24 Feb How to Ace Your PSLE English Oral?
The Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) English Oral is a crucial part of their education, where students are evaluated on their oral language proficiency and overall communication skills. The stakes are high, and students want to do their best, but sometimes they feel nervous and unprepared. Fortunately, you can do some things to help your child get ready. In this article, we’ll discuss what’s expected of students and some tips on how your child can ace that exam!
What to Expect: Singapore's PSLE English Oral Format
The PSLE English Oral Exam measures a student’s fluency in reading and speaking. It consists of two components, Reading aloud (10 marks) and Stimulus-based Conversation (20 marks ), and it accounts for 15% of the overall PSLE English score . Before the student meets the examiner, they have 5 minutes to prepare. The exam itself should last between 10 and 15 minutes.
1. Manners and Body Language
Remember that you’re not just showing your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. You are judged on your speaking skills and mannerisms. This is something parents often forget to prepare their kids for, but it makes the difference between a good score and a bad score.
- Speak slowly, making sure to enunciate each word.
- Pause after a question is asked to give yourself time to think before answering.
- Be engaging. Smile and make eye contact with the examiner. Avoid one-word answers.
2. Practise Words That Come Across as Difficult for Your Child
You need to start working on your child’s pronunciation before the exam to give him a fighting chance. Research any new words or phrases with your child that they might encounter in advance so that they’re familiar with them when they pop up. It’s all too easy to believe that if your child already knows how to read and write the word properly that he also knows how to pronounce it correctly, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. There are plenty of words that are spelled differently than they’re pronounced (for example: “to” pronounced as in “two,” “there,” and “their”). Even if your child knows how to pronounce a word correctly at first glance, it doesn’t mean he can speak well under pressure.
3. Be Confident
You’ll know you’re prepared for the exam when you have the confidence to answer any question thrown at you, regardless of how difficult it might be. If you’re feeling nervous, take a deep breath.
Think of the PSLE Oral as a one-on-one conversation with your teacher. You want to be relaxed and confident and speak normally, so that the listener can hear you. Don’t mumble or speak too softly—that’s rude! Be aware of your facial expressions. It’s okay to smile and make eye contact, but don’t be surprised if the marker makes you repeat a sentence because they couldn’t understand what you just said.
4. Preparation
Think about what kind of questions are likely to come up based on past papers and build some sample answers in your head before the exam—they can help calm your nerves and remind you of what’s important for answering each question correctly.
A little preparation goes a long way. Remember that the examiner has to evaluate a lot of students within a short period of time—he absolutely wants the child to have a firm grasp on the language material. That’s why you should spend time drilling your child before he gets in front of the examiner. You can start preparing your child for the exam as early as pre-school! Even though they are young, it’s never too soon to start talking with them about difficult topics and increasing their vocabulary.
There you have it! These four tips will ensure that you don’t get caught off guard during the PSLE English Oral exam. Remember: It’s all about preparation and practice. Take the time to prepare for the exam and practise your responses, and you’ll be ready for anything!
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