Description: In this blog article, languages tutor Mollie shares how to prepare for a successful speaking exam in foreign languages.
Speaking exams can often be the most daunting part of studying foreign languages and this was the case for me from GCSE to my final speaking exam for my degree.
It is completely normal to feel nervous when it comes to taking exams, but there are certain things you can do to help you feel more prepared and more confident.
Know the Exam Format
Make sure you understand exactly how the exam will work:
- How long is the full exam? If there are different sections, how long is each section?
- Is the exam with a teacher or external examiner? Will it be just the two of you?
- Are you allowed any words written down to help prompt you?
- Will you have any questions you haven’t prepared beforehand?
Practice Listening to the Language
Listening is a big part of being able to successfully speak to someone in any language.
One way of practising this skill is listening to the news or podcasts in this language.
There are many different options online and some are targeted at people learning languages.
For example, news in slow French (newsinslowfrench.com) has different audio news reports at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.
Compile Language Phrases
Make a list of important language phrases that you can use to make arguments, answer questions and improve your speaking level.
These might be introductory phrases (It is important to note, As a result of), comparison phrases (On one hand… on the other hand), opinion phrases (I believe that, according to) and many more.
Having these phrases memorised means you can focus on answering questions to the best of your ability!
Revise Key Vocabulary and Grammar
If you know which topics might appear in the exam, make lists of key vocabulary that it is important to know.
Revising this vocabulary will help you understand any prompts, questions or stimulus cards, but also means you will have keywords available to give strong answers.
Don’t forget about grammar as well! Being able to use more than just the present tense is important for speaking exams as it shows your understanding of the language and will help boost your grade.
Expand your Answers
When answering questions or discussing a topic, make sure you fully develop your answers.
This might be through giving your own opinion, explaining why you believe something, giving another side to an argument, using facts and figures to back up your argument or explaining the advantages or disadvantages of something.
There are many other ways to do this too, but avoid simple one-sentence answers where possible.
Know How to Ask the Examiner to Repeat Something
One thing that can cause panic in a speaking exam is not understanding something you are asked.
Knowing how to ask ‘Please could you repeat the question?’ in your target language means you don’t need to stress if this happens to you during the exam.
Instead of trying to guess what to say, you can make sure you fully understand the question and give your best answer.
Practice
The more you speak a language, the easier it will become!
This can be difficult sometimes if you don’t have anyone to practise with, but this doesn’t have to stop you.
Write down some questions that could come up in a speaking exam and answer them out loud by yourself.
This will get you used to speaking the language and also thinking of answers.
You can also do this with a friend, getting them to ask you the questions and then doing the same thing for them.
By tutor Mollie. Contact Us