Before your speaking test | The English Farm

Center yourself before the test.

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In this lesson, we will focus on getting you mentally prepared for your test.

Introduction

Athletes stretch their muscles before a big game. Actors warm up their voice. Today, you will do this for your speaking test. The aim here is to get you into "English Mode" and refresh your mind and mouth in preparation for your test.

We will also take you through some breathing exercises to make sure you are relaxed and in peak form to sit your test. The aim of this class is not to learn, but to get you comfortable using your second language and prepare you for sitting the actual test.

This lesson is not for teaching. Don't focus on errors beyond fluency and pronunciation, and don't push hard on those.

Warm Up

A. To appear more fluent and confident, it's necessary to have an even flow of oxygen to your brain. Short breaths tell your brain to panic, while long, deep breaths tell your brain to calm down. Your teacher will do a deep breathing exercise with you.

B. To help you with vocal clarity, listen to your instructor say a phrase, and focus on saying it as clearly as you can, with fluency and good pronunciation.

A. Tell your student this may feel a little silly, but remember this is scientifically proven to calm people down. There are actors, musicians, athletes and presenters who all use a variation of the three-breath technique.

Take three breaths, as deep as you can.

Deep breaths also set the pace for your communication, so it can help you not to rush.

You can share this GIF with them: Breathing GIF

[There are also many apps on iPhone and Android for deep breathing/relaxation.]

B. Practice these phrases for vocal clarity a few times. Avoid pronunciation that your student has not studied; if they have a hard time with any of them, make a note in the student's profile to work on it. Phrases #1 and #5 are always safe.

Unique New York, unique New York (limbering up tongue and lips)
She says she'll sew a sheet (focus on the /s/ vs /sh/ sounds)
I think this and that (focus on the two /th/ sounds)
I'd really rather not (focus on the /l/ and /r/ sounds)
Let me seeee, that's an iiiinnteresting question (focus on stretching sounds)

NOTE

A lot of people also use positive self-talk ("I'm going to be amazing"), but some people feel strange doing it. Describe it to the student so they can practice it if they choose.

Language

It's time for some test-style questions. We are going to start with a classic:

Where is your hometown, and was it a good place to grow up?

These are all simple, common questions. Your student has probably answered them before in this course. The purpose is to build their confidence with familiar, easy questions.

Keep feedback to a minimum, and definitely don't teach anything new. Gently correct grammar and pronunciation, but direct the student back to the question.

These questions are all positive so that you can build positive energy. However, note that a lot of test administrators can be grim, sleepy or bored. Tell your student to keep their energy up, regardless of what the examiner is doing.