Note: This guide is adapted from: http://muetmyway.blogspot.

com and was edited into a word

document by us (kaitokitou.webs.com) to help you read it in a more comfortable way.

GUIDE TO MALAYSIAN UNIVERSITY ENGLISH TEST (MUET): SPEAKING 800/2

TASK A
Each 2-min presentation should include 5 important elements:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Greetings Repeat situation from the question State the point given to you 3 points with relevant explanation & examples Conclusion

1. Greetings
1. 2. 3. 4. Good morning to everyone. Good morning I bid to one and all. Good morning to the examinerS and all candidateS. A very good morning I wish to all examinerS and fellow candidateS.

2. Repeat Situation
1. 2. 3. 4. Today we are talking about The situation I have been given is According to the situation Based on the situation given

3. State the point given

1. 2. 3. 4. I would like to give 3 reasons for my point which is There are 3 reasons to support my point which is My point is ________ so to elaborate I would like to discuss 3 reasons. I think that ____________ is the best idea

4. 3 Points (Explanation & Examples)

1. Firstly, I think thatThis is because.. Moreover,... For example, 2. Secondly, another reason is In addition, For instance, 3. Finally, in my opinionFurthermore, A good example is...

5. Conclusion
1. 2. 3. 4. In conclusion, this is the best point because To conclude, I still agree that In a nutshell, I feel that In short, my idea is the best because

Its still fine even if

1. you dont speak on 3 points. - No penalty will be given as long as you develop even one point well with good elaboration and examples. The 3 points we stress on is just for practice. 2. you dont have a conclusion. - No penalty but if you manage to do a conclusion you will logically score higher because your presentation is more structured.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TALK NON-STOP FOR 2 MINS!!!!!

TASK B:
USEFUL PHRASES FOR THE GROUP DISCUSSION

Agree
y y y y y

I agree with you. (NOT: Im agree.) Thats a great idea! Thats an interesting perspective. I like your suggestion. I concur with your point of view.

Disagree
y y y y

Im sorry but I disagree. (NOT: Im not agree) Im afraid I have to disagree with your idea. I dont see eye to eye with you. I beg to differ.

Interrupting
y y y y y

Excuse me, may I interrupt please? Id like to add something please. May I say something? Could you please hear me out? Pardon me but could I add something please?

Questioning
y y y y y y y

So what do you think, Candidate X? How about your point of view? Candidate X, would you like to give us your opinion? Does anyone agree with me? Why dont we consider the other points? I dont understand, can you please repeat? Any suggestions?

Concluding
y y y y

In conclusion, ALL OF US agree that To conclude, MOST OF US agree that In a nutshell, SOME OF US agree thatwhile SOME OF US prefer As time is running out, it seems that ALL OF US CANT AGREE on which option is the best because each point has many advantages and disadvantages.

8 Smart Tips for Scoring in Speaking

y

1. Memorisation Technique:

First understand, then learn all the multipurpose phrases introduced here because they work in all situations.
y

2. Fishing Technique:

Read the situation carefully then ask the examiners what it means (even if you are sure you understand because they could give you extra points or vocabulary)
y

3. Parroting Technique:

If you really go blank, dont worry. Just say you agree then repeat everything your friend just said. Youll still get marks for participation.
y

4. Bimbo Technique:

If you have absolutely nothing to say, repeat this sentence: Im sorry, I dont understand your point. Can you please explain it again?
y

5. Cooperative Technique:

If your friend cant remember a word/phrase or has trouble explaining their ideas, you MUST help him/her by suggesting other words/phrases/ideas. You will get points for teamwork.
y

6. Equal Opportunity Technique:

Never control a conversation by wanting to talk all the time and never giving others a chance. Instead, always ask other candidates their opinion. Encourage the quiet ones to speak up and you will get higher marks.
y

7. Anti-Donkey Technique:

Pay attention to the time and when it gets closer to the end of 10 mins, just try and agree with one person (even if you really dont think so in real life! No point being stubborn in the test.)
y

8. Concluding Technique:

Make sure you agree BEFORE going into the exam room whether who will be doing the conclusion. Pay close attention to the time and steer everyone to making the right conclusion.

Its still fine even if

1. all of you CANT AGREE on a single point. - you should be able to decide on a single point within 10 mins of discussing, but if you dont there is no penalty. 2. your group doesnt have a conclusion. - No penalty but if you manage to do a conclusion you will logically score higher because your discussion is more structured.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS DISCUSS ACTIVELY 10 MINS!!!!!

Finally

Dont panic if you didnt do well in Task 1 . You can still pass if you participate actively in Task 2.

THE END

Speaking Sample Question + Answers:

Instructions to candidates: Task A: Individual presentation * Study the stimulus or topic given. * You are given two minutes to prepare your responses. * You are given two minutes to present. * Listen to the others while they are making their presentations and take down notes for the group discussion in Task B. Task B: Group discussion * You are given two minutes to prepare points to support or oppose the other candidates views. * After you have listened to everyone, try to come to a decision as to which of the four suggestions is the best. * Your group is given ten minutes for the discussion. Task A and Task B will be carried out consecutively.

Situation:
Your brother has been given the opportunity to study in England on a government scholarship. You and your family are very proud of him. Decide on a special gift for him to prepare for his trip abroad. Task A: Suggest that they give him cash. Say why. Task B: Discuss which of the following would be most useful. i. cash ii. a computer iii. some suitable clothing iv. some Malaysian foodstuff

Candidate A Task A: Suggest that they give him cash. Say why.
Good morning to the examiners and my fellow friends. Im very happy that my brother has just received a scholarship to study in England. My relatives and I would like to give him a special gift. We all think that the best gift is money because it will be very useful for him. The first reason is with cash he can buy the things that he needs when he gets there. There will me a lot of things that he will need like new books, stationery, clothes and food. He will also need to pay for transportation like taking the bus or train to go to the university campus. As we know, it is very expensive in England so any money we give him will be very useful. Secondly, my brother can use the money to buy a mobile phone when he gets to England. I think this is very important in case of emergencies so we can contact him easily. Furthermore, he can sms us and keep us updated with his progress in his studies there. Hence, if we really miss him we can just give him a call. Finally, I also think giving him money is the best choice because it is light and doesnt take up a lot of space. If we were to give him a computer, books or winter clothes it will be very heavy and bulky for him to bring to England. Therefore, I think that it is much easier to bring money and buy those things when he gets there. In conclusion, these are some of the reasons why I think giving him cash is the best choice. To me, it is the most useful gift we can give him. Thank you.

Candidate B Task A: You suggest that they give him a computer. Say why.
A very good morning I bid to one and all. My relatives and I are very proud of my brother. He has just received a scholarship to study in England and so we would like to give him a special gift. We believe that the best present for him is a laptop computer. Firstly, as a university student, my brother will have to do many assignments. If he has a laptop computer he can bring it everywhere and consequently, do his work anytime and anywhere. Thus, he will not have to share the computers at the computer room with other students and he will be able to do his work more quickly and efficiently. Another point is that when he boards the plane from KLIA to London, he will be able to bring the laptop with him easily because it is compact and light compared to a desktop computer. Hence, it will not be too much trouble to transport it to England. Last but not least, if he has a laptop he will be able to connect to the internet. This has two main advantages as firstly, he can do a lot of research online. The world wide web is a fountain of information so it will be very useful for him to make full use of this technology. Furthermore, he can keep in touch with friends and family here in Malaysia by e-mail. In short, a laptop computer will prove to be very useful to my brother. He can do his assignments, research for information and keep in touch with us using it therefore it will make the best gift. Thank you for listening.

Candidate C Task A: You suggest that they give him some suitable clothing. Say why.
To the examiners and my fellow candidates, a wonderful morning I bid you. My brother was lucky enough to receive a scholarship to study overseas. We want to send him off with a nice gift so we have decided to buy him some suitable clothing. The main purpose for buying him some suitable clothing is because the weather in England is very different from the weather in our country. There are four seasons there so he will need to have different clothes for different situations. For example, we can buy him some sweaters, cardigans, scarves, snowcaps, thick socks and gloves and many more. These will definitely keep him warm in winter. The second reason is we think that he should have clothes that reflect our Malaysian identity. This is because he will be a young ambassador for our country so if he has a few sets of traditional clothing like the Baju Melayu or formal Batik shirts, I am sure he will not only look good but promote our culture overseas. Lastly, neat clothes make a good impression. For instance, if we buy him some everyday clothes like jeans and trousers with nice shirts and matching ties, this will give him a good feeling about himself so he will walk a bit straighter and talk a bit wiser. Moreover, people will look at him and have a good impression about Malaysian students. To conclude, I think that the best present to give him is some suitable clothing because it will be very useful and will reflect positively on him. Thank you very much.

Candidate D Task A: You suggest that they give him some Malaysian foodstuff. Say why.
I would like to wish everyone here a very good morning. As we all know, my brother has won a scholarship to study in England. Therefore, some relatives and I have decided to give him some Malaysian foodstuff as a going away present. First and foremost, one of the main problems Malaysians face when studying overseas is that it is hard to find Halal food. We feel it is a good idea to give him some Malaysian foodstuff because it will take time for him to get used to the place and find out where to buy Halal food. Thus, in the meantime he can enjoy the Malaysian foodstuff that we have given to him. The next reason is because some of the foodstuff we are used to having here in Malaysia is quite hard to find in UK. Most students studying overseas really enjoy eating Maggi Mee and sambal belacan. For instance, it is also hard to find the right spices for curry and rendang and so on so if we supply him with enough Malaysian foodstuff, he can eat it whenever he misses home. The final point I have is that he can use the Malaysian foodstuff we give him and cook it for the Westerners there. Sometimes, universities organise events like Malaysian Night and so he and his friends can cook some Malaysian specialities for them to taste a bit of our way of life. Hence, the Malaysian foodstuff will be very useful to promote our culture. In a nutshell, giving my brother Malaysian foodstuff to take with him to England is a good idea. This is because he will have some familiar food to eat when he misses home and he can also share it with his new friends. Thank you for listening to my opinion.

Task B: Discuss which of the following would be most useful. i. Cash ii. A computer iii. Some suitable clothing iv. Some Malaysian foodstuff * Work together in your respective groups and complete the following discussion. Answer: A: Good morning once again to everyone. We are here to focus on the issue at hand which is __________________________________________________________. I would like to invite anyone of you to kickstart this discussion by giving us your point of view. B: Allow me to begin. First of all, Im happy that our brother has won the scholarship to study in England. Therefore, we must decide what would be the most useful gift for him. In my opinion, I strongly believe that _______________ _________________________________________________________________. This is because I think he can _________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________. For example, ______________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________. C: I see your point but how about getting him ______________________________. In this way, he can use it to ___________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________. D: I dont quite agree with you because ____________________________________ _________________________________________________________________. I think it would be more useful if we bought _______________________ for him. Does anyone agree with me? A: Yes, I agree with you. To add to your point, I feel that ______________________ _________________________________________________________________. This is so he will ___________________________________________________. C: Im afraid I dont see eye to eye with both of you. Buying that as a present for him is not the most useful gift because __________________________________ _________________________________________________________________. Moreover, ________________________________________________________. Can you all understand what Im trying to say?

B: Indeed, I do see your point of view but I still feel that the most useful gift is __________________ because it can ___________________________________. Another reason is ___________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________. For instance, _______________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________. D: Thats an interesting perspective and I agree with you that ___________________ _________________________________________________________________. However, I think we should consider other points. We should also think about buying him _______________________________________________________. If he gets this as a present, he can ______________________________________ and ____________________________________________. Wouldnt you agree? A: Im not sure I understand what you are saying. Can you explain it again, please. D: What I mean is we should buy him _____________________________________ because it will me more useful for him when he is studying in England. This is because ___________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________. A: Aaah I see. Yes, I think it would be a very useful gift too. This way, he can _________________________________________________________________. C: Thats a good point, but dont you think if we gave him _____________________ it will be the most useful for him as a student. I still believe that this is the most useful because _____________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________. Remember, we need to think of the best and most useful choice. B: I agree with you, Candidate C. In addition, he can use this gift to _____________ ________________________________________________________________________ _____________________. So candidates A & D, what do you guys think? D: Now that youve explained it like that, I also agree that it will be the most useful. In fact, he could also use it to _________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________. A: As for me, I feel that it is also the most useful. When he arrives at his university in England, he will be able to ____________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________. C: Thats right. Well, after listening to all the points on the four choices we have, I think it is time to make a conclusion. D: Yes, I think so too. Does everyone agree that we should give our brother _______________________________________ as a special going away present?

All: Yes, I agree. B: In a nutshell, we all agree that _______________________________ is the best choice because firstly, he can _________________________________________, secondly, ________________________________________________ and finally _________________________________________________________________. Thank you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The End~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What to conclude if after 10 minutes of discussion.

A) Agree = 3, Disagree = 1 Conclusion: To conclude, MOST OF US agree that ______________________ is the best choice because ________________________________. ___________________________________________. Thank you.

B) Agree = 2, Disagree = 2 Conclusion: In conclusion, we were unable to make a solid decision because SOME OF US stongly believe that the best choice is __________ because _______________________________________________ while THE REST OF US think that giving him _______________ is the most useful because _________________ ___________________________________________. Thank you.

C) All Disagree Conclusion: In a nutshell, we were unable to come to an agreement on which of the four options is the best choice. It seems ALL OF US strongly believe in our own points so as we have run out of time, we think that we should each buy him a gift individually. Thank you.

Note: This guide is adapted from: http://muetmyway.blogspot.com and was edited into a word

document by us (kaitokitou.webs.com) to help you read it in a more comfortable way.