TOPIC TASK

In this task, candidates prepare a speech about a subject they have chosen and
discuss it with the examiner for about 4 minutes. These are some things to consider
when preparing this part of the exam:

1. Choose a topic which is not in the list for the conversation task. It is better to
avoid those topics candidates could be asked about in task 3 so that we avoid talking
about the same things in parts 1 and 3.

2. Talk about something you know well. Examiners can ask students to explain in
depth some specific idea within the presentation, so it is important that he/she knows
what to say about it. Besides, the topic is supposed to be related in some way to the
candidate’s personal experience, not just a general concept.

3. Select a topic appropriate for the level. It is important to be aware of the kinds of
topics students can talk about in each level. For instance, B1 candidates usually talk
about basic concepts and ordinary things such as their family or favorite city while B2
candidates talk about more abstract concepts like a research they have done at school
or the cultural differences between their country and another one they have been to.

4. Avoid memorization. This topic task should not be like a presentation where you
talk for a while about something you have learnt by heart. Students divide their topic
into 4 or 5 main ideas they want to talk about and the examiner can interrupt them
whenever he wants. Moreover, the examiner could start asking about their third idea
instead of the first so they should be ready to tell what they have prepared in any order.

5. Use the grammar and functions of the level. As this topic can be prepared at
home, students are expected to show the grammatical elements and the language
functions (speculate expand ideas…) they are able to use.

6. Ask questions. Candidates will answer different questions but they should also ask
something related to the topic. For instance, if they are explaining how difficult it was
for them to adapt to the German food they can ask: Have you ever tried German food?

7. Connect the main ideas. Although the speech will be divided into different ideas, all
of them should be related in some way. Besides, students have to keep talking and
explaining their topic in case the examiner does not interrupt them, they lead the talk.