Worry not, because we have some tips for you to excel in your next oral examination! 

Pause at punctuation 

It is important to remember that even in daily speech, one will stop not only to breathe, but to break up points, lest our conversations will just be continuous run-on sentences. So, when the sentence has a comma or a full stop, do remember to take a beat before continuing to read. 

Pronounce consonants clearly 

Consonants are letters that stand for a type of sound we use in speech. This means almost every letter except vowels (a, e, i, o, and u). These sounds require one to partially or fully close the vocal tract. For example, placing your tongue behind the front teeth for the letters t and d; or closing your lips for the letters b, m, and p. You can read slightly slower if that helps you with this aspect, but not too slowly or you will come off draggy. 

Use varied tones to express different emotions 

To prevent sounding monotonous, you are encouraged to use varied tones to express different emotions for a more lively reading of the passage. Sentences ending with an exclamation mark are usually read with a rising tone towards the end. Students tend to use a single type of cadence and tone variation when reading aloud, and will stick to that rhythm for every sentence. One way to prevent such a habit is to record yourself, listen back to the recording afterwards, and make changes accordingly.  

Nailing the stimulus-based conversation component 

When reading the oral passage and preparing for your turn, always think about what kind of questions you will be asked. That way, you will not be caught unawares, but instead confident in answering.