Hello Exam Seekers,
Last week I continued talking about the new format of the B2 – First (former FCE) Speaking Exam. Just for you to remember, there is Part 1 – The interview, which is a light conversation about general topics, just to make the interviewee more relaxed. Part 2 – The long turn, the candidate should speak about a topic for around 1 minute. And Part 3 – Collaborative Task, which is a conversation with the other candidate.
Now, let’s see something about the last part of the exam.
Part 4 – Discussion
This part is very similar to the previous task because, in this part, the candidate will go into a further discussion with the other candidate, guided by questions from the examiner. about the topics or issues raised in the task in Part 3. It is a bit longer than the previous part, it takes about 4 minutes, and you have to use them to express and justify opinions, agreeing and/or disagreeing. Here is a sample of the questions:
So the interlocutor will choose one of the questions above to ask a candidate. Try not to be short in your answers, because the more you answer, the less questions there will be, and there will be less “why/why not” for sure. Candidate 2 should also pay close attention because there will be a follow-up question for you. So here is an example:
WRONG WAY:
Interlocutor: Do you think you have to spend a lot of money to have a good holiday?
Candidate: Yes.
Interlocutor: Why?
Candidate: Because good trips only happen when you go abroad. And going abroad is expensive. You have to have spare money in your account, pay plane tickets, buy dollars, etc.
WRITE WAY:
Interlocutor: Do you think you have to spend a lot of money to have a good holiday?
Candidate: I don’t think so. I believe that you can take expensive trips, or cheaper ones, it really depends on your destination and activities during the holidays. You can spend a lot of money traveling abroad by plane or taking a cruise, but you can also pay less money from backpacking, for instance. You can even not travel at all and spend a lot of money on restaurants and pay no money at all staying home and inviting your friends over. So depends on your plan, you can make your holidays be more or less expensive depending on the things you’ve decided. If they will be good or great, it’s up to yourself enjoying or complaining.
This is a much better way to develop your ideas and avoid being questioned. Moreover, it provides more information about your English to the assessors. What do you think about it?
I hope it has cleared some questions, however. If you have more questions about it, please write them in the comment session below and don’t forget to follow the blog at:
Have a great week,
Patty