The Head of the Department of Languages at St. Joseph's College of Education, Dr Dominic Frimpong, has called for an urgent review of the West African Examinations Council's (WAEC) Oral English assessment.
He said the current examination format no longer measured the communication skills required in the digital age.
Dr Frimpong proposed the adoption of technology-driven assessment systems, including computer-based testing, artificial intelligence-powered speech recognition, digital language laboratories and voice-recording platforms, to shift Oral English assessment from passive listening to active speaking.
Competence
He told the Daily Graphic that although the Oral English component of the English Language syllabus was designed to develop students' linguistic and communicative competence, the existing multiple-choice examination only tested candidates' ability to identify speech sounds rather than their actual speaking ability.
Dr Frimpong explained that for decades, millions of students across Ghana and the West African sub-region had sat in examination halls listening to centrally played audio recordings before answering multiple-choice questions on vowels, consonants, stress and intonation using Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) answer sheets.
He said the approach assessed sound discrimination but failed to evaluate essential communication skills such as pronunciation, fluency, reading, stress, intonation, grammatical competence and strategic competence, which were the core objectives of Oral English instruction.
Logistical challenges
Dr Frimpong said the current system had outlived its usefulness and no longer reflected the communication demands of the 21st century.
He explained that room-wide audio playback often created echo and muffled sound, making the examination acoustically unfair for many candidates, particularly those with hearing impairments and listening disorders.
"The assessment is inherently passive. Shading multiple-choice answer sheets does not test fluency, pronunciation, intonation or conversational competence," he said.
Dr Frimpong added that transporting physical audio equipment and examination materials across the country created logistical challenges and security risks.
According to him, the present approach had turned many language classrooms into centres for passing examinations rather than developing confident speakers capable of communicating effectively in real-life situations.
Dr Frimpong said students spent considerable time memorising phonetic symbols and stress rules only to answer objective questions, leaving little room for developing practical speaking skills.
Recommendations
To address the shortcomings, Dr Frimpong proposed that WAEC introduce computer-based testing (CBT), with candidates using individual digital workstations fitted with noise-cancelling headsets to ensure clear audio delivery.
Dr Frimpong also recommended the integration of Automated Speech Recognition (ASR) technology to assess students' pronunciation, fluency and speech patterns in real time, saying, "the system would minimise human bias in marking".
He again proposed the use of voice-recording platforms to allow candidates to read passages or respond to prompts through digital microphones, with recordings securely uploaded for standardised assessment by examiners.
In addition, he advocated the establishment of Digital Language Laboratories (DLLs) to enable students to record their speech, compare it with standard pronunciation models and improve through continuous practice.
Collaborate
Dr Frimpong also suggested that WAEC collaborates with telecommunications companies to provide zero-rated internet access for digital examination platforms, recalling his earlier proposal for language laboratories in all colleges of education.
Dr Frimpong said such partnerships would facilitate the transition from passive listening assessments to technology-driven speaking examinations.
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