One of the goals of French 106 is to develop students' ability to talk about daily life now and in the past, and about cultural information learned in class. In order to evaluate how successfully you have achieved this objective, we will test your ability to communicate your ideas and opinions using the procedure outlined below. Information for scheduling your interview will be distributed in class.
 

A. Procedure:

You will interact with a student you have previously chosen as your partner on one of the topics given below. You will choose a card at random and you and your partner will discuss the topic making sure that you use the appropriate vocabulary and grammar. Your Jeu de Rôle will last approximately 6-7 minutes, then your instructor will ask you and your partner a few additional questions about your Tour de France Virtuel. Make sure you remember some of the cultural information you learned through that assignment.

B. Sign-up:

Oral exams will take place either in a classroom or in the instructor's office as indicated on the sign-up sheet. You and your partner will sign-up for a time slot. Write in your full names. Be sure to note the date, time, and location on your calendar since it is imperative that you arrive on time. A missed interview will be rescheduled only in case of confirmed emergency. (See the attendance policy on the syllabus).

C. Topics:

• Il pleut!  It's raining.... what are you going to do? You and a friend are lamenting the bad weather. Finally you come up with the idea of going to the movies. Develop a skit in which you suggest to your partner to go to a horror movie. However, he or she hates horror movies. Discuss and decide which movie you are going to see. Agree on the film, the time, and find a happy compromise.
• Une réservation!  Create a skit in which one person is a hotel receptionist and the other a prospective guest of the hotel. Both need to ask polite, relevant questions and answer appropriately. Use the vocabulary you have learned, particularly from chapter 7.
• A la gare. Create a skit in which you ask for a first-class train ticket to Lyon, starting from Paris. Unfortunately, there are no more tickets available for today. Try to find other ways to get to your destination. You will have to spend the night on a slow train.
• Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas? Two friends meet.  One is experiencing a relationship problem (boy/girlfriend/roommate, etc.) and the other one tries to find out more about it and gives advice.  Use the two past tenses (imparfait, passé composé) and verbs like devoir, pouvoir, vouloir (ch. 9), when giving advice.
• Dans une boutique. You need to buy some clothes. You go into a boutique and start looking around.  A shop assistant wants to help you.  You and your partner play a scene where the client is very difficult and finally does not buy anything!!

D. Scoring:

In scoring your interview, we will consider:

1. Fluency - amount of information conveyed, naturalness and variety of expression.

2. Comprehensibility/Pronunciation - individual sounds, intonation and rhythm

3. Listening comprehension - your ability to comprehend and to respond to interlocutor's questions.

4. Structure accuracy  - control of verbs and verb phrases, ability to talk about people and events in the past, present, and near future, control of noun and noun phrases (articles, adjectives, agreements).

5. Vocabulary - breadth and accuracy

E. Preparation:

Review the role-plays you did in class.You should practice all the topics with your partner. Ask your instructors if you need help. Relax and do your best! No one expects you to speak like a native!  Practice and be yourself. The entire interview will last about ten to fifteen minutes.

It is a good idea to prepare an index card for each topic. Write some ideas for questions and discussion. It is also helpful to write key vocabulary and grammatical structures necessary to talk about a particular subject. Preparation with your partner is essential for success. However, while the cards and notes are helpful for practice, no notes may be used during your oral exam.

                                                                                                                          Bonne chance!