Tips for a good monologue

GATHERING USEFUL LANGUAGE:

1. Read or watch some materials on a similar topic before you start. Gather Useful Language ( words, expressions, whole sentences, ideas) on the topic. Use texts+ audios+ videos from the current course book + previous coursebooks/ notebooks +class blog etc. 

2. Brainstorm on the grammar you want to use, to make your range richer: e.g. different verbal tenses, modal verbs, adjectives (also -ing/-ed adjs.), conditionals, I wish+regrets, phrasal verbs etc.

* later, we can organize the topics in a list: you can also find topic labels on the right toolbar of this blog 

PREPARATION:

1. DON´T WRITE DOWN the complete text of your mon. You have to learn to develop a topic just from an OUTLINE (notes: main ideas and key words). This exercise will also teach you to learn to speak freely, not just read aloud. For example, you can use two sheets of paper: one for your OUTLINE and another for USEFUL LANGUAGE. 

2.  If you use audios as models, LISTEN AND REPEAT TO (bits from) AUDIOS which you can include in your mon. 

3.  Practice/ practise  the mon. several times: by reading aloud your notes or listen and repeat to the model audio. 

4. Record and listen to yourself at home 
-  record yourself doing the monologue samples from the Exam Practice handouts: respect the timing: 4-6 min. and the 3 points to talk about

ORGANIZATION:

1. Structure your talk around an INTRODUCTION, MAIN BODY AND CONCLUSION.

2. SIGNPOST YOUR TALK to help the audience or the examiners follow your train of thought, but be careful not to abuse the signposting formulas! They help you organize your talk, but a good monologue needs ¨substance¨, not lots of formulas and no meaning! 

SIGNPOSTING LANGUAGE EXAMPLES: Let me tell you something about/ I´d like to talk  about…/ I’m going to speak/talk about… To begin with.../ So, let’s start with…/ Let me start by (saying that.../ telling you about...) Now, let´s go on with… Finally I’ll tell you something about… There are 3 things I´d like to tell you about/ we have to take into account/ to consider: First(ly)…Second(ly)…Third(ly)…Finally... It´s also important that.../ Another( idea) is to... Last but not least... Now, moving on.../ And now something about.../Now let´s look at... To conclude/ In conclusion... To sum up… As you can see.../ As we (all) know.../As I said before... For instance/ For example... I´ll / Let me give you an example (from my personal life)... Rhetorical questions: So, what does this mean? / What do we learn from this?

3. You can also use discourse markers: by the way, actually, anyway, basically, in other words, on the one hand/ on the other hand, as I was saying, I mean  etc ( see Grammar Bank Unit 3B: English File Advanced)

DELIVERY:
1. Remember to speak clearly and not too fast - the examiners or the audience have to follow and understand the talk easily, without straining their ears. Pronounce clearly, don´t mumble!

2. Sometimes you need to simplify some thoughts/ ideas/ long and complicated sentences for the sake of delivering the message clearly. Remember that in an exam, in most cases, less is more.

3. Don´t try to translate 100% of what you can say in your mother tongue- rather think about how to express the ideas in English with the vocabulary/ grammar that you know and you can use confidently. Be careful with word-for-word translations!