Production orale - interact, structure, and stay in charge
Three parts, about ten minutes
The speaking test has three phases. First an entretien dirigé (2–3 minutes, no preparation): the examiner asks about you, your studies, your habits. Second an exercice en interaction (3–4 minutes): you are given a situation - return an item, organise a trip, convince a friend - and you must obtain information, react and negotiate. Third an expression d'un point de vue (5–7 minutes), for which you have about ten minutes of preparation with a short document, usually a text, and must summarise its content and give your opinion.
What separates a B1 from a B2
B1 candidates answer the question; stronger candidates develop it. Never reply with a single word or a plain oui/non: add a reason, an example, a comparison. Silence is the main enemy - a hesitation marker (alors, en fait, disons que) keeps the floor while you think.
Traps to expect
- Forgetting to act in the interaction. You must initiate, not only respond: ask the price, refuse politely, suggest an alternative, ask for details.
- Ignoring the document in part three. Refer to it explicitly (selon le document, l'auteur affirme que) before moving to your own view.
- Reciting a memorised speech. Examiners ask follow-up questions; a rigid text collapses at the first one.
- Running out of time in the opinion phase: prepare a two-part structure, not a script.
Rule of thumb
Use a fixed skeleton for the opinion: Selon le document... Pour ma part... D'abord... Par exemple... Cependant... Donc, je pense que... It guarantees a summary, an opinion, an argument, an example, a nuance and a conclusion.