9 Tips for PSLE Chinese Oral Exams

Overview of PSLE Chinese Oral (E-Oral)

Since 2017, the PSLE Chinese Oral Examination has become more challenging with the inclusion of video conversation in place of picture description. Refer to the chart below for a clearer picture of the entire flow of oral exam and the marks distribution.

Reminders:
• Make sure you bring along your IC and entry proof before you enter the exam hall.
• Raise your hand to seek assistance from Assistant Oral Examiner (AOE) if you encounter any issue during the Silent Preparation.
• Greet the Oral Examiner before you take your seat.

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Tips to Score in Oral Exam

Tip 1: Punctuation Marks Are Your Friends

Use punctuation marks as a guide to decide your reading speed, when to pause, and what tone to adopt.

• Pause whenever there is a comma or full stop. Commas, colons and enumeration commas only require a brief pause. You should pause for a longer time for full stops, question marks, or exclamation marks.
• Vary your tone based on the punctuation marks and the context.
  • When you encounter an exclamation mark, look for the contextual clues before deciding on the tone.
  • 我好期待假期的到来！(excitement)
  • 原来这张床那么舒服啊！（surprise）
  • 还不快滚！（anger)
  • A rising tone can express enthusiasm, surprise, and uncertainty (used especially when there is a question mark).
  • A falling tone can express rejection, disappointment, and sadness.

Tip 2: Read With Emotion

• Use different tones to express emotion.
• Facial expressions (such as frowns, smiles, the shaking of head and other appropriate body language) can also help to enhance your portrayal of the emotion in the text. Practise reading in front of a mirror for best effect.
• Here are some phrases extracted from the Primary 6 Chinese textbook. Try reading them with the emotion indicated:
  • 现在，这里有人跟我竞争，真好玩！(excited)
  • 剑明明是从这里掉下去的，怎么捞不到了呢？简直太奇怪了！(disbelief/confused)
  • 你不写文章，却在喝酒，简直是胡闹！(anger)

Tip 3: Improve Your Word Recognition Ability and Reading Fluency

• If you encounter a word that you do not recognise, look at the phonetic component (声旁), the parts of a character (部件), and the context of the passage (语境) to guess its pronunciation.
• Remember this technique: “有边读边，没边读中间” (When there is a phonetic radical at the side, read it, if there isn’t, read the part in the centre). It doesn’t always hold true, but it definitely helps when you are stuck.

• You can also improve your word recognition ability through flashcard games, such as by using the 欢乐伙伴字卡.
• Take note: There are many polyphones (多音字) in Chinese, whereby the same character takes on different pronunciation depending on the character(s) it is paired with.

Tip 4: Expand Your Vocabulary Bank

Besides learning from textbooks, reading Chinese comics, news, magazines, storybooks or listening to the local radio stations can also be effective ways to boost your vocabulary.

Recommended learning materials:

• LianHe Zaobao’s official YouTube Channel
  • (zaobao.com.sg)
• Ah Boy 系列 is an interesting animated series introducing topics related to Chinese culture and Chinese traditions. (Videos are subtitled in both English and Chinese.)
  • Learn with Ah Boy
    • https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLu6nV–3hIATSdktiH6v_Tk03cfpQI9_2&si=OchPRPBuj6rTHZDT
  • Ah Boy and friends
    • https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLu6nV–3hIARhpFZawkVUvjQNsq3_uaCG&si=1Mlucsw_PwSpM2Or

• 早报校园
  • https://www.zbschools.sg/
    • You can click on the paragraphs to hear them read aloud.

• Learn common Chinese phrases through online platforms like
  • https://www.dimsumwarriors.com/chinese-chengyu-dictionary-cartoons/ 

• 《童言有计》
  • A reality experimental show which the observer will guide the children to share their thoughts through different activities. Both Season 1 and 2 are available on Youtube.
• For further reading, check out this recommended storybook list
  • https://www.cpcll.sg/resources/reading-group

Tip 5: Maximise Your Silent Preparation Time

• Pay attention to the narration（旁白）as the narrator will give a brief description of the theme/topic of the video. Usually, the theme will be mentioned once or twice. Replay the video if you did not catch the key phrase. Keep the theme in mind as you watch the video. When you answer questions, always link them back to the theme.
• Commonly tested themes include:
  • 校园生活 (school life)：运动会，图书馆，义工活动
  • 公共行为 (public behaviour)：熟食中心，购物商店，巴士车站
  • 邻里关系 (neighbourliness)：甘榜精神，走廊堆放物品
  • 公路安全 (road safety)：过马路戴耳机，交通路况
  • 价值观 (values)：同理心，公德心，责任感
  • 青少年课题 (youth issues)：友谊，学习方式，习惯

• Based on the theme you identified, think of possible questions the examiner may ask. Rehearse your answers to these questions in your head.
• Use the 5W1H (六何法) method while you are watching the video: Pick out the details you can use to support your responses. It will help you answer question 1, which always asks you to describe something you saw in the video.

Tip 6: Consolidate Your Learning By Theme

• Whether in school, on your own, or at an enrichment centre, you have had opportunities acquiring vocabulary phrases for various themes. If you consolidate the phrases you have learnt by theme, you will have a wealth of terms at your disposal. 
• Maximise your learning—when you revise for Chinese, you revise for all components at once, not oral in isolation! 
  • Your composition pieces can provide you with relevant terms for your oral description (e.g. emotions of characters, transitional phrases, proverbs to sum up the moral of the story). 
  • Even the comprehension passages you do in school can come in handy. For example, when you jot down the answer for “你赞同作者的做法吗？“ or “ ’成功不仅要靠个人的努力，还要靠其他人的支持与帮助。，你同意吗？试从文中举例说明。(2023 Catholic High Prelims Paper 2 Q40”), pay attention to the terms used, what theme it tackles and see how you can recycle it for oral.
• Each practice is precious; whatever component you practice, add to your mental vocabulary bank the terms pertaining to that theme. When the actual exam comes by, don’t forget to tap on the terms you have already learnt and used!

Tip 7: Anticipate the Questions Based on the Format

• The examiner will ask three main questions. Use the format below to help you pre-empt the questions.
• Question 1: Describe what you have observed in the video.
  • 说一说你在录像中看到的一件好事。
  • 说一说录像中哪一个人的行为让你留下深刻的印象。
• Question 2: Share your personal experience (based on the theme).
  • 说一说你怎么安排自己的假期生活。
  • 说一说你在日常生活中有哪些好习惯。
• Question 3: Give suggestions.
  • 你认为学校可以如何鼓励学生多参加义工活动？
  • 你认为可以通过什么方法来帮助学生养成阅读的习惯？

Tip 8: Apply a Framework for Each Type of Question Asked

Framework for Question 1:

• To describe the video, you can memorise these phrases and use DCFS (Description, Comment, Feeling, Suggestion) to answer.
  • 在录像中，我看到……（何人）在……（何地）……做了（何事）。
  • 这样的行为让周围的人……
  • 如果是我，我会感到……
  • 我觉得应该/不应该这样……因为……

Framework for Question 2:

• To share your real life experiences (related to the theme), you can compare your experience/reaction with the video, and further describe what you have done and why you did that.
• These phrases will come in handy:
  • 和录像中的人一样，我也有过……的经验/体验
  • 我会选择报名参加是因为……（起因）
  • 我记得当时我和同学一起…… （经过）
  • 在那个活动中，我学到了…… （结果：收获）
  • 我感到很……（感受）
  • 总的来说，我认为…/下次我会… (总结)
• If you do not have any related experiences, you can say this:
• 我没有参加过这样的活动，但如果有机会参与，我会选择参加/不参加,因为……

Framework for Question 3:

• Use PEEL (Point of view, Elaborate, Example, Link back to theme) to express your opinion and suggestions.

Tip 9: Exude Confidence

• Be loud and clear: Make sure the oral examiner can hear you clearly.
• Think before you speak: If you need more time to respond, do ask for some buffer time. Avoid rambling and mumbling in your speech.
• Practice makes perfect: Practice reading in front of the mirror or recording yourself reading/speaking. Replay the video and pay attention to how you can improve your body language. Most importantly, use every opportunity to speak the language in your daily life (use it to order food, buy things, ask for directions)!
• You can also watch videos to learn Chinese phrases widely used in daily conversation, e.g. https://www.youtube.com/@YeahChinese

Conclusion

“Rome was not built in a day.” To improve your oral fluency, you have to use the language on a regular basis. Immerse yourself in a Chinese-speaking environment. For instance, use the language when communicating with friends and parents, express your thoughts in Chinese while you watch the television.

Start small if you feel intimidated. Read a short paragraph a day. This can help you to overcome any anxiety and awkwardness. Apply the above tips and press on! You will definitely improve!

The 300 Illustrated Phrases to Ace PSLE Chinese ebook pairs phrases with illustrations for easier recall – download your copy.

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