Προφορικός λόγος: Speaking, interaction and discussion
What this section tests
A school-based assessment of your ability to sustain spoken Greek: a conversation or discussion on topics studied, sometimes with a stimulus such as a photo or short text. Assessors reward fluency, range, accuracy, pronunciation and interaction - not just content.
Concepts to master
Functional language for managing talk: giving opinions (πιστεύω πως, από τη μια... από την άλλη), agreeing and disagreeing politely (έχεις δίκιο, αλλά θα έλεγα ότι...), asking for clarification (τι εννοείς ακριβώς;), buying time naturally (λοιπόν, αυτό είναι ενδιαφέρον ερώτημα), and extending answers with reasons and examples. Prepare topic-specific vocabulary and two or three personal anecdotes you can adapt to many prompts. Practise the past tenses for narrating experience and the subjunctive after θέλω να, ελπίζω να, είναι σημαντικό να.
Traps in questions
- One-word answers. Every answer should contain a statement plus a reason or example.
- Memorised speeches that collapse when the examiner asks a follow-up.
- Ignoring the stimulus: if shown a photo, refer to it explicitly.
- Freezing on unknown words instead of paraphrasing (το πράγμα που..., αυτό που κάνει...).
- Dropping the plural of politeness with an unfamiliar adult examiner.
Rule of thumb
Use the 'answer, reason, example, question back' pattern: state your view, justify it, illustrate it, then invite the examiner's view. This guarantees length, complexity and interaction in one move.
Worked example
Question: 'Πιστεύεις ότι τα μέσα κοινωνικής δικτύωσης βοηθούν τους νέους;' Model: 'Από τη μια πλευρά, ναι, γιατί μπορούν να κρατούν επαφή με φίλους που ζουν μακριά. Για παράδειγμα, εγώ μιλάω κάθε εβδομάδα με την ξαδέρφη μου στην Ελλάδα. Από την άλλη, χάνουμε πολύ χρόνο. Εσείς τι πιστεύετε;'