🎯 Final Coaching for the PSC Second-Language Oral (French)
The capstone after C2. Purpose-built to help advanced learners demonstrate Level C in a federal professional context—calmly, clearly, and consistently.
✨ C3 at a glance
- Goal: convert advanced French into stable, test-day Level C performance.
- Method: live coaching, partial + full simulations, tight micro-feedback.
- Structure: 6 blocks, 40 lessons, two “real” mocks (L39–L40).
- Deliverables: ready-to-use openings, transitions, concise closes with dated follow-ups.
- Language: this page is in English for clarity; the course is taught in French (target language).
📅 Tell us your PSC test date
As soon as you receive your date, let us know so we can adjust your simulations and day-of plan.
💬 LiveChat on MyLearningMyWay — click the chat bubble at the bottom-right of the screen (any time).
💡 What this course is
C3 is the final step after C2. It is an intensive, coaching-style experience that turns advanced knowledge into reliable test-day performance. Instead of grammar lectures, you will practice professional discourse in authentic work situations and receive feedback mapped to PSC criteria.
Across 40 lessons you will build: a clear opening, audible transitions, a concise close with a dated follow-up, natural diplomacy (attenuation), and precision in references (ce qui / ce que / ce dont) and pronouns (y / en)—all in context.
In short: C2 builds knowledge; C3 converts it into reliable performance through simulations, micro-feedback, and day-of routines.
🧭 Why coaching—more than a language class
- PSC alignment: professional scenarios, progressive difficulty (A→B→C), assessor-led flow.
- Performance routines: reusable, one-minute structures (opening → two ideas → concise close)—no memorized scripts.
- High-value micro-feedback: one targeted tweak at a time (e.g., add a brief finality: afin que l’équipe reste alignée).
- In-context accuracy: grammar only when it improves clarity and naturalness at C level.
- Stress management: day-of routines (breathing, tempo, keyword notes) so you can deliver calmly under time.
🏁 What you will be able to do by the end
- Deliver clear, detailed descriptions on complex work topics with a steady, natural flow.
- Summarize discussions and defend opinions with measured argumentation.
- Handle hypothetical/complex questions and reformulate diplomatically.
- Use precise administrative language and fine prepositions (auprès de, à l’égard de, en vertu de) naturally.
- Close responses with a concise recommendation + dated follow-up.
🗂️ PSC Oral Test Competencies
| Official PSC Competency |
Simplified Term Often Used | What C3 trains & makes you do (examples) |
|---|---|---|
|
Comprehension
Ability to understand questions, rephrasings, and follow-up prompts from the assessor; includes recognizing nuance and register.
|
Comprehension |
• Use a short repair phrase: « Si je comprends bien, la question porte sur… » • Paraphrase the ask in one line before answering (scope, constraint, audience). • Ask one clarifying question when needed, then answer directly. |
|
Interaction
Ability to actively participate in an exchange: take the floor, respond, ask for clarification, keep the conversation going; spontaneity and turn-taking.
|
Ease & Fluency |
• Open clearly; handle relances calmly; accept redirection and continue naturally. • Keep the exchange moving by proposing a dated next step (jalon). • Use brief questions to clarify, then resume your structure. |
|
Accuracy
Correct use of grammar, vocabulary, verb tenses, agreements, sentence structure.
At Level C, minor errors are acceptable if they don’t hinder meaning.
|
Grammar |
• In-context fixes: ce qui / ce que / ce dont; y / en (+ pronoun order). • Concessive + finality: « Bien que… afin que… » (short, natural). • Spoken figures/durations (percentages, “in 20 minutes”); core agreements. • Administrative voice: se voir attribuer, faire l’objet de, il incombe à, il convient de. |
|
Fluency
Smoothness and rhythm of speech; ability to speak naturally and sustain speech without excessive hesitation or fallback to English.
|
Ease & Fluency |
• Reusable routine: clear opening → two ideas with examples → concise close. • Audible transitions: « D’abord… Ensuite… Enfin… » to keep momentum. • Breath/tempo cues; avoid over-correcting mid-sentence. |
|
Range (linguistic breadth)
Richness and variety of vocabulary; precise word choice; complexity for abstract, nuanced, and detailed ideas.
|
Vocabulary |
• Policy & workplace themes (Bill C-13, accessibility, GBA+, UNDRIP, telework, conflict). • Diplomatic wording (attenuation at the conditional), fine prepositions (auprès de, à l’égard de, en vertu de). • Structured argumentation: brief comparisons, measured concessions, reasoned recommendation. |
|
(part of Accuracy / Fluency) — Pronunciation
Clear pronunciation so meaning is not hindered; a minor accent is acceptable.
|
Pronunciation |
• Chunk ideas (short clauses); keep ends of sentences clear. • Practice key liaisons; slow slightly on numbers/dates for clarity. • If a word is hard, rephrase with a simpler synonym to protect meaning. |
Note: In C3 we sometimes use simplified labels (e.g., “Vocabulary” for Range, “Flow” for Fluency, “Exchange” for Interaction) as coaching shorthand. The PSC assesses the five official competencies listed above; pronunciation contributes to Accuracy/Fluency.
🛡️ PSC Oral — day-of facts
- Delivered on MS Teams, typically 20–40 minutes including instructions.
- Camera remains on; the assessor may redirect or conclude early once a sufficient sample is collected.
- Keyword notes only to organize ideas; destroy notes after the exam (integrity rule).
- You may take a brief pause or ask for clarification; this does not penalize you if overall flow remains stable.
🗺️ How C3 is structured (6 Blocks, 40 lessons)
- Block 1 — Launch & Diagnostic (L1–L5): baseline routines, quick wins, opening/transition/close loop.
- Block 2 — Structure & Precision (L6–L10): connectors, reference clarity (ce qui / ce que / ce dont), short simulations.
- Block 3 — Leadership & Negotiation (L11–L15): diplomacy (conditional), objections, brief concessions, next steps.
- Block 4 — Policy & Inclusion (L16–L20): C-13, accessibility & accommodation, GBA+, 2SLGBTQI+, UNDRIP.
- Block 5 — High-stakes Drills (L21–L35): endurance, mixed drills, partial simulations nearly every lesson.
- Block 6 — Final Prep & “Real” Simulation (L36–L40): two exam-style simulations (L39–L40), day-of routines, positive close.
🧪 Practice, practice, practice
- Frequent partial simulations: short opinions, 3–4-minute developments, objections.
- Two “real” simulations: Lesson 39 and Lesson 40 with assessor-style redirection.
- Evidence-based feedback: 10–15 s verbatim snippets tied to five PSC-style competencies (coherence, lexical precision, accuracy, interaction, pragmatics).
📦 What you get inside C3
- Live coaching mapped to PSC-style competencies and federal workplace language.
- Weekly simulation practice (partial and full) with concrete feedback.
- Ready-to-reuse phrase banks (openings, diplomacy, precise prepositions, concise closes).
- Day-of plan (breathing, tempo, keyword sheet, “safe openers”).
📈 Your progression from Lesson 1 to Lesson 40
You start by stabilizing a short, clear structure. You then apply it in increasingly complex work-related situations with diplomatic language and precise references. By Lessons 39–40, you deliver full exam-style interviews with redirection and timed answers—closing with simple, confident recommendations and dated follow-ups.
🧩 Prerequisites & logistics
- Starting level: strong B+/early C spoken French (or completion of C2).
- Format: online on MS Teams; camera on for simulations to mirror exam conditions.
- Materials: minimal—keyword notes only; we provide phrase banks and prompts.
- Course language: all live sessions and materials are in French.
📚 Themes covered in C3 (click to expand)
- Training & professional learning
- Projects
- Change management
- Stress management
- Mentorship
- Communication
- Burnout
- Time management
- Social activities
- Leadership
- Telework
- Negotiation
- Recognition
- Environment
- Meetings
- Technology & AI
- Truth & Reconciliation & UNDRIP
- Teamwork
- Decision-making
- Accessibility & accommodation (C)
- Performance evaluations
- Charitable activities
- Official Languages (Bill C-13)
- GBA Plus
- 2SLGBTQI+ Inclusion
- Motivation / demotivation
- Work–life balance
- Conflict management
- Mental health
- Financial management
🧱 Grammar & usage points covered (click to expand)
- Discourse structure (opening → transitions → close)
- Connectors (cause, concession, consequence, recadrage)
- Attenuation & diplomacy (conditional of politeness)
- Hypothesis & projection (si + imparfait/conditionnel)
- Concordance of tenses; reported speech
- Past participle agreements (avoir/être; pronominal; faire/laisser + inf.)
- Subjunctive (purpose, concession, appreciation, restriction)
- Complex relatives (dont, auquel, lequel, ce dont)
- Nominalisation / passive / causative
- Reference precision (ce qui / ce que / ce dont)
- Fine prepositions (auprès de, à l’égard de, en vertu de, à défaut de)
- Register & concision; anti-anglicisms
- Repair & reformulation (“Si je comprends bien…”)
- Numbers & “spoken figures” (% and durations)
- Prosody & rhythm (speaking groups, intonation)
- Negation & restrictions (ne… que; ne explétif)
- Determiners & quantifiers; des → de before adjectives
- Pronouns y / en & pronoun order (me/te/se/nous/vous → le/la/les → lui/leur → y → en)
- Presentatives (c’est / il est)
- Advanced conditional (au cas où, past unreal)
- Subordination (brief concessives; comparisons; quelque… que)
- Aspect & time (imparfait vs passé composé; gerund)
- Administrative voice (se voir attribuer, faire l’objet de, il incombe à, il convient de)
📝 Personal Notes — Take notes during the lesson (click here to see how to use the TAKE-NOTE feature)
Where to click?
On the right side of the screen (roughly mid-height), you will see a red circle — this is the Personal Notes icon. Click it anytime to open your notepad.
What to note for success at the oral C? (very short format)
Use this mini-template (one idea per line) to prepare your answers:
- Thesis: … (on behalf of the branch/service)
- Why (user): …
- Concrete indicator: “out of 10 …, at least 9 …”
- Date: “by the end of the first month”
- Concession: “although it is …”
- Condition: “provided that … is …”
- Recommendation: “We recommend …, provided that …, because …”
Confidentiality & lesson link
🔒 Your notes are private and only visible to you. They are automatically linked to the lesson where you record them.
Where to find your notes later?
Open the site menu → click Your Personal Notes → select the lesson you want to review.
Best practices (to save time during the oral):
- Activity 3 (Reading/Listening): capture 1 idea + 1 number + 1 date to reuse in Activity 5.
- Activity 4 (Mini-presentation): write your thesis and concession in one sentence each.
- Activity 5 (Debate): prepare in advance a one-line conditional recommendation.
- Clarity: one idea per line, bold key words, avoid long paragraphs.
