Author: winston

1. Role play – 2/3 minutes
2. Presentation and Questions – 1 minute 30 seconds each – using 5 key words and symbols as prompts.
3. Conversation questions – 5 – 8 minutes
You need to learn key role play phrases for your presentation and your conversation preparation.
To improve your grade, you need to include the following in your presentation and conversation questions:
1. reference to the past, present and future
2. a variety of different vocabulary and phrases
3. a variety of different grammatical structures
4. use of different persons (eg je, nous/ich, wir) (don’t just say what you do or think)
5. opinions and the reasons why you think as you do

1. communication – what you say, the amount and variety.
2. spontaneity and fluency – how quickly you answer and how little you hesitate. The more you practise, the better you will be.
3. range and complexity – the different types of language you use and how ambitious you are.
4. accuracy and pronunciation – if a sympathetic native speaker can easily understand you, you will do well. It doesn’t have to be perfect but try to get the important parts right so that the listener knows what tense you are talking in and what you are talking about.
When revising, you need to remember that this is a speaking exam, not a writing exam. You can also ask parents or friends to help by asking you the questions and listening to you. You need to do this sort of learning in short bursts – about 15 minutes at a time – on a regular basis.

On the day of the exam you need to bring with you all your notes. You will spend some time in a ‘holding room’ (the Language Lab), waiting for your turn, and you can revise in silence while you wait. When you are called, you take your presentation key words and symbols and you go to the preparation area. You will be given a card with a role play on it, a pen and paper. You will have about 10 minutes under supervision to think about and write down what you are going to say in the role play. You need to take those notes with you into the exam room. Your teacher will call you into the exam room where you will:
1. perform the role play
2. give your presentation and answer questions on this
3. have a conversation with your teacher which covers 2 – 3 of the 6 conversation topics you have prepared.
The whole exam will last about 10 – 12 minutes and then you pick up your bag from the holding room and go back to lessons. Your teacher will guide you through the speaking exam – just follow his or her instructions. Don’t forget that what you prepare and learn for your speaking exam can be used in the writing exam and therefore you will need to keep your notes and use them to revise for both exams.