Abstract
Speaking tests often depend on text-only prompts, which can narrow what learners say and how they say it. The current research aimed to find out whether adding graphics would support performance within a task-based speaking assessment. Sixty adult ESL learners at CEFR B1–B2 completed the same narrative task under one of two conditions: a graphic-rich prompt or a text-only prompt. The researchers scored the recordings with an analytic rubric adapted from established speaking scales, targeting four constructs: lexical diversity, syntactic complexity, content organization, and fluency. Three trained raters scored all performances after a brief calibration session. The researchers estimated agreement using intraclass correlation coefficients. Group differences were tested with independent-samples t tests. Learners who received the visual prompt performed better on all rubric dimensions. Speech was more coherently sequenced and delivered at a steadier pace, and raters showed consistent judgments. Participants reported that the visuals made planning easier, reduced uncertainty, and kept them on track. Although the work centers on a single narrative task and one proficiency band in one program, the pattern of results points to a practical, low-cost change in assessment design. Well-constructed visual prompts can strengthen performance and increase the perceived authenticity and comprehensibility of task-based speaking tests.