Developing a curriculum-based speaking task taxonomy for school English instruction and assessment in Korea

To support English speaking instruction and assessment in Korean schools, this study developed a taxonomy of English speaking tasks by analyzing the 2022 Revised English Curriculum, reviewing standardized English speaking tests, and referring to task classifications in the CEFR and ACTFL. Three modes of English speaking were identified in response to different communication contexts and purposes: imitative, interactional, and presentational. Tasks designed to elicit each mode were further classified by task type. Imitative speaking comprised two task types: ‘listen and repeat’ and ‘read aloud’. Interactional and presentational speaking each included three task types, based on the macro functions of language use: interpersonal, transactional, and evaluative/problem-solving. Each task type was further subdivided into categories and subcategories. The resulting taxonomy can be aligned with school grade levels in the curriculum by excluding tasks that exceed the relevant achievement standards and by adjusting topics, vocabulary, language forms, and task complexity according to students’ grade levels.