Additional Tips
- Giving examples
- Paraphrasing
- Vague language
- Asking for help
- Example interview scripts
- Suggested further reading
1. Giving examples
Sometimes
you can finish your answer with an example structure but you do not need to do
this with every question; one or two times in the speaking test is more than
enough.
Look
at the previous answer to the "problem" question.
It’s
universally accepted that there a few hazards involved with the increase in the
use of private cars. Essentially, one fundamental concern is probably that it
leads to an increase in pollution. This fact is unmistakably perturbing because
we are facing huge global pollution problems at the moment. Additionally,
another major cause for concern has to be the fact that cars consume huge
amounts of our energy resources. And the underlying repercussions of this are
that we will soon be confronted with a global energy crisis."
It
would be quite easy to add an example to this answer:
Actually
I think this idea is best illustrated with the example of oil which is running
out at an alarming rate.
You
don’t get extra marks simply for adding an example. However, your score will be
influenced because you have used a complex linking structure:
Actually I think this idea is best illustrated with the example of...
Use
the following structures to introduce an example:
- In fact, this concept can be illustrated by the example of...
- As a matter of fact, this point can be demonstrated with the case of…
- In actual fact, this notion can be confirmed by the example of…
2. Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing
is extremely important in the speaking test because it directly affects your
vocabulary score.
To
achieve a vocabulary score of 7 or 8, the examiner needs to hear at least one
example of effective paraphrasing. Paraphrasing means saying or explaining
something in your own words. In the speaking test it is used to explain
vocabulary gaps (words that you don't know in English).
A
good tip for paraphrasing is the "forget-explain-remember" rule. With
this strategy you deliberately forget a particular word. Then you explain the
word and then you remember the word. Look at the following example:
An
additional problem with cars is that they produce a lot of ...em... I can't
remember the word, but it's the gas that comes out of the car exhaust...oh
yeah...carbon monoxide. That's what I mean.
In
this example the candidate has produced some effective paraphrase and used a
complex vocabulary item (carbon monoxide), so the vocabulary score has been
influenced in two ways.
It
is usually a good idea to think of some examples of this before the test, but
the following examples should be quite helpful because they can be used for
many topics.
For
buildings: architecture, interior décor,
elevator, escalator.
For
people: optimistic, open-minded, assertive,
sarcastic.
For
objects: warranty, guarantee, replacement.
It
really doesn’t matter which word you decide to paraphrase as long as it’s an
uncommon vocabulary item.
In
addition, many Chinese words can be paraphrased, especially if there is no
exact English equivalent, such as:
Huo
Guo, it’s a type of dish that is served in a pot and the pot is usually heated
on the table, so the food is cooked in from of you.
This
example of paraphrasing is worth more marks than simple saying
"hot-pot".
Placeholders
Placeholders
are words that replace something when a speaker does not know or cannot remember
the name of something or someone: "You need to use a thingummy when you
open a bottle of red wine."
Grammatically
these simply replace the name of the person or object that the speaker cannot
remember and never change their form. Other placeholders include:
whatsit thingy thingummy
When
you paraphrase, try to use one of these placeholders. Look at the following
example:
One
of the major problems with shopping online is that there are loads of err... what
is called...
You
may think this is not a very good way to impress your examiner, but this is
exactly what native speakers do when they forget a word.
When
you paraphrase you need to first let the examiner know that you have forgotten
the word (or you don't know the word in English). Use the following linking
phrases to begin paraphrasing:
- I can’t remember the English word; I’ll have to explain what I mean here.
- Actually, I can’t seem to remember the word; let me try to put it into plain words.
- The word has slipped my mind; I’ll try to paraphrase it for you.
Use
the following language to explain your word:
- Well what it is... it is a kind / type of...
- In some ways it’s similar to...
- actually something like a...
Continue
your paraphrasing with:
- And it’s made from...
- It’s often found...
- It’s used by / for...
- It involves...
- One of the most unique features of X is that...
- And I should also mention that...
Then
"remember" the word:
Oh...
I think I’ve just remembered it; the word I’m looking for is X.
3. Vague Language
One
language feature that sounds like native-speaker English is vague language.
Vague language is best described language that is not exact.
Look
at the following example:
You
usually need to buy them in a special shop like a craft shop or somewhere like
that.
The
phrase "or somewhere like that" is vague language.
Use
the following vague language in your answers:
Rounding up the time:
I arrived about half past six.
When I arrived it was almost half past six.
When I arrived it was half six-ish.
It was nearly half past six when we arrived.
List
completers include words such as things and stuff.
- I usually watch documentaries and things like that.
- I usually watch documentaries and stuff like that.
- I’m quite fond of reading magazines and things / stuff.
- I might buy a book or something like that.
- I usually buy books and DVDs or stuff like that.
- I might buy a book or whatever.
- I might go to the park or whatever.
- I might go with my classmates or whoever.
Do
not use too many list completers in your speaking test. A good guideline would
be 4 or 5 examples across the whole interview.
Quantities
Vague
language is very common with numbers when expressing quantity, frequency or the
time. Lower numbers are often expressed by phrases such as: a couple of, a few. Whereas, larger
numbers are rounded up with: about,
around or replaced with: lots of,
loads of.
With
vague language, "a couple" does not usually mean “two”; it can mean
"up to three" or even "four". When you do not want to give
accurate numbers, you can use the following:
- There were about 30 odd students in my class.
- There were about 30 or so people at the party.
- She’s not that old.
- I'd say she's about 40-ish.
- There are a lot of / lots of / loads of choices.
- I’ve been to Beijing a couple of / a few times.
- I think I saw about / around 10 or so.
4. Asking for help
In
the speaking test there are strict rules about how much help the examiner can
give you. These rules are different for each Part of the test.
In
Part One the examiner is allowed to repeal the question TWO TIMES if you don’t
understand it. lf you don’t understand a certain word and ask about that word,
the examiner is not allowed to explain it; the question will be repeated in
exactly the same way.
If
you do not understand the question in Part One or if you just didn’t hear it
clearly, it is fine to ask the examiner to repeat it. Use the following
language:
- I'm sorry I didn’t quite catch the question; could you ask it again please?
- I’m sorry I missed that one; could you repeat it please?
As
a rule, if this happens two or three times in Part One, there will be no
problem. If it happens more than 4 times, then the examiner will reduce your
fluency score (usually by one point, i.e. 5 will be reduced to 4).
In
Part Two, it is unlikely that you will need the examiner to repeat anything
because the examiner doesn’t actually say much. However, if there is a word on
the topic card that you don't understand, then the examiner is allowed to
quickly explain that word to you (usually by replacing it with an easier word
or giving an example). You can avoid this problem by checking all the topic
cards featured in this book.
In
Part Three the rules are less strict. The examiner will explain vocabulary,
change the wording of questions or simplify the questions whenever necessary.
This shouldn’t happen very often because when Part Three begins the examiner
should have a very clear idea of your language level and he / she will ask the
questions in a way in which you should be able to understand quite easily.
5. Exam interview scripts
The
following pages give a clear picture of what a complete interview looks like.
Remember
that your interview might be slightly different to these because the number of
questions asked will depend on the length of your answers.
This
section is only intended to give you a full picture of what the whole interview
looks like on paper. For the first example there are suggestions of what type
of answer structure to use.
Interview 1
Good
afternoon, my name is... Can you tell me your full name please?
OK,
can I see your ID card please?
In
this first part like to ask you some questions about yourself. So first of all
let’s talk about where you live. Do you live in a house or a fat? (Simple
direct answer)
Tell
me the good things about your house or flat. (Use Part One "Liking"
structure)
Is
there anything you don’t like about it? (Use Part One "Disliking"
structure)
Do
you think you will move to another area in the future? (Use Part One
"Would" structure)
Now
let’s move on to talking about reading. Do you like reading? (Use Part One
"Liking" structure)
How
often do you read? (Use Part One "It depends" structure)
Where
do you normally read? (Use Part One "It depends" structure)
What
types of books are popular in your country nowadays? (Use Part One "Types
of" structure)
Let’s
talk about music now. What types of music do you like listening to? (Why?) (Use
a mix of Part One "Types of" and "Liking" structures)
How
much time do you spend listening to music? (Use Part One "It depends"
structure)
Where
do you usually listen to music? (Use Part One "It depends" structure)
OK,
now I’m going to give you a topic and like you to talk about it for one to two
minutes. Before you talk you’ll have one to two minutes to think about what you
are going to say and you can make some notes if you wish, do you understand?
I’d
like you to describe the type of clothes you like wearing. (One minute
preparation)
OK,
so remember you have one to two minutes for this, so don’t worry if I stop you.
I’ll tell you when the time is up... Can you start speaking now please?
Topic Card
Describe the type of
clothes you like wearing.
You should say:
What kind of clothes you usually like to
wear
Why you like these clothes
Where you buy them
Whether these clothes are popular in
your country.
OK,
we’ve been talking about clothes that you wear and now like to discuss with you
one or two more general questions related to this. So first of all let’s
consider clothes and fashion. Do men and women have different ideas about
fashion? (Use Part Three "Comparing" structure)
Why
do teenagers like to follow fashion? (Use Part Three "Why" structure)
What
are the disadvantages of following fashion? (Use Part Three
"Disadvantages" structure)
OK,
now let’s move on to talk about uniforms. Why do some companies prefer their
staff to wear uniforms? (Use Part Three "Why" structure)
Interview 2
Good
afternoon, my name is... Can you tell me your full name please?
OK.
can I see your ID card please?
In
this first part I’d like to ask you some questions about yourself. So first of
all let’s talk about where you live. Tell me about the area that you live in.
What do you like about the area? Is there anything you don't like about the
area? Do you think you will continue to live in this place for a long time?
Now
let’s move on to talk about films. How often do you watch films? What types of
films do you like watching? Do you prefer watching films alone or with someone
else? Is it better watching films at home or in the cinema?
Let’s
talk about birthdays now. Do you usually spend your birthday with your friends
or with your family? What do children generally do on their birthdays in China?
Are birthdays important? What is the most important birthday or age which is
celebrated in China?
OK,
now I'm going to give you a topic and I’d like you to talk about it for one to
two minutes. Before you talk you’ll have one to two minutes to think about what
you are going to say and you can make some notes if you wish, do you
understand?
I’d
like you to describe some help which you received in the past. (One minute
preparation)
OK,
so remember you have one to two minutes for this so don’t worry if I stop you.
I’ll tell you when the time is up... Can you start speaking now please?
Topic Card
Describe
the help which you received in the past.
You
should say:
What
type of help you received
Who
helped you
Why
you needed this help
How
you felt after you received this help.
OK,
we’ve been talking about the help you received in the past and now I’d like to
discuss with you one or two more general questions related to this. So first of
all let’s consider different kinds of help. Generally, what kinds of help do
people often need in their lives?
Do
you think, in general, society is helpful?
Do
you think people were more helpful in the past than they are nowadays?
What
kinds of help will people need in the future?
Interview 3
Good
afternoon, my name is... Can you tell me your full name please?
OK,
can I see your ID card please?
In
this first Part I’d like to ask you some questions about yourself. So first of
all let’s talk about what you do. Do you work or are you a student?
What
are you studying?
Why
did you choose this college / university?
What’s
good about where you’re studying?
What
would you like to do after your studies?
Let's
move on to talk about collecting things. Have you ever collected anything?
What
things do people collect in your country?
Why
do people like collecting things?
Would
you like to start collecting something new in the future?
Now
let’s talk about weather. What’s the weather like where you live?
What
do you do when the weather is bad?
What
type of weather do you like best?
Would
you like to have that type of weather all year round?
OK,
now going to give you a topic and I’d like you to talk about it for one to two
minutes. Before you talk have one to two minutes to think about what you are
going to say and you can make some notes if you wish, do you understand?
I’d
like you to describe your childhood home. (One minute preparation)
OK,
so remember you have one to two minutes for this, so don't worry if I stop you.
I'll tell you when the time is up… Can you start speaking now please?
Topic Card
Describe your
childhood home.
You should say:
Where this place is located
What type of house it is
How long you lived there
What you liked about
this place.
OK,
we’ve been talking about your childhood home and now I’d like to discuss with
you one or two more general questions related to this. So first of all let’s
consider different kinds of houses. Are houses nowadays different to houses in
the past?
What
kinds of houses will be common in the future?
What
are the advantages of living in an old house?
Why
do some people like to move to a different home?
