FREN 2302 – Final Oral Exam
Description and Instructions
During the last week of class, at the time slot for which you have signed up, you will meet with a French instructor other than your usual instructor. If you miss your assigned time slot, you will receive a grade of F. Make sure you know where to go and when; if you have any questions about these logistical concerns, contact your own instructor at least one full day ahead of the exam to allow enough time for your instructor to reply and remind you of your exam time.
This is a closed book exam that will take the form of a conversation between you and the instructor based on a series of photos that relate to the cultural and geographical landmarks in the last five chapters of Intrigue. You will select a photo at random and describe it. You may begin by describing physically what is in the photo; then you should be able to relate it to a cultural theme we have discussed in class (the themes are listed below), to the plot of Intrigue, and perhaps even to your personal experience. The instructor may ask you follow-up questions to allow you to expand on your answers. The exam will last a total of 10 minutes; the number of photos you select will depend on how long the conversations linked to each photo are.
SOME HINTS: You are encouraged to practice for this exam on your own, with a partner, with the tutors, or with a recording machine (to allow yourself to hear how you sound). This is an exam for which you can prepare; the more you rehearse and practice talking about the cultural components related to the textbook, the more comfortable you will be with the subject, and as a result, the more fluid your answers will be during the actual exam. Remember, when you take the exam, to
use only French; if you are not sure how to say a particular word, work around it. (For example, if you forget how to say “son neveu,” you can say “le fils de sa sœur / son frère.”) try to keep your pronunciation clear; practice difficult words or verb tenses (the passé composé, the imparfait) ahead of time so that they do not trip you up during the exam. keep your delivery as fluent as possible. This is something that will definitely improve with repeated practice. be conscious of using good grammar (for example, conjugate verbs!), but do not worry about it so much that you are constantly pausing in your delivery. Practicing your answers ahead of time and stopping during practice to correct your verb conjugations, adjective
