Date of Award

5-1979

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Education

First Advisor

Elisabeth Price

Second Advisor

Boyd Morros

Abstract

This thesis proposes a new method for assessing communicative competence among ESL learners by using discourse analysis as the foundation for a placement test. Margaret B. Silver critiques conventional evaluation tools—such as the Ilyin Oral Interview, the STEL grammar test, and cloze procedures—arguing that they fail to measure the full range of linguistic and sociolinguistic abilities necessary for real-world communication. These traditional assessments, while helpful in measuring grammatical knowledge, overlook important features such as pronunciation, intonation, kinesics, and the ability to convey meaning in context.

Silver’s approach draws on discourse analysis to evaluate how students actually use language in unscripted interactions. She recorded and analyzed classroom discussions among students at various fluency levels to identify linguistic structures and socio-cultural patterns that emerged naturally. From this, she developed criteria for a new oral placement test intended to provide a more holistic and accurate measure of a student’s communicative abilities. The thesis positions this test as better aligned with the goals of ESL instruction, particularly in socially and culturally diverse learning environments like the International Institute of Metropolitan St. Louis.

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