Traditional English-speaking assessment tools like Versant etc primarily used pattern recognition technology to evaluate the English proficiency of non-native speakers. These tools primarily focus on understanding the linguistic features of a test taker's responses such as grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, fluency, and comprehension using a rule-based system.
WeCP's AI leverages large language models (LLMs) as its core technology to evaluate English- communication skill, on the other hand, can offer a more comprehensive analysis of a speaker's proficiency. Here are some core benefits of using LLMs over traditional rule-based system:
Understanding of Context: While traditional tools can detect the correctness of a given statement in terms of grammar, vocabulary, etc., WeCP AI can also understand the semantic and pragmatic aspects of the language, allowing them to evaluate the context and coherence of the speaker's responses.
Bias Mitigation: WeCP AI automatically reduces the bias in test scoring by eliminating human error or unconscious bias.
Custom Parameters: WeCP AI can be customised with organisation specific parameters to judge someone's english skills. For example, if your organization values certain industry-specific vocabulary, the WeCP AI could be customised to recognise and evaluate the use of such vocabulary. If the organization values certain styles of communication, the WeCP AI could potentially be trained to recognise and evaluate these styles as well.
Dynamic Interactions: Traditional tools often involve one-way interactions where the test taker responds to a set of predefined questions or prompts. WeCP AI, with its capacity to generate context-aware responses, can simulate a two-way interaction similar to a conversation with a human evaluator.
Personalised Feedback: WeCP AI can provide more personalized and detailed feedback. They can point out specific areas of strength and weakness, suggest ways to improve, and even generate examples or exercises tailored to the learner's needs.
Continuous Learning: WeCP AI can learn from each interaction, continually updating their understanding and capabilities. This allows them to offer more accurate assessments and recommendations over time.
Below are the parameters currently WeCP AI is trained on to judge English Communication Skill:
English (Speaking)
Pronunciation: This is the ability to articulate words clearly and understandably. It also encompasses elements such as stress, intonation, and rhythm.
Fluency: Fluency refers to the smoothness of speech, including natural pacing, proper use of pauses, and avoiding excessive hesitation or self-correction.
Grammar: This includes correct usage of tense, noun-verb agreement, sentence structure, word order, and the appropriate use of grammatical constructions.
Vocabulary: This refers to the range and accuracy of words used in speaking. It includes the usage of appropriate words for the context and situation, and the ability to use synonyms and paraphrases to explain unfamiliar words.
Coherence: Coherence involves organizing thoughts and ideas logically and consistently, using cohesive devices and markers to connect sentences and ideas together.
Interactive Communication: The ability to initiate, maintain, and end a conversation appropriately. It also involves reacting to and prompting further conversation from others, and adjusting one's language according to the context.
Task Achievement: This is about achieving the specific goals of the speech or conversation, such as giving an opinion, suggesting a solution, or describing a situation.
Pragmatic Competence: This involves understanding and appropriately using the social norms of language, including politeness and formality levels.
Discourse Management: The ability to construct longer turns at talk, managing interaction and using a variety of discourse markers.
Accuracy: The degree to which the speech is free from errors in grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, etc.
Intelligibility: The ability to make oneself understood, even if there are some errors or non-standard pronunciation.
Contextual Understanding: This relates to how well the speaker understands and responds appropriately to the context of the conversation.
Idiomatic language: The ability to understand and use idiomatic expressions, slang, or colloquialisms where appropriate.
Non-verbal communication: This includes aspects like body language, eye contact, and other non-verbal cues that can affect communication.
Confidence: This relates to the speaker's confidence in their ability to communicate effectively in English, which can influence many of the other parameters listed above.
Accent: While everyone has an accent and it's not necessarily a negative attribute, a heavy accent that affects comprehensibility might be assessed.
Listening comprehension: The ability to accurately understand, process, and respond to what is being said by others.
English (Writing)
Grammar: Correct usage of syntax, punctuation, verb tenses, noun-verb agreement, etc.
Spelling: Accurate spelling of words, including homophones and commonly misspelled words.
Vocabulary: Appropriate and varied word choice, use of synonyms, and avoiding repetition of the same words or phrases.
Coherence and Cohesion: Logical organization of ideas, effective paragraphing, and the use of connectors, pronouns, and conjunctions to link sentences and ideas together.
Task Achievement/Response: Fulfilment of the task requirements, such as answering the question fully, staying on topic, and meeting the word limit.
Argumentation: The ability to formulate, present, and defend an argument effectively, including providing supporting evidence or examples.
Style and Tone: Appropriate use of formal or informal language depending on the context, and maintaining a consistent tone throughout the text.
Clarity: Clear expression of ideas, avoiding ambiguity or confusion.
Punctuation: Correct and effective use of punctuation marks to aid the readability and comprehension of the text.
Sentence Structure: Varied use of simple, compound, and complex sentences, and correct word order.
Precision: Use of precise and specific language, avoiding vagueness or generalities.
Originality: Ability to present unique ideas or perspectives, and to paraphrase or summarise effectively when using others' ideas.
Formatting: Correct and consistent use of formatting conventions, such as indentation, margins, and spacing.
Use of Citations and References: When required, the accurate citation of sources, and inclusion of a correctly formatted reference list or bibliography.
Mechanics: Correct use of capitalisation, abbreviations, numbers, etc.
Use of Idiomatic Language: Understanding and correct usage of idiomatic expressions, phrasal verbs, or colloquialisms where appropriate.
Concision: Ability to express ideas concisely, avoiding redundancy or unnecessary words.
Flow: The rhythm and pace of the writing, achieved through the use of varied sentence lengths and structures.
Persuasiveness: If applicable, the effectiveness of the writing in persuading the reader of a particular point of view.
Relevance: This pertains to how well the writer addresses the topic or task at hand. The content should be directly related to the given prompt or purpose of the writing. Irrelevant information or digressions can detract from the overall effectiveness of the writing. In an argumentative context, all arguments, examples, or evidence provided should directly support the thesis statement. In an informational context, the content should provide the necessary details the audience needs to understand the subject matter.
English (Listening)
Comprehension: The ability to understand the main ideas, details, and implicit information in what is being said.
Vocabulary Recognition: The ability to understand a wide range of vocabulary, including idiomatic expressions, colloquial language, and technical jargon where applicable.
Distinguishing Sounds: The ability to distinguish different sounds, accents, speech rates, and intonations in English.
Understanding Context: The ability to understand the context or situation in which the language is being used, including the social, cultural, or historical background.
Interpretation of Paralinguistic Elements: Understanding the speaker's emotions, attitudes, or intentions through tone of voice, stress, intonation, etc.
Inference: The ability to make educated guesses or infer information that is not explicitly stated based on the available information.
Understanding Implicit Meaning: This involves understanding sarcasm, irony, or indirect suggestions that are common in spoken English.
Following Directions: If the listening involves instructions or directions, the listener's ability to understand and potentially follow these instructions is important.
Note-taking Ability: In academic or professional settings, the ability to take notes while listening can be an important part of comprehending and remembering information.
Predictive Listening: The ability to anticipate what a speaker is going to say based on context and prior information.
Discrimination Skills: This refers to the ability to recognize differences in sounds, word boundaries, and where one word ends and another begins, especially in rapid speech.
Summarisation Skills: The ability to summarize or paraphrase the main points or specific details of a listening text.