Oral Proficiency Interview-computer (OPIc) Language Test: The Oral Proficiency

Interview-computer (OPIc) Language Test is a computer-based assessment that mirrors the live OPI. It
uses a series of recorded prompts provided by Ava, a virtual avatar, to evaluate a candidate's
speaking proficiency. The OPIc Language Test is available in fifteen languages, making it a versatile
choice for assessing language proficiency.

How to teach
To teach an OPIc (Oral Proficiency Interview-computer) student ESL, focus on building fluency,
expanding vocabulary, and familiarizing them with the test format. Provide ample opportunities for
speaking practice, expose them to diverse topics, and use active listening techniques. Encourage
them to expand on their answers and to feel comfortable speaking spontaneously.

Specific strategies include:

 Familiarize with the OPIc format:
Review the OPIc Familiarization Guide and sample questions. Explain the structure, question
types (e.g., personal experience, hypothetical situations), and time constraints.
 Practice speaking:
Engage in regular speaking activities, including one-on-one conversations, group discussions,
and role-playing scenarios.
 Expand vocabulary and grammar:
Focus on teaching relevant vocabulary and grammar structures needed for various topics and
situations. Use authentic materials like articles, videos, and podcasts to expose students to
natural language.
 Develop fluency and accuracy:
Encourage students to speak at length, expand on their answers, and use appropriate grammar
and vocabulary. Provide feedback on pronunciation and accuracy.
 Teach active listening:
Help students develop active listening skills by summarizing what they hear, predicting what
might come next, and asking clarifying questions.
 Address test anxiety:
Reassure students that the OPIc is a test of their speaking ability, not a "truth test". Help them
manage their anxiety by practicing under simulated test conditions.
 Provide constructive feedback:
Focus on specific areas for improvement, while also highlighting strengths and progress.
 Use varied teaching techniques:
Incorporate techniques like brainstorming, personal anecdotes, free writing, and visual aids to
engage students and make learning fun.
 Encourage independent learning:
Suggest resources like language learning apps, online dictionaries, and language exchange
partners to support their learning outside of class.

Warm-Ups
The test begins typically with fairly general questions on self-introduction
and some other topic connected with it.

Here are some examples:

1. Tell me a little bit about yourself and your family.

 2. Tell me a little bit about yourself and what you do for a
living.
3. Tell me a little bit about yourself and what you do in your
free time.
4. Tell me a little bit about yourself and your school.
5. Tell me a little bit about yourself and your best friend.
Topics for Discussion
I’ve heard a lot about this test from my students who took it. The test first asks you to
select certain subjects you like and then proceeds to throw questions at you based on
your interests. The funniest conversation I remember was that there was a soldier who
responded that he was interested in fashion. The test gave him a question like this: “You
responded that you like fashion in the survey. Please tell me which fashion you like the
best and how has your taste in fashion changed over the last 10 years.”

Needless to say, he was dumbstruck. He was not in the least concerned about fashion,
but he thought it would be an easy topic. Let your students know that their questions will
be based on the survey choices, and they should carefully consider whether you can talk
about that subject well.

Here are some sample topics and questions they might see:

Work
1. You responded that you work on the survey. Can you describe one of
your colleagues that you work with? What does he/she look like?
2. You indicated you work. Please give me a description of the company
you work for. What is the name of the company? What kind of
business does it do? Where is it located? Give me a detailed
description of your company.
3. Tell me how you get from your house to work every day from
beginning to end. How long does it usually take to get to work? You
indicated in the survey that you work. What is your normal workday
like? Please describe your typical day at the office.
4. There must have been a time when you worked to solve problems at
work. Think of one of those times and describe the challenge and tell
me what you did to overcome it.
SCHOOL
Opic topics ESL Conversation questions
Describe one of your professors to me. What kind of person is he or she? What do you like or
dislike about him or her?
You indicated in the survey that you go to school. What kind of courses are you taking or had
you taken in the past? Please describe the classes you are taking or have taken in as much
detail as possible.
Tell me about the last classes you took. Why did you choose them? What did you do in those
classes?
I would like to know about something memorable that happened to you in one of your classes.
What kinds of interesting episodes do you have? Please tell me about one from the beginning
to the end.
You indicated in the survey that you are a college student. I would assume that you have
classes you like and classes you don’t like. Compare one class you have liked a lot to a class
you have disliked.
Family
1. Tell me how you spend time with your family or friends.
2. Do you go to parks? Do you chat on the phone?
3. What do you usually do to keep in touch and spend time with family
and friends?
Restaurant
1. Describe one of your favorite restaurants where you often go to eat.
2. What type of food do they serve there?
3. What do you like about that restaurant?

Neighborhood
1. I would like to talk about where you live. Describe your house to me.
What does it look like? Where is it located?
2. Let’s talk about where you live. Tell me what you like and don’t like
about your neighborhood.
3. Tell me how you first met one of your neighbors. Describe in detail
when you met and everything that happened during your first few
meetings.
4. Tell me what you do with your neighbors. How often do you see
them? What do you like to do with them, and what do you usually
talk about with them?
5. I would like to know whether there were any memorable events that
took place in your neighborhood since you started living there. Can
you tell me about the event and why it was so memorable?
BOOKS

You indicated that you love reading books. Tell me about your
favorite book and what the story was all about.

1. What kinds of books and what authors do you like to read? What
time of the day do you usually read?
2. I would imagine that there are some books that have been especially
memorable for you. Tell me about one of them. When and how you
came to read that book? What was the book about? How has reading
that book influenced you?

COFFEE SHOPS
1. Is going to coffee shops popular in your country?
2. What kind of coffee shops are there?
HOBBIES
Tell me about your hobbies. What kind of hobbies do you have? When and
where do you do your hobbies?

ROLEPLAYING
Another important stage of the test is role-playing. However, since there
isn’t another person, the student will have to role play by himself or herself.
Some students really get into it and pretend that someone else is answering
them, but if you’ll notice most of the questions have someone leaving a
message on voicemail or something like that. It’s important to point this out
to students so that they don’t answer the question in the wrong way.
Here are a few examples of what kinds of questions they might have. If you
do these in class in groups, have groups of three with one student observing
and trying to provide feedback to the student answering the question. The
other student can be the computer asking the question. And the final
student will be the one taking the test.

Have them switch places or rotate parts with each new role-play they try
out. Here are just a few samples of the types of questions they might
encounter on the test.

1. I’d like to give you a situation and ask you to act it out. You
want to take a trip within your own country. Call the travel
agent and ask three or four questions to find out the
information you need.
2. I’d like to give you a situation and ask you to act it out.
Imagine that a neighbor or family member asks you to take
care of his/her plants while he/she is away. Ask three or four
questions to find out what you need to do.
3. Now, I’m going to give you a situation and ask you to act it
out. Let’s say you would like to buy tickets for a sports event
for you and your friend. Please ask the person at the ticket
booth three or four questions about things you would like to
know about the upcoming sports event.
4. I’m sorry there’s a problem which you need to resolve. You
booked a nonrefundable airline ticket. However, something
has happened that prevents you from traveling next week.
Call the travel agent and explained what has happened.
5. Let me now give you a situation and ask you to act it out.
Let’s say you’re going to need a ride from a friend to get to
work tomorrow morning. Call a friend and leave a message on
his voicemail. Tell him that you need a ride and then ask three
questions to find out things you need to know about getting a
ride from him tomorrow.
6. I’d like to give you a situation and ask you to act it out. You
receive a call from a family member asking that you help her
prepare for a big party. Call the family member and leave a
message asking three or four questions to find out everything
you can about the party.
7. I’d like to give you a situation and ask you to act it out. Your
friend calls to invite you to a movie. Ask him three or four
questions to find out more about that movie.
8. I’d like to give you a situation and ask you to act it out. You
are being interviewed for a new job. Ask the interviewer three
or four questions to find out more about this job.
9. I’d like to give you a situation and ask you to act it out. You’ve
just been told that your current boss is leaving the company.
Call your boss and leave a message, asking three or four
questions about the situation

Good Luck on the OPIc Class

Those are just some of the questions that they might encounter on the test. Students who
have taken the test themselves can help you by providing some questions of their own. The
questions run in a similar vein. It is the topic that changes. Giving them a variety of issues can
help them be prepared for whatever comes their way.