Methods & strategies: Moving from the monologue part to the dialogue part of your exam Demonstrate your interactive, communicative, and social skills Normally, your teacher will take control at the end of your presentation or speech and initiate the second part of the exam (the dialogue). However, they will most likely appreciate it if you take a more active role and take the initiative in moving on to the next task. Also, this is a good opportunity to signal that you care about the people you are talking to – in other words, to demonstrate your interactive, communicative, and social skills. Showing empathy, using mild self-deprecation Showing empathy means paying attention to the person you are talking to, trying to understand how they feel and what they need. This is an extremely important and valuable skill that everyone should have. So please try to increase the level of attention you give to your speaking partner. Show the person you are talking to that you care about them, that you are trying to get through to them and that you are interested in what they have to say and how they feel. This is a bit like being a good host who has their guests’ interests at heart at all times, constantly making sure everyone is comfortable. It is also comparable to being a musician in a band or orchestra who should never focus on their own playing alone but also – and perhaps foremost – on what the others are doing. In this context, it should be noted that self-deprecation1 is a wonderful thing when it’s done right. A lot of people in Britain and also in the US are quite good at this, whereas Central Europeans may have a bit of catching up to do in this area (to put it mildly). Of course, you could simply say, “Well, that’s it from my end. Should we move on to the next part?” to mark the transition from the first to the second part of the exam. However, you could also make things a bit more colourful by using one of the following phrases. Whether they are appropriate depends on the situation you are given. Please pay very close attention to the instructions (1 5.10). Phrases and idioms to end a lengthy statement, show empathy and encourage others to speak, using mild self-deprecation ■■ “Sorry if I’ve been talking your ear/head off. So, are we basically in agreement here, or do you see things completely differently?” ■■ “Whoa, I’ve been talking nineteen to the dozen, and you haven’t had a chance to get a word in edgeways!” ■■ “Anyway, that’s enough of my chatting! Thank you for lending me your ear. How do you feel about this?” ■■ “Well, perhaps I should stop talking now. May I ask where you stand on this issue?” ■■ “I hope I haven’t rambled on too long. Would you care to share your thoughts on this matter?” Sample Matura task: Companies & CSR Mündliche Reife- und Diplomprüfung aus ENGLISCH Thema 3 Companies & CSR Prüfungsfrage 3.01 Prüfungsdatum: Situation: You are doing an internship at the Austrian Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber of Commerce is hosting an international conference for owners and managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). All workshops are held in English. How-to [A] [D] [F] 3.12 Showing empathy, using self-deprecation [D] [F] Phrases & structures [D] [F] 3.13 3.14 1 self-deprecation: Selbstironie (“trying to make yourself, your abilities, or your achievements seem less important”, Cambridge Dictionary) 33 Key aspects Strategies Sample task 3 Companies & CSR Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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