Voices from efl teachers: Integrating listening and speaking components in assessment

This study explores English teachers' perspectives on assessing listening and speaking skills, which has been implemented at the secondary school level in Türkiye since the 2023-2024 academic year. Although language teaching traditionally emphasizes reading and writing skills, the evaluation of listening and speaking has become a new focus area. The study aims to assess teachers' readiness for these assessments, the methods they employ, the challenges they encounter, and their suggestions for improvement. It uses a mixed-methods approach, collecting quantitative data through questionnaires and qualitative data through semi-structured interviews. Participants include Secondary School English Teachers from the First Service Area in Trabzon Province. The study provides insights into the assessment techniques teachers use for listening and speaking, their perceptions of the validity and reliability of these methods, and their recommendations for current practices. This study is significant as it attempts to investigate a timely issue, the integration of speaking and listening assessment, and its effects in the Turkish context, taking the perspectives of Turkish Secondary School EFL teachers as a basis. It aims to shed light on a gap in the Turkish curriculum, portraying real-life challenges and experiences of Secondary School EFL teachers in the Turkish context on the newly implemented assessment of speaking and listening skills. Through this study, it is also aimed to examine the readiness of EFL teachers for the transition from traditional assessment methods to communicative and performance-based assessment processes. Results indicate that teachers face several challenges, especially regarding the development of assessment tools, standardization, assessment reliability, and time and space limitations. Teachers also report that measuring these skills can boost student motivation, enhance communicative abilities, and positively influence teaching effectiveness. The findings highlight the need for increased in-service training and support for teachers in this area. Ultimately, this research aims to contribute to the field of foreign language teaching and assessment in Türkiye by highlighting the importance and current state of listening and speaking skill assessment for policymakers and educators alike.