Tips to help you pass your oral DELF B1 exam
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You are learning French and want to take DELF exam?
French via skype helps you prepare for the DELF B1, guaranteeing you 100% success.
At level B1, students become independent. Interaction can be maintained while understanding and maintaining a discussion and giving feedback. The student is able to deal with situations that may arise in everyday life. Please note that level B1 is required to obtain the Swiss nationality.
In language tests, the oral test is often deemed to be the most difficult exercise.
Here are some explanation and tips to prepare for it.
The oral B1 is composed of three parts, all lasting about fifteen minutes. For the third and last part, you have ten minutes of preparation.
- Part 1: Guided interview (2 to 3 minutes)
- Part 2: Exercise in interaction (3 to 4 minutes)
- Part 3: Expression of a point of view (5 to 7 minutes)
1. Guided interview / l’entretien dirigé
This first exercise in oral production for level B1 is an interview conducted by an examiner.
In this part of the exam you will not have any preparation time and the test lasts two to three minutes, during which you simply have to talk about yourself and be spontaneous!
The examiner will ask you questions to guide the discussion and put you at ease.
Knowledge of the use of present, past and future tenses will be checked.
DELF B1 speaking topics can vary but generally cover everyday situations and common themes.
Here are some examples of DELF B1 speaking topics:
Introduce yourself:
• Personal information (name, age, nationality, profession, etc.)
• Hobbies and interests
Daily routine:
• Describe your typical day
• Talk about your daily activities and responsibilities
Family and Relationships:
• Describe your family members
• Talk about relationships with family and friends
Travel and vacations:
• Discuss past or future trips
• Describe a memorable vacation experience
Education and work:
• Talk about your studies or work
• Describe your school or workplace
City and Environment:
• Describe your hometown or current city
• Discuss environmental issues
Shops and services:
• Talk about purchasing habits
• Describe a recent purchasing experience
Food and cooking:
• Discuss favorite dishes or cuisines
• Describe a recipe or culinary experience
Health and wellbeing:
• Talk about your health habits
• Describe a recent health-related experience
Technology:
• Discuss the role of technology in your life
• Describe your favorite gadgets or apps
Remember that these are general topics and the questions themselves can be more specific.
Sample examiner questions:
- Pouvez-vous vous présenter ?
- Parlez-moi de votre famille.
- Où êtes-vous allé en vacances l’été dernier ?
- Qu’est-ce que vous faites dans la vie ?
- Qu’est-ce que vous êtes en train d’étudier ?
- Que faites-vous pendant votre temps libre ?
- Quels sont vos projets pour l’année prochaine ?
For this part of the B1 oral exam, you will need to structure and develop your answers by giving as much detail as possible and you will need to talk about yourself with confidence by giving information, reasons and explanations relating to your interests, your projects and what you do in your daily life.
2. Exercise in interaction / l’exercice en interaction
The interactive exercise lasts three to four minutes.
You have to solve a problem and you must propose solutions, negotiate or debate with the examiner. Pay attention to the language register to use (“you” or “you”) depending on the situation.
You draw two subjects at random and you choose the one you prefer.Choose the subject that is easiest for you. Do not wait for the examiner to ask all the questions.
Sample examiner exercises:
Vous êtes en France et vous proposez à votre ami français de partir en weekend.Il n’a pas envie de voyager et vous propose de partir avec un autre ami. Vous lui expliquez pourquoi c’est très important pour vous d’y aller avec lui. (L’examinateur joue le rôle de l’ami français.)
Alors que vous vous promenez dans un parc, un chien en liberté se précipite sur vous.Il ne vous mord pas, il veut jouer avec vous. Quand le/la maitre(esse) du chien vient le chercher, vous vous rendez compte que votre manteau est tout sale, couvert de boue. (L’examinateur joue le rôle du maître du chien.)
3. Expressing a point of view / le monologue suivi
The third part of this oral production lasts 5 to 7 minutes with 10 minutes of preparation.In this third part, you draw two subjects and you choose the one you prefer. You will have to present your opinion about it in the form of a personal oral presentation. After your monologue, the examiner may ask a few questions afterwards.
The expression of a point of view must be done by following a certain methodology.
- Say hello to the examiner.
- Introduce the topic: Summarize the big ideas.
- Introduce the document: Use complete sentences to introduce the nature, source, author and year.
- Announce your plan: Use connectives and the future simple.
- Give your personal opinion with, arguments and counter-arguments.
- Make a brief conclusion.
- Invite the reviewer to ask you questions.
During preparation, only take notes. Give your point of view with personal examples, but you can also develop some examples from the articles. Finally, consider using linking words to structure your ideas.
Sample examiner exercise:
Commerce de proximité ou grandes surfaces ? Avec la crise et l’augmenation du prix des carburants, les consommateurs s’interrogent de plus en plus sur la réalité des avantages à faire ses courses dans des grandes surfaces. Les grandes surfaces sont-elles synonymes d’économie ? Et vous, qu’en pensez-vous ? Préférez-vous les petits commerces prés de chez vous ou les grandes surfaces ?
DELF B1 preparation courses with French via Skype, how does it work?
At French via Skype, we help you prepare for the DELF B1 exam, guaranteeing you 100% success!
Our DELF B1 lessons are delivered online via Skype, Zoom or Teams or on the platform of your choice covering all aspects of the French language in order to best support you in your objectives.
Our DELF tuition is personalized, tailored to your specific needs and pace allowing you to achieve your goals more effectively than in a group or classroom setting.
- We will design a personalized study plan for you, based on your specific needs and your language level.
- We offer an effective preparation with tailored learning materials (full range of DELF B1 ressources and assessments).
- Our French lessons target key areas such as listening, reading, writing and speaking and meticulously work on each grammar point such as French connectors or the subjunctive to ensure that each area meets the requirements required for the DELF B1 exams.
- For homework, we will assign you work to practice grammar if necessary, develop your vocabulary and prepare written and oral comprehension, written and oral production tasks. The homework will then be prepared and reviewed by your teacher.
- We offer you great planning flexibility. Our French tutor is available all year, during the holidays and after work hours.
At French via Skype, we are happy to support DELF students to guarantee their success at the DELF B1 exam since 2014.
Some testimonials from students who have prepared for the DELF B1 exam with us are below.
" I’m studying with Laure for about one year now and I’m very satisfied with her very targeted and well-organised French lessons. If you like to invest your limited time well and aiming for a fast improvement of your French level Laure is the right teacher for you. The lessons are intense and you better be well prepared and do your homework as Laure is a very strict teacher ;). First I found it very challenging to work so hard on my pronunciation but I realized quickly that this is key to a higher level of French. Also I was very happy about the amount of time one talks in her lessons as I know from my own German teaching experience that this is crucial for an improvement of the communications skills. Together with Laure I prepared for the DELF B1 and thanks to her I passed it with incredible 91%. I could highly recommend her as French teacher. “
Erika Mantrino
(DELF B1) German teacher, Geneva
“ " Having studied French for several years in high school, I took up re-learning the language and preparing for the DELF after my undergraduate medical studies to maintain my connection and interest with the French culture. Laure was fantastic as a teacher and mentor during this experience, and was a highly supportive, encouraging and engaging teacher. Her lessons were structured around the exam topics in such a way that I could not have felt better prepared going in. On a personal note, her flexibility to reorganise certain lessons around my work schedule, as well as her weekly homework tasks to keep our knowledge and learning to the highest standards were highlights of working and learning with her, making for a very enjoyable and smooth studying experience alongside working full-time. I was able to pass my DELF B1 exam despite being out of touch with the language for over 7 years prior to Laure’s lesson- a true testament to her ability as a teacher, and would have no doubt recommending her to future students as one of the best options to prepare for your DELF exam, irrespective of your level! ”
Dr Abhi Shekhsrinivas
(DELF B1) Doctor - Melbourne
" I started learning French through group classes when I first moved to Geneva, but as I started to advance, I wanted to focus more intensely with grammar, writing and conversational skills. Laure immediately understood what I needed to work on as I explained that I would like to take the DELF exams and that French is critical for my career in the UN. She prepared me very well with the exam's reading and writing exercises, and fortunately, I was able to pass my DELF B1 exam. As I continue to work with her, I appreciate that she is a patient, very structured, and motivating teacher -- I would recommend Laure to anyone who wants to improve on French! "
Tomoka Nakamura
(DELF B1) UN staff, Geneva
At French via Skype, we specialize in preparation for the DELF B1 exam, you can certify your French language level well-equipped and with complete confidence.
If you would like to discuss your needs with us, we will be pleased to develop a teaching plan for you.
Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or if you would like to sign up for lessons.
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