How long does one minute feel like? – B1 Speaking Part 2

It’s wild how we see time differently. When we’re having a blast, a minute flies by in no time. But when we’re in a stressful spot, like during a speaking exam, that same minute can feel like an eternity. That’s exactly what students experience when they step into the exam room to talk on their own. Practicing speaking for a minute is one of the most important B1 Speaking Practice Tips, helping students feel what that time actually feels like. Plus, knowing how to make the most of that minute helps it go by quicker than they think.

In my teaching career, I’ve come across two types of students – those who love speaking activities and those who can’t stand them. No matter where they stand, it’s crucial to help students learn how to speak naturally, even in the awkward setting of a speaking exam, and that’s where good B1 Speaking Practice Tips make a real difference.

In B1 Speaking Part 2, students will chat solo for about a minute about a picture. Let them know that if they wrap up early, they’ll face some awkward silence until the time’s up. So, they should come up with some extra stuff to say about the stock pictures. For example, a great way to help them add more detail is by practicing prepositions of place – describing where people and objects are in the picture can easily fill in the gaps and make their answers sound more complete. You can get a full lesson plan on prepositions of place in Cambridge PET – Speaking Part 2 – Prepositions of Place.

Understanding the Assessment: what students are graded on

Before diving into teaching speaking exam strategies, it’s super important to help students know what they’ll be graded on. Let them know that the speaking assessment breaks down into four areas: grammar and vocabulary, discourse management, pronunciation, and interactive communication. For Speaking Part 2, which is a solo task, they’ll be scored on everything except interactive communication.

B1 Speaking Practice Tips: filling the awkward silences

I always told my B1 students that when they’re at a loss for what to say and still have some time left, they should just make guesses about what’s going on and explain why they think that. Like, if they see a bunch of people, they could talk about how those people might be feeling. If the pic was taken outside, they could describe the weather or guess the season. And if it’s a group of tourists, why not take a shot at figuring out what country they’re from! These kinds of strategies are great B1 Speaking Practice Tips, but I was never quite sure how to help them remember all these ideas. Recently, I caught a webinar called Top tips for exam success and beyond: Ask us anything about A2 Key and B1 Preliminary by English with Cambridge, and there was one part that really stood out to me.

A Handy Framework: using the speaking circle

The speaking circle is a handy tool that gives students ideas on what to talk about during their speaking assessment. It’s split into eight sections: people, words, feelings, actions, sounds, numbers, sight, and nature. Grab a sample picture that they might see in the exam. I picked one from the B1 Preliminary for Schools Handbook for Teachers from 2020, which you can download for free from the Cambridge website. Ask the students to take a look at the picture and come up with three questions for each category. Here’s my example for you.

Noticing Patterns: where ideas come quicker

While I was wrapping up this task, I noticed that some answers popped into my head way easier than others. I guess it would probably vary based on the picture and where it is. But these eight categories will definitely help me spout out an answer and keep talking for a full minute.

Clear Structure: how to describe a picture step-by-step

I believe the best way to score well in this part is to blend the answers to these questions and discuss them in a clear sequence. Personally, I find that the easiest way to describe pictures is like this:

• A quick overview:  In a couple of sentences, share what you see and who’s around, along with your thoughts on what they’re up to. Don’t forget to mention where everyone is hanging out.

In the picture, I can see two girls making a cake in the kitchen. They look alike, so they are probably sisters.

• People: Chat about what they’re doing and why they might be doing it. Guess what their relationship is like and how they feel. Give a quick rundown of how they look and what they’re wearing.

The girl with longer hair, who is wearing a patterned dress, is cracking some eggs and adding them to flour. The other girl, who has got shorter and curly hair and is wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, is helping her by reading the recipe from the tablet. They seem to be having a lot of fun doing this activity together because they are smiling. I think that they may be preparing a birthday cake for someone in their family. They seem to be recreating the recipe they are following. I think that the cake must be quite easy to make, as they don’t have that many ingredients on the table. Except for flour and a few eggs, they also have a jar of sugar on the table.

• Background: If there’s still some time, it’s a good idea to chat about the background. If you can, mention the weather and the seasons. Just because it’s a picture doesn’t mean you can’t get into the sounds they might be hearing.

As I mentioned before, they are in the kitchen. The kitchen is quite big and light. I can see some cupboards, a cooker, and of course an oven behind them. Everything seems to be very well organised, so they will probably have to clean the kitchen well once they finish. The place appears to be very calm, so I don’t think that it is very noisy. Maybe they are listening to some music while making the cake.

Why It Works: helping students stay confident

Following the topics in the circle is really helpful for students. It helps them organize their answers and focus on grammar and vocabulary during the assessment. Plus, it shows them that they can chat about anything in the picture and provide reasons for their answers. My main struggle is getting the hang of speaking for a full minute. Regular practice can help with that, but just remind them that as long as they keep talking until the person asking questions stops them, they should be good.

Making It Real: using authentic exam videos

I like to spice up speaking activities by showing the actual speaking exam. I picked this picture because it’s being described in a video from a real B1 Preliminary for Schools Speaking Test. It might be a good idea to show the video first so everyone can get a feel for the exam and the setting. You could also have them watch it and jot down any mistakes they catch. When you give feedback, you can get them to brainstorm different ways to improve those answers.

I’m really glad I went to the webinar about tips for the Cambridge Exam. It helped me get a good grip on the speaking assessment and gave me tons of cool B1 Speaking Practice Tips to spice up my classes with new activities. Check out the link to watch the whole webinar – I think you’ll find some inspiring stuff there!

What’s your favorite trick for helping students keep talking during speaking exams?