Preparation is key to success in the Leaving Certificate Irish oral examination.
For students undertaking the Leaving Certificate Irish examination, broadcaster, teacher, writer and musician Ruaidhrí Ó Báille offers some tips for success. Doing well in the oral exam (An Bhéaltriail) is a great way to boost their points. A quarter of all marks come from the oral. It is equivalent to doing a whole paper, so answering a few questions in 10 minutes,
You're getting good value for money.
When it comes to the Béaltriail, failing to prepare is preparing to fail. As the examiner knows nothing about the student, six basic conversation topics should be prepared in advance.
Students can expect to be asked about themselves, their family, and where they live. They should know about their school subjects, where they went on their holidays, and their hobbies, such as club membership and sporting activities. Finally, students should be prepared to be asked what they want to do in the future,
It does not have to be the truth; it is better to have a sample answer prepared to tell the examiner.
I guarantee you if you have that you'll pass, there's no way anybody who could speak about those subjects could fail.
The examiners are not ogres and the inspectors checking the oral examination results may boost the points originally awarded. While throwing in an English word might be preferable to 30 seconds of silence, Ruaidhrí Ó Báille advises against the use of English.
The Béaltriail also involves reading a prescribed poem and an extract from 'Peig'. Both are worth a lot of marks, so are important. The beauty is they can be completely prepared for in advance.
This episode of Jo-Maxi was broadcast on 2 April 1990. The presenter is Clíona Ní Bhuachalla.
'Jo Maxi' was a youth lifestyle programme targeted at 10 to 14 year olds. The programme contained features on a broad range of topics including animals, fashion, music, books and profiles of young people voicing their views on various subjects. The original presenters on the show were Ray D'Arcy, Geri Lalor, Clíona Ní Bhuachalla and Antoinette Dawson.
