9.1 Oral Tarea 1: Personal Presentation (1–2 Minute Monologue)
Key Takeaways
Tarea 1 is a 1–2 minute monologue in which the candidate covers the points on a lámina that is the same for every candidate.
The Modelo 0 lámina lists seven points: name, age, nationality, where you live, job or studies, character and personality, and languages spoken.
In the Modelo 0, the 10 minutes of preparation before the test cover Tareas 1 and 2, and candidates may take their notes into the room.
Candidates may look at their notes but not read them, and the interviewer does not ask questions during the Tarea 1 monologue.
On the rater's scale, band 2 for task fulfilment means the information for five or six Tarea 1 points; band 3 means all points plus some detail or comment.
9.1 Oral Tarea 1: Personal Presentation (1–2 Minute Monologue)
The fourth test of the DELE A1 is Prueba 4: Expresión e interacción orales. You take it individually, in person at the exam centre (it cannot be taken online), in front of two examiners: the interviewer (entrevistador), who leads the test, and the rater (calificador), who does not take part in the conversation. The test lasts about 10 minutes after 10 minutes of preparation, and it may be recorded for quality control. It starts with a few contact questions to put you at ease, followed by three tasks:
| Tarea | Name | Time | Prepared? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Presentación personal | 1–2 min | Yes |
| 2 | Exposición de un tema | 2–3 min | Yes |
| 3 | Conversación con el entrevistador | 3–4 min | No; it follows your Tarea 2 topic |
Tarea 1 is your opening statement: a short monologue in which you present yourself, following the points on a lámina. The Modelo 0 says the lámina is the same for all candidates, and that the interviewer does not ask questions during this monologue.
The 10-Minute Preparation
In the Modelo 0 instructions, you have 10 minutes before the test to prepare Tareas 1 and 2. You receive the Tarea 1 lámina and choose your Tarea 2 lámina from two offered. You may write notes and a short draft, and you may take them into the examination room.
Important
Look, don't read. The Modelo 0 states that during the monologue you may look at the notes you made, but not read them. Write keywords, not full sentences, so that you speak to the interviewer instead of reading a script.
| Poor preparation (full sentences) | Strategic preparation (keywords) |
|---|---|
| Me llamo David Miller. Tengo treinta años y soy de Londres. Soy profesor de inglés en una academia y vivo en Madrid... | David Miller; 30 años (tener); inglés, de Londres; Madrid (barrio de Salamanca); profesor de inglés (academia); tranquilo, simpático; inglés, francés, español (1 año) |
| Risk: eyes on the paper, a flat reading rhythm, and panic if you lose your place. | Advantage: you glance down for a second between points and keep eye contact. |
The Seven Points on the Modelo 0 Lámina
Tarea 1 lámina (Modelo 0): USTED in the centre, surrounded by
Su nombre | Su nacionalidad | Lugar donde vive | Su edad
Su profesión / sus estudios | Su carácter, personalidad | Lenguas que habla
How the Rater Scores Coverage
The rater's scale for Tareas 1 and 2 has a Cumplimiento de la tarea (task fulfilment) column:
- Band 3: talks about all the points and adds a relevant detail, comment, opinion or reason.
- Band 2: gives the required information for five or six of the Tarea 1 points.
- Band 1: gives the information for fewer than five points.
- Band 0: covers none of the points satisfactorily.
In the exam guide's band-2 sample, the candidate covered six of seven points and missed carácter because he did not understand the word. Learn carácter and personalidad, and prepare two adjectives about yourself.
1. Nombre (Name)
- Buenos días. Me llamo Ana Kowalska. / Mi nombre es Ana.
2. Edad (Age)
- Tengo veinticinco años. Age always takes tener, never ser (
Soy veinticinco años).
3. Nacionalidad (Nationality)
- Soy polaca, de Cracovia. / Soy de Polonia. Nationality adjectives agree with your gender and are lowercase.
4. Lugar donde vive (Where You Live)
- Vivo en Valencia, en un piso pequeño cerca del mar. Use vivir en for where you live now and ser de for origin.
5. Profesión o estudios (Job or Studies)
State your job with ser and no article (un/una), or say what you study:
- Soy ingeniera y trabajo en una empresa de informática. (not
Soy una ingeniera) - Soy estudiante de Medicina en la universidad.
- Ahora no trabajo; busco trabajo en un hotel.
6. Carácter y personalidad (Character and Personality)
Use ser + adjectives that agree with your gender:
- Soy una persona tranquila y simpática, pero un poco tímida.
- Soy alegre y muy trabajador.
- Useful adjectives: abierto/a, divertido/a, serio/a, tímido/a, trabajador/a, paciente, nervioso/a, sociable, ordenado/a.
7. Lenguas que habla (Languages)
- Hablo inglés y un poco de francés.
- Estudio español desde hace seis meses porque quiero viajar por Sudamérica.
Adding Details (Toward Band 3)
Band 3 asks for some detail, comment, opinion or reason beyond the required information. Add one short detail to several points: Vivo en Valencia porque mi pareja es de allí. Me gusta mucho porque está cerca del mar. Family and hobbies are not on the Modelo 0 lámina, but a brief mention can enrich a point (Vivo con mi novio y con mi gato).
Linguistic Blueprint: Formula Reference Table
| Point | Target pattern | Model sentence | Pitfall to avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nombre | llamarse | Me llamo Carlos Gómez. | Dropping the pronoun ( |
| Edad | tener + number + años | Tengo treinta y dos años. | Using ser ( |
| Nacionalidad | ser + adjective / ser de + country | Soy italiano, de Roma. | Wrong gender (italiana for a man) or capitals |
| Lugar donde vive | vivir en + place | Vivo en un piso céntrico. | Dropping en ( |
| Profesión / estudios | ser + profession; estudiar | Soy arquitecto. / Estudio Derecho. | Adding an article ( |
| Carácter | ser + adjectives | Soy tranquila y trabajadora. | Using estar for character ( |
| Lenguas | hablar + language (lowercase) | Hablo inglés y un poco de alemán. | Capitalising languages ( |
Complete Model Presentation (about 90 seconds)
Buenos días. Me llamo Daniel Smith y tengo veintiocho años. Soy australiano, de Sídney, pero ahora vivo en Madrid, en un piso pequeño en el barrio de Lavapiés. [pausa]
Soy contable y trabajo para una empresa australiana, pero este año estudio español en una escuela de idiomas porque quiero trabajar en España. [pausa]
Soy una persona tranquila y bastante trabajadora. Mis amigos dicen que soy divertido, pero con personas nuevas soy un poco tímido. [pausa]
Hablo inglés, porque es mi lengua materna, y un poco de alemán. Estudio español desde hace un año y me gusta mucho. [pausa]
Esto es todo. Muchas gracias.
Commentary
- Coverage: all seven points appear (name, age, nationality, where he lives, job, character, languages), most with a detail or reason, which is what band 3 describes.
- Links: pero, porque and y connect the ideas, in line with the band-3 mention of discourse linked with basic connectors.
- Length: about 120 words; at a calm A1 pace this takes around a minute and a half, inside the 1–2-minute range.
- Accuracy: present-tense verbs agree with the subject (me llamo, tengo, soy, vivo, trabajo, estudio, hablo), and adjectives agree (una persona tranquila y bastante trabajadora).
Practical Delivery Strategies
- Look at the interviewer: glance at your notes only between points.
- Pace yourself: speak calmly; rushing creates slips.
- Use Spanish fillers: if you lose your thread, say A ver..., Bueno... or Pues... rather than English fillers.
- Signal the end: finish with Esto es todo, muchas gracias so the interviewer knows you are ready for Tarea 2.
During the 10-minute preparation period for Oral Tarea 1, how are candidates officially permitted to use their handwritten notes in the exam room?
Candidates are required to read their prepared script word-for-word to ensure grammatical precision
Candidates may use their notes only if the interviewer explicitly grants permission at the start of the task
Candidates may bring their notes to reference keywords and bullet points, but cannot read them aloud verbatim
Candidates must memorize everything and leave all notes outside the examination room
Which of the following Spanish sentences correctly expresses a candidate's age and country of origin according to standard CEFR A1 grammar?
Tengo veintiocho años y estoy de Canadá
Tengo veintiocho años y soy de Canadá
Estoy veintiocho años y mi origen es por Canadá
Soy veintiocho años y vivo desde Canadá
The Modelo 0 lámina for Oral Tarea 1 lists seven points. Which of these is one of them?
Your last holiday abroad
Your favourite food and drink
Your character and personality
Your daily routine at weekends
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.