How To Score Well In PSLE Chinese Oral Exams

Here’s some tips on how you can prepare for PSLE Chinese Oral:

1. Conduct simulated oral exams with a Chinese tutor, friend, family member, or classmate to build confidence and refine your oral skills.
2. Record practice sessions (using your phone’s audio recording app) to identify areas for improvement, such as pronunciation and coherence.
3. Stay up-to-date with recent news and societal issues can help you immensely with discussing broader topics in Section 2.
4. Read plenty of Chinese books and articles to improve comprehension and vocabulary.

In the next part, we’ll be sharing the dos and don’ts to score well for the PSLE Chinese Oral examination.

1. Practice reading aloud regularly
   Pronounce words properly by paying close attention to tones (声调), which can easily lead to misunderstandings if the wrong tone is used or if the articulation is inaccurate.To make sure you speak with clarity, try keeping a moderate pace. Depending on the scenario given, use appropriate intonation to convey emotions and context to the passage. 
2. Build a rich vocabulary
   Familiarize yourself with common themes such as school life, family, environment, and community. Build your vocabulary by using idioms (成语) at the right situation; showcasing your language proficiency and provide additional depth and variety to your responses.
3. Observe and interpret the picture thoroughly
   Be attentive by taking time to analyze the picture and select the details that matter. Mention key elements in the picture such as actions, characters, and surroundings. Show understanding of the picture by relating it to personal experiences or societal issues.
4. Answer questions confidently
   When responding to the examiners’ questions, use full sentences to show competence. When using full sentences, structure your answers with clarity by stating your view, explaining the view you’ve mentioned, and provide a relevant example or personal experience that can link back to the examiners’ questions.
5. Maintain good communication habits
   This advice can also be implemented in any public speaking context such as oral exams. Remember the following tips:

• Maintain eye contact with the examiner to show confidence and engagement.
• Provide a friendly demeanor to make a positive impression by smiling naturally.
• Speak audibly and clearly without mumbling and rushing.

1. Memorizing responses
   While this may serve as a pivot for students to rely on when they’re out of ideas, rote memorization often leads to unnatural delivery and difficulty adapting to new questions. Rather than relying on memorization, focus on understanding key concepts and practicing adaptable answers instead.
2. Panicking over difficult words
   If you happen to stumble on a word during the preparation stage, stay calm. Repeat the sentence from the beginning, or skip the word and continue. Nervousness can affect fluency.
3. Giving one-word answers
   One common pitfall to avoid is giving short, abrupt one-word responses like ‘yes’ (是) or ‘no’ (不是/没有). This shows that you might not be confident or competent in providing a more thorough response. Instead, elaborate to show your thought process and language ability.
4. Over-describing irrelevant details
   While you are free to express your ideas, be aware of the main elements of the picture or question by getting to the point. Overloading your responses with unrelated details may confuse the examiner or waste time that may cost you precious marks.
5. Using informal language or slang
   Knowing that oral examinations require you to express your ideas in formal situations, using slang words (either from the internet or casual conversations) may not be the most appropriate. Stick to proper vocabulary and sentence structures suitable to be used in PSLE Chinese Oral Examination.

Now that we have shared these tips, we hope that you will be able to practice and apply them in your PSLE Chinese Oral Examination!😊

At Edufirst, we offer Primary/PSLE Chinese tuition taught by our team of experienced PSLE Chinese tutors that will help you ace your next Chinese exam, be it composition writing, comprehension questions, listening comprehension and/or Chinese oral. Fun and engaging, our Chinese lessons can generate genuine interest in the language in these formative years.

Best of all, we’ll give you the attention you need by providing individualized coaching targeting your weak points. Drop us a call or a message if you are interested to learn more, and we’ll get in touch with you shortly!

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