How Can Parents Help To Prepare For PSLE Oral (English)

English Oral comprises three elements: Listening Comprehension (20 marks) and Oral Communication (30 marks). The latter comprises of Reading Aloud (passage) and Stimulus-based Conversation. They make up 10 and 20 marks respectively.

In preparation for PSLE Oral, it is not so much as how your child speaks, but also about helping your child to organize his/her thoughts and then answering the questions clearly and succinctly. This post shares how you can help your child prepare for PSLE Oral.

1. Listening Comprehension

In Listening Comprehension, your child will be given a booklet comprising of 20 questions. The teacher will play seven (7) scripts in sequence. Each script is played twice by the teacher. Your child will be given the opportunity to answer questions pertaining to each script.

School teachers will prep your child in class how to answer the questions. If not, you can advise your child to take note of the following while listening to the scripts:

• The tone of voice of the speaker
• The sequence of events
• The questions and answer options

Here’s what you can do to help your child:

• Get CDs or assessment books like the PSLE English Revision Guide by Marshall Cavendish which have Listening comprehension scripts that you can use to practice with your child.
• Remind your child to take note of key points when the tape is playing the first time and write down notes. When the script is being played the second time, he/she can reaffirm the key point and pick the correct answer.

2. Passage Reading

During oral reading, the examiner is looking to hear the proper enunciation of words and the student’s ability to make the passage come alive. Some of the common mistakes students make include these:

a. Reading with no emotions or in a flat and monotonous tone
b. Mispronunciation of words
c. Reading in soft or barely audible voice

Here’s what you can do to help your child:

To counter the first, teach your child to spot the action words in the passage and read these words with emphasis. For readers who read too slow or too fast, let them listen to a reading with the right pace. This will give them an idea of the speed to read it.

If the passage has a few characters, for example, a dad and daughter, try to use different voices to differentiate the characters. Where there are exclamation marks, raise your tone of voice or add in some dramatic tone to give the reading degrees of layers, so it does not sound dull.

To help your child have proper enunciation, try to speak to your child in proper English. IF English is not your strength, try our local news channel, National Geographic or BBC. These are great channels to train your child’s hearing of good English and help them to speak well and pronounce words accurately. If your child watches a lot of American TV series, explain the difference in nuances in certain words so that they know which ones to use during Oral. Singapore follows the British system, so remind them to use British English in their school orals and writings.

During reading, the teacher is listening for your enunciation of words with or ending in “th” “d” and “s”. Some examples are Thursday, They, With, Standard,

Other special words they are on the lookout or listening out for are “The” which can be pronounced as “THE” or “thee”. The latter pronunciation is always used when the word following it begins with a vowel. For example, apple, igloo, owl

3. Stimulus Conversation

Some kids are natural conversationalists while others can be coached in this area. But even the best conversationalist need some practice and pointers to help them ace their stimulus conversation. For a start, remind your child to do the following during their session.

• Sit up straight
• Be relaxed but respectful
• Have some eye contact but not staring
• Gestures with your hand are fine, but tweedling your thumbs is not.
• Organize your thoughts, try not to stumble –
• Try not use pause fillers (um, er…)
• Speak loudly and clearly
• Speak at an acceptable pace and don’t ramble.
• Do not be vague or use vague expressions like ‘these things’ and ‘something like that’

Here’s what you can do to help your child:

• Encourage your child to converse with adults other than you.
• Praise your child when they have eye contact or good postures
• Practice at home with your child.
• Talk to your kids about a range of topics
  • Environment / Recycling
  • Safety (Road/ Home)
  • Extra curriculum activities
  • Family Bonding
  • Digital Devices
  • Digital Learning

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