PET Speaking Part 3
PET Speaking Part 3
Description Students use some sample materials to think about the content and language required in the part, before performing a practise task. They then consider the merits of a sample performance before doing their task again, trying to improve their own performance. Time required: Materials required: 55 minutes Aims: sample task students worksheets 1 and 2 Audio or video recording of Part 3 of the Speaking test (e.g. the PET Speaking test video pack, available from Cambridge ESOL) transcript to introduce Part 3 to help students understand what is required in this task to focus on and practise useful language
Procedure 1. Briefly review what Parts 1 and 2 of the Speaking test are and elicit or remind students what they have to do in Part 3. Add any missing information so that the following is established: the examiner gives both candidates a different picture from that used in Part 2 each candidate has to talk on her/his own the task is to talk about the picture in detail.
2. Hand out the pictures (Sample task). Explain that, while in the exam each candidate will just have to talk about one picture, for the moment they are going to look at both pictures. Elicit a few ideas about what they can see in Picture one, then Picture two. Ask students what the common theme is (people reading and writing) and explain that the theme is continued in Part 4. 3. Hand out students worksheet 1. In pairs, students complete the three tables about the background, the people and the action in each picture. Feed in new language as required. Not every box needs to be completed. 4. In their pairs, ask students to speak about the background, people and action in Picture 1, then Picture 2, using their ideas from the worksheet. Write examples of good language on the board.
UCLES 2008. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. It may not otherwise be altered, photocopied, reproduced, distributed, published, recorded, made available on another website, or otherwise transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.
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5. Explain that they are now going to practise a Part 3 using the ideas and language they have just thought of. Swap the students around so each student is working with another new partner. Assign one student in each pair to be the examiner and the other to be the candidate. Give out the instructions for the sample task (if not already done). The examiner gives the instructions on the sample task and the candidate talks about picture A for about a minute. Students then swap over for picture B. 6. Monitor and take notes on good language and add these to the board. 7. Review the language that there is on the board, including form, meaning and pronunciation where necessary. 8. Explain that they are now going to listen to/watch/read about 2 candidates doing the task. If you dont have access to the Speaking test video pack, you could record yourself and two colleagues doing Part 3 as an audio recording, using the transcript provided here. If no recording is possible, hand out the transcript for students to read through. During the first listening, ask students to decide which answer was clearer. 9. Class discussion. Evas answer is clearer as there is less hesitation and it is better organised and structured. (Eva starts by describing the room and giving some details, before going on to describe the person in the picture and give her idea about what hes doing. Bertha, on the other hand, moves from one point to another without giving full descriptions, so then returns to a previous point, which makes her talk harder to follow.) 10. Ask students to listen/watch/read Evas answer again for examples of: a phrase for describing the position of something (on the left, at the background) a paraphrase for an unknown word (she says heating as a paraphrase for radiator) an opinion (I think hes studying for his exam, maybe hes doing his homework) Explain that these would mean Eva scores well on the assessment criteria of Discourse Management and Grammar and Vocabulary. 11. Give out students worksheet 2 (useful phrases) and review the form, meaning and pronunciation of the phrases. 12. Change the pairs of students to practise the sample task again, this time focussing on how they organise their answer. Encourage students to keep the useful phrases in front of them and to use them in their answers. Time students for one minute. Ask the listening student to give feedback to their partner. Students change roles.
UCLES 2008. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. It may not otherwise be altered, photocopied, reproduced, distributed, published, recorded, made available on another website, or otherwise transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.
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13. Finish by eliciting a summary of Part 3 with the following questions: How long do candidates have to speak for in Part 3? (For a minute. The examiner will politely stop you if you talk for more than a minute.) What should you do while your partner is speaking? (You should be quiet but paying attention to what your partner is saying, perhaps by nodding and looking interested.) What should you do if you dont know the word for something in the picture? (You should use paraphrasing to describe the object and its function even if you dont know the name of it.)
Suggested follow-up activity 1. To practise the skill of paraphrasing unknown vocabulary, prepare cards with one target word on each. One student picks up a card and has to describe it to his/her team without using that word. Set a time limit to see how many words each team can guess. As students get better at this, add to the card a couple of other words related to the target word, which the student doing the describing is also forbidden to use.
UCLES 2008. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. It may not otherwise be altered, photocopied, reproduced, distributed, published, recorded, made available on another website, or otherwise transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.
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UCLES 2008. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. It may not otherwise be altered, photocopied, reproduced, distributed, published, recorded, made available on another website, or otherwise transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.
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UCLES 2008. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. It may not otherwise be altered, photocopied, reproduced, distributed, published, recorded, made available on another website, or otherwise transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.
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Describing the person/people He looks(+adj) The girl looks a bit(+adj) They seem...
Giving details about the picture In the foreground there's In the background you can see On the left On the right At the bottom In this corner In the middle
Comparing The girl looks much older than the boy. The yellow car is the biggest. The mother isnt as pretty as the baby.
UCLES 2008. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. It may not otherwise be altered, photocopied, reproduced, distributed, published, recorded, made available on another website, or otherwise transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.
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Interlocutor Say to both candidates: Now, Id like each of you to talk on your own about something. Im going to give each of you a photograph of people reading and writing. Candidate A, here is your photograph. (Place Part 3 booklet, open at Task 1A, in front of Candidate A.) Please show it to Candidate B, but Id like you to talk about it. Candidate B, you just listen. Ill give you your photograph in a moment. Candidate A, please tell us what you can see in your photograph.
(Candidate A)
Approximately one minute If there is a need to intervene, prompts rather than direct questions should be used. Thank you. (Can I have the booklet please?)
Retrieve Part 3 booklet from Candidate A. Interlocutor Now, Candidate B, here is your photograph. It also shows someone reading and writing. (Place Part 3 booklet, open at Task 1B, in front of Candidate B.) Please show it to Candidate A and tell us what you can see in the photograph.
(Candidate B)
UCLES 2008. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. It may not otherwise be altered, photocopied, reproduced, distributed, published, recorded, made available on another website, or otherwise transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.
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Part 4 (3 minutes)
Interlocutor Say to both candidates: Your photographs showed people reading and writing. Now, Id like you to talk together about the different kinds of reading and writing you did when you were younger, and the kinds you do now. Allow the candidates enough time to complete the task without intervention. Prompt only if necessary.
Time
UCLES 2008. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. It may not otherwise be altered, photocopied, reproduced, distributed, published, recorded, made available on another website, or otherwise transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.
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UCLES 2008. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. It may not otherwise be altered, photocopied, reproduced, distributed, published, recorded, made available on another website, or otherwise transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.
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UCLES 2008. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made. It may not otherwise be altered, photocopied, reproduced, distributed, published, recorded, made available on another website, or otherwise transmitted by any means without the prior written permission of University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.
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