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Hi, my
students will present an oral exam next week. This is the first time the school
allows the teachers to design the oral exam by ourselves . Before, we had a standard
exam which I really didn�t like it at all. I�m a happy because I think I can
improve the exam. We have to grade pronunciation, fluency, grammar and
vocabulary. Do you have any ideas you would like to share? How do you design
your oral exam? My students are at an intermediate level, so they have quite a
vocabulary. I�ll be grateful if you would like to share your experiences. Thank
you.
hi Saskush - I think a good way forward might be to consider the vocabulary you can expect your students to know and creat paired speaking situations around it. For example, if you have just finished a topic on hotels and tourism, you might have pairs acting out a hotel check-in or some other similar situation.
I would look up possible situations / role plays on the net to use as well.
You could follow the example of the Cambridge exams and present students with two pictures (in your case, related to something they �ve studied) and ask them to discuss them/compare them/contrast them by talking to each other in pairs. It �s a good idea to choose pictures from artistic sources because they �re often easier to discuss. Something from national geographic or something by someone like Dorothea Lange, and something with people in it.
It �s possible to prepare for this AND to encourage speaking in class AND to increase students understanding of their books and ability to remember words by ALWAYS discussing the pictures on each page of the book before doing the exercises . E.g. What is that? Where would you see something like that? What might they be talking about? How do you think she is feeling? What do you think might have happened before the picture was taken? What might happen next? What kind of person do you think he/she is? Can you guess what the story will be about from the pictures? What kind of skills do you need to do that? Have you ever tried _________? etc. etc. depending on the pictures, open ended questions that do not allow for one-word answers are best.
Teachers spend loads of time photocopying materials, and they forget what they already have!
First ask easy questions which they are used to, as a form of warm-up and to make them calm down.
Ask questions forcing them to use the vocabulary and grammar structures they have learned.
Show a picture and ask to describe it. The picture must be related to situations they have learned (hotel, beach, school, etc.) Then ask what is happening, what they think will happen after that scene, etc.
Ask personal questions inserting the vocabulary covered. Give some options on topics and ask the student to choose one to discuss with you. If the student defends, you take the opposite side.
I also give my students a short text to read, give first some minutes to familiarize and read aloud when they are ready.
. Before, we had a standard
exam which I really didn�t like it at all. I�m a happy 
because I think I can
improve the exam. We have to grade pronunciation, fluency, grammar and
vocabulary. Do you have any ideas you would like to share? How do you design
your oral exam? My students are at an intermediate level, so they have quite a
vocabulary. I�ll be grateful if you would like to share your experiences. Thank
you. 
