On Preparing Science Students for an Oral Foreign Language Exam

Abstract

The article is devoted to the issue of preparing science students for an oral exam in English. The author analyzed the data of research considering the relationship between Teacher Talking Time and Student Talking Time in a foreign language classroom, conducted by C. Chaudron, V. Cook, D. Nunan, R. Ellis, C. Pesce, A. Korenev and D. Babaeva. The ratio of 30% to 70% was determined as optimal for oral speech practice and the conclusion is made that it is possible to increase Student Talking Time with the help of pair and group work.

The methods of preparing students for an oral foreign language examination are analyzed on the basis of teaching strategies at the biological faculty of Lomonosov Moscow State University. The English language oral exam for undergraduate students consists of the following three tasks: a prepared monologue on the subject of personal and scientific interests of the examinee; an impromptu monologue-description based on visual materials on biological topics, and a dialogue with the teacher to continue the discussion of the topic presented in the visual materials. The possible difficulties that students face doing each task during an oral foreign language exam are listed. The author has proposed some solutions to overcome the difficulties associated with the insufficient practice of oral speech.

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