For telc B2, you have to show visible teamwork with your partner in the oral exam.

For the telc B2 mündliche Prüfung, it is not enough to prepare answers. You have to show that you can talk with your partner, ask questions, and respond to the unexpected.

I am a certified telc examiner and, as academic director, I run a language institute in the Philippines. Fluedy is not a partner of telc gGmbH. The official overview and practice test are available on the telc page for telc Deutsch B2. There is also a text about the switch from Goethe to telc after a failed attempt.

Die Prüfung verlangt spontane Interaktion im Paar

The mündliche Prüfung is a paired exam. That means you are tested together with a partner, and the entire exam lasts about 15 minutes.

At the start, there is a short introduction of about one minute. This opening is not assessed. Then come three assessed parts: Über Erfahrungen sprechen (talking about experiences), Diskussion (discussion), and Gemeinsam etwas planen (planning something together).

Before the exam, you have 20 minutes of preparation time. During this time, you may write down notes, and you may use those notes later in the exam.

In the scoring, it is about Aufgabenbewältigung (task completion). In the mündliche Prüfung, this includes your participation in the conversation, your strategies in the conversation, and your fluency.

That is why it is not enough to learn individual answers. You have to show in the conversation that you can work together with the other person and that you can keep going even when the conversation does not go as planned.

Übe mit Partnern, aber lerne keinen Dialog auswendig

I recommend that you practice with a partner. But do not write out your conversation completely just so you can memorize it afterward.

In the exam, you have to be able to respond spontaneously to what your partner says. A memorized dialog will not help you if your partner gives an unexpected answer or has a different opinion.

So practice expressing your thoughts freely and reacting naturally. Make sure you do not cling to one fixed phrase when your partner steers the topic in a different direction.

Also practice with different partners. In the exam, you cannot choose your conversation partner yourself. Some partners are quiet or nervous, others talk a lot. You should learn to lead a successful conversation with different personalities.

Prepare Redemittel for difficult conversation situations

The mündliche Prüfung also includes the ability to handle difficult conversation situations. You need Kompensationsstrategien (compensation strategies) and communication strategies for this, because they count toward the scoring for Aufgabenbewältigung.

Also prepare for difficult conversation situations:

• What can you say if you do not understand your partner?
• What can you do if your partner does not understand you?
• How can you participate if your partner talks too much?
• How can you support a partner who speaks only a little?
• How can you improve yourself if you notice a mistake?

You should think through these situations in advance. For that, think of suitable Redemittel, for example for asking again or clearing up misunderstandings.

Helpful Redemittel are:

• „Entschuldigung, könntest du das bitte noch einmal erklären?“ (Sorry, could you explain that again?)
• „Könntest du das bitte anders formulieren?“ (Could you phrase that differently, please?)
• „Habe ich dich richtig verstanden, dass …?“ (Did I understand you correctly that ...?)
• „Ich würde gern noch etwas dazu ergänzen.“ (I would like to add something to that.)
• „Darf ich kurz etwas dazu sagen?“ (May I briefly say something about that?)
• „Was denkst du darüber?“ (What do you think about that?)
• „Anders gesagt meine ich, dass …“ (In other words, I mean that ...)

These phrases help you not only understand. You can also use them to manage speaking time, clear up misunderstandings, and get the conversation going again.

Teil 1 needs free, loud preparation with a sense of timing

Teil 1 can already be prepared at home. In this part, you speak for about one and a half minutes about your experiences with a topic, and then your partner asks questions about it.

Do not just prepare your contribution in your head. Say it out loud. Use a timer so that you get a realistic sense of the time available.

In the exam, you may speak a little more slowly, make more pauses, or use filler words like „ähm“ more often because of nerves. So when you practice, build in a buffer of about ten seconds. That way you will not panic if you need a little more time to formulate your thoughts in the exam.

In Teil 1, also pay attention to the form of your answer. The participants should speak freely here and not deliver memorized texts. In the exam, you should speak freely and not recite a memorized text.

Teil 2 depends on a few strong text passages and real listening

In Teil 2, you discuss a topic based on a text. You both read this text during the preparation time.

You do not have to repeat or discuss every detail of the text. Instead, mark two or three text passages that stand out to you and that you want to work with.

For example, choose statements:

• that you clearly agree with,
• that you disagree with,
• that you find surprising,
• or that remind you of a personal experience.

Use these text passages as a starting point to express and justify your own opinion. It is more important to develop your thoughts well than to summarize the entire text.

Listen actively to your partner. So do not just wait until it is your turn, and then immediately move on to the next point. Pick up something your partner said and connect it to your next thought.

Helpful phrases are:

• „Du hast gerade gesagt, dass … Dazu möchte ich noch ergänzen, dass …“ (You just said that ... I would also like to add that ...)
• „Da stimme ich dir zu. Ein weiterer wichtiger Punkt ist …“ (I agree with you. Another important point is ...)
• „Ich sehe das etwas anders, weil …“ (I see that a little differently because ...)
• „Das ist interessant. In diesem Zusammenhang sollten wir auch über … sprechen.“ (That is interesting. In this context, we should also talk about ...)
• „Dein Beispiel zeigt, dass …“ (Your example shows that ...)
• „Daran anschließend möchte ich noch erwähnen, dass …“ (In connection with that, I would also like to mention that ...)

That makes the conversation sound more natural. At the same time, you show that you are listening to your partner and can respond appropriately to what they say.

Teil 3 shows whether you can develop proposals and negotiate

In Teil 3, you plan something together, for example an outing, a party, or a trip. You should respond to the other person's suggestions and keep the conversation moving together.

Do not just agree with every planning point or disagree and then immediately move on to the next point.

Show the examiners that you can:

• agree,
• disagree politely,
• partly agree,
• make a suggestion,
• justify your suggestion,
• make a counterproposal,
• negotiate,
• and find a compromise.

It also needs to be clear that you can:

• listen carefully,
• respond spontaneously,
• ask questions,
• explain something,
• plan together,
• negotiate,
• and actively continue the conversation.

If your partner, for example, suggests that you meet at 5 p.m., you should not only say:

„Ja, das ist gut.“

(Yes, that's good.)

A stronger B2-level response would be:

„Grundsätzlich stimme ich dir zu, dass wir uns besser am späten Nachmittag treffen sollten. Könnten wir uns aber vielleicht erst um 19 Uhr treffen? Ich arbeite bis 17 Uhr und brauche danach noch etwas Zeit, um nach Hause zu fahren und mich vorzubereiten.“

(In principle, I agree with you that we should meet later in the afternoon. But could we maybe meet at 7 p.m. instead? I work until 5 p.m. and then I still need some time to drive home and get ready.)

With this answer, you basically agree, name a limitation, give a reason, and make a counterproposal. You should be able to do that even if the conversation goes differently from what you expected when you practiced.