How to Prepare for an ESL Oral Test

When a person seeks citizenship in the United States, he must prove proficiency in the English language. All too often, people fail to qualify because they relied heavily on their ability to read and write in English and not on the skills necessary to conduct a conversation in English that are required during your ESL Oral test. Here are some things that will help as you prepare for your ESL Oral exam.

Instructions

1. Understand what is important to your interviewer. Typically, you will be graded on your overall pronunciation, vocabulary, fluency, as well as the content of your answers. Some interviewers will place greater emphasis on certain aspects of your exam than others, but all will be interested in your command of these basic skills. The more you understand what is expected of you during this exam, the better you will perform.

2. Be prepared to answer the interviewer by including a part of the question you have been asked. By doing so, you will be more likely to answer the question in a complete sentence. More importantly, that will force you to answer the question in the proper tense, a factor that will impress the interviewer. Moreover, that will help you answer the question more accurately, and that will improve your ability to speak English.

3. Give complete answers to the questions you are asked, rather than a simple “yes” or “no.” Your interviewer will be endeavoring to grasp your command of English, so give expansive answers to the questions you are asked. One trick is to include reasons why you have answered the question as you have. This will allow the interviewer to see your command of the language as well as your ability to “think” in English.

4. Practice speaking in English often before your ESL Oral Exam. The more you converse in English, the more fluent in the language you will become. Have someone ask you questions in English, and then attempt to answer them with complete, well-thought-out answers. Not only will you be better prepared to impress your examiner during your Oral Test, you will be more likely to increase your use of English long after you have become a citizen of the United States.