Formative Assessment of Speaking Skills

With language laboratory software, any legitimate person can see grades and play back daily conversations with teachers or foreigners proving students' level of competence. This begs the question: Why do we need summative speaking tests? A source of dread for generations of language teachers and students, speaking tests are an anachronistic, unnecessary form of institutionalised torture. To overcome the ever growing global crises, we need peaople who can work together on a global platform. This will not happen if they do not understand each others' languages and cultures. The world needs foreign language learners in their droves. In what way will the prospect of torture encourage them in their studies?