Tuesday's Tip for Language Learning #34: How to Prepare for an Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI)

 


Excerpt from Think Yourself into Becoming a Language Learning Super Star


How to Prepare for an Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI)

All of the organizations that administer written proficiency tests also administer oral proficiency tests. You can find information at the same sites as given for the written tests. Please note that Language Testing International (LTI) administers the OPI of the American Council on Teaching Foreign Languages (ACTFL) so LTI’s site is the best place to go for information. Some private institutes, organizations, and companies have developed various forms of an OPI, but they are not as commonly known or used as those of ACTFL and the US government.

Preparing for the test

Here are some thoughts to keep in mind as soon as you know you will be taking an OPI:

·       Given that we become good at what we practice (and not good at what we do not), then it goes without saying that we should practice speaking as much as possible, including

o   with the teacher in class;

o   with classmates in class, during breaks, and outside class (make an agreement to speak only the target language to each other);

o   with native speakers wherever you can find them; and

o   to yourself when no one else is available.

·       Speaking about talking to yourself, don’t overlook that as a possible way to rehearse for an OPI; think about what topics might come up or what tasks you might be asked to do and then play the roles of both you and the interviewer—if you guess any of these correctly, you comfort level will dramatically increase during the interview.

·       Read a lot; the majority of near-native speakers report that they achieved their speaking skills as a result of copious reading.[1]

·       OPI formats differ, depending upon who is giving the OPI; find out details well in advance so that you know how to orient your preparation (e.g., if you are going to have to deliver a monologue, which is not a normal part of every day speech, you may want to practice doing a few of those, especially if your course does not include giving presentations as part of its instructional program).

·       If you read no other book than this one, read How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately (Shekhtman, 2013; it contains seven tools that will help you for any time you need to speak, including during an OPI.

reading + speaking + immersion in the language = ready to take an OPI

 

Taking the OPI

An OPI, regardless of who does it, has some type of warm up (or period of getting acquainted), questions at your comfort level, questions above your comfort level, and for some versions, a brief formal closure or winding down. Depending upon the organization giving the OPI, you might be expected to answer questions, act as an interpreter, give a briefing, or accomplish specific tasks.

Here are some tips for handing the range of communications that may be required of you:

·       Come to the OPI early, rested, and having eaten properly.

·       Relax. Yes, that is easier said than done, but if you cannot, your interactions will not be at their best. Follow some of the suggestions for test anxiety given for classroom tests to help calm yourself.

·       Adopt an attitude of curiosity; you will be meeting someone as the interviewer, and the test is something new—it may be fun.

·       Generally, a lot of questions will be about topics that you could be expected to know and probably do know; speak up and show what you know.

·       Try to be accurate, but don’t obsess over grammar; either you have already internalized the forms or you have not.

·       Listen carefully to the questions. If you don’t understand the question, ask for clarification. You cannot answer a question you do not understand.

·       If you don’t know a word or expression you need, paraphrase—you should already have had a lot of practice in doing this.

·       If you don’t know much about a topic that is brought up, just say so; you cannot make up things you don’t know.

·       Don’t try to buffalo the interviewer; this is one test where you cannot guess, and interviewers are well trained to ferret out everything you know and don’t know.

·       And, in spite of what you may hear people say about alcohol helping people to speak another language more fluently, don’t touch the stuff! You want clear speech, not slurred speech on your test.

good preparation + attitude of curiosity = more comfortable test + more accurate results

 



[1] Leaver and Atwell, as reported in Leaver and Shekhtman (2003) interviewed over 100 learners of foreign languages who had achieved near-native levels of proficiency in their foreign language; more than 80% reported the positive influence of extensive reading on their speaking skills. 


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