activate teaching-pet-for-schools-speaking

SHow long is the Speaking test? 10–12 minutes

How many parts are there? 4

Who will be in the room? Normally 2 candidates and 2 examiners. One examiner is an interlocutor and manages the test by asking questions and setting up the tasks. The second examiner is an assessor and does not speak.

How is the paper marked? Candidates are assessed throughout the test. The assessor gives detailed marks and the interlocutor gives a global mark.

Part 1 A conversation between the interlocutor and each candidate in turn

General personal factual questions about the candidate’s life, likes and dislikes, etc.

Part 2The candidates talk to each other using visual prompts

The candidates work together to reach a decision on a task given to them by the interlocutor.

Part 3Each candidate is given a different photograph to talk about for one minute.

The photographs are linked in theme.

Part 4The candidates talk to each other on a topic based on the theme of the pictures.

What is the focus of …?

…..Part 1 social and interactive language

…..Part 2 making and responding to suggestions, discussing alternatives, making recommendations, negotiating agreement

…..Part 3 describing photographs, using a range of language,managing discourse

…..Part 4 general interaction about likes, dislikes, experiences, etc.

43

Paper 3: Speaking Overview

M03_ACTI_TBR_A1GLB_4205_U03.indd 43 7/12/09 14:31:17

SFAQsQ Why do candidates take the exam in pairs?A All the Cambridge speaking tests are taken in pairs. Candidates need to show

that they can speak by themselves, managing their discourse effectively, but also be able to use social and interactional language.

Q When are candidates assessed?A All through the whole test.

Q What are candidates assessed on? A Grammar and vocabulary, pronunciation and interactive communication. There is

also a global mark given by the interlocutor.

Q What happens if one candidate is stronger than the other?A It is not important – candidates are assessed individually and they are not

compared with each other. The examiners listen to both candidates and mark them individually.

Q What happens if candidates can’t agree on a decision in Part 2? A It doesn’t matter. The important thing is the discussion, and candidates should

address the task and keep the conversation going. They should try to reach a decision but not worry if they don’t.

Q What happens if candidates don’t talk for a full minute in Part 3?A Candidates should try to talk for a full minute as this will allow them to show a

range of language. However, if they stop after 45 seconds or so, the interlocutor will just go on with the test and the candidate will be assessed on what they have said.

Q What happens if candidates don’t understand the instructions?A They should ask the interlocutor to repeat what was said. They will not lose

marks if they sometimes ask for repetition.

44

Speaking Parts 1-4 S


Speaking Parts 1-4 S

Task preparation Part 1 As with KET preparation, give students as much opportunity as possible in class to talk about themselves and their interests.

Part 2Tip: Candidates are assessed on their ability to take part in the task, not the outcome of their discussions, so they don’t have to complete the task in the time given. However, the task directs their discussion and they should make sure they address it. It is important that they discuss as many of the visuals as possible, and they can also bring in their own ideas if they wish.

Do work in class on interactive language for specifi c functions such as agreeing, disagreeing, suggesting and so on. You could give the class a topic such as: ‘Are mobile phones a good thing?’ Put the class into pairs. Ask each pair to come up with 3 points that support the idea and 3 points against it. Then either have a whole-class debate or put the students into groups of 4, where they take it in turns to make their point and then the other pair agree or disagree with it.

Part 3 Students should describe what they see in their picture as fully as possible. Their partner’s picture will be on the same theme. Encourage students to bring their own pictures to class; they can describe their pictures to each other.

Part 4Students should ask each other questions about the topic as well as give their own opinions.

4545


46

43pet for schools handbook for teachers | paper 3: speaking | sample paper

Pr

elim

inar

y En

glis

h Te

st fo

r Sch

ools

Sp

eaki

ng T

est

Part

1 (2

-3 m

inut

es)

A/B

A

/B

A

B

Pha

se 1

In

terlo

cuto

r G

ood

mor

ning

/ af

tern

oon

/ eve

ning

.

Can

I ha

ve y

our m

ark

shee

ts, p

leas

e?

(Han

d ov

er th

e m

ark

shee

ts to

the

Ass

esso

r.)

I’m …

……

… a

nd th

is is

……

……

. H

e / s

he is

just

goi

ng to

list

en to

us.

N

ow, w

hat’s

you

r nam

e?

Than

k yo

u.

And

wha

t’s y

our n

ame?

Th

ank

you.

Bac

k-up

pro

mpt

s

Can

dida

te B

, wha

t’s y

our s

urna

me?

H

ow d

o yo

u sp

ell i

t?

Than

k yo

u.

And

, Can

dida

te A

, wha

t’s y

our s

urna

me?

H

ow d

o yo

u sp

ell i

t?

Than

k yo

u.

How

do

you

writ

e yo

ur fa

mily

/ s

econ

d na

me?

H

ow d

o yo

u w

rite

your

fam

ily

/ sec

ond

nam

e?

B

A

(Ask

the

follo

win

g qu

estio

ns. A

sk C

andi

date

A

first

.) W

here

do

you

live

/ com

e fro

m?

Do

you

stud

y E

nglis

h at

sch

ool?

D

o yo

u lik

e it?

Th

ank

you.

(R

epea

t for

Can

dida

te B

.)

Do

you

live

in …

? D

o yo

u ha

ve E

nglis

h le

sson

s?

Pha

se 2

In

terlo

cuto

r (S

elec

t one

or m

ore

ques

tions

from

the

list t

o as

k ea

ch c

andi

date

. Use

can

dida

tes’

nam

es

thro

ugho

ut. A

sk C

andi

date

B fi

rst.)

Wha

t’s y

our f

avou

rite

scho

ol s

ubje

ct?

Why

? Te

ll us

abo

ut y

our E

nglis

h te

ache

r. W

hat d

o yo

u en

joy

doin

g in

you

r fre

e tim

e?

Tell

us a

bout

you

r fam

ily.

Than

k yo

u.

(Intro

duct

ion

to P

art 2

) In

the

next

par

t, yo

u ar

e go

ing

to ta

lk to

eac

h ot

her.

PAPER 3: SPEAKINGPart 1

Sample Test

Activate! Teaching PET for Schools

Reproduced from the PET for Schools Handbook for Teachers with the permission of Cambridge ESOL


4747

44 pet for schools handbook for teachers | paper 3: speaking | sample paper

Spea

king

Tes

t 1 (L

eavi

ng p

rese

nt)

Part

2 (2

-3 m

inut

es)

In

terlo

cuto

r S

ay to

bot

h ca

ndid

ates

:

I’m

goi

ng to

des

crib

e a

situ

atio

n to

you

. A

boy

is

leav

ing

his

scho

ol b

ecau

se h

is p

aren

ts a

re g

oing

to

wor

k in

an

othe

r cou

ntry

. The

stu

dent

s in

his

cla

ss w

ant t

o gi

ve h

im a

pre

sent

. Tal

k to

geth

er a

bout

the

diff

eren

t pr

esen

ts t

hey

coul

d gi

ve h

im a

nd t

hen

deci

de

whi

ch w

ould

be

best

. H

ere

is a

pic

ture

with

som

e id

eas

to h

elp

you.

P

lace

Par

t 2 b

ookl

et, o

pen

at T

ask

1, in

fron

t of c

andi

date

s.

Pau

se

I’l

l say

that

aga

in.

A b

oy i

s le

avin

g hi

s sc

hool

bec

ause

his

par

ents

are

goi

ng t

o w

ork

in

anot

her c

ount

ry. T

he s

tude

nts

in h

is c

lass

wan

t to

give

him

a p

rese

nt. T

alk

toge

ther

abo

ut t

he d

iffer

ent

pres

ents

the

y co

uld

give

him

and

the

n de

cide

w

hich

wou

ld b

e be

st.

A

ll rig

ht?

Talk

toge

ther

.

A

llow

the

cand

idat

es e

noug

h tim

e to

com

plet

e th

e ta

sk w

ithou

t int

erve

ntio

n.

Pro

mpt

onl

y if

nece

ssar

y.

Th

ank

you.

(Can

I ha

ve th

e bo

okle

t ple

ase?

)

R

etrie

ve P

art 2

boo

klet

.

A

bout

2-3

min

utes

(inc

ludi

ng ti

me

to a

ssim

ilate

the

info

rmat

ion)

PAPER 3: SPEAKINGPart 2

Sample Test




48

Sample Test

45pet for schools handbook for teachers | paper 3: speaking | sample paper

Spea

king

Tes

t 1 (T

eena

ge b

edro

om)

Part

3 (3

min

utes

)

Inte

rlocu

tor

Say

to b

oth

cand

idat

es:

Now

, I’d

like

eac

h of

you

to ta

lk o

n yo

ur o

wn

abou

t som

ethi

ng. I

’m g

oing

to g

ive

each

of y

ou a

pho

togr

aph

of te

enag

ers

in th

eir b

edro

oms

at h

ome.

Can

dida

te A

, her

e is

you

r pho

togr

aph.

(Pla

ce P

art 3

boo

klet

, ope

n at

Tas

k 1A

, in

front

of C

andi

date

A.)

Ple

ase

show

it to

Can

dida

te B

, but

I’d

like

you

to ta

lk a

bout

it.

Can

dida

te B

, you

just

list

en. I

’ll gi

ve y

ou y

our p

hoto

grap

h in

a m

omen

t.

Can

dida

te A

, ple

ase

tell

us w

hat y

ou c

an s

ee in

you

r pho

togr

aph.

(Can

dida

te A

)

A

ppro

xim

atel

y on

e m

inut

e If

ther

e is

a n

eed

to in

terv

ene,

pro

mpt

s ra

ther

than

dire

ct q

uest

ions

sho

uld

be u

sed.

Th

ank

you.

(Can

I ha

ve th

e bo

okle

t ple

ase?

)

Ret

rieve

Par

t 3 b

ookl

et fr

om C

andi

date

A.

Inte

rlocu

tor

Now

, Can

dida

te B

, her

e is

you

r pho

togr

aph.

It a

lso

show

s a

teen

ager

in h

is

bedr

oom

at h

ome.

(Pla

ce P

art 3

boo

klet

, ope

n at

Tas

k 1B

, in

front

of C

andi

date

B

.) P

leas

e sh

ow it

to C

andi

date

A a

nd te

ll us

wha

t you

can

see

in th

e ph

otog

raph

.

(Can

dida

te B

)

A

ppro

xim

atel

y on

e m

inut

e

Th

ank

you.

(Can

I ha

ve th

e bo

okle

t ple

ase?

)

R

etrie

ve P

art 3

boo

klet

from

Can

dida

te B

.

Part

4 (3

min

utes

)

Inte

rlocu

tor

Say

to b

oth

cand

idat

es:

You

r pho

togr

aphs

sho

wed

teen

ager

s in

thei

r bed

room

s at

hom

e. N

ow, I

’d li

ke y

ou

to ta

lk to

geth

er a

bout

the

thin

gs y

ou h

ave

in y

our b

edro

oms

at h

ome

now

and

the

thin

gs y

ou’d

like

to h

ave

in y

our b

edro

oms

in th

e fu

ture

.

A

llow

the

cand

idat

es e

noug

h tim

e to

com

plet

e th

e ta

sk w

ithou

t int

erve

ntio

n.

Pro

mpt

onl

y if

nece

ssar

y.

Th

ank

you.

Tha

t’s th

e en

d of

the

test

.

Part

s 3

& 4

sho

uld

take

abo

ut 6

min

utes

toge

ther

.

PAPER 3: SPEAKINGParts 3 and 4

© A

bod

e/B

eate

wor

ks/C

orbi

s




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