Speaking Strategies (45 minutes)
Objectives:
· to develop strategies for being successful in the speaking test, with particular emphasis on the role plays and conversation.
· to understand the importance of learning five key verbs in three tenses
· to understand the criteria for getting a C+ and how to improve utterances to get a C
· to practise roleplays & conversation
Materials
Activity One: The Oral Test
Briefly explain the different components of the oral and that only the role plays and conversation are to be looked at in this session.
Brainstorm the requirements of a ‘C+’ grade (verbs in three tenses; opinions; descriptions; connectives).
Explain what to look for in a Higher Role Play (the ?/unexpected)
Activity Two: About The Role Play
Explain:
What you must be able to do:
In role plays, the most important thing is to get your message across, so that a Spanish-speaking person would understand. Of course, you should try to be as accurate as possible, but small mistakes will not always lose marks.
You will also need to ask questions, as well as give answers.
To do well at the higher tier, you will need to be accurate and fluent. You will also have to deal with the unexpected, give explanations and communicate opinions, ideas and feelings. You will also be expected to use different verb tenses and have a wide range of vocabulary. You will need plenty of practice with more demanding situations, such as those that might require you to tell a story, give an opinion or use a verb in the future. You also need to work at different situations with a view to using a key phrase you have learnt by heart ('me parece que'...) or a structure you have been practising (e.g.'cuando' followed by the imperfect tense).
The unexpected
In the higher tier role plays, you will have to respond to 'the unexpected'. This means that you will not be told what to say on your role play card. Instead, you will have to respond to something that the examiner has just said, sometimes by answering a question.
One way that you can prepare for the unexpected is to think through how you might deal with situations where you have asked for something that it is not available. It is really important to read the information you are given to see if there are any clues as to what you might have to say.
Activity Three
Divide into two groups:
Group A Role Plays
Practise role Then give them some higher role-plays to look at to work out what they may be required to say when they see the ?
Group B The Conversation
Remind students that to get a C+ they need to use three different timeframes, preferably by using verbs in different tenses. Suggest they learn five verbs in three tenses in the ‘I’ form:
To be
To have
To do/make
To play
To watch
Plus
Get students to make cards using three different colours/an arrow left (past), pointing downwards (present) and pointing right (future) and write the verbs on them.
Also suggest they learn 5 different adjectives they can use positively and negatively to describe a range of things/people plus three qualifiers and five connectives.
Brainstorm adjectives, qualifiers and connectives and write on flipcharts around wall.
Remind they should:
· Try to use a variety of vocabulary and phrases. This will impress the examiner
· Keep giving and explaining your opinions even if you are not asked for them.
· For each question try to say what, where, when, who with and why. If you can give all this information you will be scoring highly.
· Keep giving and explaining your opinions even if you are not asked for them.
· If you have to talk about numbers eg the numbers of teachers or students in your school you don't have to tell the truth. If you there are 1123 students in your school round it down to 1000. Use phrases like more or less/approximately instead of being precise- the examiner doesn't have a clue about how many students there are in your school! (BBC Bitesize)