DEVELOPMENT OF SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENTS' COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE TESTING SYSTEM

ABSTRACT

The main purpose of this research is to determine effective techniques and methods of forming the communicative competence of senior high school students with the aim of preparing them for the International English Language Testing System examination.

Keywords: examination, communication, speaking skills, exam format, assessment.

In the times of globalisation, it is not enough to speak only one language; it is vital to know worldwide languages. Nowadays, people try to learn different languages, and the most learned among them is the English language. In turn, one of the most crucial issues for both foreign language teachers and the university admissions committee is figuring out the level of language proficiency. Through international exams in foreign languages, the degree of formation of these skills is assessed. It is essential to present an English proficiency certificate to enrol at universities abroad or the top universities in Kazakhstan.

The level of language proficiency should be understood as the degree of formation of communicative competence, which provides the ability to solve communication tasks in a foreign language following the conditions of communication and the use of the language knowledge, speech skills, and abilities necessary for this.

Listening, reading, writing, and speaking abilities in English will be assessed during the test. IELTS is graded on a scale of 1–9.

The speaking part of IELTS consists of three different parts:

Part 1: Introduction and questions on familiar topics. This part of the test follows a question-answer format, focusing on your ability to communicate opinions and information on everyday topics by answering a range of questions.

Part 2: Individual long turns. After Part 1, the examiner will give the test-taker a topic and ask them to talk about it for one to two minutes. The topic will be handed to them on a card, and they will also be given a piece of paper and a pencil for making notes. This part of the test assesses their ability to speak at length on a particular topic, using appropriate language, and organising their ideas in a logical way.

Part 3: Two-way discussion. The questions in Part 3 will be connected to the general topic that they spoke about in Part 2. The topic will be discussed in a more general and abstract way, showing the examiner the test-takers’ abilities to express and justify their opinions. In Part 3, they are assessed on their ability to express and justify opinions and to analyse, discuss, and speculate about a range of issues connected to the general topic you spoke about in Part 2.

The performance of test-takers is assessed according to four criteria:

1. Fluency and coherence. The first criterion, fluency and coherence, assesses one’s ability to express ideas clearly and coherently without long hesitations. The key markers of fluency are speech continuity and speech rate. Coherence refers to the logical sequencing of ideas, the clear marking of stages in a narration, and the use of cohesive devices.
2. Lexical Resource. A lexical resource evaluates the range of vocabulary used in a person’s speech and whether it was used appropriately. So, test takers must use a variety of words and expressions and avoid repetition and common vocabulary. Moreover, test takers must be sure of the meaning of the words they use.
3. Grammatical Range and Accuracy. The next category, grammatical range and accuracy, refers to the accurate and appropriate use of various grammatical forms and structures. Test takers should use complex sentences with subordinate clauses in their speech and avoid mistakes. So, if they are not sure about this or that grammar construction, it is better not to use it.
4. Pronunciation. The last criterion, "pronunciation, assesses your ability to use features of English pronunciation, such as intonation and stress. Also, the examiner will rate whether it is easy to understand what the test taker is saying or not. One’s accent will not be taken into consideration [1].

Communication competence has become a focus in higher education over the past couple of decades as educational policymakers and advocates have stressed a "back to basics" mentality (McCroskey, 1984). Competence involves knowledge, motivation, and skills. It’s not enough to know what good communication consists of; you must also have the motivation to reflect on and improve your communication and the skills needed to do so [3].

Some activities were chosen to increase students' abilities to speak about various topics and train their speech to fit four criteria in the IELTS examination. These methods were chosen because they can involve students in daily life situations and discussions that involve sharing opinions.

Role-play is a technique that allows students to explore realistic situations by interacting with other people in a managed way in order to develop experience and trial different strategies in a supportive environment [4].

A debate is a verbal argument that is conducted within a set framework. Debates are common in both political and educational environments. People can disagree with opposing views in a structured setting that gives all participants a chance to present and defend their arguments as well as reach conclusions about the arguments of their opponents.

The two positions in a debate are the affirmative and the negative. The affirmative, or "pro," side in a debate argues in favour of something, while the negative, or "con," side argues against something [5].

Additionally, to prepare students for the real exam, some topics were included. The most common speaking topics are listed below:

• Travel
• Friends
• Technology
• Sport
• Food
• Education
• Weather
• Environment
• Music
• Books/ Films
• Health