<p>I need opinions. I 'm really strong on the listening and reading comp portions (missed maybe 2 on each in practice tests), so-so on function words, verbs, and the essay (getting 75% on fill in blanks and my very hard teacher says my essays "aren't bad, but aren't great"). My speaking, however... it terrible beyond belief. I'm a very shy person who doens't cope well with pressure and can't verbally BS in English, let alone French. How much do you think that would hurt me? Could I still pass, ideally with a 4 or 5, with a poor speaking grade? I can talk in french, it's not just silence, but it's not very good.....</p>
<p>Also any ideas for improving my speaking? Without fundamentally changing my personality if possible :p</p>
<p>I totally understand, and I also need some advice!!! I used to live in France (for 1 year) but basically, I just talked in situations like restaurants, malls, etc.
While I was living there, I took some exams that required a speaking part, but I spoke with an actual person, not a ******** tape recorder and it was way easier, since the person was really nice. </p>
<p>I moved to the US, and decided to take AP French, thinking it would be an easy class, but wow… I am strong on the listening, reading comprehension portions and so-so on the essay (I need to learn more vocab) but the part I hate the most is the speaking part! I’m also very, very shy (I am still learning English, for goodness’ sake) and I hate tape recorders (does it show?) plus the timing and the pressure…
I did some research, but I can’t find any ideas for improving my french…and I don’t know if I can actually get a 4-5 with my speaking skills
I hope someone helps us lol.</p>
<p>I’m not too knowledgeable on the subject, since I have not yet taken the exam (I will be in May, though), but I can tell you what I think. I have a feeling most students are like this: they’re in a big class, they don’t practice speaking very often, they’re shy, they get nervous, etc. Most kids have one of those traits that will cause him not to do so well in the speaking portion. Don’t worry too much or think you’re unusual; you’re not.</p>
<p>I can tell you for sure, though, that the speaking counts for 25% of the composite score. You need a 78.75% to get a 5.</p>
<p>My biggest advice would be to just practice, nonstop. Get a bunch of different FRQs and record yourself with a mic on your computer, then listen to it over again and compare yourself to the speaking samples they have on the website ([AP</a> Central - The AP French Language Exam](<a href=“Supporting Students from Day One to Exam Day – AP Central | College Board”>Supporting Students from Day One to Exam Day – AP Central | College Board)). I understand that shyness does play a huge factor, but another test in true linguistic fluency is overcoming that and being able to speak French that is (as the AP French gives you high points for) coherent and unbroken. If you hesitate and say “uhm…” too many times they will most definitely give you a much lower score.</p>
<p>What you also need to realize is that they do give you a bit of time to prep, albeit only about 1 minute or so. This should be your time to just jot down ideas and anything at all that comes to mind, including specific vocab. words and especially idioms or expressions you want to use. You can practice this over and over again, with different picture sequences and questions and eventually it’ll be easy to just throw down a few things on paper and start speaking off of that. Mind you, DON’T practice writing down everything that you’re going to say because you’ll just run out of time to put enough down.</p>
<p>Oh, and when you’re practicing be mindful of the verb tenses you use. If you stick to present tense entirely, you’re not going to earn a high score. Be sure to mix it up with conditional, future, and subjunctive :)</p>
<p>Speaking is a nervewracking experience, I know. But like any other skill tested on this exam, it’s something that you need to work hard to master in order to pass. The reason why people consider language tests the hardest is because they’re entirely not something you can cram in a month–you either know a language or you don’t. But don’t let this discourage you because I’m sure you can improve your abilities once you gain confidence through practice :D</p>
<p>P.S. OH and be sure to ask your counselor to check the recorders that your school will use for the language exam. Last year, mine jammed halfway through my picture sequence and yeah it was just a horrible experience :S</p>