Portfolio: Kim Corey
Sample Prompts
The prompt for Part 4 is related to part 3.
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Look at page 8 for Part 4's prompt as it relates to Part 3 from above: http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/images/cambridge-english-preliminary-pet-speaking-part-3.pdf
Use Information from Part 3
Make sure that your student listened to what their partner said in Part 3, because they could be able to use what their partner said in this section! Or, they could take what their partner said and draw different ideas and conclusions from them.
Speak Up
The students both speak during this last section, so make sure that your quieter students practice asserting themselves, otherwise their voice may be drowned out.
Part 4
General Conversation Based on the Photographs
Part 4 is based off of Part 3.
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The two students will speak together during this section. It's important that both speak to demonstrate English speaking skills.
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Students will be given a prompt that connects the two photos from Part 3, and then they will be asked to discuss that prompt together. What is nice about this last section is that you can often use ideas and things said in Part 3 for Part 4.
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This section is 3 minutes.
Sample Photos
There will be two different photos. One student will be asked to describe one, and the second student will be asked to discuss the other.
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Page 9 has two sample pictures. The prompt is one page 7: http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/images/cambridge-english-preliminary-pet-speaking-part-3.pdf
Take a Breath, and Think
You want your students to show off as much vocabulary as possible, but at the same time you don't want your students to make unnecessary grammatical mistakes due to the urge to spit everything they know out as fast as possible. Have your students practice taking a moment looking at the photo and thinking about what they want to talk about BEFORE they start to speak.
Where to Start
A student might be overwhelmed by the number of potential things to talk about. Or, they may be overwhelmed because there are many items that the student doesn't know the names of. Practice is the best way to get around this. Here are some more tips and tricks
Go from left to right across the photos
Start with the biggest items and go to the smallest ones
Once you choose something to describe, start with color and size
Again, start with the largest idea: What is it that you are looking at? A room? A field? Then go into the details
Listen
Students should listen to what their partner is saying, even though it isn't their turn to speak, because Part 4 relates to Part 3, and if they listen carefully they may be able to use some things that their partner said for the next section.
Part 3
Responding to a Photograph
In part 3, the examiner will have each student look at a different photograph. They will then have the students talk to each other about their given photograph. This section is done individually without any help or aid from their partner.
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This section is 3 minutes long.
Sample Prompts
Here are some sample prompts. This is not a complete list and variations of the below questions may arise:
You are invited to a friends wedding. Evaluate each of the times in the picture and determine what item would be the best wedding gift
One of your teammates has been injured and is in the hospital. Look at these pictures and talk about each one, then determine what would be the best "get-well" gift.
Link to example practice prompt (page 9): http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/images/cambridge-english-preliminary-pet-speaking-part-2.pdf
Unknown Items
If a student encounters a picture of an item and they do not know what it is called, that is okay! Hopefully their partner will know the name of the time, but if not, that is also okay, it is not the end of the world! Have your students practice describing the items and explaining why they think an item will be good or bad based on it's perceived usefulness to avoid using a name.
Answer the ORIGINAL PROMPT
Often, students will get so wrapped up describing each object that they will forget to answer the original prompt, which is to choose 1 item! Practice with your students to make sure that after they have gone through all of the items, that they come back to the original prompt and answer the examiner's question.
Part 2
Simulated Situation
In Part 2, the examiner will ask students to look at a picture. They will them ask them to evaluate that picture together and describe/determine something about the situation in the picture.
This section will take 2-3 minutes. Make sure your students address the prompt and work together to find an answer. It is very easy for one student to talk over the other, so make sure that any student that hesitates more works on speaking up and expressing their opinions.
Have your students become comfortable asking the examiner to explain the instructions again. The instructions should be clear to students so that they can answer the prompt from the examiner thoughtfully and correctly
Questions
Here are some practice questions. This is not a complete list and variations of the below questions may arise:
What is your name?
What is your surname?
How do you spell/your name/your surname/your sister's name/your hometown
Do you work or are you a student?
Where do you live?
Do you enjoy studying English?
Do you think English will be important in your future?
What are some of the things you like to do in your free time?
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Here is a link to some more potential practice questions: https://www.slideshare.net/loe11/pet-speaking-questions-with-answers-15466642
Time: 2-3 Minutes
Encourage your students to talk for 2 minutes each. While the total time for this section is at most, 3 minutes, this amount of time thoroughly allows students the space to show off how much English they know and their comprehension of how to use the language. This time also compensates for moments of hesitation or test anxiety (aka "oh no! Now that I'm in the test I've forgotten everything!). Having practiced many different questions, students can elaborate more on other answers if they forget or struggle with earlier answers. Not all is lost because they didn't know how to properly answer a question!
Answer the question: "Why?"
As written earlier, a simple "yes" or "no" to a question will not demonstrate adequate English language acquisition to an examiner. Have your students practice expanding on their answers by asking them, "why?".
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For example, lets look at the question "Do you think English will be useful in your future?" There is a lot of potential here to show off English use, and yes/no answers will not do that. Have your students answer "Yes/no, BECAUSE...."
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Even questions that do not have a "Why?" question attached to them, have your students look at the questions at different angles. Help them by asking them questions to get them thinking more about what they could say.
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For example, lets look at the question "Where do you live?" There are a lot of ways to answer this question. Most students will mention the town they live in. Great! That shows they understood the question. But do they live in a treehouse? In a trash can (my students always laugh when I ask them this)? Have them expand on this question by talking about what kind of structure they live in (house, apartment...), how far away from school they live ("10 minutes" shows off number and time knowledge), and by what means (10 minutes BY CAR/TRAIN/BIKE - shows up transportation knowledge). By answering all those questions, students have now showed that they understand the question asked, but they also know how to properly respond using city names, building names, numbers and transportation -- 4 extra topics all in one simple question!
Part 1
Personal Information
In Part 1, the examiner will ask students questions individually. Students cannot help each other out with the answers and should never use Spanish during this time.
This section will take 2-3 minutes, however it is best to work with your students to reach 2 minutes of talking each. It is always better to talk more than less to demonstrate the English knowledge possessed. If a student solely answers "yes" or "no" to a question, the examiner will not be able to gauge how much English the student knows.
Always encourage students to answer questions as if they were asked "why?". In other words, always have them explain their answers to show understanding of the English language and to show off their English vocabulary and grammar usage.
Speaking Summary
Inform and Links
The Speaking Section should be practiced with two people, as the official test will consist of 1 examiner testing 2 pupils at the same time.
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In parts 1 and 3, the individuals answer the questions on their own.
In parts 2 and 4, the two students work together to come up with an answer.
