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oral problem

strepsil

i've a stutter and i'm worried about the irish and french orals. Will i have to explain to the examiner I have a stutter or will I just talk as i do? If i just talk they might think that i'm really nervous and that I don't know the vocabulary when really i do! Also will this dock me marks in the reading section in the irish oral??

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Raphael

Just learn off the phrase for "I'm sorry, I have a stutter" in each language, and say it towards the start of the exam. And good luck!

caesar

Raphael wrote:

Just learn off the phrase for "I'm sorry, I have a stutter" in each language, and say it towards the start of the exam. And good luck!

Simple advice, but at the same time great advice.

abercrombie

Raphael wrote:

Just learn off the phrase for "I'm sorry, I have a stutter" in each language, and say it towards the start of the exam. And good luck!

i think raphael is right...that sounds like a good idea! good luck with everything

Scarinae

Learning the phrase in that language seems like a good idea. Ask your language teachers for advice as well, I'm sure you're not the first person it has happened to.

rugbug86

yeah, speak to your teachers and they should be able to help you out, they could mention it to the examiner beforehand maybe.

Funkstard

Yeh with the amount of people examiners go through they're bound to come across some people with a stutter/stammer. Just explain from the start that you have one, it could even work in your favour, if you forget a word you can just stutter until it comes to you!!

Basq

Have suffered from a stutter all my life.

Did my French and Irish orals twice.. and after the initial hesitation, you will soon get into the swing of things. And Raphael's advice is actually well worth taking.

Best of luck!

RacoonQueen

Can you not get an exemption?

A lad in my year had a stutter and didn't have to do oral exams.

Basq

mp1972 wrote:

Can you not get an exemption?

A lad in my year had a stutter and didn't have to do oral exams.

I highly doubt it! Maybe he got an exemption but not due to having a stutter - that's just silly!

And besides.. as a stutterer, the biggest milestone is to actually face up to it and realise there's nothing to be ashamed of. Doing your oral exams will help you in the long run.

It is quite daunting right now to speak in public or even to someone in a confined room - but look at me, i gave a reading at my brother's wedding a couple of weeks back.

It will get easier - believe me!

PS - if you're interested in finding ways to aid your speech, i recommend a book on the Valsalva Mechanism by Bill Parry. Find information on it here. Sorry to be so off-topic with all this advice but as a fellow stutterer, it's something i feel very close to.

radiospan

I did the orals with a stutter a few years ago. It turned out to be no big deal, I remember saying "Tá stadracht agam" (might want to check that) at the start of the Irish one.

Talk to your teachers about it, I think they let the examiners know beforehand. The examiners are well used to it anyway.

Basq

Actually.. sorry, going off topic again!

Last time!

But might be interesting to see how many people on Boards suffer from speech impediments such as stutters, lisps etc. And get views on it - where exactly could i post this though? Not exactly 'After Hours' material but would like to get some Boards-wide input into it.

OTliddy

I have a stutter, and I did my orals last year.

I do a course called the McGuire programme(contact Joe O' Donell Tel: 074 9125781
Mobile: 086 3429602
www.mcguireprogramme.com
www.irishmcguireprog.com) which really improved my speech. It teaches a new method of breathing, and therefore speaking. There is a course in Cork in Febuary(courses last 3 days). However, this course is quite intensive and if you are 100% to the LC, maybe leave it till the August and November courses next year in Galway. Although everybody attains fluency coming off their first course, the McGuire programme is not a "cure", and certainly not an overnight one. It is very good(has a 70% success rate), and the people are really nice aswell. Look into it, and at least ring up Joe.

As regards the oral, follow the advice given above EXCEPT for getting an exemption. Orals are easy marks, even if you have a stutter.
-Tell your teacher a month, and then again a couple of days before you're oral to tell the examiner you have a speech impediment.
-Learn the appropriate meanings for "Excuse me, could you please be patient with me, I have a stutter"
-Smile

Good luck!

RacoonQueen

basquille wrote:

I highly doubt it! Maybe he got an exemption but not due to having a stutter - that's just silly!

And besides.. as a stutterer, the biggest milestone is to actually face up to it and realise there's nothing to be ashamed of. Doing your oral exams will help you in the long run.

No he got the exemption because of how bad his stutter is. He did German and Irish and didn't have to do an oral in either.

Raphael

basquille wrote:

And Raphael's advice is actually well worth taking.

You say that like it surprises you =(

abercrombie

mp1972 wrote:

No he got the exemption because of how bad his stutter is. He did German and Irish and didn't have to do an oral in either.

did he lose the marks for his oral though or was his entire irish and german results based on just the paper???

RacoonQueen

abercrombie wrote:

did he lose the marks for his oral though or was his entire irish and german results based on just the paper???

It was based on the aural and written paper