Listen to two candidates answering the questions to Part 2 of the exam. The questions are based on these two pictures:
Click here to listen to the candidates
Here is another example:
You may listen to the candidates by clicking here
Here are two other photographs and another example with different candidates
Here is another example:
Look at these two pictures
Student A will open the discussion about pictures A and B and will invite Student B to take part in the conversation, using the guides given.
Look at pictures A and B and describe the jobs the two people are doing with your partner.
Picture A shows …
Yes, and picture B shows …
What difficulties do you think the person in picture B faces in her working day?
I imagine … (To partner) What’s your opinion? Also, I suppose …
Do you think the job in picture A is as glamorous and exciting as it looks?
It depends … (To partner) What do you think?
The best thing about it is … but … / Personally, I think that …
Which job is more rewarding? Why?
I would rather. … because … (To partner) Do you agree?
Yes, I do … because … / No, I don ‘t … because …
What personal qualities do you think are needed for each job?
I suppose that… (To partner) Can you think of anything else?
Yes, and also …
In your opinion, which job has better long-term career prospects?
In my opinion, … because … (To partner) What do you think?
Well, I think that …
Do you believe that earning a lot of money is more important than job satisfaction? Why?
It depends …
Yes, I agree … I No, I don’t agree. In my opinion, …
Useful words
personal satisfaction
well-paid
interesting
long training
qualifications
experience
patience
intelligence
glamour
beauty
calm
under pressure
personal
responsibility
young
attractive
slim
a good figure
Now swap roles. Student B must open the discussion about pictures C and D and invite Student A to take part, using the guides given.
Look at pictures C and D with your partner and describe the jobs the two people are doing.
Picture C is a photograph of …
Yes, and picture D is a photograph of …
Which person do you think enjoys his job most?
I imagine that … because … (To partner) What’s your opinion?
Which job do you think is most stressful? Why?
I think that … (To partner) Do you agree? It depends …
Which occupation do you think requires the most training and experience?
I suppose … such as … I agree, but … like …
Do you think that you would enjoy an outdoor job or do you want to work in an office?
I would like … because … (To partner) What about you? Well, I think that … because …
C Conversational development
Expand your conversation with your partner using these questions as a guide. Take it in turns to answer the questions first.
Which of the four jobs would you prefer to do and why?
Well, I’d like … because …
Which job would you not like to do? Why?
I don’t like … much … so …
Would you like to work abroad? Why?
Well, I think …
How important is a knowledge of English for finding a job?
I suppose that …
Useful words
fresh air
independent
self-employed
tough
brave
bad weather
hard life
employee
career prospects
ambition
mentally demanding
challenging
Further practice
Now ask and answer questions about the job you would like to do when you leave school, such as what extra training you need, what the job involves, why you want the job, if it’s difficult to get the job, which school subjects will be most useful to you, etc.
Part 2, (cont)
Discuss the following questions with your partner.
How often do you go on holiday?
Where do you usually go? What do you do?
Do you enjoy going on holiday? Why?
Have you ever had a holiday which you didn’t enjoy? What went wrong?
What would your ideal holiday be like?
Answer the following questions. You can discuss them with your partner.
Look at pictures A and B and describe the kind of holiday they represent.
Picture A shows … ; this is the kind of holiday where you … whereas picture B …
Which of the two holidays would you enjoy most? Why?
I think I’d enjoy … because …
Explain why you would not be so interested in the other kind of holiday.
Well, I’m not very keen on .. / I don’t particularly like …
Have you ever been on a holiday like the one shown in picture A or B? If so, what was it like?
I remember … It was (not) what I expected. .. First of all, … and then. ..
Why do you think holidays are important?
There are many reasons why. First of all, …
Pictures C and D
Now answer the questions without the help of introductory words. Try to think of phrases you have already been taught how to use.
If you’re not sure a/the best way to say something, use different words to explain it but keep talking.
Look at pictures C and D. Compare and contrast the two different types of holiday shown.
Which holiday looks more attractive to you? Why?
Have you ever been on a holiday like the kind shown in pictures C or D? Where? Did you enjoy the experience?
Do you think that holidays have to be expensive to be enjoyable?
Would you prefer to go on holiday with your friends or with your family?
Conversational development
Now begin a conversation with a partner and try to develop it using these questions. Remember to ask your partner questions and to invite them to speak. Use phrases and questions which you learnt in earlier units, such as ‘how about you?’, ‘don’t you agree?’, ‘what do you think?” ‘what’s your opinion ?” ,etc.
Do you prefer beach holidays or educational and cultural holidays? Why?
Do you prefer to be on a holiday where everything is done for you or where you have to look after yourself? Explain why.
Do you think that some holidays are more suitable for older people and others for younger people? Explain your answer.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of tourism.
What can we learn from going on holiday abroad?
Useful words
adventure
educational
uncomfortable
luxury hotel
exciting
dangerous
have to be strong/fit/brave
take risks
cultural
go sightseeing
learn about the past history
archaeology
out in the open
doing things for yourselves
living together
free to do as you like
package tour
everything provided
overcrowded
told what to do
Remember that during the first part of the FCE oral examination the examiner will ask you about yourself. This unit concentrates on the possibility that you will be asked questions about leisure.
Discuss the following questions.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Are there any leisure activities that you would like to do but have never tried?
Are there any leisure activities which do not appeal to you at all? Explain why you don’t want to try them.
Why is it important to spend some time in the day relaxing?
Do you think that leisure activities have to be expensive to be enjoyable? Why (not)?
As you have learnt in earlier units, there will be four photographs at the oral interview. Each candidate will be asked questions about their own two photographs. You are not invited to have a discussion with the other candidate until you have both finished talking about the photographs which have been given to each of you.
Practise answering questions about the photographs in this unit on your own, without the help of a partner, as in the exam.
Pictures A and B
Look at pictures A and B. Compare and contrast the two leisure activities.
Picture A shows … but …
Which activity appeals to you most? Why?
I would rather … because …
What sort of person do you think would enjoy doing the leisure activity in picture B?
I suppose …
Do you prefer physically challenging or mentally creative leisure activities?
I prefer … , such as … , because …
Do you like outdoor leisure activities more than indoor ones? Why (not)?
I like … because … / I like both but I prefer …
How much time do you have to spend on your favourite leisure activity?
Well, it depends … / Sometimes I have … / Not as much as I’d like because …
Pictures C and D
Now answer the following questions about pictures C and D without the help of the suggested opening words. Try to remember the phrases you can use to make your answer sound more interesting. You still have the list of useful words to help you with your answer.
Look at pictures C and D. Compare and contrast the leisure activities shown.
Which free time activity appeals to you most? Why?
Do you prefer to spend your free time alone or with other people?
Do you prefer energetic or relaxing leisure activities? What is more important / emjoyable, to exercise the body or the mind?
How important is leisure time in your life? Why?
Would you be happy if life was all free time?
Useful words
take up a hobby
a break
from everyday routine
sport games
team activity
pastime
exercise
healthy
fitness
creative skill
do things together
part of a team
sociable
broadens the mind
outdoors
exciting
by myself
team games
fond of
wouldn’t mind trying
Answer the following questions about pictures A and B. Try to think of things to say and remember to use the list of useful words to help you. The first three questions have introductory words to help you reply. Try to think of your own words when answering the last three questions.
Look at pictures A and B and describe the scene in each picture.
In the first picture there is … whereas …
The main/Another difference between picture A and picture B is that …
What personal qualities are needed for the sport in each picture?
I would imagine that … whereas …
Have you ever tried either of these sports? If not, would you like to try either of them?
I’ve tried … / I haven’t tried … but I’d love to … / I’m not keen on …
Do you prefer to take part just for fun or to compete with others? Why (not)?
Would you rather play in a team game or do something on your own?
What are the advantages of taking regular exercise?
Conversational development
Now try to develop a conversation with a partner. Remember to ask your partner questions, such as ‘what do you think?’, ‘do you agree?’, ‘what’s your opinion?’. Remember that you’re having a conversation, so don’t just answer the question as though it was only directed at you. Invite your partner to speak, too.
Do you think people play enough sport or take enough exercise?
How can people be encouraged to take more regular exercise?
Do you think that too much sport can be bad for your health? WhylHow?
Should the government give financial support to professional sports people? Why (not)?
Should dangerous sports be allowed?
Do you think sport is an important part of the school timetable? Why (not)?
Useful words
basketball player
fisherman
excited fans
coach
away
match
qualify
championship
indoors
outdoors
countryside
team spirit
team sports
co-ordination
energetic
relaxing
physical fitness
sociable
patient
calm
benefits
national pride
stadium
lake
river
competitiveness
exciting
healthy
positive attitude
time to think
During the second part of the examination, each candidate will be asked to look at two photographs. You will each be asked questions on your photographs. Then you will be asked to have a conversation with the other candidate.
Look at the two photographs and answer the following questions:
Look at pictures A and B of two families having breakfast and compare them.
The first picture shows … but in the second picture …
What are mealtimes like in your home?
Usually we … / Usually mealtimes at our house are …
It depends. Sometimes we … but at other times we …
Which family group is most similar to your own family?
Well, I suppose that … / In our family …
What are the advantages and disadvantages of growing up in a large family?
I think … but …
What difficulties do you think working mothers face?
I imagine that …
Do you think that grandparents have an important role in the family? Why?
In my opinion, … because …
I think that grandparents are important because …
Do you enjoy large family gatherings or do you prefer to see members of your family on their own? Why?
I enjoy / I prefer …
It depends … Sometimes …
Useful words
parents
son
daughter
only child
grandparents
family members
in a hurry
going to work/school
dressed in…
suit
school uniform
everyone talking at the same time/no one talks
we eat at different times/together
someone/no one to play with
noisy
too many people around
lonely
only child
working mothers
pressure of work
too much to do too
busy to play with
grandparents can look after…
plenty of time company help
prefer to see people individually
can have a more interesting conversation with one person
enjoy seeing all the family together
party
more fun
Paper 2 b
Answer the following questions about your house. You can also discuss them with your partner.
Do you live in a house or in an apartment?
How many rooms are there?
Which room do you spend most of your time in? Why?
Is your home in a town or in the country?
Do you have access to a garden? If so, describe it?
Do you know your neighbours?
What type of house would you like to live in?
Look at pictures A and B and answer the following questions.
Describe what you see in the pictures.
Well, picture A shows … but picture B shows …
In the right/left hand comer … / In the foreground/background, I can see …
Which home would you rather live in? Why?
I would rather live in. .. because …
I would prefer to live in. .. because …
What kind of people might be living in each house? Why?
I suppose …
It looks like the kind of house where …
In your opinion, which home would be more expensive to maintain? Why?
In my opinion …. because…
I suppose that. .. because …
What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a city / town / village?
I think the advantages of living in a town are … and the disadvantages are …
I imagine that …
Do the benefits of living in the countryside outweigh the difficulties?
Well, I think so because there are many benefits, such as …
I don’t think so because there are many disadvantages, like …
If you could change one thing in your house/room, what would it be?
I would like to change/replace/buy a new …
Useful words
block of flats
apartment
farmhouse
cottage
detached/semi-detached house
modern in good/poor condition
balcony
porch
flight of stairs
rural surroundings
countryside
peaceful
natural beauty
fresh air
urban
lively
noisy
pollution
neighbours
local community
city centre
nothing to do
lonely
far away from town
there’s a lot going on
plenty to do
economical (doesn’t cost much to keep)
expensive (costs a lot) to maintain
Part 2, c
Answer the following questions.
Do you live in a town, city or village?
Where do you usually do your shopping?
How do you get there?
Are there good leisure and entertainment facilities in your neighbourhood? If so, describe them.
Is there much pollution where you live?
Are there any dangerous areas in your neighbourhood?
If you lived in a city, would you prefer to live in the centre or the suburbs? Why?
In the examination, each candidate will have two photographs to look at and talk about before they discuss all four photographs with each other.
In order to practise this, look at each of the photographs, A, B, C and D, with a partner and answer the following questions together. This will help you get used to discussing a subject with another candidate.
Pictures A and B
Student A: Discuss the following questions with Student B. Start the conversation by answering the question and then invite Student B to enter the discussion.
Student B: Listen carefully to what Student A is saying and then say what you think.
Look at pictures A and B and compare the different shopping areas.
In picture A I can see … but … (To partner) Can you see anything else?
Well, …
Which area would you like to go shopping in?
I’d like to… because (To partner) What about you?
I’d prefer …because / I’d rather go …
Do you enjoy shopping?
I enjoy… , but … (To partner) How do you feel about…?
I like / don’t like … but I agree that…
Do you prefer shopping on your own or with a friend?
I prefer … / It depends (To partner) Do you agree?
Yes, I do / No I don’t
Sometimes I … but at other times …
What’s your shopping area like?
Well, …
It’s (not) like the shopping area in picture …
What improvements would you like to see in your shopping area?
I would like …
Yes, I would too / I’d like …
Pictures C and D
Student B: Discuss the following questions with Student A. Start the conversation by answering the question and then invite Student A to enter the discussion.
Student A: Listen carefully to what Student B is saying and then say what you think.
Look at pictures C and D with your partner and describe them.
The first picture shows … but … Yes, I agree. There is/are also ..
Which neighbourhood is most similar to your own?
Well, I suppose … (To partner) What about your neighbourhood?
What sort of contact do you think that somebody living in picture C has with their neighbours compared to somebody living in picture D?
I imagine that …. (To partner) Do you agree?
Yes, I agree because … / No, I don’t agree because …
How often do you see your neighbours? Where do you usually see them?
I suppose (To partner) What about you?
Well, I see … Usually, … / I don’t see …
What are the advantages or disadvantages of living in the accommodation represented in picture C?
I suppose that… such as … (To partner) Can you think of anything else?
Well, in my opinion, …
What are the advantages or disadvantages of living in the accommodation represented in picture D?
Well, I think that … like … (To partner) What do you think?
Yes, I agree with you. Also … / I don’t agree with you because … such as …
Useful words
shopping centre
department store
busy city shopping area
local village shops
supermarket
corner shop
market
personal service
friendly atmosphere
helpful salespeople
convenient
plenty of choice
cheaper
special discounts
not much choice
more expensive
accept credit cards
fashionable
crowded/quiet
on foot
by car
Paper 2, d
We will continue to practise ways of discussing photographs in an interesting and natural way.
We will also practise developing a conversation further with a partner. Remember, you can use the suggested phrases and words to help you.
There are two photographs in this unit and you are going to discuss both of them with your partner.
Student A will open the discussion about pictures A and B and will invite Student B to take part in the conversation, using the guides given.
Look at pictures A and B with your partner and compare them.
In the first picture … but …
Yes, and there’s also… The main difference is …
Which classroom arrangement is most similar to the one in your school?
Well, I suppose … (To partner) What about your school?
Well, it’s almost the same … I It’s quite different because …
When you were younger, how were the desks arranged in your classroom?
Well, they were (not) similar to this … Actually, our classroom was …
Which classroom arrangement do you think is better? Why?
I think that … because (To partner) Don’t you agree?
Yes, I do … / No, I don’t because …
Are there any disadvantages to the arrangement you see in picture A?
In my opinion, the main disadvantage … (To partner) What do you think?
Are there any disadvantages to the arrangement you see in picture B?
Well, perhaps a problem may be that … (To partner) Do you agree?
Yes, I agree with you … / In my opinion, …
B Conversational development
Continue to expand your conversation with your partner using these questions as a guide.
Does classroom environment affect the way you learn? How?
Yes, because … such as… (To partner) What’s your opinion?
Well, I suppose …
Do you think it’s important that teachers are strict or can they be friendly?
Well, I think it’s important that … because …
I (don’t) agree … because … / I don’t see how they can …
What’s your favourite subject at school? Why do you like it?
… because it’s … and … (To partner) How about you? What do you like most?
I like … too / Well, I prefer … because …
Is there a subject not taught at your school which you would like to study? Why would you like to study it?
As far as I’m concerned, I’d like to study. . because …
I think I’d like to study … because …
Are there any subjects at school which you don’t think are necessary? Why?
In my opinion, … (To partner) What do you think?
Well, I think that …
Useful words
in rows of desks
in groups
free to choose your seat
relaxed atmosphere
lack of discipline
more disciplined
noisy
group work
ideas
working together/individually
quiet/noisy outside
temperature
fresh air
size
lighting
more modern subjects
relevant to my interests
useful
In Part 1 of the Speaking Paper you will be asked questions about yourself.
• This part takes about three minutes.
• The examiner talks to each candidate in turn.
• You don’t need to talk to the other candidate. but you can do so if you want to.
• The questions in this part of the interview usually cover areas such as your family. home town. work or study. leisure and your future plans.
Questions
Do you have a job or are you still a student?
What kind of work do the majority of people in your town do?
What job do you hope to do in the future?
What do you usually do during your holidays?
Which member of your family are you closest to?
What part of the world would you especially like to visit, and why?
Could you tell me something about the town you live in?
What are your plans for the next few years?
What do you like best about your studies?
Do you come from a large family or a small one?
Do you have any brothers or sisters or are you an only child?
Are the members in your family close to each other?
Which member of your family do you have the closest relationship with? Why?
Do you enjoy talking to older members of your family? Why (not)?
Do all the members of your family live near one another?
Do any members of your family live far away/abroad?
Do you prefer to spend your free time with your family or with your friends?
What do you most enjoy doing with your friends?
In your opinion. what makes a good friend?
Practice 2: Strategy building
Look at these extracts from three FCE interviews (Part 1: Personal questions). The candidates’ answers are grammatically correct, but they are not appropriate. What is wrong with each answer? Choose from the responses:
a It is not detailed enough.
b It is not well-organised.
c It sounds negative and rather rude.
d It is not relevant to the question.
Interviewer: ‘Can you tell me something about your family’?
Candidate: ‘I suppose so.’
2 Interviewer: ‘Can you tell me something about your family?’
Candidate: ‘Yes. It’s a small one.’
3 Interviewer: ‘Can you tell me something about your family?’
Candidate: ‘Yes. I live in a flat in the centre of the town. It’s quite big. so I have my own bedroom, but my two sisters have to share a room.’
4 Interviewer: ‘Can you tell me something about your family?’
Candidate: ‘Certainly. My father’s name is Pavlos, my mother is called Dimitra and my older brother is Stelios. My father is forty years old. My father is a teacher. My mother is thirty-seven. Stelios is at university he’s studying law. He’s nineteen. My mother works in a bank.’
Useful words and phrases
rivalry
jealous/jealousy
lonely/loneliness
a good sense of humour
spoilt
self-sufficient
strict
to have a row
to share your parents’ attention
to compete with
to have a good laugh
to be good company
to tease to trust someone
to rely on someone
to make fun of
to have fun to have interests in common
to be overprotective of someone
1 What is important to you in a friend?
2 What are the advantages and disadvantages of being an only child?
3 What problems sometimes occur between members of the same family?
Student 1: You are the examiner. Ask the candidate questions. You can choose qnestions from the list below and add some of your own if you want. Try to make each question lead on naturally from the candidate’s answers. Keep the candidate speaking for a total of one and a half minutes.
Student 2: You are the candidate. Answer the examiner’s questions. Use vocabulary from the Useful uiords and phrases box to help you if necessary, and remember the tips about strategy.
Student 3: You are an assessor. Listen to the candidate and make a note of good points, and points for improvement in his/her use of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation.
Student 4: You are another assessor. Listen to the candidate and make a note of good points, and points for improvement concerning the length, organisation and relevance of his/her answers.
Possible questions
• Can you tell me something about your family?
• Do you have a large family or a small family?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of being an only child?
• What problems sometimes occur between members of the same family?
• What is important to you in a friend?
Click here to listen to an example of part 1
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Listen to an examiner asking you Part 1 questions and try to answer them. To do this you need to click here
FCE PART 5 