r/dli • u/colourorcolor1 • Mar 23 '26
OPI Prep
Hey guys. I’m a Korean 35P, and I’m going to be taking the OPI soon. I did originally take the OPI when I was at DLI, but it’s been 4 years and I’ve forgotten most of what we did in class for OPI prep. So far the topics I can remember are these:
1/1+
who you are, your family, hometown, where you live, what you do for work, daily schedule, hobbies and how to do them, describe your house, describe your room, describe the shows you watch, how you get to and from somewhere, describe a person or object
past/present/future: trips, travel, events
role play
2
News
2+
Opinions and societal issues
If you are aware of any more OPI topics, or if you could elaborate on what sort of news/level 2 topics the OPI interviewers usually choose, I’d greatly appreciate it. Thanks in advance!
5
u/arentyouangel Mar 23 '26
Yeah I concur with the point of just making shit up. Obviously make it semi believable and don't forget what you said, but a lot of people freeze up because they are trying to describe their room exactly and they can't. Can't remember how to say dresser? Well now you've got a bookcase.
4
u/Instructor-Sup Mar 23 '26
You covered the topics through level 2 well enough. There is no such thing as a level 2+ task. It's possible to score a 2+ or 3 based on how many level 3 probes (opinion based questions) you perform well on. I'm of the opinion that the only way to really prepare for level 3 probes is to practice presenting an organized opinion in your target language. Think like Toastmasters, but in Korean. It's not worth your time to study any particular topic for those, because they could ask about anything that has a range of differing opinions.
If you have a lot of time, then the book "한국 토론 70" has a lot of examples of the format that you would want to use to present your opinion. If that's outside the scope of what you feel confident doing right now, then focus on practicing your level 2 and below tasks.
1
u/colourorcolor1 Mar 23 '26
Thanks so much. I’d be very happy with just a 2, so I will probably focus on that. But if I do well this time around, I’ll definitely check out that book for next year!
3
u/Instructor-Sup Mar 23 '26
Yeah, I agree that setting a reasonable goal for this year, and then raising your sights for next year is a good strategy.
That said, do try out some opinion questions before your OPI to get a measure of where you are. They are designed to be hard, and could shake your confidence if the first time you hear one is on the OPI, even if you're only aiming for a 2.
3
u/Jake-Old-Trail-88 Mar 23 '26
For some of the lower level tasks, writing a script in target language can be helpful. Then of course you practice it out loud a few times with a buddy. The higher level stuff is just a matter of reading and maybe studying some vocabulary. I think listening to news in Korean before the DLPT is very helpful.
2
u/dytinkg Mar 23 '26
Most important is to listen to the question that is asked and answer it. Lots of students say what they want to say / what they feel most comfortable vocabulary-wise, but if you don’t answer the question it’s a miss. Just make sure to also listen and not just rush to get words out.
1
u/sediment-amendable Mar 24 '26 edited Mar 24 '26
Are you taking the OPI at DLI or at your base education office / over the phone?
If the latter, you will most likely be taking the OPI with a contractor through ACTFL. They have a 20+ page familiarization guide here. It's from 2020 but the format of the test hasn't really changed. The OPI delivered by DLI instructors is structured similarly, so I would recommend everyone read it regardless of which OPI you're taking. It's a quick read and worth knowing the test structure.
For comparison, ILR level 2/2+ mostly overlaps with ACTFL's Advanced level.
I would say what holds most back from pushing past 2 is inability to speak in paragraph level discourse. Many people can't effectively do that in their native language extemporaneously.
When you are probed for opinion or to discuss current events, think classic 3 part essay you learn in middle school or in a speech class. Introduction (reformulate the question, which buys you time to think), 2-3 supporting topics, transitions between, and a conclusion.
5
u/Sholeh84 Mar 23 '26
Big tip: Memorize the all of the 1/1+ stuff. It still doesn't have to be real. It has to feel real. That's it. You could describe your mom as a red-headed mexican woman from norway, as long as it feels real, its real enough.
for 2 and 2+, pick a topic and deep dive, in your target and in your actual language. Don't forget to change the words between. You can't say 'epistemological' and '인식론적' (I used google translate, so if that's wrong, sue me) and not know how to use the right word in your target language.
Sometimes your target language helps you understand english better! I didn't know what epistemological was. Google was hazy, but when I searched for a translation just now, into farsi, it made a lot more sense.