Improving your speaking exam: THE INTERACTION

I post here some advice compiled by MAP, formerly a teacher at our school. Ta!
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DURING THE COURSE

·    

·       Practise with different partners. Your partners are likely to be those students just before and/or after you in the list, excluding the people who have hardly shown up during the year.

THAT DAY

·       Revise this document.

·       If possible, listen to easy audios, rather than to your partners. You must have done the latter other days.

·       Do relaxing activities.

JUST BEFORE INTERACTING

·       Make sure you’ve understood what the situation is and what you must do. If you have any doubts about it or the vocabulary or pronunciation of anything on the card, ask the examiners.

·       Pay attention to what the examiners say. If they pronounce the words on the card, for example, don’t pronounce them differently later, when you are talking.

·       Make sure you read how long the task must last.

WHILE YOU ARE TAKING THE EXAM

THE RIGHT ATTITUDE

·       Don’t look at the examiners while you’re interacting.

·       Speak loudly enough to be understood and recorded clearly.

·       Show your emotions, feelings, even with gestures. If you’re saying you’re glad, look happy. Pretend you’re an actor. Use your face, hands and body gracefully to help your communication, with different, suitable gestures and postures, as an extroverted Spaniard would do when speaking Spanish.

·       Show interest in what you’re saying. Maintain an interested, lively attitude – some students look and sound bored and boring when they’re doing the exam.

·       Show interest in what your partners are saying, also with ‘interested’ intonation and emphasis, especially when your partner has said something either rather positive or rather negative about him or herself. These are some typical language chunks:

I see / I see what you mean / Yes, I see your point.

Of course / Sure.

Oh / Really? / Oh, really? / That’s great!

Well done! / Good for you!

Oh, dear / Oh my / Oh no / No! (Really?) / What a shame! / Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.

FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS

·       Keep to the task as shown on the card. Discuss only the topic proposed and deal with the three aspects.

·       Don’t let your partners talk about what you think you aren’t supposed to talk about. Say, for example, Well, actually, what we should discuss here is …

·       If a partner misunderstands the situation, don’t let this go on, as you three will be confused and confusing. Say, for instance, Actually, it’s he, not she; I mean it’s a man, not a woman, isn’t it? This doesn’t mean you are correcting their language mistakes, but the elements of the situation you are all role-playing.

KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING AND COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY

·       How to start? Say, for instance:

So guys/girls, what do you think we could do (to improve the atmosphere at work)? [asking an opinion]

Hi. Have you heard (Sally’s getting married next September)? [breaking news]  

Well, guys/girls, shall we (go on holiday together)? [making a suggestion]

·       Don’t remain silent for a long while. Take part. If you have to interrupt, say something like these chunks:

Sorry to interrupt, but …

If I can say something here…

If you ask me, … [emphasise me]

·       Don’t be too slow all the time just because you’re thinking about the best way to say something, or you won’t sound natural and fluent and will be spending too much of the time that your partners need. At least, say something, even if it’s wrong, and check whether your partners understand you. A few bits are better than thirty seconds just racking your brain to get the correct words.

·       If a partner isn’t saying much, ask them, using their name, e.g. So, Carlos, what do you think? / Well, Susana, what about you – would you also prefer going by train?

·       If you have been interrupted and think you’d better say what you intended to say after all, say this: As I was saying, …

·       Your partner is not giving the important information (for instance, about who, what, where, when, why, how …): ask, e.g. Why not? / When was that? / So, what happened in the end? / I see, you don’t live with your parents, but do you mean you live on your own?

·       If that’s the case, show that you understand when your partner has already said a couple of things:

Aha / Mmm / Oh / Oh, did he? / Oh, can’t she? / Really?

I see / I see what you mean / I see your point.

·       Ask for clarification when you don’t understand, e.g. Did you say your mother or your father? / Do you mean one person, or several people? / Ok, but are you saying you live on your own, or with someone else?

·       Check whether your partners have understood if you think they may not have:

Do you see what I mean? // Do you get/see my point?

·       To move on to another point, use these connectors:

As far as accommodation is concerned, the options are living with a family or living in a hall of residence.

As regards / Regarding accommodation, the options are living with a family or living in a hall of residence.

·       To change the direction of the conversation, but making a link with what has just been said, use Talking of:

‘My sister has travelled a lot. For instance, she lived in Britain for one year.’ ‘Talking of Britain, shall we go there, the three of us?

·       Don’t mix the three aspects on the card. Don’t move to the next topic or let your partners do that before you’ve completed the one you’re talking about.

·       Make sure you talk about the three aspects before the time limit. Don’t talk about just one of the aspects proposed for too long; otherwise you won’t be able to deal with the others sufficiently or at all.

·       Sometimes students get stuck when they should be moving on to the next point because of one or both of two reasons. One is that they are trying to decide what to do but can’t really reach an agreement. Settle the question at once, even if this means that you have to finally agree despite your first idea or intention. And the other is that they, as a group, are bringing up too many ideas, aspects, possibilities… Instead, you should all try to keep to a few ideas, and, if too many have already come up, explicitly say that you think you should focus on this or that. In other words, making quick decisions and focusing your conversation can make a big difference.

·       Look for agreement:

Don’t you think/agree that (looking for volunteers would be great)?

Wouldn’t it be a good idea if (we looked for volunteers)?

·       Use appropriate ‘fillers’, that is, expressions that give you time to think, e.g.:

well / anyway / so / you know / I don’t know / I mean / let me see / let’s see / kind of / sort of / er [the bird-vowel, not the Spanish /e/]

‘How much are you selling it for?’  ‘Well, let me see, er …’

‘Why did you do that?’  ‘Oh, well, you know, I don’t know, really, I mean, it just sort of seemed a good idea.’

The latter is of course a less fluent example than the previous one, but at least you aren’t silent, you’re not using - as some students do - ‘bueno’ or ‘o sea’ or ‘pues’, and you’re displaying a variety of fillers… while thinking about what to say.

·       Rephrase quickly if you think your sentence is really incorrect, unclear or misunderstood. Say, for example:

What I mean is, …

I mean

What I’m trying to say is

·       Don’t ask for translations, as in ‘How do you say cabizbajo in English?’.

·       If you don’t know the English for a concept that you want to express (take ‘cabizbajo’ again), say, for example, ‘Well, he wasn’t speaking much and he looked sad.’ If you don’t know how to say ‘accesorios/complementos’, don’t make up the word - say the things you wear, like shoes, earrings, bracelets… You can also express that you aren’t speaking very exactly by using such vague expressions as kind of / sort of (before almost any part of the sentence) and so to speak (when you are saying something in words that don’t have their usual meaning):

She’s kind/sort of strange.

I’ve had kind/sort of an idea about what we could do.

I’ve kind/sort of changed my mind.

Sometimes I kind/sort of wonder whether I shouldn’t kind/sort of get a

job.

We have to pull down the barriers, so to speak, of poverty. (‘por así

decir’)

·       Make sure you don’t confuse your partners, your examiners and yourself with the pronouns and possessive words: you/your, he/him/his, she/her, they/them/their… This bad mistake is extremely common.

·       Make sure you use at least the Past Simple (of both regular and irregular verbs) when you have to talk about the past. This is one of the most repeated, systematic basic grammar mistakes that students make, and another important reason why they aren’t sometimes understood by their partners.

VARIETY AND LESS BASIC LANGUAGE

·       Learn and use a few very common or easy things that students hardly ever use, or hardly ever use correctly. Some things are easy because they’re similarly worded in Spanish, while some other things are more difficult because they don’t translate literally into our language but are very common and natural in English. The following is meant to give you some ideas.

·       Some basic ideas have to be frequently used. Use some variety: don’t say the same word all the time; for instance:

-      I like cooking > I’m into cooking / I’m fond of cooking

-      I think it’s good > … convenient / useful / helpful / a positive thing

-      Only two contestants participate in the show. > take part

-      When did the crime happen? > take place

-      No one knows if the Olympic Games will ever be celebrated in Madrid. > take place, be held

·       Use may or might, not just maybe or perhaps. Above all, try not to use be possible too often. Look at these transformations:

-      Maybe/Perhaps that is not true > It may/might not be true.

-      One day maybe/perhaps we will communicate with other people by means of chips on our body. > One day we may/might communicate with other people by means of chips on our body.

-      Maybe/Perhaps this has already taken place somewhere. > This may/might have taken place somewhere.

-      It’s possible that that remedy doesn’t work. > That remedy may/might not work.

-      Then it’s possible that we have to do all the work ourselves. > Then we may/might have to do all the work ourselves.

Although in most cases, when students use this phrase, the most natural way to say the idea involves may or (expressing less likelihood) might, they also use it when can is the right (and usual) option:

-      Is it possible that we do that for free, or do we have to pay? > Can we do that for free?

-      It’s possible to visit the centre of Iceland only in the summer. > You can visit the centre of Iceland only in the summer.

·       In speech, phrasal verbs are really common, but foreign speakers tend to make too little use of them partly because they are usually difficult for them and partly because there is usually a one-word Latin-based alternative. But these alternatives are frequently too formal to sound natural in ordinary speech, like a non-formal conversation. These are a few examples of common phrasal verbs – in short contexts - that you could use:

-      find out what happened for discover what happened

-      put off the match (but put it off!) for postpone the match

-      call off the meeting for cancel the meeting

-      I made up my mind to try to rescue him for I decided to try to rescue him

-      I can’t put up with such behaviour for I can’t tolerate such behaviour

-      I had to go on for I had to continue

-      You should keep on trying for You should continue trying

·       Conditional sentences (Types 2 and/or 3) are usually difficult for students. They express ideas that, sooner or later, are bound to come up when you speak anyway, so the real point is actually using them correctly. The following two sentences illustrate the most common combination of verb forms in each case, but, for example, ‘mixed’ types aren’t rare – it all depends on whether you’re talking about the past on the present/future:

Type 2: I wouldn’t go abroad if there were more job opportunities in Spain.

Type 3: I wouldn’t have gone abroad if there had been more job opportunities

 in Spain.

·       Use a couple of question tags when you don’t want to sound quite sure about something and would like confirmation from your partners. Examples:

-      So you aren’t quite sure, are you?

-      It’s something quite unnecessary, isn’t it?

-      You haven’t bought the tickets yet, have you?

-      But your parents will let you come with us, won’t they?

-      This happens all the time, doesn’t it?

-      People nowadays don’t do much exercise, do they?

·       Emphasis with do/does/did. Compare the neutral sentences with the emphatic ones:

-      We tend not to believe in spirits around us, since they cannot be seen; thus, when we do see them it usually comes as a shock.

-      All my friends think he hates sport, but he does like ping pong.

-      We were convinced he wouldn’t show up, but he did turn up at the wedding itself.

·       Ellipsis after auxiliaries (be, has, do and modal verbs), that is, not using the implicit words after an auxiliary:

-      They were all looking for the dog. I wasn’t – I knew it would come back.

-      She said she’d write, but she hasn’t.

-      I may come to London; I’ll phone if I do.

-      He said he’d arrive before seven and he did.

-      I may become a doctor. Or rather, I will.

·       Use exclamations occasionally, and use appropriate intonation. Two grammatically specific groups are exclamations with what and a noun phrase, and those with how plus an adjective or adverb. Examples:

-      What a pity! Then we’ll have to wait.

-      What a (stressful) life! She must be always stressed.

-      What (awful) children! They’re really naughty.

-      What a tiring day! I went to bed feeling exhausted.

-      What good news! It’s amazing.

-      How awful! You must be really upset.

-      How kind of you! Thanks a lot.

-      I can’t believe it. How quickly you’ve done that!

·       Use some adverbs of manner (not just well and a couple of other basic ones) and degree (not just very and a little). Examples:

-      The rooms are beautifully decorated.

-      The concert was ridiculously expensive.

-      I was slightly / fairly / pretty / quite / rather / really / so / extremely tired.

-      I was really / totally / absolutely exhausted.

·       Use the adverb instead, not just the preposition instead of. It can usually be translated as ‘en su lugar’.

-      I didn’t go to Greece after all. Instead, I went to Mexico.

-      You gave me a ham and jam sandwich. Could I have a ham and tomato one instead?

-      If Jo can’t attend the meeting, I could go instead.

·       After all. Look at the two different uses, both of which coincide with those of ‘después de todo’:

a.   So the prospect of being hired by the company seemed quite realistic, but the next day they phoned me to say they could not give me a job after all.

Union leaders announced that they would, after all, take part in the national conference.

b.   Prisoners should be treated with respect – they are human beings after all.

One could wonder why they are so concerned; it is not their problem after all.

·       The more/The less…, the more/the less…:

-      The more (money) you earn, the more you want to spend.

-      The more I talk to them, the better I understand their situation.

-      The sooner, the better.

-      The faster a car runs, the more petrol it need.

-      The less I work, the more tired I am.

-      The less money I have, the less often I go out.

·       Some common phrases with the noun point. Look below at a sample of usual phrases containing point that students do not normally use. See which ones seem easy for you to use:

-      You’ve made some extremely good points. (=given some very good opinions or ideas, as part of an argument or discussion)

-      I agree with Marisa’s point about looking for a cheap option.

-      I was going to raise that point. (=mention that fact, idea, or opinion)

-      All right, point taken. (= I accept what you say)

-      The point is, at least we’re all safely back home. (the most important fact is that…)

-      My point is not that we should all readily adopt traditional lifestyles. My point is that we could get rid of some aspects of our modern lifestyle, such as a high salt intake. (=what I would like to emphasise is…)

-      Maybe she has a point. (=has made a good point)

-      Nobody knows exactly how it works. That’s the whole point.

-      He may not have stolen the money himself, but that’s not the point. (the most important fact)

-      I wish you’d get to the point. (=talk about the most important thing)

-      I’ll come straight to the point. (=talk about the most important thing first)

-      I was determined to prove my point. (=prove that what I’d said was right)

-      I suppose we could save one or two of the trees, but what’s the point? (= the purpose or aim)

-      What’s the point of this meeting anyway? (= the purpose or aim)

-      The whole point of this legislation is to protect children.

-      There’s no point in worrying. (it’s pointless, useless)

-      We’re going to lose money, so I can’t see the point of playing.

·       Some other useful common phrases you could use to ‘sound more advanced’:

-      You can say that again. (‘Y que lo digas’)

-      You’re telling me. [emphasise me] (‘A mí me lo vas a decir’)

-      I won’t be able to come, I’m afraid / Oh, I’m afraid I won’t be able to come.

-      My sister had just had twins; that’s why I couldn’t take that train – she badly needed anyone’s help.

-      He enjoys school, believe it or not / Believe it or not, he enjoys school.

-      ‘I guess your wife doesn’t understand you.’  ‘On the contrary, she understands me very well.’

-      So let’s settle the question: the two/three of us are going to drive.

-      He’s a bit of an expert when it comes to computers.

CONNECTORS

·       To introduce additional surprising or unexpected information, use actually, in fact, as a matter of fact. Actually, this is a simplified way to put it. For example, actually is extremely common and it is more specifically used for such functions as correcting peoples mistakes or false assumptions, and making things more precise or more definite. You can look these phrases in Swan’s book or a good monolingual dictionary such as The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. And look out for these words in the texts that you read and listen to, whether in class or outside. A few examples:

-      ‘Did you see the match last night?’  ‘No, I didn’t. Actually / In fact / As a matter of fact, I don’t really like football.’

-      ‘Hi, Antonio.’  ‘Actually, my name’s Mario.’

-      ‘Did you enjoy your holiday?’  ‘Very much, actually.’

·       To introduce an explanation or clarification of a point you have just made, use that is (to say). I mean (more common) can be used in the same way, or for giving more details. And to say something again in another way, you may say in other words:

-      She’s quite selfish. I mean, she never thinks about other people at all.

-      The government are going to help first-time buyers. That is (to say), they are going to make mortgages more easily available.

-      A lot of people booed, and some people even left early. In other words, it was a complete disaster.

·       To balance contrasting facts or points, use on (the) one hand . . . on (the) other hand. On (the) other hand is also used alone to introduce a contrastive fact or point (e.g. before talking about disadvantages, after having talked about advantages). You should really bear in mind that this connector is very often wrongly used (misused, and overused or abused), because of Spanish – when a student really means ‘besides, in addition’; and that, in any case, it must be exactly on the other hand, not, for example, *by another hand. Visualise something (e.g. a book) “on the one hand” (on the open palm, not in your fist) and something else (e.g. a laptop) “on the other hand”.

·       To express sequence of events, do not use after as an adverb; instead, use ‘then, (…)’, ‘after that, (…)’, or ‘next, (…)’, for example; in fact, if you use after in this case, the idea is quite different, so if you mean the second sentence in each pair below, do not use the first:

-      I went shopping for clothes, after I did the weekly housework. [‘Me fui a comprarme ropa, después de hacer las tareas semanales de la casa.’]

-      I went shopping for clothes; after that, I did the weekly housework. [‘Me fui a comprarme ropa; después hice las tareas semanales de la casa.’]

·       There are several good linking phrases for generalisations, not just In general. Look at these:

-      On the whole / Generally speaking / Broadly speaking, I think that women make better journalists than men.

-      By and large, the new arrangements have worked well.

PRONUNCIATION

·       Don’t be afraid to imitate a native as regards intonation (e.g. high pitch), rhythm, and pronunciation. Spanish people sound very flat and even rude in English. Make your intonation lively.

·       Make sure you have practised the initial sound for “she” and use it in the dozens

of words that you’re going to use which contain it: shop, fish, special, issue, action, passion, fashion, ocean, Russian …

·       Make sure you say an /s/ in words like city, centre, necessary …

·       Make sure you pronounce these words correctly: walk, talk, work, future, nature, culture, natural, cultural, advantage, disadvantage, advantages, disadvantages, story, history, important, importance, convenient.

·       Pronounce the final consonant clusters and link the words that go together. Not: *A “chile” arrive at the place. Say: A child_arrrived_at …

MISTAKES

·       You won’t have much time or concentration to think about the language to use. Concentrate on the ideas, the contents, the situation - the interaction itself. But if you have made a bad mistake, you may correct it, as suggested above. Don’t do this too often, though.

·       Try not to make too much use of grammar or vocabulary that you are not sure enough about; for example, Conditional 3 (If I’d been you, I’d have done the same thing); *to considerate or to consider?

LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS

·       Opinions, agreement, disagreement, suggestions, advice, spontaneous decisions, giving news, and requests are probably the most common language functions required in the interaction. Don’t say the typical things students usually say. Use a few new ways. You’re again studying all of this this year.

·       Make suggestions correctly. Students tend to say We can (surf the Internet) all the time. Say, for example, Shall we (surf the Internet)? / Why don’t we (surf the Internet)? / How about (surfing the Internet)? / What about (surfing the Internet)? / (I think) we could (surf the Internet). / Let’s (surf the Internet).

·       Use should for advice (You should go to the doctor / I think you should do more exercise) and opinions (We should do that as soon as possible / I think people should get more actively involved in politics).