French Oral Exam Soon

DessieMG

How tough is the French oral exam, i got an A in my mock HL but it was an easy paper, i have 2 weeks to prepare, any tips?

joshrogan

The accent is the key, although I do ordinary French I got 75% in my mock oral(highest in the class), I'm putting it down to the accent considering I didn't bring a document.



Also if you don't know the answer to a question turn it around to something you can talk about, for example if they mention politics say you have no interest in politics but you do like television and discuss that.

partyatmygaff

First and foremost, you need to communicate with the examiner. It's not enough to mumble a few phrases in French that you learned the night before.

xxpopopxx

joshrogan wrote: »

The accent is the key, although I do ordinary French I got 75% in my mock oral(highest in the class), I'm putting it down to the accent considering I didn't bring a document.



Also if you don't know the answer to a question turn it around to something you can talk about, for example if they mention politics say you have no interest in politics but you do like television and discuss that.

just wondering if you didn't bring a document for the mocks are you planning on bringing one to the real thing? kinda struggling now to find something to talk about.....

nomnomnomnom

Hey guys, just wondering if i can use phrases like - J'ai d'autre chats a foutter !
or will the examiner not recognise them?

Canard

Definitely use them! I had a mock oral with one of the teachers in my school and, while I got a good result, she said I should try to use more idioms. If the examiner doesnt recognize them that just shows you're really good

nomnomnomnom

I'm afraid that they'll take me down for using ones they don't know...

Canard

Well sure that wont be your fault - what I did was got my teacher to correct mine. She asked a French friend to make sure they were used by actual French people and all of them were except one was a bit antiquated. Even if they didnt get the idiom its not too hard to figure out what you're saying - youll be fine

partyatmygaff

nomnomnomnom wrote: »

I'm afraid that they'll take me down for using ones they don't know...

They won't. Usually, they'll be impressed. A favourite word of mine was époustouflant which neither my mock oral examiner nor my actual oral examiner seemed to recognise. It definitely helps.

Mysteriouschic

I don't know how to practise the oral. I tried writing answers to questions from the Le Oral book (I think thats the name) I lost the book but I have the questions written down. I can't get the answers to stick but I know the basic answers to the questions. Other times I get bored trying to learn the answers . The oral always brings me down.

I remember in my last years oral I got asked whats my favourite tv show then she asked me which character and I forgot all the characters names at that moment, I said Ronnie from Eastenders as thats all I could remember and she asked why I just said she's dramatic and interesting in french.

What way is everyone else trying to practise the french oral?

Canard

partyatmygaff wrote: »

They won't. Usually, they'll be impressed. A favourite word of mine was époustouflant which neither my mock oral examiner nor my actual oral examiner seemed to recognise. It definitely helps.

Oh, borrowing that word :P So what happened when they didnt recognize it? Do you not think they might think you're using a fake word and take away marks?

partyatmygaff

Speaking to yourself in a mirror and/or recording yourself and playing the recording back is the method I used to prepare last year. Memorising reams of questions and answers isn't the way to go about it.

Patchy~ wrote: »

Oh, borrowing that word So what happened when they didnt recognize it? Do you not think they might think you're using a fake word and take away marks?

She noted the word down on a piece of paper. Presumably she went and checked it up after the exam ended and seeing that it was a real word she must have been impressed.

paaula

Mysteriouschic wrote: »

I don't know how to practise the oral. I tried writing answers to questions from the Le Oral book (I think thats the name) I lost the book but I have the questions written down. I can't get the answers to stick but I know the basic answers to the questions. Other times I get bored trying to learn the answers . The oral always brings me down.

I remember in my last years oral I got asked whats my favourite tv show then she asked me which character and I forgot all the characters names at that moment, I said Ronnie from Eastenders as thats all I could remember and she asked why I just said she's dramatic and interesting in french.

What way is everyone else trying to practise the french oral?

Same here, it's so hard to learn the answers off by heart. I just hope I get a nice examiner lol. Is anyone else not bringing a document to their oral??

Canard

I'm not using one
Kinda worried in case they ask me about TV...my mock oral conversations have never gone that way, like I dont watch TV :L

paaula

Patchy~ wrote: »

I'm not using one
Kinda worried in case they ask me about TV...my mock oral conversations have never gone that way, like I dont watch TV :L

I was asked about TV in my mock oral but that was because I mentioned that my sister watches too much TV. If you don't mention it at all they shouldn't ask you and if they do just tell them you are not interested in it

partyatmygaff

I'd highly recommend bringing in a document. Mine was a simple stock photo and it gave me five minutes of relatively smooth conversation (Thanks to my being to prepare for the topic).

paaula

Is there a point in preparing a document now? I mean there is only two weeks left.

Canard

I brought in a little thing I got at the UCD open day to talk about how I want to do languages there but there was nothing to ask about and little to talk about, and it comes up in conversation anyway. I'd be afraid they'd ask me some kind of detailed question that I couldnt answer and it'd look worse since its meant to be prepared.

My other idea was pictures from my school's french trip in February, but I can fit that in anyway and it is oh so clichéd :pac:

Mysteriouschic

paaula wrote: »

Same here, it's so hard to learn the answers off by heart. I just hope I get a nice examiner lol. Is anyone else not bringing a document to their oral??

I know it's really difficult. I'm getting my cousin. who's studying French to help me for the next 2 weeks. My pronunciation of words sound awful as well. I sound English speaking French. I have a document I made it 2 weeks ago it's just on a holiday in Spain. Most people I know aren't using documents. I'd rather be able to have something prepared. In my old school my teacher made everyone have one.
My examiner last year told me the question in english when I got stuck, she cover the tape and once during it I kind of went "what" when she was telling me.

Wesc.

At the moment I'm constructing a big mindmap for the oral. What I'm doing in it is, if I put a topic on, say, homework on the map, I'll branch out the possible topics and questions it may lead onto with whatever answer I intend to give. I did a smaller version for my mock oral for my document and it worked out quite well So I'm just giving ye an idea it might help some of you!

Mysteriouschic

Wesc. wrote: »

At the moment I'm constructing a big mindmap for the oral. What I'm doing in it is, if I put a topic on, say, homework on the map, I'll branch out the possible topics and questions it may lead onto with whatever answer I intend to give. I did a smaller version for my mock oral for my document and it worked out quite well So I'm just giving ye an idea it might help some of you!

That sounds like a good idea I might try that. Although I don't know what the questions in french would be for all the topics.

PictureFrame

FREAKING OUT about this Oral.. I haven't done any Oral over the Easter, I can't do it tomorrow either. So basically I have today, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If I had vocab. for the following, do you think i'd be ok?

• Myself
• My Family
• My Home
• The Countryside
• Sport
• Television
• Past-times
• Music
• School
• Money
• Typical Day
• France
• Careers
• What I would do if I was- (Minister Enviroment/Education/Principal/Won lotto)
• The Weekend (Past, Present, Future)
• Tranisition Year
• Holidays (Past, Present, Future)
• Discipline/Rules in School
• My Favourite TV Programme
• Smoking
• Alcohol
• Pollution
• Drugs
• Drugs in Sport
• Emigration
• Discrimination
• Fashion
• Unemployment
• Social Networking
• Crime
• Car Accidents
• Tourism
• Easter Holidays
• Favourite Book
• Favourite Film
• My Town
• The Grad

EDIT:

Plus a Document about Exam Pressure/The Points System (fairness, what should we do to change it etc)

Canard

Yes, dear god thats so much, you wont even need half of it, honestly. You'll probably find you know a lot of it anyway like I dont know vocab on facilities in the area etc but I just dont let the conversation go that way, though I'm gonna learn some in case :P

Ally7

From the two mock orals I've done they don't have time to ask even a quarter of those topics. Instead of learning off all about alcohol, drugs, unemployment etc. you could just learn one well for a problem in your area, generally they just seem to ask is there any social problems in your area. Also, I'd say you'd be ok to leave out car accidents, I doubt any would ask about that as it could be a very sensitive topic fOr some!

PictureFrame

Ally7 wrote: »

From the two mock orals I've done they don't have time to ask even a quarter of those topics. Instead of learning off all about alcohol, drugs, unemployment etc. you could just learn one well for a problem in your area, generally they just seem to ask is there any social problems in your area. Also, I'd say you'd be ok to leave out car accidents, I doubt any would ask about that as it could be a very sensitive topic fOr some!

Our teacher is weird like that, she was trying to make us learn notes about Abortion ffs!

Guys, ye smart Frenchies would you mind looking at this and seeing does it make sense

Les drogues

Je crois que la toxicomanie est un probleme serieux en irlande. Je suis totalement contre de la drogue. Ils sont tres mal pour la sante et la cerveau aussi. La usage des drogues est devenu tres repandu en irlande. A mon avis, les jeunes prendre led drogues a cause de la pression du groupe et echapper a la vie quotiodienne. En conclusion, a mon avis, les drogues sont une probleme tres grave aujourd'hui. Il n'ya pas de recette magique, mais, nous devons luttre contre les drogues avant qu'il soit trop tard

*I don't know how to do accents or that on the computer! Thanks

grantyrs10

PictureFrame wrote: »

Our teacher is weird like that, she was trying to make us learn notes about Abortion ffs!

Guys, ye smart Frenchies would you mind looking at this and seeing does it make sense

Les drogues

Je crois que la toxicomanie est un probleme serieux en irlande. Je suis totalement contre de la drogue. Ils(elles sont- la drogue feminine) sont tres mal pour la sante et la cerveau aussi. La usage(l'utilisation de la drogue) des drogues est devenu tres repandues(agreement) en irlande. A mon avis, les jeunes prendre(prennent- agreement ) les drogues a cause de la pression du groupe et pour s'echapper a la vie quotiodienne. En conclusion, a mon avis, les drogues sont une(un-masc) probleme tres grave aujourd'hui. Il n'ya pas de recette magique, mais, nous devons luttre contre les drogues avant qu'il soit trop tard

*I don't know how to do accents or that on the computer! Thanks

There you go

Canard

I think luttre should be lutter? I also think its just 'contre la' not contre de la, and you did write just contre les later on in the piece.

Claregirl5

Bonjour tout le monde!

I have corrected the text written by PictureFrame and hope it will help.

Do not - however - learn off long chunks of prepared paragraphs.

Remember, it is a conversation, not a monologue!

Bonne chance a vous tous.

PS: I do not know how to get the accents either!

Les drogues La drogue

Je crois que la toxicomanie est un probleme serieux en irlande Irlande. Je suis totalement contre de la drogue. Ils sont tres mal Se droguer est mauvais pour la sante physique et la sante mentale et la cerveau aussi. La usage L'usage de la drogue des drogues est devenu tres repandu en Irlande irlande. A mon avis, les jeunes prendre led drogues se droguent a cause de la pression du groupe et pour oublier les problemes de echapper a la vie quotidiennequotiodienne. En conclusion, a mon avis,[/S] les drogues sont une La drogue est un probleme tres grave aujourd'hui. En conclusion, il n'y a pas de recette magique, mais, mais nous devons luttre lutter contre ce probleme les drogues avant qu'il ne soit trop tard

Mysteriouschic

I didn't get asked about drugs or alcohol or any really hard topics in my last years oral, neither did anyone else in class . I guess it depends on the examiner, I know others in other schools were asked harder things. I don't know if it's worth trying to learn any phrases in that and as I'm only doing the ordinary. Some people told me their oral lasted longer than 12-15mins :S.

I remember being asked how many teachers there were in the school and what the different rooms were and how many. My last years class there were only 7 people though. It could be different this time as there is two french classes , and more people to test.

When is everyones french oral?

Canard

Claregirl5 wrote: »

avant qu'il ne soit trop tard

We havent done the subjunctive yet (I know :rolleyes:), but is there a reason you used it here? Does 'avant que' trigger it? Also, that ne, its not actually negative, is it? Is that the ne expletif or whatever its called?
(Why exactly is the ne even there? If you dont mind answering :P)

School of french

Let me give ye a bit of advice on the Oral. Im an examiner and I can tell you all that the most important thing to remember is that the oral is a conversation between two people. Smiling and keeping eye contact (without staring) is important. Try and be a little bit original. If the examiner asks about the school uniform for example, try and give an opinion about whether uniforms are a good or bad idea. The examiner will, for the most part, be able to see what you are wearing so its a bit mad to start telling them. Bon courage a tous!

Dwellingdweller

Patchy~ wrote: »

We havent done the subjunctive yet (I know :rolleyes:), but is there a reason you used it here? Does 'avant que' trigger it? Also, that ne, its not actually negative, is it? Is that the ne expletif or whatever its called?
(Why exactly is the ne even there? If you dont mind answering :P)

The subjunctive is used when you're talking about something that's uncertain or, what's the word... hypothetical! And opinion, as in your personal view. That's why it's put in the subjunctive, I think. Avant qu'il ne soit trop tard - 'before it's (not) too late'. It's not definite and you're expressing an opinion or a possibility. If something has already happened and it's already too late ya could say 'c'est trop tard' - "it's too late", it's definite, and it's already happened, so the subjunctive isn't used. Hope that helps

Canard

Dwellingdweller wrote: »

The subjunctive is used when you're talking about something that's uncertain or, what's the word... hypothetical! And opinion, as in your personal view. That's why it's put in the subjunctive, I think. Avant qu'il ne soit trop tard - 'before it's (not) too late'. It's not definite and you're expressing an opinion or a possibility. If something has already happened and it's already too late ya could say 'c'est trop tard' - "it's too late", it's definite, and it's already happened, so the subjunctive isn't used. Hope that helps

Hmm but wouldnt hypothetical just be the conditional? :P are you sure that that ne means not? Theres no pas, and before its not too late doesnt make much sense :P

But I always see things like 'je pense que c'est incroyable' - personal opinion but no subjunctive. its a really confusing tense! we should be doing it soon but ugh, my teacher's damn slow :pac: Thank you for your help

Dwellingdweller

Patchy~ wrote: »

Hmm but wouldnt hypothetical just be the conditional? :P are you sure that that ne means not? Theres no pas, and before its not too late doesnt make much sense :P

But I always see things like 'je pense que c'est incroyable' - personal opinion but no subjunctive. its a really confusing tense! we should be doing it soon but ugh, my teacher's damn slow :pac: Thank you for your help

Conditional is conditional :P It's an 'if' thing, if this, then that. Hypothetical's different, somehow. The ne is just there to put emphasis, there's a few french phrases where it's used, like 'je n'ai que deux livres' - 'I've only two books'. Putting the 'pas' in would double negative it, i.e 'I haven't only two books'. Hope that helps, sorry if I'm coming across as a stickler* :pac:

Double sorry if what I've told you is wrong :P

Canard

Dwellingdweller wrote: »

Conditional is conditional :P It's an 'if' thing, if this, then that. Hypothetical's different, somehow. The ne is just there to put emphasis, there's a few french phrases where it's used, like 'je n'ai que deux livres' - 'I've only two books'. Putting the 'pas' in would double negative it, i.e 'I haven't only two books'. Hope that helps, sorry if I'm coming across as a stickler* :pac:

Double sorry if what I've told you is wrong :P

ne + que is a standard negation like rien and jamais :P But that ne has nothing going with it and I've never really understood that I read about it once and it just fried my brain :pac:

Claregirl5

Patchy~ wrote: »

We havent done the subjunctive yet (I know :rolleyes:), but is there a reason you used it here? Does 'avant que' trigger it? Also, that ne, its not actually negative, is it? Is that the ne expletif or whatever its called?
(Why exactly is the ne even there? If you dont mind answering :P)

You are right. It is called a "ne expletif". Its use is optional, as shown below:

Je n’irai pas la voir avant qu’elle parte
OR
Je n’irai pas la voir avant qu’elle ne parte.

To me, however, it sounds better.

These are the "locutions conjonctives" followed by the subjonctive and the ne expletif:
à moins que unless
avant que before
de crainte que for fear that
de peur que for fear that
sans que without

Canard

Claregirl5 wrote: »

You are right. It is called a "ne expletif". Its use is optional, as shown below:

Je n’irai pas la voir avant qu’elle parte
OR
Je n’irai pas la voir avant qu’elle ne parte.

To me, however, it sounds better.

These are the "locutions conjonctives" followed by the subjonctive and the ne expletif:
à moins que unless
avant que before
de crainte que for fear that
de peur que for fear that
sans que without

Thank you! Just to be sure, do you mean that those phrases cause the subjunctive and you could also choose to use the ne expletif? And would you advise doing it in the exam? I'd be afraid they'd think I forgot the pas and then take away marks, haha

Mysteriouschic

Will we get tested on using the subjunctive verbs and conditional verbs? I can't remember these since last year an my teacher just reads texts all the time.

Claregirl5

Yes, they require both. Have a look at the following examples, that you may use in your oral:


J'espere aller a l'universite l'annee prochaine, à moins que je n'obtienne les points necessaires au Leaving Cert.

De crainte que OR de peur que je n'obtienne les points necessaires, je vais travailler d'arrache-pied.

Je vais aller a la discotheque le weekend prochain, sans que mes parents ne le sachent.

Je vais arreter de perdre mon temps sur ce forum, avant qu'il ne soit trop tard pour mes revisions.

Do not worry too much about the subjonctive. Learn a few phrases including it and you will be fine.

Bonne chance.

PS: I still do not know how to add accents!!

Canard

Claregirl5 wrote: »

Yes, they require both. Have a look at the following examples, that you may use in your oral:


J'espere aller a l'universite l'annee prochaine, à moins que je n'obtienne les points necessaires au Leaving Cert.

De crainte que OR de peur que je n'obtienne les points necessaires, je vais travailler d'arrache-pied.

Je vais aller a la discotheque le weekend prochain, sans que mes parents ne le sachent.

Je vais arreter de perdre mon temps sur ce forum, avant qu'il ne soit trop tard pour mes revisions.

Do not worry too much about the subjonctive. Learn a few phrases including it and you will be fine.

Bonne chance.

PS: I still do not know how to add accents!!

Thank you!! I'll learn these
You can add some accents with Alt Gr button Also think you might have made a little mistake there with mon temps, non? :P

edit: ah, touché :P

Claregirl5

You're very welcome, Patchy and thanks for the info re: accents !


perdre mon temps is rightl "Temps" always takes a "s". Remember: Quel temps fait-il aujourd'hui?

Mysteriouschic

Claregirl5 wrote: »

Yes, they require both. Have a look at the following examples, that you may use in your oral:


J'espere aller a l'universite l'annee prochaine, à moins que je n'obtienne les points necessaires au Leaving Cert.

De crainte que OR de peur que je n'obtienne les points necessaires, je vais travailler d'arrache-pied.

Je vais aller a la discotheque le weekend prochain, sans que mes parents ne le sachent.

Je vais arreter de perdre mon temps sur ce forum, avant qu'il ne soit trop tard pour mes revisions.

Do not worry too much about the subjonctive. Learn a few phrases including it and you will be fine.

Bonne chance.

PS: I still do not know how to add accents!!

Oh thanks I forgot we needed to know them.
Do you know have any good links for learning the subjunctive or conditional?
I can't find my last years work sheets that I had.

ImApumpkin

ahh lads right so my document is about the gaeltacht T_T cool huh? well anywhoo...so it's actually about Skellig Michael and my time in the gaeltacht last year..haw haw real interesting..so um What kind of Questions could the examiner ask? Thanks bros (:

jack.h

Hi has anyone else not had their French mock oral yet? As well does anyone have any tips for it? Should i go over grammar/tenses or try and learn my paragraphs on the different topics(Moi Meme, le weekend,... etc) or both? Thanks for any advice in advance.