FCE (First Certificate in English) Speaking Part Three- Intensive Practice

Intensive practice of Cambridge First Speaking Part Three collaborative tasks

As you do real FCE Speaking Part Three exam tasks in your book or which your teacher gives you in pairs, try to do at least one of the things below as much as you can. If there three people in your group, make different pairs each time. Your teacher will tell you which one(s) to do or if you can choose yourselves, and they will tell you when to start and when to switch which thing you do. When you have finished one of the things below, discuss in the same pairs:

• How well you did the thing(s) below
• How much you might want to do that in real exam (or not)
• What language you used and could use to do that

Cambridge B2 First Speaking Part Three intensive practice tasks

1. In the first (two-minute) part of the task, agree with your partner half the time and disagree with your partner half the time, but make sure that you still quickly move onto the next item to discuss
2. Try to speak much more than your partner
3. Try to make your partner speak much more than you (by asking for their opinion, etc)
4. Try to speak exactly 50% each
5. Compete to be as polite as possible, e.g. by interrupting politely, letting your partner speak first, and disagreeing politely.
6. Move through the task as fast as possible, making sure you both discuss all the points you should, but quickly moving onto the next topic each time.
7. Use as much speculating language as you can, for example to guess what things might be most suitable.
8. Compare and contrast the different things that you have to discuss as much as you can.
9. Do an exam task with your hands on your lap (so you must use language to show which option you are talking about).
10. Do an exam task while avoiding words which are written on the task as much as possible (by rephrasing, using reference expressions, etc)
11. In the second (one-minute) part of the task, start with opposite points of view (your own choice or ones given to you by your teacher) in the second part of the task and then try to bring your points of view together

Brainstorming useful language for B2 First Speaking Part Three

Brainstorm language for doing the things mentioned above into the gaps below

Giving strong opinions

 

 

 

 

Giving weak opinions

 

 

 

 

Strong agreement

 

 

 

Weak agreement

 

 

 

 

Strong disagreement

 

 

 

 

Weak disagreement

 

 

 

 

Interrupting politely

 

 

 

 

Getting your partner to speak

 

 

 

 

Moving onto the next option

 

 

 

 

Speculating, e.g. speculating on what things might be most suitable

 

 

 

 

Comparing and contrasting the options

 

 

 

 

Rephrasing the words that are written on the tasks that you used

 

 

 

 

Compare your phrases, then try the tasks above again with those phrases to help. After some further practice that way, do more realistic exam practice with no help.