B2 – Speaking Part 3 Tips

Succeed in B2 First Speaking part 3

Get to know all the tips and instructions that you need to nail Part 3 in the speaking test.

Worksheet

What is part 3 about?

In the Cambridge exam, the third part of the speaking test is a collaborative task. This means that you will have a conversation with one or two more candidates. In this conversation you will have to express your opinion and justify them, exchange ideas, agree or disagree with your partner statements, speculate, evaluate and finally reach a conclusion through negotiation.

Therefore, you cannot speak all the time alone. You will have to speak, listen to your partner, ask for clarification, agreeing, partly agreeing or disagreeing with your partner’s ideas, etc. In short, you will have to balance your participation with your partner’s. Make sure your contributions can be debated and always open doors to negotiation. For example, after you make your statement, you could directly ask your partner “do you agree?” the examiner will take into account your attempt to interact. Do not let weird silences happen, if you take the initiative, your mark will be higher.

Do not extend the discussion forever. Once you and your partner have discussed for about three minutes, it’s time to start the negotiation, that should last about a minute. This is a decision-making process. Maybe, the other candidate wants to continue the discussion. Then, you must give in (even if what you say is not your real opinion) because it is essential that you demonstrate that you know how to close the conversation and make decisions.

How to practice with Langoo?

We want to make sure that you develop the skills needed to rock this part of the exam. Therefore, what you should do is:

Have a look at the ideas and select some of them. Taking into account the time you have, two or three should be enough.
Say something positive and something negative about each idea.
Finally select a fourth idea, that mixes many positive things you have mentioned and state your conclusion.

Have a look at this example:

Production:

As far as I am concerned, reading would be an excellent option because it is a calming activity (positive point). However, if you are stressed, maybe it’s difficult to concentrate and it might be frustrating (negative point).

Another nice option would be doing sport. According to my experience it helps you relax and it’s very healthy (positive point). Nevertheless, if you work many hours, you will probably be exhausted and many days you won’t feel like doing anything (negative point).

In short, considering what I’ve mentioned, the best option would be cooking! Since you can do it at home, it is very relaxing and at the end you can treat yourself with a delicious meal. (only positive point because it is the conclusion).

Are you ready to practice?

This practice will allow you to not only express your thoughts and defend them, but also be ready to debate others using arguments to state your point of view. This will also help you to create the final conclusion out of what has been said in the discussion.

Términos y condiciones

Teresa

Degree in English Philology, Master in ICT for language teaching and processing, EFL teacher, translator in international meetings, and Cambridge preparer. Specialized in language processing and e-learning content creation.