ORAL EXAMINATIONORAL EXAMINATION

INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONINDIVIDUAL PRESENTATION

What you should know aboutWhat you should know about Part one? Part one?

What is an individual presentation? How long are the reading passages?How long are the reading passages? What are the reading passages about?What are the reading passages about? Will the passages be difficult to Will the passages be difficult to

understand?understand?

What you should do about What you should do about Part one?Part one?

What should I do in the 10-minute preparation time?

So what are the key words in the passage?So what are the key words in the passage? How can I avoid copying excessively from the How can I avoid copying excessively from the

passage?passage? What kind of information should I note down?What kind of information should I note down? How should I organise my notes?How should I organise my notes? What should I include in my presentation?What should I include in my presentation? How do I make my presentation lively and How do I make my presentation lively and

interesting?interesting?

What is an individual presentation?What is an individual presentation? An individual presentation is a natural An individual presentation is a natural

o_____account of your reading passage. It should o_____account of your reading passage. It should be based on your r______ passage and given in be based on your r______ passage and given in your o___ words. In order to make it ‘n______’, your o___ words. In order to make it ‘n______’, you should speak clearly and animatedly. You you should speak clearly and animatedly. You should make your presentation in an in______ should make your presentation in an in______ way, as if you were telling a s_____ to a small way, as if you were telling a s_____ to a small group of people. You should also make frequent group of people. You should also make frequent e__ contact with the other group members and e__ contact with the other group members and the examiners during your presentation.the examiners during your presentation.

What is an individual presentation?What is an individual presentation? An individual presentation is a natural oral An individual presentation is a natural oral

account of your reading passage. It should be account of your reading passage. It should be based on your reading passage and given in based on your reading passage and given in your own words. In order to make it ‘natural’, your own words. In order to make it ‘natural’, you should speak clearly and animatedly. You you should speak clearly and animatedly. You should make your presentation in an informal should make your presentation in an informal way, as if you were telling a story to a small way, as if you were telling a story to a small group of people. You should also make frequent group of people. You should also make frequent eye contact with the other group members and eye contact with the other group members and the examiners during your presentation.the examiners during your presentation.

How long are the reading How long are the reading passages?passages?

What are the reading passages What are the reading passages about?about?

The passage will usually be in the form of The passage will usually be in the form of an article or report, and are normally an article or report, and are normally divided into four paragraphs. divided into four paragraphs.

The passage cover topics that are thought The passage cover topics that are thought to be interesting, current and relevant to to be interesting, current and relevant to you. That means that they may be related you. That means that they may be related to your experiences at home or at schoolto your experiences at home or at school.

Examples of the passages: (1996)Examples of the passages: (1996) Passage A:Passage A: Teachers on strike in RussiaTeachers on strike in Russia Passage B:Passage B: Violence in Bulgarian schoolsViolence in Bulgarian schools Passage C:Passage C: Kidnapped teachers in the Kidnapped teachers in the

PhilippinesPhilippines Passage D:Passage D: Hurricane damages schoolsHurricane damages schoolsSo each passage is different. However, a So each passage is different. However, a

general theme links the passages general theme links the passages together, and this theme will be the together, and this theme will be the

focus of Part Two, the group focus of Part Two, the group discussion.discussion.

Will the passages be difficult Will the passages be difficult to understand?to understand?

The guidelines say the the passagesThe guidelines say the the passages

should be easily read and understoodshould be easily read and understood

by virtually all candidates.by virtually all candidates.

What should I do in the 10-minutes What should I do in the 10-minutes preparation time?preparation time?

You should read carefully all the instructions, even You should read carefully all the instructions, even if you think you are already familiar with the if you think you are already familiar with the procedures for the examination. procedures for the examination.

You should read the passage provided. You may You should read the passage provided. You may take notes on the note-card using either a pencil or take notes on the note-card using either a pencil or a pen. The passage will be taken away from you a pen. The passage will be taken away from you before you begin Part One, but you can keep the before you begin Part One, but you can keep the note-card during the presentation.note-card during the presentation.

The preparation time of 10 minutes should be The preparation time of 10 minutes should be enough time for you to read the instructions, read enough time for you to read the instructions, read the passage, and take notes.the passage, and take notes.

Read the instructions:Read the instructions:DO NOT WRITE ON THIS PAGE

Candidate A

Preparation Time (Total time; 10 minutes)

Part One – Individual Presentations 9 1-1/2__2 minutes each; total time: 8minutes)

Read the following passage. You may make notes to use as the basis for your presentation. If you wish, you can add your own opinions or ideas.

Read the passage:Read the passage: You skim read the passage only ONCE You skim read the passage only ONCE

before taking notes to try to establish the before taking notes to try to establish the theme of the passage.theme of the passage.

You should read the You should read the titletitle to give you a to give you a good idea of the theme of the passage.good idea of the theme of the passage.

You should then skim read the four You should then skim read the four paragraphs paragraphs in the passage, looking forin the passage, looking for keykey wordswords related to the theme. related to the theme.

What are the key words in the What are the key words in the passage?passage?

A. Practise brainstorming for ideas:A. Practise brainstorming for ideas:

Country ParkCountry Park1. Picnics2. __________3.___________4. ___________…10. __________

What are the key words in the What are the key words in the passage?passage?

B. Practise identifying repeated words: B. Practise identifying repeated words:

Look out for nouns or verbs that are Look out for nouns or verbs that are repeated. – they are probably important to repeated. – they are probably important to the general theme of the passage.the general theme of the passage.

What are the key words in the What are the key words in the passage?passage?

C.C. Practise identifying the most important Practise identifying the most important information in the passage:information in the passage:

Find out the structure of the passage: Find out the structure of the passage: Explanatory?( What? Who? Why?)Explanatory?( What? Who? Why?)

Experience of somebody?(who? Experience of somebody?(who? What happened? Significance?)What happened? Significance?)

Take notes:Take notes: All notes must be taken on the note-card All notes must be taken on the note-card

provided. You may write on both sides of the provided. You may write on both sides of the card.card.

You must not write or underline key words and You must not write or underline key words and phrases in the passage in the examinationphrases in the passage in the examination

The purpose of note-taking: allow you to The purpose of note-taking: allow you to remember important items, since you will not be remember important items, since you will not be able to refer to the actual text during able to refer to the actual text during presentation.presentation.

What are good notes?What are good notes?Good notes should beGood notes should be Why?Why? How?How?

CORRECTCORRECT --so you can give an so you can give an accurate presentation accurate presentation of the passageof the passage

--by reading the by reading the passage carefully to passage carefully to find the main ideas find the main ideas and key informationand key information

CONCISECONCISE --to save time in writingto save time in writing

-to make them easier -to make them easier to readto read

--by noting only key by noting only key wordswords

-by using -by using abbreviations and abbreviations and symbols whenever symbols whenever possiblepossible

CLEARCLEAR --to make them easy to to make them easy to refer to quicklyrefer to quickly

-to help you remember -to help you remember them betterthem better

--by organising your by organising your notesnotes

-by using outline or -by using outline or point formpoint form

How can I avoid copying How can I avoid copying excessively from the passage?excessively from the passage? You should try to paraphrase information from You should try to paraphrase information from

the passage.the passage. Paraphrase means write or summarise the Paraphrase means write or summarise the

information in your own words.information in your own words. It is acceptable to repeat certain key words and It is acceptable to repeat certain key words and

phrase from the passages, but you should try to phrase from the passages, but you should try to make your presentation original.make your presentation original.

One way to prevent excessive copying from the One way to prevent excessive copying from the passage is to replace key words with alternatives passage is to replace key words with alternatives that have a similar meaningthat have a similar meaning

What kind of information What kind of information should I note down?should I note down? The main theme of the passageThe main theme of the passage The main point made in each paragraph/partThe main point made in each paragraph/part Any key names, data or figuresAny key names, data or figures A brief outline of the passage’s conclusionA brief outline of the passage’s conclusion Your own ideas or opinions about the theme of Your own ideas or opinions about the theme of

the passagethe passage Any ideas, stories or examples you would like to Any ideas, stories or examples you would like to

addadd

How should I organise my notes?How should I organise my notes? Main themeMain theme Specific points or ideas about the main Specific points or ideas about the main

themetheme Main points of the passage, in the order in Main points of the passage, in the order in

which you want to mention themwhich you want to mention them A brief conclusionA brief conclusionTry doing the exercise on p.8,9,10 &11 of

your book.

p.8p.8

p.9p.9

p.10p.10

p.11p.11

Let’s do an exercise:Let’s do an exercise:

Note-card:Note-card:

How do I make my presentation How do I make my presentation lively and interesting?lively and interesting?

Using ‘attention-Using ‘attention-getting’expressionsgetting’expressions

‘You may be amazed/pleased/shocked to hear…”

Asking rhetorical questionsAsking rhetorical questions ‘Did you know that only 20% of all managers in Hong Kong are women?’

Using feeder wordsUsing feeder words ‘fortunately, sadly, luckily, worryingly’

Using question tagsUsing question tags ‘doesn’t?’, ‘can’t you?’, ‘shouldn’t they?’

Giving personal opinionsGiving personal opinions ‘I find this tragic.’

Listen to the presentation and identify Listen to the presentation and identify the different methods you can use to the different methods you can use to make your discussion more interestingmake your discussion more interesting

Using ‘attention-getting’expressionsUsing ‘attention-getting’expressions Asking rhetorical questionsAsking rhetorical questions Using feeder wordsUsing feeder words Using question tagsUsing question tags Giving personal opinionsGiving personal opinions

Answers:Answers: Using ‘attention-getting’expressions:Using ‘attention-getting’expressions: ‘ You’ll be pleased ‘ You’ll be pleased

to hear…’to hear…’ Asking rhetorical questions:Asking rhetorical questions: ‘Have you ever noticed the ‘Have you ever noticed the

amount of rubbish people leave behind in the country amount of rubbish people leave behind in the country parks?’ ‘So what, you may ask, are they doing about it?’ parks?’ ‘So what, you may ask, are they doing about it?’ ‘Don’t you think that’s great?’‘Don’t you think that’s great?’

Using feeder words: Using feeder words: ‘Sensibly,…’ ‘Unfortunately,…’‘Sensibly,…’ ‘Unfortunately,…’ Using question tags: Using question tags: ‘Isn’t it?’‘Isn’t it?’ Giving personal opinionsGiving personal opinions : : ‘It certainly is a disgrace ‘It certainly is a disgrace

that some visitors can be so thoughtless.’that some visitors can be so thoughtless.’