Professional Documents
Culture Documents
22
INTERACTIVE TASK
This phase provides the opportunity for candidates to demonstrate their ability to initiate and take
control over the interaction through the use of questioning techniques and functions associated with
requesting information, seeking clarification and encouraging further detail.. In addition to general
functions such as requesting information, the language functions listed for the particular grade
should arise naturally from each task prompt.
In this phase, the emphasis is placed upon the candidates ability to use functional language rather
than upon the accurate use of the grammatical structures listed for the grade.
It is important that, once the examiner has set up the situation, the candidate takes responsibility for
the interaction. The interaction will take the form of multiple turns, with the examiners turns being
much shorter than those of the candidate.
In some cases this may involve role-play but the examiner and candidate are free to be themselves
so as to create as authentic an exchange as possible.
At the Advanced stage, the actual tasks have been designed to provide the candidates with the
opportunity of demonstrating not only their ability to express the functions of the grade but also
their control of the grammatical items listed for all grades up to and including Grade 9. (See
Grammar Reference)
Sample exchange in the Interactive phase at Grade 10
Examiner: -. The situation my friends in with her eighty-year-old mother is quite difficult.
(Possible functions: developing an argument, defending a point of view, expressing
beliefs, expressing opinions tentatively)
23
24
9. My nephew had a serious motorbike accident last spring and how he was treated made me
change my opinions of the health service.
(Possible functions: developing an argument, defending a point of view, expressing beliefs,
expressing opinions tentatively)
10. I'd never been inside a prison before - last year was the very first time.
(Possible functions: expressing beliefs, expressing opinions tentatively, deducing, summarising
ideas)
11. I went to a party the other week. I'd been looking forward to it for ages but it didn't quite turn out
as I'd expected.
(Possible functions: deducing, expressing opinions tentatively, summarising ideas)
12. A boy I know can't decide what job to do so he's thinking of joining the army for a year or two.
His parents were asking me what I thought about it.
(Possible functions: expressing beliefs, expressing opinions tentatively, developing an argument,
summarising arguments)
13. A local newspaper is offering a prize to the person who can give up their mobile phone for the
longest period of time. I'm thinking of having a go.
(Possible functions: deducing, summarising ideas and arguments, defending a point of view,
developing an argument)
14. My neighbours' 16 year-old son has just got a job, with no experience, as a waiter in a very
smart restaurant and they've invited me for a meal there.
(Possible functions: deducing, defending a point of view, summarising ideas, expressing opinions
tentatively)
15. My brother's changing his job and has to move to another part of the country which means the
children changing schools. I told him I didn't think it was a good idea but he does have his job to
consider.
(Possible functions: summarising ideas and arguments, defending a point of view, developing an
argument, expressing opinions tentatively)
25
26
27
Global warming is the most pressing challenge facing the world today.
Claims about solutions or policies: These are claims that argue for or against a certain solution
or policy approach to a problem. Example:
Instead of drilling for oil in Alaska we should be focusing on ways to reduce oil consumption, such
as researching renewable energy sources.
Let me explain
, thats why
I shall
According to my beliefs,
I would say that
Im thinking of
Im determined to
Im planning to
It is rumoured that
I really mean to
Im definitely going to
Ive decided to
it is undeniable that
Im certain that
In my opinion, I would
Say that
I feel that
As far as Im concerned,
Id say that
My impression is that
I agree that
What I think is
I reckon
28
It seems to me that
I have no doubt
To my mind,
in essence
in summary
that is
as a result
certainly
hence
in short
on balance
to conclude
Might be
Cant be
Could be
F.- DEDUCING:
Must be
Shall we first?
29
Let me see...
Well
More or less
In a hour so
About (eight)-ish
Sort of / kind of
In a way
E.- GIVE ADVICE / MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT PLACES
It's a must / a must see
30
As for (X) itself You asked about You wanted to know whether
I.- TALKING ABOUT POSSIBILITIES
You will be able to You should manage to We might be able to
J.- APOLOGISING
Im very sorry but Im afraid there wont be Unfortunately, I dont think
K.- BRINGING THE DISCUSSION TO AN END
So lets decide which Shall we make a decision? Anyway, we have to decide
31