WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?
In the final parts of the B1 speaking test, you need to work with your partner to have a conversation about a topic (education, travel, work, free time etc). This part is divided into two different sections, a collaborative task and a discussion, but the topic is the same.
Collaborative task (part) 3: in this part of the exam you need to have a conversation with your partner for 2-3 minutes. You need to suggest the different options, give your opinion about the options, develop the conversation (make it more interesting) and come to a conclusion. To DEVELOP the conversation, you need to offer extra information about the topic. The best way to do it is with the 1st or 2nd conditional. For example, “If we buy a laptop for our friends, she can surf the internet and we can chat on Skype”. It is also important to be able to express negative opinions and also to agree and disagree. This helps you to find a conclusion and put an end to the conversation.
Discussion (Part 4)
In this part of the speaking exam you need to discuss the topic given for about 4 minutes. It is important to talk to your partner about your opinions and experiences. Ask your partner questions to encourage them to speak and help them if they have problems. It needs to be an interesting discussion so it is important to give it a good context and try to speak as if you were speaking to your friend in a natural context. You want to speak for about one minute per question. REMEMBER THAT TEAMWORK AND COLLABORATION IS THE KEY!
Example questions:
Now, in this part of the text you’re going to speak together about something for about two minutes. I’m going to describe a situation to you.
A friend of yours wants to start a new job this summer because they will not be at university.
Here are some jobs they could try.
Talk together about the different jobs they could try and say which would be the best.
All right? Now, talk together.
(2-3 minutes) …………………………………………………………………
Thank you. Can I have the booklet, please?
Discuss these questions, in order, as appropriate.
- Would you like a job where you need to help people?
- What kind of job would you like in the future?
- Where are you going to look for a job in the future?
- Have you ever had a job before?
- Do you have a friend who has an interesting job?
