The Cambridge Advanced English (CAE) - Speaking

Speaking (CAE) – generalities

(Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English)

Part 1 is a kind of warmer. The questions are extremely easy. They are usually about what you do in your free time or where you live. There is a very strategic reason for this. The examiner would like you to start with easy things in order to relax you a bit and put you at ease and even subconsciously build up your confidence before the more challenging tasks. Questions are often:

'Tell me about your home town.'

'How do you usually spend the weekend?'

If the examiner feels that you are more or less at ease already questions MAY be of a trickier nature such as:

'Describe what you suspect your life may look like in 10 years time.'

This question can be potentially easy but it also allows a student to experiment with more complicated grammatical constructions if he/she feels comfortable. i.e. / Well... Hopefully I will have bought my own house (the future perfect construction)

Tips!

You'll gain extra marks if you're able to give full, relevant answers to these questions.

1) Offer more than the bare minimum in your answers.
Q: Tell me about where you come from.
A: I come from Bielefeld. (Don't stop there!) It's in the northern part of Germany. It's a lovely place with a busy town and it's also close to some nice countryside.

2) Avoid short, 'yes', 'no' answers.
Q: Do you enjoy studying English?
A: Yes I do! I quite like studying languages and English in particular. I have a lot of English friends and love to be able to communicate with them in their own language. And I love being able to read English novels.
Q: Do you have any hobbies or interests?
A: No, not hobbies really. I used to like collecting things as a child but that doesn't interest me now. I suppose you could say music is a big interest, I especially like listening to English bands.

3) Offer examples to help you explain a statement.
Q: Why are you preparing for the CAE exam?
A: Because it's important for my job. As part of my appraisal, my boss advised me to take an English exam to help me develop my professional skills. I passed FCE last year and if I'm successful at CAE I'd like to try CPE.

In Part 2 the candidate is shown a pair of photos. The photos will be quite different but simultaneously linked by a common theme. i.e./ a snowy mountain resort and a villa on the beach. (places where people could spend a holiday) The examiner will then ask you to compare and contrast the photos AND answer a kind of follow up / opinion-oriented question. (Where would YOU prefer to spend a winter holiday?)

The important thing to remember about Part 2 is that it is important to both link the photos by their common theme AND contrast them by talking about what is different.

"In both pictures we can see beautiful holiday resort-type accommodations in exotic locations. That is pretty much where the similarities end because the first picture is set in a beautiful wintery mountain setting and the second photo shows us a resort by the sea in warm and sunny weather. There are also other differences, namely the fact that the first picture ............ As for the second part of the question, I would much prefer to stay in the warmer climate because it would provide a nice break during the winter months and also ..........."

long time and it is the least meaningful part of the speaking test.

Tips!

1. The picture set will have a general theme but try to find two that are either very similar or very different in some way. This will give you a basis on which to compare and/or contrast the two pictures. In the example above, pictures two and three show two contrasting educational settings: the formal lecture theatre in picture two compared to the relaxed outdoor scene in picture three.

2. In terms of hypothesizing, pictures two and three offer a good opportunity to speculate on how students in each contrasting situation might be feeling. Think about opportunities for hypothesizing when choosing your pictures.

3. Signpost the end of your talk by adding a personal reaction to the pictures. For example:
'The two people in picture three look like they're enjoying themselves but personally, I think I'd prefer to spend my study time in a lecture theatre where I'd be more able to concentrate on learning'.

4. Many people preparing for the CAE oral exam worry about not having enough to say in the time available or not having enough time to express their ideas. The best way to get the timing right is to practise making short talks on various topics on your own. (Or in front of a friend if you're feeling brave!)

Part 3 of the speaking test requires you and your partner to discuss a series of pictures or diagrams together and choose certain ones for a defined purpose.

"Here are 5 photos of famous places in Britain. Choose 2 that will be used in a brochure encouraging tourism in the UK and justify your choices."

The important thing to remember about this part of the exam is to try and share the speaking time as equally as possible with your partner. It is not good to be overly dominant nor is it a good idea to be quiet and passive during this part. As well as the quality of your English the examiner wants to check your ability to manage the discourse. This means: how well do you interact with other speakers? Do you let other people have their turn? Are you aware of techniques used in conversation to encourage turn-taking and checking for mutual understanding etc?

It is a little known fact that Part 4 of the speaking test is present mostly for logistic and 'timing' purposes. I informally call it the "Time-kill Part". The examiner looks at his watch and sees that the tasks have been completed and there is still 2 minutes left so he can go back to any one of the previous parts (most often the 3rd) and ask you a completely random follow-up question to encourage a few more seconds of speaking from you.

"Ok so ............ (looks at watch) oh ............ so uh Maciek you chose the picture of Big Ben ............ Have you ever been to London? What were your impressions of Big Ben?"

It also very often happens that there is simply no time for the Part 4 when Part 3 takes a

Tips!

It will help both yourself and your partner if you work together collaboratively on this task.

1. Be prepared to ask your partner for his or her opinion rather than simply stating your own.

2. Listen 'actively' to what your partner says, responding to comments he or she makes. Use expressions such as the following to comment on something:
"That's an interesting point."
"I was interested in what you said about ..."
"So, when you say ........, do you mean ........?"
"Could you explain what you mean by .......?"

3. Use expressions to allow yourself time to think. For example: 'That's a good question.', 'Well, let me think ...'

4. In order to bring the discussion to a constructive conclusion try using expressions such as the following:
"So, weighing up the pros and cons, do you think …?"
"Are we generally in agreement that …?"
"So, all in all do we feel …?"
"Essentially, do we all agree that …?"
"So, to sum up …"
"So, in general …"
"It seems we’ve reached the conclusion that …"

Part 4: (Three-Way Discussion)

Tests ability to: use language to summarise, report and explain decisions; develop a topic further.

Tips!

1. Again, avoid short, 'yes', 'no' answers to the examiner's questions.

2. Use techniques to make your contributions powerful, for example by using short, personal anecdotes to help make a point.

3. Continue to work with your partner. Respond constructively and show interest in things he or she says.