Surviving MFL GCSE speaking exam season!

French, German and Spanish GCSE speaking exams can be just as stressful for MFL teachers as they can for students, but with the right preparation, they don't need to be too awful!

So here are 6 great tips about how to not just survive, but actually thrive during GCSE speaking exam season this year:

1. Make sure you have plenty of water, tea/coffee, biscuits and possibly some chocolate/sweets (for yourself and as a treat for the students when they finish the exam). This was a popular suggestion and the only thing I would add, as a vegetarian and mum of a child with a dairy allergy, is please make sure any sweets/chocolate are suitable for everyone. Rowntrees sweets tend to be vegan, so personally I would choose them over Haribo (which contain gelatine), and I would definitely have some dairy-free chocolate.

2. Plan out the days very carefully. Make sure you have enough time for each exam - plan in a buffer between each one, to give yourself time to set up for the next exam, stand up and stretch your legs, have a swig of water/tea/coffee, etc. Choose the order of students carefully as well, ensuring that anyone who needs extra support (if they're particularly nervous, for example) goes at the end of the day and gets more time. If your school has bells, make sure that none of the speaking exams take place during lesson changeover when the bells ring, as this can be very distracting for both students and teacher-examiners.

3. Go through all of the materials thoroughly in advance. If you've never conducted a speaking exam before, do a full run through with a colleague to ensure you know exactly what to say and which order to do the different elements, etc. Before each exam, mark the relevant role-play, reading aloud and photo card for the student, either with post-its or a huge paperclip. This saves time and fumbling through the papers during the exam. Highlight the bits that you as the teacher-examiner have to say on each card and make sure you have questions for the follow-on conversation ready, too. But not the same questions for every candidate!

4. Check that each exam has recorded. At the end of each exam, check the recording quickly to ensure it's definitely there! And label each one clearly as you go along. Go to the exam boards' websites for details of exactly how to label the sound files.

5. Set very simple cover work. While you're doing the exams, your classes will need to be covered, probably by a non-specialist. Set work that is self-explanatory, self-marking and requires no input from you (or the cover teacher). My workbooks, especially the Mastering the Basics ones, are ideal for cover, as they all have answers provided.

6. Plan a treat for yourself for the end of the exams. Have a large glass of wine/gin, go out for a nice meal, book a massage... something to reward yourself. Speaking exams are mentally (and often emotionally) draining for MFL teachers and you deserve a treat afterwards!

And if all else fails, repeat the mantra "this too shall pass"! Good luck 🤞