A Level Languages - French & German.?

Question

Any advice on oral exam? What phrases are useful ie. how do you say -

Can you rephrase / repeat that?
I hadn't thought of that.

etc etc, general advice too!
xx

Answer 1

My advice would be to try and relax as much as possible (difficult, I know!). I have my final year oral exam in May, and I'm terrified of it, so I kind of know what you're going through!

You have to do a presentation, is that right? I'd say really work on it beforehand and try to learn it off by heart. My range of vocab is fine normally, but my mind always goes blank in oral exams because I panic and end up sticking to really basic phrases. I can't see any way around this other than to learn as much as I can off by heart beforehand, so maybe this would help you too.

In German, you can say "Wären Sie so nett und wiederholen die Frage bitte?" or simply "Könnten Sie bitte die Frage wiederholen?". For French, you can say "Pouvez-vous répéter la question s’il vous plaît?". You could also use 'wie bitte?' or 'pardon', but if you can ask a full question it would probably be better. Always use the Sie/vous forms when talking to your teacher/examiner.

Most of all, try and take your time. Breathe (sounds stupid, but I always forget to breathe when I do presentations!!) and take a second to consider your answer if you need to. You can use sentences to buy yourself more thinking time such as "Das ist eine schwierige Frage"/"C'est une question difficile".
If you lose track of what you wanted to say, you can say 'Entschuldigen Sie bitte, ich habe den Faden verloren' (means you lost the thread, can also be 'lost the plot' :-)) or just simply 'ich habe vergessen, was ich sagen wollte'/'J’ai oublié ce que j’ai voulu dire'.

Most of all, just try to relax :-)
Good luck!!!

Answer 2

Können Sie das wiederholen, bitte?
Probably best to use the polite form of können when speaking to the examiner

Also if you are nervous it might be useful to say.
Können Sie langsam sprechen bitte?
Can you speak slowly please

Dont be afraid to ask the examiner to speak slower, remember this is your exam and your future, if you cant understand what is being asked then say so....Es tut mir Leid aber ich verstehe nicht! The examiner will then repeat it in an easier way and you will get the same marks.
Another useful phrase : Was bedeutet das Wort _______?

I didn't do the alevel but i did the leaving cert and we had the oral exam and we had to know certain topics and be able to talk about them so:
Make sure you know the basics - like about your family, your hobbies, where you live, what you want to do in the future, what you want to do next year......

It is possible to be able to lead the exam, as in structure your answers like saying : I have many hobbies, like reading and fishing, but my favourite past-time is sport.....end your answer with a topic that you have prepared that way the examiner should pick up on this and ask you about it., Then you can go off on a big well prepared rant on sport or what ever it is!

I went through this last year and actually started crying in the middle of it because i was so nervous but it all worked out as im now studying German in Uni!

Good Luck!

Answer 3

French is more beneficial like Spanish once you're reading it, yet truthfully no longer in case your conversing it. English has more beneficial Germanic in it that Romantic. It relies upon on once you're youthful adequate to coach your tongue to pronounce French words. German may likely be more beneficial accessible to understand and to talk. after I took French training, i replaced into exceedingly sturdy on the reading and writing section, yet i could not understand community audio equipment, after I rented video clips and stuff. that's no longer a similar as language tapes. They use a lot of letters they don't pronounce. After plodding by for exceedingly a lot a year and a 1/2, i realized I nevertheless couldn't understand NADA at the same time as human beings were conversing generally, and it did not sound almost as exceedingly at the same time as i replaced into conversing it.

Answer 4

I wouldn't recommend using the du form in an A-level oral. If you don't understand, the simplest thin to say is simply 'Bitte?'
'Könnten Sie das bitte wiederholen?'
I hadn't thought of that - 'Ach, ja, an dass habe ich nicht gedacht.'

'Je m'excuse, mais je n'ai pas tout à fait compris.'
' Mais oui! je n'ai pas pensé à ça.'

Advice is difficult. My A level Oral, for some reason best known to the external examiner was all about Liverpool. I described the city in minute detail and he still kept asking me what else there was. I knew he meant the Mersey Tunnel and I also knew that he knew I knew what he wanted me to say, but I couldn't think of the French for tunnel. After about 15 minutes he put me out of my misery by saying, 'Le tunnel, n'est-ce pas?' I didn't know whether to strangle him or go out and have a good cry. I passed!

Answer 5

1

Answer 6

I agree with the importance of that question; however, an answer does not come to mind immediately.

une Francaise...

Je suis d'accord avec l'importance de cette question ; cependant, une réponse ne vient pas à l'esprit tout de suite.

une Germaine...

Ich stimme mit der Wichtigkeit von jener Frage überein; aber, eine Antwort kommt nicht, sofort zu bedenken.

Answer 7

Fragen Sie was Sie wollen
Bitte?
Und so weiter

Answer 8

Wei geht es ihnen ; How are you in German

Answer 9

For "repeat that" in French....Repetez sil'vous plait.

Answer 10

For German, wouldn't it be:

Kannst du den wiederholen?