ECCE SPEAKING

TIPS FOR THE ECCE SPEAKING EXAM

STAGE 1: Personal questions:

In this part of the speaking test you are going to hold a short warming-up convesation with the examiner. More specifically, you are about to answer to a series of personal questions posed by the examiner. The purpose of this part is to "break the ice" between you (the candidate and the examiner) and help you get rid of the stress of the oral examination.

Some possible question posed at this stage of the examination are the following:

Personal Data

Okay, can you tell me something about yourself? (name, age, live with parents in a suburb called …, first / second year of secondary/ high school / senior high school)
How old are you?
Where are you originally from?

Family

Can you tell me a little about your family?
How many members are there in your family?
What do your parents do for a living?
Do you have any brothers or sisters?
Can you describe the relationship you have with your siblings (sisters, brothers)?

Region where you live

Can you describe the city you live in?
Can you tell me something about the neighborhood you live in?
Is it a quiet neighborhood?
Where would you rather live?
Where do you live? Can you tell me something about you home? (apartment, big, small)
Would you like to move house?
What kind of house do you live in? (apartment…)

Αν ενδιαφέρεσαι για το αναλυτικό αρχείο της προφορικής εξέτασης ECCE κάνε κλικ εδώ

Languages:

Why have you been learning English?
(I think the English language is widely spoken – if you speak English it will enable you to travel anywhere without having a problem to communicate with other people from other countries. / You can use the language to study in English spoken countries. / English is a vital qualification in order to be employed)
Do you speak any other language?
What other languages would you like to learn?Why?

Friends

Do you have friends?
Where have you met your best friend?
Are your friends of the same age?

General questions

Why don’t teenagers work out and keep fit?
Why do teenagers eat loads of junk food?
Are there advantages or disadvantages to being an only child?

Future plans / ambitions/ jobs

What are your plans / ambitions for the future?
Have you thought about what you’d like to do when you leave school?
What kind of work do you want to do in the future?
Which profession in your opinion suits you best? Why?
Do you want to be successful from the starting point of your career or to try for it gradually?

Leisure (free) time / hobbies / sports / vacation/preferences

What do you do in your spare (free) time?
Can you tell me how you spend your weekdays and weekends?
Do you have a special hobby or do any sports?
Are you involved in any sports?
What kinds of food do you like and hate?
Are there any places where you can go in your free time?
Do you like to read?
What sort (kind) of books do you like to read?
Why do you enjoy them?

Traveling/Vacations

Have you ever been abroad?
Where would you like to go if you could?
How do you like to travel when you go on vacation?
So how do you spend your time in the summer?
Where are you planning to go on vacation this summer? What would you like to see there?
What would be the best holiday destination in your point of view?
State destinations you have traveled to. What did you do there? What did you see there?

Education / School / Future education

So, what year are you in at school? (I’m in the first / second/ third year of secondary/ high school, senior high school)
Do you like your school?
What extra activities would you like? (school trips, sports)
What subject do you like most / best? Why is that?
What are your favorite subjects at school?
Are there any subjects you don’t like? Why?
What do you plan to do after the exams are over?
Tell me, what are your plans once you graduate from high school?
Is education important and should it be compulsory?

Entertainment

Where do you usually go out with your friends?
Do you go out to restaurants / movies / theater?
What kind of music do you and your friends like?
Who is your favorite singer and why?
Do you prefer going to the movies or the theater? Why is that?
Who is your favorite actor or actress?
What movies have you seen recently?
How often do you go to see a movie?
What kind of movies do you like?
Why do you like those types of movies in particular?

Shopping

Do you enjoy shopping?
And where do you go shopping?
How often do you go shopping?
What kind of stores or shops are there in your area?
What sort of things do you buy?
Do you have any favorite stores?

STAGE 2: Presentation of the problem

In this part you are presented with a prompt that includes short text and pictures about a problem or situation. You ask the examiner questions in order to get information about his/her problem or dilemma so that you make a decision and do your recommendation. The purpose of this stage is to examine your understanding skills and your abilities to ask proper questions in order to abstract the information you may need.

Useful expressions in order to:

Ask for information:

Firstly I would like to know…
Could you tell me…?
Another thing I would like to ask is…
I would also like to ask if…
Do you know if / whether…?
Can you tell me…?

Example of the examiner's prompt:

STAGE 3: Problem solution

In stage 3 you present a solution or your opinion about the problem or situation that has been discussed in Stage 2. Additionally, you should give an expanation about why that solution/opinion is the most appropriate for the specific circumstance. The examiner will also ask why the other solution or option was not chosen, so be ready to give some arguments that eliminate the other option. The main purpose of this stage is to examine your problem-solving skills and critical thinking.

State and justify your decision:

Considering all the information you have given me, I have chosen … because…
As far as the other two options are concerned, I don’t think would interest me because…
My first choice would be… because…
I wouldn’t choose the other choices because…
From what you have told me, I think I would choose ... because…
Finally, I wouldn’t choose the other two because …
Well to begin with, I would choose… because …
I don’t think I would choose… because…
Because I’m interested in …, I think my choice would be…
I’m not very fond of … so I don’t think the… would be for me.
Well to begin with, I definitely would not choose … There are … reasons for this. Firstly, it would be… Secondly it would…
As for…, well, I can’t really say it would suit me. I would find it…
So, my choice would be… That’s because …

STAGE 4: Further questions

In the last stage of the examination you are going to be asked some further questions that are related to the topic introduced by the prompt.

Supplementary advice:

When you didn’t hear or didn’t understand ask for clarification by saying:

I beg your pardon. I didn’t quite catch you question. / I didn’t hear your question well. Would you repeat it, please?
I’m afraid I don’t understand what you’re asking me. Would you mind rephrasing it?
I’m sorry but I didn’t quite understand. Could you explain it to me?
Excuse me, could you repeat what you just said?
When you don’t know a word, ask for clarification by saying:
Could you explain what “…” means, please?
I don’t understand “…” Would you explain it please?
Excuse me, but what does “…” mean?
I’m not quite sure what this expression here means. Could you tell me?
How do you pronounce this word and what does it mean?

DO NOT SAY

Eh???
What???
Repeat please.