A discussion of teaching and testing oral skills in a second language looks at issues in the testing of speaking ability in general, the effect that testing can have on teaching, and the kinds of communicative activities that can be built into a foreign language program with oral proficiency as a goal. The issues addressed include the differential testing of the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), reasons for testing, achievement versus proficiency tests, characteristics of good tests, the oral proficiency interview, theoretical and practical considerations in designing performance-based oral achievement tests, scoring oral classroom tests, and important concepts in the relationship of oral teaching and testing. (MSE)