• Bos Shane

ADVANCED ENGLISH PROGRAMME - ORAL EXAM GUIDELINES

The Oral Exam is part of Module 04 - Reflective Language Study. It is taken after you have completed the two-year Advanced English Programme. The Oral Exam is administered by the Department of English and lasts approximately 25 minutes. It verifies that you have the necessary level of English, both spoken and receptive, to be a teacher of English at a Swiss secondary school. The exam is graded but carries no ECTS credits. You prepare for the exam on your own time.

The Oral Exam begins with a brief warm up chat. The examiner will then ask you to talk about several topics, eventually joining in with questions. A brief discussion should then follow. Below are three topics with some questions to help you to prepare. You select two topics to prepare in advance of the exam. Please note that the questions are intended as guides only. What is most important is that you address the topics in a meaningful way at a C1 (or above) level of English.

1. CLASSROOM LANGUAGE

Classroom English is the English that teachers and students use in the classroom for routine activities such as giving instructions, asking for clarification, correcting errors, greeting, praising, and giving feedback. Possible questions to answer: How do you learn and/or teach such language? Why is it important? What might be challenging about it for you and/or your students?

2. LANGUAGE LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND GOALS

Possible questions to answer: What are your experiences of learning languages? How do you learn languages? What motivates you? What challenges do you face? What are your goals? How might the answers to these questions differ for your students?

3. LANGUAGE TEACHING VALUES, BELIEFS, THEORIES AND PRACTICES

Possible questions to answer: What roles and responsibilities does a secondary school teacher of English in Switzerland have? What values and beliefs will influence your teaching? What theories and practices will influence your teaching? What approaches and/or methods do you think are (in)effective for e.g. teaching speaking, listening, reading, writing, lexis, grammar, etc.? How important is the role of testing and assessment? What do you recommend for students who might struggle in your classes or who might find the class unchallenging?
 

Performance at a C1 level or above is required to pass the Oral Exam. The examiner will be looking for evidence of the following: fluency of speech (speaking freely and spontaneously with limited hesitations and searching for language; accuracy of speech (correct and appropriate use of specific vocabulary and grammar to express more complex ideas); the ability to use English formally, informally, and/or idiomatically according to the situation; well-structured speech which features a range of linking words and cohesive devices; and pronunciation which is clear and easy to understand; and a high level of competency in terms of interactive communication skills.

A more detailed rubric can be found at: http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/education/elp/elpreg/Source/assessement_grid/assessment_grid_english.pdf.

A failing grade is only awarded if at least two English language lecturers from the Department of English (the interviewer and one other lecturer) have analysed a recording of the Oral Exam and both agree that the minimum required level has not been demonstrated by the candidate. New students enrolling from AS 2019 are allowed two attempts to pass the Oral Exam. Students who enrolled in the BA_S1 English Programme prior to AS 2019 are still allowed three attempts.

Oral Exam contact person: Shane Bos, University of Fribourg/Freiburg Language Centre, shane.bos@unifr.ch

Updated December 2020