Speaking is the only part of TCF Canada where you sit across from a real person, and it is the part most candidates are nervous about. A lot of that nervousness comes from not knowing what happens next. When do I start? Is there preparation time? In Tâche 2, does the examiner speak first or do I? If I miss a word, can I ask?
All of these questions have fixed answers. The examiner's instructions follow a largely fixed script, in four passages: the opening instructions, Tâche 1, Tâche 2 and Tâche 3. This article lays out a reference version of them in the order you will hear them, line by line in French with an English translation, and says what you do after each one. The exact wording can vary a little between sessions, but the sequence and the key points are the same. Get used to them now, and on the day the only thing left to think about is what you have to say.
For how to answer each Tâche, the marking criteria and a study plan, see the complete TCF Canada speaking guide. This article only covers what happens in the room, and in what order.
How the 12 minutes are split
| Part | Length | Preparation | Who speaks first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening instructions | Before the test starts | — | The examiner reads, you listen |
| Tâche 1 · Introduce yourself | 2 minutes | None | The examiner reads one line, then you start |
| Tâche 2 · Interaction | 2 minutes preparation + 3 min 30 conversation | Yes, 2 minutes | You |
| Tâche 3 · Point of view | 4 min 30 | None | The examiner reads the topic, then you start |
The three speaking parts add up to 10 minutes; add the 2 minutes of preparation before Tâche 2 and you get the official 12 minutes. Only Tâche 2 has preparation time. Tâche 1 and Tâche 3 begin the moment the examiner stops talking.
Opening instructions (6 lines)
Before the test starts, the examiner reads an opening passage. All you need to do here is listen.
- Bienvenue à l'épreuve d'expression orale du TCF. Cette épreuve de production orale dure 12 minutes. C'est un entretien en 3 parties. Welcome to the TCF speaking test. This oral production test lasts 12 minutes. It is an interview in 3 parts.
- Les parties 1 et 3 se déroulent sans préparation. Vous avez 2 minutes pour vous préparer avant le début de la deuxième. Parts 1 and 3 run with no preparation time. You have 2 minutes to prepare before part 2 begins.
- L'entretien est enregistré. Votre entretien sera évalué 2 fois : une fois ici, sur place, et une fois à France Éducation international. The interview is recorded. It will be assessed twice: once here on site, and once at France Éducation international.
- À tout moment, vous pouvez me faire répéter ou reformuler un mot ou une question. At any point you can ask me to repeat or rephrase a word or a question.
- Attention, une fois l'enregistrement commencé, il ne pourra plus être stoppé. Vous avez des questions ? Nous commençons. Please note: once the recording has started it cannot be stopped. Any questions? Let's begin.
- Tout d'abord, dites-moi vos prénom et nom, s'il vous plaît. First, please tell me your first name and surname.
Two lines here are worth remembering: once the recording starts it cannot be stopped (line 5), and you can ask the examiner to repeat or rephrase at any point (line 4). Line 6 asks for your name; once you have given it, Tâche 1 begins.
Tâche 1: Introduce yourself (2 minutes, no preparation)
For Tâche 1 the examiner reads a single line:
Voici la première tâche. Cette partie de l'épreuve dure 2 minutes. Est-ce que vous pouvez vous présenter ? Here is the first task. This part of the exam lasts 2 minutes. Could you introduce yourself?
When you hear vous présenter, your 2 minutes have started, and there is no further cue. There is no preparation time, so your self-introduction has to be ready and well practised before the day.
Tâche 2: Interaction (2 minutes preparation + 3 min 30 conversation)
Before Tâche 2 the examiner reads 7 lines, then the topic:
- Je vais vous donner un sujet. Vous devrez me poser des questions pour obtenir des informations. I'm going to give you a topic. You will have to ask me questions to obtain information.
- Vous avez 2 minutes maximum pour préparer vos questions. Vous pouvez prendre des notes, si vous le souhaitez, sur cette feuille. You have 2 minutes at most to prepare your questions. You may take notes on this sheet if you wish.
- Après les 2 minutes de préparation, ou si vous êtes prêt avant, nous commençons l'entretien. After the 2 minutes of preparation, or sooner if you are ready, we start the interview.
- C'est vous qui parlez en premier. C'est vous qui conduisez la conversation. You are the one who speaks first. You are the one who leads the conversation.
- L'entretien doit durer 3 minutes 30. The interview should last 3 minutes 30.
- Vous pouvez demander plus de précisions ou faire répéter des informations. You can ask for more detail or have information repeated.
- Je vous lis le sujet : I'll read you the topic:
The line candidates most often miss is line 4: you speak first and you lead. When the preparation time is over, the examiner will not start the conversation. Greet them, say why you are there, and start asking. Line 1 also tells you what the task is: asking questions to get information. So use the 2 minutes of preparation to write questions, not to script what you will say about yourself.
Line 2 says "2 minutes at most" and line 3 says you can start early if you are ready, but the 3 min 30 of conversation does not get shorter.
Tâche 3: Point of view (4 min 30, no preparation)
For Tâche 3 the examiner reads 3 lines, then the topic:
- Je vais vous proposer un sujet. I'm going to give you a topic.
- Vous allez vous exprimer sur ce sujet de façon argumentée, en utilisant des exemples, en justifiant vos idées, en essayant de me convaincre, pendant 4 minutes 30 secondes. You will speak on this topic and argue your case — using examples, justifying your ideas, trying to convince me — for 4 minutes 30 seconds.
- Voici le sujet : Here is the topic:
Tâche 3 has no preparation time: once the topic has been read, it is your turn. Line 2 is the brief for the whole part: give examples (exemples), justify your ideas (justifier), and try to convince the examiner (convaincre).
If you don't understand something
Line 4 of the opening instructions already told you that you can ask the examiner to repeat or rephrase at any time. If you didn't catch the topic, ask. That is safer than guessing what it means and carrying on. Here are a few phrases we put together:
- Pardon, vous pouvez répéter, s'il vous plaît ? Sorry, could you say that again, please?
- Vous pouvez reformuler la question, s'il vous plaît ? Could you rephrase the question, please?
- Excusez-moi, je ne connais pas le mot « … ». Sorry, I don't know the word "…".
- Qu'est-ce que vous entendez par « … » ? What do you mean by "…"?
Getting used to the four passages on HiTCF
The Walkthrough tab of the speaking exam walkthrough page lists the four passages in exam order. Every line has a Listen button to hear it on its own and a Write from memory button to practise writing it out.
The speaking mock exam uses the same examiner script, runs the three parts back to back and times them like the real test. Go through it once or twice before the exam, and on the day you will just be hearing familiar words again.