In the past, it was common for the oral exam to start with a presentation. The idea was that students would get to 'warm up' by having a part of the exam that they would have fully prepared beforehand.
Why not start with a presentation?
More and more digital tools have become available over the years. AI tools, in particular, make it difficult for teachers to gauge a student's language skills from a presentation. Therefore, many prefer to use other methods to allow students to show what they know. A student may be asked to read a short text and talk about its content, talk about a picture, listen to a text and talk about the content, or something similar.
In this picture you see protective equipment used to ensure the health and safety of workers. This may not be the same equipment you use in the line of work you are studying for, so for an oral exam your teacher will have found a picture of the equipment you actually use.
You can start by describing what you see in the picture. Go into detail. You can also talk about your own experiences with using the equipment.
Talk about Health, Safety and Environment, and why it is important in a workplace.
You can talk about your experiences from the work placement periods.
You can talk about work environment and what it means to be a good colleague in the line of work you are studying for.
You can talk about risks and hazards in the line of work you are studying for.
You can go on to talk about health in general and what we can do to stay healthy.
As you can see, one picture can lead to a lot of conversation. You are not expected to talk about all of this, but to try to keep a conversation going in a relevant way, so that you can show your language skills and your knowledge about the topic.
If you can take charge of the conversation and decide what to talk about, that is very good. However, if you find it difficult, your teacher will no doubt help you by asking relevant questions that will prompt you to discuss topics that you have worked on during the school year.
Talk about a picture
Study the next picture and consider what you might say if you picked this picture to talk about during the exam. Try to think of five different things. Have a conversation about the picture with a partner.
When you have finished, you can open the expandable box to see if there are any topics you did not think of.
If you get some new ideas, continue the conversation with your partner.
Are we using digital tools too much? Image: Shutterstock, NTB / Restricted reuse
Suggestions:
You can talk about:
what you see in the picture
how teens use social media and how it influences them
how you use digital tools in everyday life (in your spare time, at school, at work ...)
what digital tools are used in the line of work you are training for
which digital tools should be allowed in school (for example AI)
whether you think AI tools will be useful for you in the future
whether AI is likely to influence or change the line of work you are training for
any films you have watched that focus on digital media
any literary texts you have read that focus on digital media
Study the pictures below and take notes on what you can talk about. Then work with a partner and have a conversation about each picture. Time yourselves to see how long you can keep the conversation going. If you get stuck, click on the expandable boxes to get some tips.
Picture 1
Traditional Thanksgiving dinner (USA)
Suggestions:
You can talk about:
what you see in the picture
traditions in the US and other English-speaking countries
the first Thanksgiving (the first settlers survived in the New World because of Native Americans, who then had their land stolen by the settlers)
why traditions are important
Norwegian traditions and how they compare to traditions in English-speaking countries
how American traditions are imported to Norway (turkey on New Year's Eve, Halloween, Valentine's Day...)
food and cooking
family gatherings and family traditions
Picture 2
Football
Suggestions:
You can talk about:
what you see in the picture
football culture in the UK or other English-speaking countries
football in Europe
the value of participating in team sports
the importance of exercise
salaries of professional football players: Is it fair?
why many children dream of becoming professional football players
Picture 3
Is this a good leader?
Suggestions:
You can talk about:
what you see in the picture
what a good leader is like
why it is important to be able to cooperate in the workplace
how you can be a good co-worker
how to become motivated
how you, as a leader, would motivate others
what a good leader should never do
Picture 4
An Australian Aboriginal man participating in a smoke ceremony.
Suggestions:
You can talk about:
what you see in the picture
Indigenous peoples in different English-speaking countries (Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders in Australia, Māori in New Zealand, Native Americans / First Nations in the United States and Canada, or the Sami people in Norway)
their culture, their history, and their position in the country they live in today
how Indigenous peoples in Australia and New Zealand were affected by the British Empire
how the Americas were discovered and settled, and how this affected the Native Americans
the importance of heritage and identity
how we learn about different cultures when we travel
On the exam, you will probably not be given a list of hints, so you must practise coming up with your own ideas for the conversation. Study the picture and think about what you can talk about. Have a conversation with a partner.
