In this blog post, I'm going to mention the most common mistakes that DELE B2 candidates make in the Oral Test:
1. Start directly with the proposals - do not make an introduction.
On many occasions, there are candidates who start task 1 by talking directly about one of the proposals, without making a brief introduction. The ideal would be to be able to introduce the topic to be discussed. You have two options:
1. You can start by saying why you chose that option.
2. You can talk about the topicality or relevance of the topic.
2. Do not close the monologue.
To make the interviewer understand that you have finished and not give them a feeling of not having closed the monologue well, use discursive markers such as “to finish” or “finally”. Also, when you're done, you can say, “that's all.”
3. Do not use connectors, discursive markers.
To have a better structure in your monologues, always use speech markers: on the one hand, on the other hand, in terms of, as it relates to, moving on to talking about, in spite of that, however, finally...
4. Read the proposals aloud.
In the exam room, don't read the proposals aloud before talking about them. This is not the best way to comment on them. You should have already read them in the preparation room and you may have taken note of what you would like to say about each one. If you are going to read them in the exam room, let it not be out loud, because you convey that you haven't read it well before or that you are not so well prepared.
5. Talk too much about one of the proposals.
At a minimum, you have to comment on four of the five proposals they give you. Therefore, knowing that you only have 4 minutes, diversify your time and don't spend too many minutes on one of the proposals, because you may run out of time to comment on the others.
6. Don't elaborate on answers when they ask you.
You should not give very brief answers. Always try to justify your opinions and give examples.
7. To imply that you have not understood the question.
If you understand the question you were asked, but you need time to think, don't be silent, because you will send the wrong message: the interviewer will think that you have not understood the question. You can say something like this to save time: “It's a good question, I've never asked myself that question before. The truth is that...”
8. Answer with anything if you don't understand the question.
If you haven't understood the question, don't answer it with the first thing that comes to mind. Ask for a second chance, ask to repeat it or rephrase it.
9. In task 2, read the questions and then answer them without doing a fluent monologue.
The description of the photo is guided, you have to answer a few questions about it. But you don't have to read every question out loud and then answer. No. What is expected is that you will do a fluid monologue that includes the answers to those questions.
10. Do not use hypothesis structures in the description of the photo.
You have to start from what you see to make a hypothesis about the situation and its components. To do this, learn beforehand structures to help you express this, some will go with the subjunctive, others with the indicative and even with the infinitive: maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe...
11. Do not ask the examiner questions in task 3.
It's a dialogue and, if you ask any questions, you'll demonstrate more mastery and ability to conduct a conversation. Therefore, try to ask at least one question in this task.
12. Do not give very long answers, so that the dialogue is more fluid.
Task 3 is not a monologue, it's a dialogue. Therefore, do not give such lengthy answers that they eat up practically half of the time allocated to this task.
