Speaking
What the Speaking domain tests
Speaking at Level 1 has two faces: interacting in conversation on familiar topics (school, family, hobbies, food, weekend plans) and giving a short prepared talk with a personal response. You are judged on communication and fluency as much as accuracy - a candidate who keeps the exchange moving with simple Japanese beats one who stalls trying to produce a perfect sentence.
Core rules
- Hold です/ます throughout unless the task explicitly asks for plain form; mixing ます and だ in one turn sounds careless.
- Ask questions yourself: 〜は どうですか。いつが いいですか。〜が すきですか。A conversation where you never ask anything caps your grade.
- Buy time in Japanese, not English: そうですね…、ええと…、ちょっと 考えます。
- React with あいづち: へえ、そうですか。いいですね。たのしそうですね。
- Link ideas with the て form and sequencers: 〜て、〜てから、まず、つぎに、それから、さいごに。
- In a presentation, use memo cards with keywords only; reading a full script flattens your pitch and blocks eye contact.
Worked example
Question: しゅうまつは なにを しますか。 Weak answer: 「テニス。」 - one noun, no sentence, no follow-up. Strong answer: 「どようびに ともだちと テニスを します。とても たのしいです。そして、にちようびは うちで 日本語を べんきょうします。〜さんは しゅうまつ なにを しますか。」 Reasoning: the strong answer names the day, the partner and the activity, adds a comment, links with そして and returns a question - several opportunities to demonstrate language instead of one.
Traps
- Answering a ます question with a bare noun.
- Switching to English when a word is missing; paraphrase instead (テニスを する ことが すきです).
- A memorised speech delivered flat, with no pauses for meaning.
- Missing 〜ませんでした and answering about the wrong tense.
- Skipping よろしくおねがいします at the start and ありがとうございました at the end.