Mission: hold a 7-minute conversation in French
The three parts of an A2 speaking conversation (and of the DELF A2 oral): talk about yourself, tell something, and handle a real-life situation.
FrenchA2 · Exam levelAbout 5 min: 3 reading, 2 practiceUpdated
- Introduce yourself and answer follow-up questions
- Speak for a minute or two on an everyday topic (your town, a holiday, a friend)
- Handle a role-play of an everyday situation (ask, negotiate, pay, agree)
- Use fillers and repair phrases to keep going
A2 exam skills: lesson 3 of 5
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Level Level A2 (around the DELF A2 exam). Real French: the kind of conversation you have when you meet someone and get things done.
What it is
Your mission: a French speaker (a new colleague, or a DELF examiner) talks with you for about seven minutes. Get through all three parts: say who you are, tell them about something in your life, and sort out a real situation together.
The DELF A2 speaking test lasts 6 to 8 minutes, after 10 minutes of preparation, and has three parts. They're also the three things you do in most real conversations:
| Part | What you do | Useful French |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Guided interview (entretien dirigé) | greet, introduce yourself, answer questions about family, work, hobbies | Je m'appelle… J'habite à… depuis… Ce que j'aime, c'est… |
| 2. Monologue (monologue suivi) | talk for a minute or two on a topic: your town, a holiday, a friend, a hobby | Je vais vous parler de… D'abord… Ensuite… Ce qui me plaît, c'est… |
| 3. Interaction (exercice en interaction) | a role-play of an everyday situation: buy, book, ask, agree | Je voudrais… C'est combien ? Est-ce que vous avez… ? D'accord, je le prends. |
Keep-going phrases (use them; they're natural, not a weakness):
- Euh… comment dire… (Um… how can I put it…)
- Vous pouvez répéter, s'il vous plaît ?
- Je ne connais pas le mot, mais c'est une chose pour… (I don't know the word, but it's a thing for…)
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
In part 3 you must buy a train ticket from the examiner. What do you start with?
- That's how to start the monologue (part 2)
- That's part 1
Show answer
Bonjour, je voudrais un billet pour Lyon, s'il vous plaît.. Part 3 is a role-play: act out the situation politely.
Why it matters
Speaking is a quarter of the DELF A2 marks, and it's where most learners feel least sure. The structure is predictable, so you can prepare: a short self-introduction, three or four topics you can talk about for a minute, and the polite phrases for shops, stations and hotels.
Worked example
Part 2, topic « Parlez de votre ville » (about one minute):
Je vais vous parler de ma ville, Leeds. C'est une grande ville dans le nord de l'Angleterre. J'y habite depuis cinq ans. Ce qui me plaît, c'est qu'il y a beaucoup de parcs et de petits cafés. Le week-end, je vais souvent au marché, qui est très animé. Par contre, il pleut beaucoup ! Avant, j'habitais à la campagne, et c'était plus calme, mais je préfère la ville.
It uses depuis, y, a relative clause, the imparfait (j'habitais, c'était) and a comparison: lots of A2 tools in one minute.
Real French: Ce qui me plaît, c'est… (What I like is…) and par contre (on the other hand) are very common in conversation and make you sound fluent.
Common mistake
Memorising a long text and reciting it. An examiner may ask you questions as you go, and recited speech sounds unnatural. Prepare points, not paragraphs: three ideas per topic and the verbs you need.
And staying silent when you don't know a word. Explain around it: C'est un endroit où on achète des médicaments (a pharmacy).
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
You don't know the word for "ladder". What's the best move?
- Silence loses marks; explaining around it is a skill
- Try to explain in French first
Show answer
C'est une chose pour monter en haut, pour changer une ampoule.. Explaining around a word keeps the conversation going.
Key terms
- entretien dirigé
- guided interview (part 1)
- monologue suivi
- short talk on a topic (part 2)
- exercice en interaction
- role-play (part 3)
- Ce qui me plaît, c'est…
- What I like is…
- par contre
- on the other hand
- comment dire…
- how can I put it…
Practise the key terms
Tap a card to turn it over. 6 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| entretien dirigé | guided interview (part 1) |
| monologue suivi | short talk on a topic (part 2) |
| exercice en interaction | role-play (part 3) |
| Ce qui me plaît, c'est… | What I like is… |
| par contre | on the other hand |
| comment dire… | how can I put it… |
Practice
Sort it
Which part of the test?
Je m'appelle Sam, j'ai 30 ans.
introducing yourselfShow answer
1 · Interview. introducing yourself
Je vais vous parler de mes dernières vacances.
starting a topicShow answer
2 · Monologue. starting a topic
Est-ce que vous avez une chambre pour deux nuits ?
a real-life taskShow answer
3 · Role-play. a real-life task
J'ai un frère et une sœur.
about yourselfShow answer
1 · Interview. about yourself
C'est combien, le menu du jour ?
a real-life taskShow answer
3 · Role-play. a real-life task
Quick quiz
Tap an answer to check it.
How long is the DELF A2 speaking test (after preparation)?
- Far longer than the real test
- Too short: there are three parts
Show answer
6 to 8 minutes. Official format: 6–8 minutes, with 10 minutes' preparation.
Practise speaking
Studyfern has no voice tools of its own. To practise out loud, copy this prompt into a voice-capable AI assistant and talk with it.
Mission role-play. You are a friendly DELF A2 examiner. Speak naturally but clearly, at level A2, using vous. Run the three parts in order, and tell me when each part starts. Part 1: greet me and ask 4 questions about me (family, work or studies, hobbies, where I live). Part 2: give me a topic (my town, my last holiday, my best friend, or a hobby) and let me speak; ask 2 follow-up questions. Part 3: describe an everyday situation (for example, booking a weekend at a hotel from a brochure: prices, dates, breakfast) and play the other person. Correct me only between parts, in English, with my two most important mistakes. At the end, if I completed all three parts, say « Mission accomplie ! » and give me one tip. Keep every reply under 3 sentences, except when setting up a part.
Listen too. Listen to native speakers before and after: see the free listening and shadowing links.
Good to know. AI feedback on pronunciation is hit and miss, so check yourself against native recordings. Many assistants turn your speech into text first, so a vowel or liaison you got wrong may be silently “heard” as the right word. Don't share personal details: use a made-up name and town.
New to this? Read Practising speaking with an AI.
In short
- Three parts, 6–8 minutes, 10 minutes' preparation: interview, monologue, role-play.
- Prepare a self-introduction and three or four topics as points, not scripts.
- Role-play: act it out politely (je voudrais, c'est combien, d'accord).
- Keep going: euh, comment dire, vous pouvez répéter, explain around words.
Mastery check
Answer without looking back. Score 80% or more and the lesson is marked done. Your result is kept only in this browser.
Check yourself
Answer in your head first, then open the answer. Nothing is saved.
What are the three parts of the A2 speaking test?
Show answer
Guided interview, monologue, and role-play (interaction).
How do you start a monologue on your town?
Show answer
Je vais vous parler de ma ville…
Name a phrase to ask the examiner to repeat.
Show answer
Vous pouvez répéter, s'il vous plaît ?
Further reading
- France Éducation international, DELF A2: the official exam format and sample papers.
- TV5MONDE, Apprendre le français: short interviews to listen to and imitate.
Finished? Mark it done to fill in your leaf on the French map.