Oral

Competition - post a photo you've taken of nature >>

How disappointed I was to see this wasn't in H&R...

I saw the thread title, looked at OP's name, and clicked faster than I've ever clicked before. I, too, was not expecting this to be about languages :frown:

Reply 3

Nelo Angelo

I forsee that everyone that comes to this thread will have assumed it is to do with sex

Reply 4

lattywatty

I did mine purely by memory. But then she threw in some unprepared questions and later told me she had to because I answered the prepared ones too quickly. So do it from memory, but take your time (unless you actually want to take French further, in which case try actually learning to put sentences together on the spot... no one in my school did this mind :P)

Reply 5

russianroullette

LOL i put the title as that so that people would view it...but not many of them are willling to give much advice lol :frown:

Reply 6

dmae

tailschao

I saw the thread title, looked at OP's name, and clicked faster than I've ever clicked before. I, too, was not expecting this to be about languages :frown:

lol at title

I always used to hate language orals at school because my mind would go blank when I was asked questions (and let's face it, some of the topics are pretty uninspiring), but I was strong in reading/writing/listening. Last year I did GCSE Italian and was determined not to make a mess of the oral, so I went to AQA's website, read the specification (especially the "language tasks" ) and sample questions and wrote a load of prepared stuff packed with complicated grammar and unusual vocab, which I then memorised. I also worked hard on grammar and learning linking phrases so I would stand a chance of being able to make up sentences "on the fly" if I had to. In the exam, I got asked the exact questions I had prepared answers for, and reeled off memorised answer after memorised answer. It went like a dream and the teacher said she was "astounded". I know it's not the same as becoming genuinely fluent and spontaneous in a language, but of course I had to make the stuff up in the first place and I do feel I gained a good knowledge of grammar and vocab in the process. This year I'm doing GCSE Spanish and am using the same method to prepare.

Bear in mind that as well as complex grammar, they also reward "spontaneity", i.e. a willingness to go beyond minimal responses to questions. So if you're asked, for example, "what kinds of food do you like to eat?", you could start off by saying "I like XYZ" but then extend your answer a bit by saying "I think I need to eat more healthily, in future I will try to eat more..." And then you've managed to work a future tense into it (remember you need to include all three time-frames - past, present and future). Remember to give opinions and justify them, that's another thing they're looking for. Saying things like "I don't like history because it's boring" won't get much credit, you need to give more developed answers to access the higher marks.

I know this memory-based approach was precisely what led to the changes in oral exams which will come in from next year, but I don't see how the new system will really change things because it will still involve presentations which will have to be prepared, and they will still be looking for you to use complicated grammar that you wouldn't normally think of using, so I don't see how the informal "class-based" oral exercises will really stop people memorising material in advance.

Reply 9

Deutsch_Beth

Put down a list on key points and sentences for each topic and learn them, so just incase you are stuck for something to say you can refer back to the list in your mind and come up with something else to say.

Example:
Topic: Free Time
> Swimming - ca me passionee, un type de sport avec qui on peut rester en bonne forme, how often, where, with who, for how long?
> Television - pour me detendre, pour eviter le regime quotidienne, favourite programmes( - why?), when, with who, how often?
> Stamp collecting (for some reason in my German oral I discussed how I enjoy stamp collecting with my grandfather on the weekends, simply because the vocab popped in my head; don't be afraid to lie, they're hardly going to care if you actually do go fly fishing or whatever) - mon activite preferee car... , quelquechose que je peut faire avec les autres ou seule, ma collection est assez grande/petite, je cherce pour... how often, with who, for how long?

This method was good for me as my memory is not so good and I couldn't just learn long paragraphs like all my friends did and blurt them out. It means if you get stuck you've at least got those key points to refer back to and to help move the conversation along.

EDIT: Oh and for god's sake don't say "exitant" for exciting, unless you really do find swimming or whatever arousing. Will end up in your examiner fighting against a wave of giggles, which is very off putting.

Reply 10

BeckyIsOptimistic

I basically wrote down answers to questions and learnt them off by heart.
There were a couple of spontaneous ones but nothing you can't handle with a basic knowledge of the language. If you don't intend to take it any further it's probably best to do it this way.

Reply 11

margaretq

Hi I am looking for an examination centre for AQA Italian GCSE. Can anyone tell me where they did these exams as external candidates. The AQA lists external centres but they do not specify which have Italian. Thanks