Speaking in Armenian (Oral Conversation)
What this domain tests
The oral component is a conversation with the examiner, usually beginning with everyday topics (family, school, hobbies, future plans) and moving to a stimulus - a photo, a short text or a situation - which you discuss, describe and respond to. You are assessed on communication, fluency, pronunciation and intonation, range of vocabulary and grammar, and the ability to interact rather than recite.
Concepts to master
- Question forms: recognise and answer ո՞վ, ի՞նչ, որտե՞ղ, ե՞րբ, ինչո՞ւ, ինչպե՞ս; note that the question particle -ո attaches to the focused word.
- Functional language: giving opinions (կարծում եմ, որ…), agreeing and disagreeing politely (մասամբ համաձայն եմ), hesitating naturally (դե, ինչ ասեմ…), asking for clarification (կարո՞ղ եք կրկնել) and buying time.
- Tenses in narration: past imperfective for habitual actions, perfect for completed events, future for plans.
- Circumlocution: the skill of describing a word you don't know rather than falling silent.
Traps to watch for
One-word answers kill fluency scores - always extend with a reason or example. Another trap is misunderstanding the tense of the question: answering about the past when asked about plans. Candidates also lose marks by memorising a monologue and ignoring the examiner's follow-up. Finally, avoid switching into English when stuck; paraphrase in Armenian instead.
Rule of thumb
Use the Answer + Reason + Example pattern for every opinion question: state your view, say why, and add a short personal example. It guarantees length and coherence.
Worked example: Question: «Ի՞նչ ես անելու ամառը» - weak answer: «Հանգստանալու եմ» (I'll rest). Strong answer: «Ամռանը պատրաստվում եմ մեկնել Գյումրի, որովհետև ուզում եմ տեսնել տատիկիս և բարելավել իմ հայերենը։ Բացի այդ, ուզում եմ մասնակցել ամառային դպրոցի»։ - it answers, gives two reasons and adds detail.