60-Second Unaided Self-Introduction

Bonjour. In the previous diagnostic, you practised locating personal details in a beginner text: names, dates, addresses, study/work information, and numbers. That tests recognition. Today we test the complementary skill: can you produce any French yourself, in real time, without support?

This is an initial speaking baseline, not a lesson you are expected to master already. Do not judge yourself against the eventual TCF Canada target. The purpose is to capture an honest starting sample so we can track progress toward confident, structured speaking later.

Learning objective: deliver one unaided French self-introduction lasting about 60 seconds.

Estimated time: 10–15 minutes.

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Before you record: diagnostic rules

Please do not use a translator, dictionary, AI, notes, prepared script, or the phrase image/resource provided for this lesson. We need your current French, including gaps and hesitation.

You may take 30 seconds of silent thinking time, then make one recording. Do not restart or correct by recording a second version. If you do not know a word, pause, simplify, use a different idea, or continue with what you know.

Speak only French as far as possible. Proper names and place names may of course remain in their normal form.

Privacy note: use a fictional surname, age, employer, or city if you prefer. The linguistic sample matters; your personal data does not.

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Speaking prompt

Imagine that you have just met a French-speaking person in a polite, everyday setting. Introduce yourself naturally for about one minute.

Try to include as much as you can from these ideas. They are prompts, not French phrases to memorize:

1. Greeting and your name
2. Your country, nationality, or city of origin
3. Where you live
4. Your age, if you know how to say it
5. Your work or studies
6. Languages you speak
7. An interest, activity, or reason you are learning French

بالعربية: عرّف بنفسك لمدة دقيقة تقريباً. قل ما تستطيع عن اسمك، بلدك أو جنسيتك، مكان سكنك، عملك أو دراستك، اللغات التي تتكلمها، وسبب تعلمك الفرنسية. لا تبحث عن الكلمات ولا تكتب نصاً مسبقاً.

Important: saying only a few words is completely acceptable at this stage. Keep speaking until the minute ends if you can.

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What I will assess

Your recording will be evaluated diagnostically in five areas. This is not an official TCF score and does not predict an official NCLC level.

Area	What I will listen for
Task coverage	Which personal-information ideas you can express
Intelligibility	Whether a listener can understand the main message
Fluency	Length, pauses, restarts, and ability to keep going
Grammar and vocabulary	Existing forms, word choices, and recurring gaps
Pronunciation	French rhythm, vowels, final letters, French $r$, and any U/OU or nasal-vowel attempts

For an Arabic speaker, I will pay particular attention to whether French words are pronounced as connected rhythm groups, rather than with strong stress on every individual word. At this point, an intelligible message is more important than a native-like accent.

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Submit your baseline

Please send an audio recording of 45–75 seconds if the platform permits it. Audio is strongly preferred because pronunciation, rhythm, and fluency cannot be evaluated accurately from writing alone.

Then paste an exact transcript of what you actually said. Do not revise it into better French. If you are uncertain about a word, write your best approximation and add (?).

Use this format:

Duration: ___ seconds
Dictionary / translator / AI / notes used: no / yes
Recording: attached / unavailable

Transcript:
[Write exactly what you said.]

Self-rating:
1. I felt most able to talk about: __________
2. I got stuck on: __________
3. I would like feedback mainly on: pronunciation / grammar / vocabulary / fluency / everything

If you cannot submit audio, send the timed transcript anyway. I will assess vocabulary and grammar, mark pronunciation as not yet observable, and arrange a short oral re-check later.

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Next step

This first sample establishes your speaking starting point and gives us concrete evidence for your personal error log. After you submit it, I will provide:

• a diagnostic score profile, with clear limits on what can be inferred;
• corrections separated into must fix now and learn later;
• pronunciation notes based on your actual recording;
• a short improved version at your appropriate level;
• targeted priorities before the next baseline: writing a short personal profile.