One of the most important skills that a student in Singapore should develop is the ability to communicate effectively. This is why the primary school leaving examinations (PSLE) place a significant emphasis on oral communication skills, to test students on their ability to communicate clearly and accurately in an interactive setting. Furthermore, the oral examination provides students with valuable practice in using English for real-life communication, essentially preparing them for times where it will be useful during their higher-level studies and future employment opportunities.
In order to do well in the English oral examination, students need to first be familiar with the different aspects of the test. The first part of the test assesses students’ spoken fluency and pronunciation; they need to be able to speak at a natural pace without hesitating or making mistakes. The second part of the test assesses students’ students’ ability to communicate information and ideas effectively, as well as their ability to understand and respond to conversational questions. In other words, they need to be able to use appropriate language to present their ideas in a clear manner, while also listening carefully and giving relevant and well-organised responses to questions and prompts that come up.
However, being well-versed with the format of the PSLE English Oral examinations is but a pre-requisite to attaining a good score for the paper. To truly excel, students must ready themselves for the English oral examinations in more ways than one — here are three of the top methods students can use to better prepare themselves in this regard:
1. Review Key Concepts Learnt
English oral examinations usually build on the key concepts that students have learnt in class, making it important for students to revise and review these concepts before the examination. This includes applying the right tenses, using appropriate verbs, and leveraging descriptive phrases they have learnt in class.
Another good way to do this is to go through past oral examination papers, and identify the topics that commonly come up during the English PSLE. Some of these topics may include ‘family’, ‘hobbies’, ‘school life’, or ‘future plans’. Once students are aware of the topics that often surface during the examinations, they can start revising the related vocabulary and grammar points so that they will be better prepared for when they do appear in the actual oral examinations.
2. Memorising Useful Vocabulary
Many students tend to make the mistake of relying too much on informal fillers such as ‘um’ and ‘like’ when taking the English oral examinations. Not only does this make them sound unprepared, but it also makes it difficult for the examiner to understand what they are trying to say. A good way for students to avoid this is to memorise some key words and phrases that they can use to replace these fillers. This way, they will be able to communicate their ideas more effectively and fluently, without having to rely on crutches that will only end up hurting their performance.
Some key vocabulary that students can memorise includes
- connectors such as ‘in addition’, ‘moreover’, ‘however’, ‘thus’, and ‘consequently’
- intensifiers such as ‘really’, ‘very’, and ‘extremely’
- opinion indicators such as ‘I think/believe that…’
3. Practise Speaking in Formal English
While it is important for students to use simple and easy-to-understand language in the English oral examination, they should also avoid using overly informal or colloquial terms. This is because the oral examination is meant to assess their ability to communicate effectively in a formal setting, and using too much slang or informal language will make them sound unprofessional and unprepared.
To avoid this, students should regularly practise speaking in formal English with a friend or family member before the actual oral examination. This way, they will be able to get a feel for how to speak in a more formal setting, and learn which words and phrases to avoid using during the examination.
Recording themselves speaking and reviewing the recording can be another viable way for students to get their practice. This not only eliminates the need for a practise partner, but will also allow them to identify any errors or mistakes they are constantly making, and correct them before the actual examination. In addition, recording themselves will also help them become more aware of their own speech patterns and mannerisms, which can then be adjusted accordingly if needed.
Enrol with MindChamps to Ace PSLE English
At MindChamps, we offer various enrichment courses and programmes that help students excel in school. This includes English enrichment where students in Singapore can thoroughly nurture their oral communication skills, alongside their writing, language use, and reading and listening comprehension.
Find a MindChamps Enrichment Centre near you today, and register with us now to reserve a spot for enrolment.