EFL STUDENTS
ORAL LANGUAGE EXAMINATIONS AND ROMANIAN EFL STUDENTS

CASE STUDY. B2 FIRST FOR SCHOOLS – CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH QUALIFICATIONS

Summary/Abstract: Norman Fairclough’s belief is that discourses represent the world as it is perceived by the individuals, personalized according to their own life experience, social or cultural backgrounds. (Fairclough 2003, pp. 124-125). Discourse, one of the most powerful tools of the 21st century society, is the focal point of my investigation. Consequently, the element under investigation in my research is the discourse produced by Romanian students in two specific social contexts: that of Oral Language Examinations (OLE) and that of a Public Speaking Program (PSP) Ted-style talk to prove that the latter can positively influence the outcomes of the first. Towards that end, this research, even though in its initial stage, has as core focus the analysis of the language used by three groups of Romanian high school students (15-19 of age) while sitting Cambridge, IELTS, TOEFL and Baccalaureate OLE before and after attending a TED-style (PSP). As part of this ample investigation this article aims to establish through a discursive analysis whether the validity of one of the aforementioned OLEs - B2 First for schools or previous oral Cambridge English: First (FCE) examination, can be and/or should be questioned. The arguments brought by this case study show that two candidates who have never taken such OLEs before, who have not attended a PSP yet and who have been previously tested but have demonstrated an upper intermediate level of English might not score the same in the oral B2 First examination unless they are systematically prepared and trained on solving each and every part of the exam format. After the recording of the two students while taking the speaking test and after the analysis of the resulting transcript we hereby open a Pandora’s box and demonstrate that a maximum score cannot be obtained unless serious training is conducted beforehand and parents’ money is invested in both tutors and in training materials. The linguistic demonstration has been conducted by comparing the transcript resulted from the two students who were not familiar with the exam format with the transcript resulted from one of the video samples provided online by the test developer. It also needs to be taken under advisement the possibility that preparation for such examinations, essential in students’ academic endeavors, should be incorporated in the school curriculum and taught as optional courses either by the school teachers or by test developers, but free of charge. The discursive analysis shows how the candidates, despite being briefly instructed how to approach all four parts of the exam, do not manage to capitalize their knowledge regarding the English language.

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