Speaking Exercises
Build spoken fluency with structured practice: ask for information, give an opinion, and keep talking without freezing.
Introduction
Speaking well is less about vocabulary and more about not stopping. In real conversations — and in the TEF Expression Orale — you are scored on flow, clarity, and how you structure your ideas. This lesson gives you sentence frames you can reuse in almost any situation so you always have something to say.
Asking for Information (TEF Section A)
In Section A you are given a short document (an ad, an event, a service) and you have to ask the other person questions to get details. Aim for 5–6 clear questions. Use a mix of question types instead of repeating "Est-ce que…".
- Bonjour, j’ai vu votre annonce et je voudrais quelques informations. — Hello, I saw your ad and I would like some information. (bon-zhoor, zhay voo vot-ruh a-nonss ay zhuh voo-dray kel-kuh an-for-ma-syon)
- Pouvez-vous me dire combien ça coûte ? — Can you tell me how much it costs? (poo-vay voo muh deer kom-byan sa koot)
- À quelle heure est-ce que ça commence ? — What time does it start? (a kel eur ess-kuh sa ko-manss)
- Est-ce qu’il faut réserver à l’avance ? — Do you need to book in advance? (ess-kil foh ray-zair-vay a la-vanss)
- Une dernière question : est-ce que c’est accessible en transport en commun ? — One last question: is it reachable by public transport? (oon dair-nyair kes-tyon)
Giving an Opinion (TEF Section B)
In Section B you defend a point of view and try to convince the examiner. Structure beats vocabulary: state your opinion, give two reasons with examples, acknowledge the other side, then conclude. These connectors carry the structure.
- À mon avis, … / Je pense que … / Pour moi, il est important de … — In my opinion, … / I think that … / For me, it is important to … (a mon a-vee / zhuh panss kuh / poor mwah)
- D’abord, … Ensuite, … Enfin, … — First, … Next, … Finally, … (da-bor / an-sweet / an-fan)
- Par exemple, quand j’étais… — For example, when I was… (par eg-zampl)
- C’est vrai que…, mais… — It’s true that…, but… (say vray kuh … may)
- Pour conclure, je pense vraiment que… — To conclude, I really think that… (poor kon-kloor)
Rescue Phrases: Don’t Freeze
When you lose a word, keep the conversation moving instead of going silent. Native speakers use these fillers and repair phrases constantly.
- Comment dire… / Attendez, je cherche le mot. — How to say… / Wait, I’m looking for the word. (ko-mahn deer / a-tan-day zhuh shairsh luh moh)
- C’est-à-dire que… — That is to say… (say-ta-deer kuh)
- Je ne connais pas le mot exact, mais c’est une sorte de… — I don’t know the exact word, but it’s a kind of… (zhuh nuh ko-nay pa luh moh eg-zakt)
- Pouvez-vous répéter, s’il vous plaît ? — Can you repeat, please? (poo-vay voo ray-pay-tay)
Practice: Speak It Out
Choose the strongest spoken response for each situation.
Review
You now have reusable frames for the two things speaking tests and real life demand: getting information and defending an opinion. **What you learned:** ✓ Section A openers and polite question frames ("Pouvez-vous me dire…") ✓ Section B structure: opinion → d’abord / ensuite / enfin → example → conclusion ✓ Concession: "C’est vrai que…, mais…" ✓ Rescue phrases so you never go silent **Practice tip:** Pick any object in your room. Give a 60-second spoken opinion: "Faut-il en avoir un ? À mon avis… D’abord… Ensuite… Pour conclure…" Record yourself and listen back for pauses.