Oral English Test

1
Oral English Test Instructions for A and
B You (as A ) and another student (as B
) have 10 minutes to prepare a conversation.The
conversation will be divided into 2 parts, each
part taking about 5 minutes. In Part 1, A will
ask questions, and B will respond. In Part 2, B
will ask questions, and A will respond. The
examination will indicate when to change
parts. Note Final grades will be
determined by the accuracy,fluency and
appropriateness of your conversation. The two
parts of your conversation should have a
connection. You will be judged not only on your
ability to ask questions, but also on your
ability to keep the conversation going on
smoothly. Your conversation should flow as
naturally as possible.
2

1 A ? Situation You and B are going to have
a conversation. You will be first talking about
names and then moving to the topic of
cross-cultural differences in addressing habits.
Your conversation will be in two parts. Each
takes about 5 minutes. Your examiner will
indicate when to change to the second part.
3

• Part 1 Names
• A starts the conversation by asking the
  first question, followed by more questions. B
  mainly answer questions. This part of your
  conversation should last about 5 minutes.
• You are A. Your questions should be related to
  the topics of names. Here are some suggestions
• Ask B to compare the relationship between name
  and sex in China and in the West.
• Ask B to compare the relationship between name
  and parents expectation in China and In the
  West.

4

• Reference
• In America, female names also connote gentler
  qualities by referring to flower, birds and those
  feeble creatures and etc.
• Male names are usually concerned with God /
  Lord and religion, so are some female names.
• Male but few female names concerned with arms
  and fight
• More male names concerning knowledge,
  authority and fame than female names
• In Chinese, male names tend to connote firmness,
  strength, the power and grandeur of nature, moral
  values, etc., whereas female names often suggest
  elegance, manners, virtues, the beauty of nature.
  

5

• Part 2 Cross- cultural differences in
  addressing habits
• B is now to ask questions. A mainly
  answers questions. This part of your conversation
  should last about 5 minutes.
• You are A. Now it is your turn to answer
  questions. B will be trying to talk about cross
  cultural differences in addressing habits by
  asking you some related questions. You may answer
  his or her questions by giving opinions or
  relating your own experiences.

6

1 B ? Situation You and A are
going to have a conversation. You will be first
talking about names and then moving to the topic
of cross-cultural differences in addressing
habits. Your conversation will be in two parts.
Each takes about 5 minutes. Your examiner will
indicate when to change to the second part.
7


Part 1 Names A starts the
conversation by asking the first question,
followed by more questions. B mainly answer
questions. This part of your conversation should
last about 5 minutes. You are B. In this part of
the conversation, A is going to ask you some
questions about names. You may answer his
or her questions by giving opinions or relating
your own experience.

8

• Part 2 Cross- cultural differences in addressing
  habits
• B is now to ask questions. A mainly
  answers questions. A mainly answer s questions.
  This part of your conversation should last about
  5 minutes.
• You are B. Now it is your turn to answer
  questions. Your questions should be about cross
  cultural differences in addressing habits. Here
  are some suggestions
• Ask A how one should address people of different
  ages in China and in the West.
• Ask A the relationship between address and title
  in China and in the West.
• Ask A about the kin terms in China and in the
  West.

9

• Reference
• In Britain children address their parents
  brothers and sisters with the title of Uncle or
  Aunt plus their first names, or simply by their
  names without adding a title.
• The kin terms do not distinguish between paternal
  and maternal relatives, nor between relatives
  according to birth
• Whereas in China children address them with the
  title only, and the titles can tell whether they
  are from their father or mothers side and
  whether they are older or younger than their
  father or mother. The way of addressing them by
  their first names without adding a title couldnt
  be applied in Chinese families because it would
  be regarded as impolite and disrespectful.
• In China the use of kin terms is closely related
  to age and politeness. The appropriate and
  extended use of kin terms according to age is
  taken as reflecting good manners. Whereas English
  speakers do not use kin terms so extensively.
  Also they tend to view age as a relatively
  private thing, especially among females.

10


2 A ? Situation You and B are going to have a
conversation. You will be first talking about
English idioms and proverbs and then moving to
the topic of cross-cultural differences in
hospitality habits. Your conversation will be in
two parts. Each takes about 5 minutes. Your
examiner will indicate when to change to the
second part.
11

• Part 1 English idioms and proverbs
• A starts the conversation by asking the
  first question, followed by more questions. B
  mainly answer questions. This part of your
  conversation should last about 5 minutes.
• You are A. Your questions should be related to
  the topics of English idioms. Here are some
  suggestions
• Ask B to give some examples of English idioms and
  proverbs.
• Ask B to analyze the features of English idioms
  and proverbs
• Ask B how to deal with English idioms and
  proverbs in oral and written communication

12

• Reference
• Face the music to accept responsibility for
  something that you have done wrong and you
  prepare yourself to be criticized or punished for
  it.
• It probably comes from the custom in some
  Western armies of punishing soldiers to the
  sound of beating drums.
• An idiom is a group of words in a fixed order
  having a particular meaning, different from the
  meanings of each word understood on its own.
• It may have the same structure as an ordinary
  phrase, but it has become frozen in form.
• Idioms make images vivid and bring much life to
  language.

13

• Proverb A popular, short sentence stating
  something commonly experienced or giving advice
  or warning.
• Features of proverbs
• It has a memorable form with traditional wisdom,
  handed down from previous generations.
• It is short, brief,direct, vivid and taken daily
  life.
• Three common devices
• alliteration Practice makes perfect.
• rhyme Health is better than wealth.
• a simple balanced structure Two is company,
  three is none More haste, less speed.

14

• The distinctive characteristics in English
  writing and speech
• English writing tend to be carefully constructed,
  use longer words, relies on rhetorical devices
  for effectiveness.
• Conversational English tends to ramble, short
  sentences, loose construction, plenty of
  colloquialisms and slang.

15

• Part 2 Cross- cultural differences in
  hospitality habits
• B is now to ask questions. A mainly
  answers questions. This part of your conversation
  should last about 5 minutes.
• You are A. Now it is your turn to answer
  questions. B will be trying to talk about cross
  cultural differences in hospitality habits by
  asking you some related questions. You may answer
  his or her questions bi giving opinions or
  relating your own experiences.

16


2 B ? Situation You and A are going to have a
conversation. You will be first talking about
English idioms and proverbs and then moving to
the topic of cross-cultural differences in
hospitality habits. Your conversation will be in
two parts. Each takes about 5 minutes. Your
examiner will indicate when to change to the
second part.
17


Part 1 English idioms and proverbs A
starts the conversation by asking the first
question, followed by more questions. B mainly
answer questions. This part of your conversation
should last about 5 minutes. You are B. In this
part of the conversation, A is going to ask you
some questions about English idioms and proverbs.
You may answer his or her questions by giving
opinions or relating your own experience.
18

• Part 2 Cross- cultural differences in
  hospitality habits
• B is now to ask questions. A mainly
  answers questions. A mainly answer s questions.
  This part of your conversation should last about
  5 minutes.
• You are B. Now it is your turn to answer
  questions. Your questions should be about cross
  cultural differences in hospitality habits. Here
  are some suggestions
• Ask A how Chinese and Western people treat their
  visitors.
• Ask A to give one or two examples of cultural
  misunderstanding or conflict between Chinese and
  Western people concerning hospitality habits.
• Ask A what suggestions he or she would give to
  some Chinese people when communicating with
  Western people.

19


3 A ? Situation You and B are going to have a
conversation. You will be first talking about
cross-cultural differences in giving and
receiving gifts and then moving to the topic of
possible cross-cultural differences in the
conception of time. Your conversation will be in
two parts. Each takes about 5 minutes. Your
examiner will indicate when to change to the
second part.
20

• Part 1 Cross-cultural differences in giving
  and receiving gifts
• A starts the conversation by asking the
  first question, followed by more questions. B
  mainly answer questions. This part of your
  conversation should last about 5 minutes.
• You are A. Your questions should be related to
  the topics of cross-cultural differences in
  giving and receiving gifts. Here are some
  suggestions
• On what occasions should one buy a gift in China
  and in the West?
• What are the main elements affecting ones choice
  of a gift in China and in the Westprice,package,
  or others?
• What is proper way to show ones gratitude, when
  receiving a gift in China and in the West?

21

• Part 2 Cross- cultural differences in the
  conception of time
• B is now to ask questions. A mainly
  answers questions. This part of your conversation
  should last about 5 minutes.
• You are A. Now it is your turn to answer
  questions. B will be trying to talk about cross
  cultural differences in the conception of time by
  asking you some related questions. You may answer
  his or her questions bi giving opinions or
  relating your own experiences.

22


3 B ? Situation You and A are going to have a
conversation. You will be first talking about
cross-cultural differences in giving and
receiving gifts and then moving to the topic of
possible cross-cultural differences in the
conception of time. Your conversation will be in
two parts. Each takes about 5 minutes. Your
examiner will indicate when to change to the
second part.
23


Part 1 Cross-cultural differences in giving
and receiving gifts A starts the
conversation by asking the first question,
followed by more questions. B answer questions.
This part of your conversation should last about
5 minutes. You are B. In this part of the
conversation, A is going to ask you questions
about possible cross-cultural differences in
giving and receiving gifts. You may answer his or
her questions by giving opinions or relating your
own experiences.
24

• Part 2 Cross- cultural differences in the
  conception of time
• B is now to ask questions. A mainly
  answers questions. This part of your conversation
  should last about 5 minutes.
• You are B. Now it is your turn to answer
  questions.Your questions should be about cross
  cultural differences in the conception of time.
  Here are some suggestions
• Ask A to give one or two examples of different
  ways Western people and Chinese people may use to
  make the most of time.
• Ask A to make a comparison between Western people
  and Chinese people about the ways to spend ones
  spare time.
• Ask A what suggestions he/she would give to some
  Chinese people regarding the management of time
  when working with Western people.

25

Assignment 1.Communication about man and
woman. describe the differences between men and
women. explain the dominance of men in
communication. list some social elements that
influence the communication between men and
women. 2.Friend ship explain what friendship to
him/her. describe his/her experiences in
friendship. compare and contrast how Chinese and
western people express friendship.



26

Assignment 3.Children-parents relationship and
child-rearing describe children-parents
relationship in his/her family. compare and
contrast children-parents relationship and
child-rearing in china and those in the
West. analyze how the two cultures (Chinese and
Western) may learn from each other in
child-rearing. 4.Family pastime describe
his/her family pastime. describe popular family
pastime in China compared with that in the
West. compare kinship (relationship between
family members) in China and that in the West

27


Assignment 5. Suitable topics in the west. name
some taboos and inappropriate topics in the
West. explain the possible reasons for the
taboos and inappropriate topics in the
West. give some suitable or appropriate topics
to a Chinese Who might have any chance to talk
with a westerner. 6.Suitable Topics in
China name some taboos and inappropriate topics
in China. Explain the possible reasons for the
taboos and inappropriate topics in China. Give
some suitable or appropriate topics to a
westerner who might have any chance to talk with
a Chinese.

28

More Topics for oral
test Chinese education 1. How students are
taught, and what is usually taught in China. 2.
The relationship between the students and the
teacher in China. 3. The advantages and
disadvantages of Chinese education. American
education 1. How students are taught and what is
usually taught in the U.S. 2. The relationship
between the students and the teacher in
America. 3. The advantages and disadvantages of
American education.


29


Individualists attitudes and behavious compared
to those of collectivists. 1. The basic social
unit in both individualism and collectivism. 2.
The social values in individualism as well as in
collectivism. 3. The individualists attitudes
towards the strangers and group members as well
as those of collectivists. Some possible views
of both individualists and collectivists on each
others different cultural behaviours 1. What
collectivists might think of those individualists
concerning their ways of treating the in-group
and out-group members. 2. What the
individualists opinions about the collectivists
group identity might be. 3. What the
collectivists views about the individual
identity might be.

30

• Idioms
• List some English and Chinese idioms to show the
  difference in the two languages concerning the
  relationship between color and idiom.
• List some English and Chinese idioms to show the
  difference in the two languages concerning the
  relationship between animal and idiom.
• List some English and Chinese idioms showing the
  relationship between sports and idiom.
• Proverbs, taboos and euphemisms
• List several English and Chinese proverbs and
  their translations.
• List some taboos in China and in the West.
• List some euphemisms in Chinese and English.

31

Thank you for your cooperation!
32


Good-bye and Good Luck!