The Oral: Handling an Unexpected Follow-Up
In a BGCSE French speaking test you must give a short presentation on « Mes vacances idéales » and then answer questions. You have prepared: « Je voudrais aller au Sénégal parce que j'aime la musique et la plage. » The examiner then asks: « Et si vous n'aviez pas assez d'argent, qu'est-ce que vous feriez ? » You had not prepared this conditional question. You have a few seconds to respond and the conversation will continue for another two minutes.
1. What should you do in the first few seconds after the unexpected question?
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Buy time naturally and show you understood: « C'est une bonne question... si je n'avais pas assez d'argent, je... » Repeating the conditional structure signals comprehension and gives you a moment to plan. Then answer with a conditional: « je resterais en France et je visiterais ma famille ». Do not switch to English or fall silent. A short, accurate conditional sentence scores better than a long, garbled one.
2. How should you manage the remaining two minutes to protect your marks?
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Keep answers in French, use the tense the question invites (conditional after si), and add one reason or example per answer to show range: « ... parce que ce serait moins cher et je pourrais économiser pour l'année prochaine. » If you make an error, self-correct briefly rather than restarting. Maintain interaction: respond to the examiner, ask nothing inappropriate, and keep sentences manageable. Fluency and communication matter more than perfect grammar, but consistent tense control is a key criterion.