10 TIPS TO MAKE YOUR ORAL EXAM AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE!

1. I will never tire of repeating this: STRUCTURE YOUR IDEAS in a way that will make you stand out in the long run. This way, examiners will always know where you're going with your argument and will never get lost in the details. You will immediately gain clarity and fluency of expression. 

A well-thought-out structure includes the following elements, which I detail below. 

A. The introduction indicating the date of the text and its author, as well as a general summary of the main topic. A definition can be useful if the terms used are ambiguous or polysemous, in order to clarify the meaning(s) on which we wish to base our commentary. 

B. The body of an essay typically consists of two parts, a wise choice that offers a perfect balance. The first part focuses on a detailed analysis of the author's position, presenting the main points. More specifically, this analysis targets the highlighted paragraphs and explains the message the author intended to convey to their readers. The second part consists of your own commentary, providing specific insights into the author's work, taking its context into account. This is not simply gratuitous criticism, but a relevant and focused analysis that enriches the discussion. You must analyze the text by presenting your perspectives in light of the author's. Support your arguments with concrete and substantiated evidence. 

C. The conclusion summarizes the points addressed in the essay: "It follows from what has been presented previously ..." Then, open the discussion by stating: "This topic will certainly make headlines again in the future."

2. ADOPT A DYNAMIC TONE OF VOICE, that is, modulate your intonation to emphasize the nuances of your speech: approval, disapproval, etc. Believe me, dear students, nothing is more irritating than listening to a candidate completely detached from his/her subject, devoid of emotion, or spouting things inaudible to us examiners. The penalty is often severe for the student, who risks losing many points. One possible strategy is to act as if the jury were not in front of you and that you were addressing a familiar audience, even if, in reality, this is not the case.

3. If you get stuck, don't just stand there staring at the examiner: it's impossible! Instead, say: "Excuse me, I'm stuck, could you help me understand your question, please?" "Could you repeat it?" "Would it be possible to explain it more clearly?" " Could you spell it out for me, please?" "Could you tell me exactly what I should focus on? If you get stuck, ASK THE EXAMINERS TO REPHRASE THEIR QUESTION, so you can answer it precisely. If you're still stuck, first ask them to rephrase it differently to fully understand the topic. Then, if you're still stuck, you can use phrases such as: "Let me think" "Let's see" "How would you phrase that?" "I'm trying to understand" "I can't find a clear answer" "The answer needs to be nuanced" "I don't understand at all, could your repeat that?"

4. To comment on a text, video, image, or audio recording, YOU DON'T NEED TO BE AN EXPERT on the subject. Of course, knowing the specific vocabulary is helpful, as it makes the text easier to understand and simplifies the task. However, you simply need to present arguments that highlight the author's approach and the message they intended to convey through their text, video, image, or audio recording.

5. You have THE RIGHT TO ASK AN EXAMINER THE MEANING OF THE WORD. To do so, it is best to ask the question in English: "What is the English (word) for ...?" What does this word mean in English? "How do you say this in English?" Then, when you get the definition, remember to say: "Thank you for your help." "I appreciate your help." "Thank you for helping me." "You have been a great help and I thank you?" Feel free to ask your question as many times as necessary.

6. When you DON'T UNDERSTAND SOMETHING you can say: "Sorry, I didn't quite understand, could you repeat that?" "Excuse me, could you repeat that?" If you still don't understand, say: "Sorry, I still don't understand, could you repeat that one more time?" "Excuse me for bothering you, could you repeat that once more?" If you still don't understand, say: "Could you rephrase that?" "If I understand correctly, you said that ..."

7. I often tell my students this, and I'll say it again here: COMMENTING ON A TEXT DOESN'T REQUIRE PERFECT MASTERY of the subject. In other words, you don't need to know all the vocabulary related to the text's theme to get a good grade! Simply highlight the key phrases to support your arguments. When you're commenting on a video, an audio recording, or an image, focus on what you understand. If you don't understand part or all of the text, simply and clearly state this: "I don't understand the text, but I can give you a general idea." "The text is about ..." "The text addresses ..." "The text emphasizes ..." "The text deals with ..."

8. USE AS MANY EXPRESSIONS AS POSSIBLE to introduce, develop, and conclude your presentation, drawing on a list of essential phrases to use in context. These expressions will earn you points and demonstrate your mastery of a wide range of idioms! Don't hesitate to use them to showcase your expertise to the jury members and show them that you're ready to take on the challenge! 

9. The conclusion is NOT INTENDED TO REPEAT WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID in the body of the presentation; that would be like claiming that everything said previously was absurd! It simply summarizes the two main points to provide an overview of the topics covered. The conclusion can also delve deeper into the topic in the form of a question, thus opening the door to further discussion. For example: "In conclusion, we saw in the first part of the presentation that ... and therefore, this topic certainly deserves to be explored in more detail in subsequent discussions."

10. To wrap up this series of tips for acing your oral exam, I want to emphasize the importance of ending your presentation with a THREE-PART CLOSING STATEMENT: "That concludes my presentation" - "Thank you for your attention" - "I am available to answer your questions." Finally, DO NOT FORGET TO THANK the jury members; although not mandatory, I highly recommend doing so, in English, since your command of the language is being evaluated right up until the moment you leave the exam room. You could say: "Before I leave, I would like to thank you for the time you have dedicated to me." - "I wish you an excellent day and good luck with the rest of your exam sessions."