Oral Practice for CE 2007

Oral Practicefor CE 2007 Holy Trinity College Kowloon Tong School Pooi To Middle School SKH Li Fook Hing Secondary School

Paper III Speaking • Preparation time for Part A: 5 minutes (bring your own pencil and eraser, p.8) • Discussion: 6 minutes • Part B: (no preparation time, p.2) • To provide a one-minute response

Preparation • First reading: 1 minute • Second reading / writing: 2 minutes • Rehearsing it mentally: 2 minutes • You must leave the question paper behind in the preparation room (the same set will be given in the exam room) p.3

Candidate A: Red • Candidate B: Blue • Candidate C: Green • Candidate D: Yellow

Points to consider • Understanding the marking scheme • Jotting clear notes • Considering a fun / practical approach • Using names and numbers • Deleting points

Sample question Your groups is going to Lantau Island with 20 Primary 3 school children for a picnic. When you get to the country park, you find that one of the children is missing. Discuss with your group what you should do.

You may want to talk about: • How to get help • How to divide responsibilities • What to do with the remaining children • Anything else you think is important

No need to introduce each other (p.4) • Three major points + one optional point • 1 ½ minutes for each candidate (30 seconds for one main point) • To ask questions, and to respond (p.6) • The three major points will be properly covered.

Sample question • Which one of the following animals do you think would make a good pet for a grandfather? Discuss with your group which animal would be the best.

You may want to talk about: • Which animal is most suitable for an older person • What type of home is suitable for these pets • The cost of looking after these pets • Anything else you think is important

Sequence of points • Is the sequence important? • Should candidates disagree with each other? • Where should personal opinion come in? • When should candidates wrap up? • Wake-up call: That’s all for our discussion. Thank you.

Paralinguistic needs • Behave well in the exam centre • Posture • Eye contact • Fillers (you know, I guess, ok) • Facial expressions: raising eye brows, nodding, smiling, etc. • Listen to others’ points for future reference

Discussion • Speak up: the examiners may be 7 feet away from you • Give one to two ideas each time (do not speak for too long) • Allow other candidates to provide input • Use simple English (using the same terms shown in passage is not necessary) • Be courteous

Making references / Inviting others • Just now you mentioned about asking help from other visitors. Could you elaborate a bit there? • You had a good point there. Would you care to explain some more? • Your hiking experience may be of use to our plan. Could you repeat one point there?

Discussion • Help group members who are having difficulty explaining their points. • There is no need to vote. • There is no need to come to a conclusion. • Do not spend too much time on procedures. • Always remember: other candidates do not share your school environment.

Wrap up • Wrap up when you have only one minute to go; summarize what has been discussed. • “I think that’s all we have time for. Did I miss anything?” • “Thank you for a useful discussion.”

Part B: Individual response • One-minute response • No writing, no preparation (but you can refer to your note card) p.7 • Different questions (all candidates seated) p.3, p.11 • The question is read to you; listen well (p.7). • If you don’t understand the question, ask for clarification. It demonstrates your ability to communicate (do NOT remain silent, p.7)

Scoring (0 – 6) • Pronunciation and delivery • Communication strategies • Vocabulary and language patterns • Ideas and organization (p.7)

Leaving the centre • Look at the examiner who gives candidates instructions. • Nod to everyone in the room. • Leave your chair and room as quietly as possible. • Enjoy the rest of the summer!

THANK YOU

Oral Practice for CE 2007