Language learning is not just about the written exams – it also involves speaking and communicating well. That’s exactly what the PSLE Oral exams are for, and they take up quite a significant percentage of the overall grade too. So, preparing well for the PSLE oral exam might be more important than you think.
Yet, as the PSLE Oral exams approach, some parents might still be unsure about what the PSLE Oral exam entails and how to ensure their child is prepared for it. At Future Academy, you can rest assured that we have you covered! While some tuition centres in Singapore may focus heavily on reading and writing, we understand that speaking is also a key skill in a child’s language development, with benefits going beyond the exams.
Our PSLE English tuition teachers and PSLE Chinese tutors are equipped to coach students using a systematic and nurturing method, building up their confidence and oral skills to excel in the PSLE oral exams. Here are some approaches we use during our tuition classes to develop our students’ oral skills. Parents can also adapt these tips and use them at home to support your child’s learning!
Topical learning
The PSLE Oral topics includes themes like social and community issues (e.g. neighbourliness, littering, road safety), personal experiences (e.g. hobbies, friends, goals), and current affairs (e.g. how technology affects us, environmental sustainability). Below are some examples of PSLE Oral topics, including those from recent years’ exams.
While we do not recommend spotting topics, we can minimise any chances of surprises during the exam by exposing our students to as many topics as possible. We have weekly topics which we discuss and explore together during tuition time, going through relevant texts like stories, poems, advertisements, or news articles. These give students an overview of the issues, ideas, and concepts which are relevant to each topic, and gives them a chance to personally reflect and relate their own experiences to them.
As parents, you can also support your child’s learning in this way by conversing with your child about a wide range of topics. For example, you can share and talk about one news article each day and ask your child about their personal take on it.
Useful vocabulary lists
Vocabulary is best learnt in context. So, instead of simply having lists of words to learn each week, we focus on a theme every week and expose students to appropriate vocabulary for that topic. These words will come up naturally as we explore the topic together and gain an overview of the issues and concepts which are central to the topic.
We encourage parents to partner us in learning and asking your child about the topics they have learn that week. You can revisit the topic with them during the week to reinforce their learning, asking them relevant questions during your natural conversations with your child.
Building up confidence through discussions
Something we noticed is that some children can be good at reading and writing, but are not confident in speaking. As such, we offer plenty of opportunities for students to share their thoughts verbally in a non-intimidating setting.
In our small classes (not more than 6 students), students can practice forming sentences in real-time, practice new vocabulary and pronunciation, and get comfortable sharing about their personal opinions and experiences.
Sometimes, we can do this naturally within the flow of the lesson so that there is less pressure. Other times, we also pose these questions as ‘mock exams’ so that students can be familiarised with exam-type questions and learn to react quickly to any topic that is presented to them.
At home, parents can also encourage your child to voice out their thoughts by asking one interesting question each day at the dinner table, for example. Give them enough time to think before they answer, and offer prompts only if they really seem stuck.
Conclusion
With our methodical approach to PSLE oral preparation, we are always glad to hear when our students tell us that they remember our lessons and use the techniques taught to overcome their oral exams. Many students tell us that they felt confident and satisfied with their own performance at the actual PSLE oral exams – a great affirmation to us and our tutors!
There’s not much time to lose to prepare for the PSLE oral examinations. We hope these tips help you in your practice – if not, we welcome you to join us in our PSLE tuition classes and receive individualised coaching to sharpen your oral skills today!