Hello all,
Calling all people who have already taken the TEFaQ!
I posted a similar question at the end of an old thread, but I think it may have gotten lost in the shuffle, so to speak.
I am American, studied in Québec (graduated 5 years ago) and now want to immigrate. I think I probably meet the minimum points requirement on my own, but I will be applying with my husband so we will need to meet a higher points level, and I think I will need at least upper beginner level on both parts of the TEFaQ. (I expect/hope to test to some intermediate level, though.)
I have found some information online about the TEFaQ, and I even inquired at my local Alliance Française, but I still have a few questions which haven't been answered. For the most part my questions relate to the actual experience of taking the test. I know the basic structure.
1.) I know that for the speaking sections, you have two tasks - to ask a series of questions about a document (usually an advertisement of some sort) and to try to convince someone of something/to do something, related to a document. I know you have time to prepare before you talk with the examiner. But, does the examiner's response to your initial question/statement alter your subsequent questions/statements? By this I mean, does the speaking portion become a discussion, in which in reality you must exhibit oral comprehension skills, and the ability to think on your feet? Or, are you merely asking your series of questions, one at a time, without changing them in any way after hearing the examiner's response? In the part where you have to convince them of something, do you really need good debate skills? Does the examiner try to make things difficult, debate-wise? Or, are you merely presenting an argument and not changing it in any way to respond to the responses of the examiner? (I hope that makes sense... to put it simply, are you talking AT the examiner, as you would if you were merely making a presentation, or are you conversing and formulating responses in response to what the examiner says?)
2.) I believe I read that you can write down your questions/statements and bring them into the room with the examiner, and consult the piece of paper. Is this correct?
Thank you for any help! I don't know why, but there seems to be a lack of information about the actual experience of the speaking portion of the test.
Calling all people who have already taken the TEFaQ!
I posted a similar question at the end of an old thread, but I think it may have gotten lost in the shuffle, so to speak.
I am American, studied in Québec (graduated 5 years ago) and now want to immigrate. I think I probably meet the minimum points requirement on my own, but I will be applying with my husband so we will need to meet a higher points level, and I think I will need at least upper beginner level on both parts of the TEFaQ. (I expect/hope to test to some intermediate level, though.)
I have found some information online about the TEFaQ, and I even inquired at my local Alliance Française, but I still have a few questions which haven't been answered. For the most part my questions relate to the actual experience of taking the test. I know the basic structure.
1.) I know that for the speaking sections, you have two tasks - to ask a series of questions about a document (usually an advertisement of some sort) and to try to convince someone of something/to do something, related to a document. I know you have time to prepare before you talk with the examiner. But, does the examiner's response to your initial question/statement alter your subsequent questions/statements? By this I mean, does the speaking portion become a discussion, in which in reality you must exhibit oral comprehension skills, and the ability to think on your feet? Or, are you merely asking your series of questions, one at a time, without changing them in any way after hearing the examiner's response? In the part where you have to convince them of something, do you really need good debate skills? Does the examiner try to make things difficult, debate-wise? Or, are you merely presenting an argument and not changing it in any way to respond to the responses of the examiner? (I hope that makes sense... to put it simply, are you talking AT the examiner, as you would if you were merely making a presentation, or are you conversing and formulating responses in response to what the examiner says?)
2.) I believe I read that you can write down your questions/statements and bring them into the room with the examiner, and consult the piece of paper. Is this correct?
Thank you for any help! I don't know why, but there seems to be a lack of information about the actual experience of the speaking portion of the test.