Does Gender Play a Role in the Assessment of Oral Proficiency?

Abstract

Gender has been a controversial issue which affects the language learning process. McNamara (1996) has proposed that there are some variables affecting second language performance one of which is sex. In much the same way, it has been reported that gender plays a role in the area of language testing (Brown, 2003; Lumley & O'Sullivan, 2005; Motallebzadeh, 1993; O'Sullivan, 2002).The present study is, thus, an attempt to explore the possible relationship between gender and oral performance of Iranian intermediate and upper intermediate EFL language learners. For this purpose, 429 adult students in six different institutions in Mashhad and Kerman participated in the study. After the Oxford placement test and an IELTS-format oral placement test, 160 of them were selected for a final oral interview. Finally, through a T-test, it was found out that females did better in oral performance than males, however, the difference was not that significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; Copyright of English Language Teaching is the property of Canadian Center of Science & Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)