Speaking Auto-Scoring [Beta]
AI scoring and feedback on students' spoken Independent Practice (Homework) answers, taking into account the instructions, the question and the student's level.
Who this is for: teachers
Available to: teachers on paid subscriptions
Before you start: Independent Practice that includes speaking tasks.
Contents
What is Speaking Auto-Scoring?
When your students complete Independent Practice (Homework) that includes speaking tasks, their spoken answers are scored automatically and get feedback they can learn from. You don't need to listen to and grade every recording yourself. You review the scores and feedback, adjust them where needed, and spend your time on instruction.
Speaking Auto-Scoring works alongside Writing Auto-Scoring, which scores free-text answers the same way.
How does it work?
- Assign Independent Practice as you normally would. Speaking Auto-Scoring only works on assignments that already include speaking tasks. It doesn't add speaking tasks to an assignment.
- When a student submits a spoken answer, it's scored automatically and gets feedback.
- Review the scores and feedback the same way you review the rest of your students' Independent Practice. You can change the score and the feedback.
Result: spoken answers are scored with feedback, ready for you to review. Your students see the score and feedback once you mark the assignment as reviewed.
How are spoken answers scored?
Spoken answers are scored with AI designed to evaluate spoken communication consistently. The score and feedback take into account the Independent Practice instructions, the question and the student's level.
Each answer is assessed in three areas: clarity, grammatical and lexical range, and fluency. The AI checks how well the answer meets the performance criteria for the question's level in each area, then gives an overall task completion score. The table shows the general performance descriptions for each area at each proficiency level.
| Proficiency Level | Clarity | Grammatical and Lexical Range | Fluency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute Beginner | Student communicates using isolated words, memorized expressions, or very short responses related to familiar topics. Meaning may be difficult to understand without repetition, gestures, or support from the listener. | Student demonstrates emerging use of basic vocabulary and simple language patterns, often without sentence structure. Errors are frequent and may significantly limit communication, though familiar words or phrases may still convey basic meaning. | Student speaks in very short chunks with frequent pauses, repetition, or hesitation. Speech may rely heavily on prompting or modeling and is often limited to single words or memorized phrases. |
| Beginner | Student communicates simple ideas about familiar topics using short sentences or predictable expressions. Meaning is generally understandable, although ideas may be loosely connected and lack detail or expansion. | Student begins producing subject-verb constructions with some reliability, using simple vocabulary and familiar grammatical structures to express basic information. Frequent errors with verb forms, sentence structure, and word choice are common, but the listener can usually understand the intended message. | Student speaks in short, simple sentences with noticeable pauses and repetition. Speech may sound slow or effortful at times, especially when the student searches for vocabulary or attempts longer responses. |
| Upper Beginner | Student communicates ideas more clearly by adding simple descriptions, reasons, or details. Responses are generally organized and understandable, although connections between ideas may still be basic or uneven. | Student begins using simple verb tenses consistently and forming basic questions. Student uses an expanding range of everyday vocabulary and attempts longer or more varied sentence structures. Errors with grammar and word usage are still noticeable, but they usually do not prevent communication. | Student can sustain a short response with some continuity and less reliance on pauses or repetition. Hesitation may still occur during longer responses or when expressing less familiar ideas, but communication generally continues successfully. |
| Pre-Intermediate | Student communicates complete ideas with relevant details and supporting information. Responses are generally clear and organized, though explanations may remain fairly direct or predictable. | Student uses a variety of simple and some more complex grammatical structures to explain, describe, and give reasons. Student may begin connecting clauses with basic conjunctions (because, but, so). Vocabulary is adequate for familiar and some less familiar topics, although language may still be repetitive or somewhat imprecise. Errors are evident but usually do not interfere with understanding. | Student speaks with growing confidence and can maintain connected speech for an extended response. Pauses and self-corrections still occur, particularly when organizing ideas or attempting more complex language, but overall communication remains smooth. |
| Intermediate | Student communicates ideas clearly and develops responses with explanation, comparison, or reasoning. Ideas are connected logically, and the student can adapt language to support different purposes or situations. | Student demonstrates increased control of grammatical structures and uses a broader range of vocabulary to elaborate and clarify meaning. Student may use subordinate clauses and a range of tenses with general accuracy. Language is generally accurate and flexible, though occasional awkward phrasing or grammatical inconsistencies may still appear. | Student speaks at a generally natural pace and can sustain longer responses with limited interruption. Hesitation is usually connected to planning more detailed or complex ideas rather than difficulty producing language. |
| Upper Intermediate | Student communicates clearly and effectively across a range of familiar and abstract topics. Responses are well organized and include explanation, contrast, and support for opinions, although some ideas may still lack nuance or precision. | Student uses a wide range of grammatical structures and vocabulary to express detailed ideas, speculate, and justify opinions. Student begins controlling complex structures (conditionals, reported speech, passive) with some consistency. Errors may still occur in more sophisticated language use, but they rarely interfere with clarity or overall effectiveness. | Student speaks smoothly and can sustain extended responses with relatively consistent pacing and organization. Occasional hesitation or reformulation may occur when discussing complex ideas, but it does not significantly disrupt communication. |
| Advanced | Student communicates complex and nuanced ideas clearly, effectively, and with strong organization. Responses demonstrate flexibility in explaining, analyzing, and supporting ideas for different purposes or audiences. | Student demonstrates strong control of a broad and flexible range of grammatical structures and vocabulary. Language use is precise and sophisticated, allowing the student to express subtle distinctions and complex reasoning, even though minor errors may occasionally occur. | Student speaks fluently and confidently with natural pacing and strong continuity of ideas. Speech flows smoothly even during complex explanations or abstract discussion, with only occasional hesitation for refinement or emphasis. |
Speaking Auto-Scoring is in beta, so its scores and feedback may not always be right. Your feedback helps us improve it.
FAQ
How can I get access to Speaking Auto-Scoring?
It's available to all teachers on paid subscriptions. It isn't available on free accounts.
Will this add speaking tasks to my Independent Practice?
No. Speaking Auto-Scoring only scores speaking tasks that are already in an assignment. Assignments without speaking tasks aren't affected.
My students' spoken answers aren't being scored. Why?
Scores and feedback can take a few minutes to appear. If they're still missing after five minutes, contact info@off2class.com and include the student's email address.
Can I change a score or add my own feedback?
Yes. You can review every scored answer, change the score and edit the feedback at any time. To stop the AI adding a feedback note to writing and speaking answers, turn off AI Autoscoring Feedback Note in Settings.
How is my feedback used during the beta?
The Off2Class team reviews everything beta participants send in, and it shapes updates to the feature. After you've used it, we'll send you a short feedback survey.
How can I report feedback or bugs?
Contact Off2Class Support at info@off2class.com. For bugs, include as much detail as you can, with screenshots or a screen recording if possible.