NB FSL Oral Proficiency case studies
NB FSL Oral Proficiency · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The NB FSL Oral Proficiency Assessment is a French-as-a-second-language speaking evaluation used in New Brunswick, a province where French and English both carry official status and where bilingual capacity matters in schools, hospitals, public service and customer-facing work. The credential documents how well a candidate can understand spoken French and respond in real time, rather than how many grammar rules they can recite on paper. It is typically pursued by teachers, civil servants, health-care staff, and others whose jobs require them to function in French with colleagues or the public, as well as by candidates preparing for bilingual positions. The assessment is an oral interview with speaking tasks, rated holistically against a proficiency scale. The NB FSL Oral Proficiency case studies are 5 cases and about 2,187 words.
1The Fast-Talking Montrealer
You are taking the NB FSL Oral Proficiency exam. In the listening section, you hear a 45-second voicemail from a colleague in Montreal.
437 words, about 2 min2The Hesitant Speaker
During the oral interview, you are asked to describe your last vacation. You start speaking but frequently pause, use fillers like 'euh' and 'ben', and restart sentences.
448 words, about 2 min3The Word Gap
In the oral exam, you are asked to talk about environmental issues. You want to discuss recycling, pollution, and renewable energy, but you lack specific vocabulary.
423 words, about 2 min4The Tense Confusion
In the oral interview, you are asked to talk about your future plans. You want to say that you will travel to France next year, that you will have saved enough money by then, and that you hope to visit Paris.
450 words, about 2 min5The Unclear Accent
You are a native English speaker with a strong accent in French. In the oral exam, you are asked to describe your hometown.
429 words, about 2 min