戻る TOEFL Speaking B2 (4.0-4.5) English (US) – Take an Interview

Deciding Whether Attendance Should Count

英語スピーキングシナリオ

Thomas

A confident British English speaker with a balanced, formal delivery.

44 years · male

Practise talking about "Deciding Whether Attendance Should Count" with Thomas, your AI speaking avatar. Speak out loud, get instant feedback, and build confidence for your TOEFL iBT B2 speaking exam.

Start free AI practice

会話

Why do some courses count attendance?

なぜ一部の講座では出席が成績に反映されるのですか？

良い答えです:

Some courses count attendance because participation is part of the learning. In seminars, language classes, or discussion-based courses, students learn by exchanging ideas, asking questions, and responding to classmates. If many students are absent, the quality of the class changes for everyone, not only for the missing students. Attendance can therefore support the course design. It reminds students that learning is not always a private activity that can be replaced by reading slides later at home. This is why attendance marks are more convincing when students actively contribute during class. Students should see that the mark reflects shared work, not just the teacher checking names.

出席を成績に含める授業があるのは、参加そのものが学びの一部だからです。ゼミや語学の授業、ディスカッション中心の授業では、学生は意見を交わしたり、質問したり、クラスメートの発言に応えたりしながら学びます。多くの学生が欠席すると、欠席した本人だけでなく、クラス全体の授業の質も変わってしまいます。そのため、出席は授業設計を支える役割を果たします。学びは、あとで家でスライドを読むだけで代わりにできる、完全に個人的な活動ではないのだと学生に気づかせてくれるのです。だからこそ、授業中に積極的に貢献している学生に対して出席点をつけるほうが、より納得感があります。学生には、その評価が単に先生が名前を確認しているだけではなく、みんなで取り組んだ成果を反映しているのだと分かってほしいのです。

What problems can strict attendance rules create?

良い答えです:

Strict attendance rules can be unfair to students with illness, caring responsibilities, disabilities, or unreliable transport. These students may lose marks even when they are trying to keep up with the course. A rule that looks simple on paper can affect students very differently in real life. For example, a commuter student may be late because of train cancellations, not lack of effort. Attendance policies should recognise genuine difficulties while still encouraging students to participate regularly when they can. A fair policy should include a process for explaining serious or repeated difficulties. Flexibility is especially important when the student can show they are still completing the work.

Should attendance affect grades, or should only performance matter?

良い答えです:

I think performance should matter more, but attendance can count a little in classes where participation is central. The rule should match the course design. In a seminar or practical workshop, being present affects discussion, teamwork, and skill development. In that case, a small attendance or participation mark may be reasonable. However, it should not dominate the grade. Students should mainly be assessed on what they can understand, produce, explain, or apply, not simply on whether they were physically in the room. The weighting should be small enough that one difficult week does not damage the whole course result. That limit protects students from losing too many marks for circumstances beyond their control.

How could a course encourage attendance without being unfair?

良い答えです:

A course could count participation tasks instead of simple presence. For example, students might submit a short discussion note, complete a group exercise, or answer a reflection question during class. This rewards students who engage, while still focusing on learning rather than seat time. It also gives teachers better evidence of participation. If a student misses class for a genuine reason, they might complete an alternative task. That approach encourages attendance without pretending that being present automatically means being involved. This kind of task also makes attendance feel purposeful rather than purely administrative. It also gives quieter students a structured way to show engagement.