Speaking (말하기): fluency, honorifics and pronunciation rules
Speaking (말하기) assesses fluency, accuracy and appropriateness through read-aloud and pronunciation tasks, short question-and-answer, situational tasks (요청, 사과, 전화), and an opinion task followed by probing questions.
Rules that decide the score
- Hold one speech level. 합니다체 or 해요체 with the interviewer from the first sentence to the last; a sudden 반말 or a dropped -요 is penalized as an appropriateness error, not a slip.
- Honorifics go one direction. -(으)시- and 드시다/잡수시다/계시다 for the interviewer and superiors; plain forms for yourself and peers.
- Answer in shapes, not words. Direct answer + reason (-아서/어서, -기 때문에) + example or contrast (예를 들어, 하지만). Two or three sentences is the safe minimum.
- Pronunciation rules. 연음: 한국어 → [한구거]. 받침 neutralization: 읽다 → [익따], 꽃 → [꼳]. Tensification: 학교 → [학꾜]. Nasalization: 국물 → [궁물].
- Intonation. Yes/no questions rise at the end; wh-questions fall. Flat intonation on a wh-question sounds like a statement.
- Fill silence with content. Replace 음/저기 with 제 생각에는 or 그러니까 and keep going.
Worked example
Question: 주말에 보통 무엇을 하십니까? Weak: 운동을 합니다. - one clause, no detail, no reason. Strong: 주말에는 보통 친구와 같이 등산을 합니다. 산에 가면 기분이 좋아지고 스트레스도 풀리기 때문에 자주 갑니다. Reasoning: the strong answer names frequency (보통), companion (친구와 같이) and a reason with -기 때문에, keeps 합니다체 consistently, and uses 주말에는 to mark contrast with weekdays - exactly the detail follow-up questions tend to probe.
Traps that cost marks
One-word answers that force the examiner to prompt you. Attaching -(으)시- to your own action (제가 드시겠습니다). Pausing inside a word during read-aloud where 연음 should link it. Switching to 반말 under nervousness.