IB French B SL - Tips For How To Get a 7 On The Oral Exam

Use these tips to score the highest grade possible on your French oral exam

For many students, the oral exam is one of the hardest assessments in IB French B SL.

Testing pronunciation, speaking confidence, and vocabulary all while carrying a 1-on-1 conversation with your teacher can certainly be nerve-wracking. That's why I have created the simplest and most effective IB French B SL oral exam guide, which I will share with you in this post. 

This method combines strategies that I used to score a 7 on my oral exam with the vocabulary I teach students to use on their oral exams. It will guarantee that you score in the top mark bands.

Understanding The Exam Format

First off, it's important to remember that the IB French B SL oral exam is broken into these sections: 

• Preparation

  • You are given 15 minutes to prepare your ideas for the photo analysis. You are permitted to write 10 lines on a piece of paper.

• Photo Analysis

  • You analyze the photo, describing the theme it relates to and its contents. Approximately 4 minutes of speaking.

• Discussion

  • You have a discussion with your examiner, where they ask you questions based on the photo analysis.

• Extended Discussion

  • The examiner asks you additional questions based on the other IB themes and different topics. 

With that understood, I will show you exactly how to prepare for and execute the oral exam.

Step One

During the 15-minute preparation phase of the oral exam, write these 10 lines as your structure:

• "La photo dont je vais vous parler est liée au thème de..."

• "Sur la photo, il y a..."

• "Il y a une relation avec cette photo et le thème parce que..."

• "Un truc interessant de cette image est…" 

• "Surtout, on observe comment..."

• "Cette image peux connecter avec la culture francophone parce que..."

• "De plus, une connexion que je peux faire avec cette image est..."

• "Ça me rappelle de..."

• "Je dirais aussi que..."

• "A mon avis..."

These 10 lines should serve as a guide but not as a script. Your objective is to fill in the blanks spontaneously and add other sentences and ideas in between these 10 phrases based on the contents of the photo. 

Step Two

Now, during the photo analysis, focus on describing the contents of the photo, exploring how the photo connects to the IB theme you have chosen, how the photo can connect to an element of Francophone culture, and exploring how the photo and theme connect to you.

Using the 10 lines previously mentioned, start off your main ideas, then add further insights and elaborations between each line spontaneously. The aim is to analyze the photo for 4-6 minutes total.

Remember, to score a 7, you will have to include:

• French idiomatic expressions

• Elevated vocabulary and linking words

• Complex French sentence structure and various verb tenses

You'll want to use at least 3 French idiomatic expressions throughout the photo analysis. Make sure that they are used in the appropriate context so that their meaning is relevant.

Try memorizing some of these:

1. Mettre les points sur les i - To be explicit, to make things clear

2. Avoir le cœur sur la main - To be generous, to be kind-hearted

3. Avoir le cafard - to be sad/to be down

4. Casser les pieds à quelqu'un - To annoy someone

5. Prendre son courage à deux mains - To muster up one's courage

6. Faire la fine bouche - To be picky, to be fussy

7. Avaler des couleuvres - To swallow one's pride, to accept something unpleasant

8. Passer du coq à l'âne - To change the subject abruptly

9. Sauter du coq à l'âne - To jump from one topic to another

10. Mettre la charrue avant les bœufs - To put the cart before the horse

11. Mettre de l'eau dans son vin - To compromise, to be more reasonable

12. S'entendre comme chien et chat - To fight like cats and dogs

13. Donner sa langue au chat - To give up, to stop guessing

14. Donner un coup de pouce - To give a helping hand

15. Remonter la pente - To get back on track

For more French idioms, watch this video

https://youtu.be/n0hCDwRzVKU?si=mWr-yNy8-LacPti0

Using elevated vocabulary and linking words is essential for demonstrating that you have a strong comprehension of the French language. Here are some good French linking words to know:

1. Cependant – However

2. Toutefois – Nevertheless

3. En revanche – On the other hand

4. D’ailleurs – Besides / Moreover

5. Ainsi – Thus

6. Par conséquent – Consequently

7. C’est pourquoi – That’s why

8. Néanmoins – Nonetheless

9. D’une part... d’autre part – On one hand... on the other hand

10. À condition que – Provided that

11. Étant donné que – Given that

12. Même si – Even if

13. Afin que – So that

14. Tandis que – Whereas

15. En d’autres termes – In other words

For more French linking words and elevated vocabulary, download this free IB French vocabulary guide from my site: https://www.nathanstutoring.com/product-page/nathan-s-tutoring-ib-french-b-sl-vocab-guide

Employing complex French sentence structure while using various verb tenses can be accomplished by using "si phrases". These are "if" statements, where one actions happens if another action happens. These sentences will allow you to use verbs of two different tenses in a single sentence.

The best way to use "si phrases" is as follows:

Si (présent) + (futur) --- Si je mange de la pizza, je serai content

Si (imparfait) + (cond.) --- Si je mangeais de la pizza, je serais content

Si (plus-que-parfait) + (cond. passé) --- Si j'avais mangé de la pizza, j'aurais été content

Use a variety of these sentences with different verb tenses as you describe and analyze the photo. "Si phrases" work especially well when you are making a general statement about the photo or to the IB theme.

For a detailed breakdown of how to use all of these elements to analyze the photo during the IB French B SL oral exam, watch this video: https://youtu.be/BXpTGs9tfak?si=B7v0tbgvwr0Va2xJ

Note how I structure the image analysis off of the 10 main sentences, and how I am then able to incorporate linking words, "si phrases" and French idioms throughout my elaborations. This is the first part to ensure that you get a 7.

Step Three

During the discussion immediately following the photo analysis, the examiner will ask you questions based on the topic you spoke about. 

Then, during the extended discussion, they will ask more general questions about the other IB themes and different topics.

When you are answering questions in French, try starting your responses with one of these phrases:

• "Franchement, je trouve que..."

• "Selon moi, ça signifie..."

• "Absolument, en fait..."

• "Je pense que..."

• "Il me semble que..."

• "À mon avis..."

For more sentence-starters that you can use when responding to discussion questions, check out my free IB French Oral Exam guide: https://www.nathanstutoring.com/product-page/nathan-s-tutoring-ib-french-oral-exam-guide

Remember as well to use part of the question in your answer to help you structure your response.

Example: 

Q - Pourquoi le changement climatique est-il devenu un problème si important?

A - À mon avis, le changement climatique est devenu un problème si important parce qu'il menace l'équilibre de la nature pour tous les organismes qui vivent dans la terre.

Here, using part of the question in my answer allows me to give a more direct response to the question and organize my response more easily if I need to think about what to say.

That's it! Use all of the tips mentioned in this blog post, and you should score a 7 on your IB French oral exam. Best of luck, and be sure to check out https://nathanstutoring.com for more tips and resources.