ECCE: Speaking Guide

SPEAKING TASKS: Choose an Option or Help solve a problem

 Stage 1: Warm-up (2-3 minutes)

 Stage 2: Ask questions to get information (3-4 minutes)
 Stage 3: Justify your choice (1-3 minutes)
 Stage 4: Elaborate on the Topic (2-4 minutes)

STAGE 2 Functions for both tasks

 Various question types

Wh-questions
Yes/No question
First of all, I’d like to know…………
Could/Can you tell me………..?
What about……………?
 Asking for clarification
Do you mean that……?
I’m not exactly sure what I need to do
 Responding to the examiner
That sounds interesting/good/great.
I’d like that. /I wouldn’t like that.
It’s the kind of thing I like/I’m interested in.
I’m not really interested in……
 Signaling readiness
OK, I think I’ve enough information.

STAGE 3 Functions for “choose an option” task

 Making a decision

I think that after hearing the advantages and disadvantages of each option, I’d suggest......................

 Expressing preference
I would/wouldn’t like to …….
I would rather + bare infinitive +than + bare infinitive
I suppose I would prefer to…………..rather than + bare infinitive
If I had to choose, I would + bare infinitive
I’d probably choose...
 Explaining your choice
I’d probably choose…..
My first choice would be…..
I think…….would suit me best because…..
I’d choose……….because it is important to me to….
I think ... would be best because...
I think most......would find ........more interesting.
I think......has more to offer.......since....
I don’t think.......are into ......and that’s why I wouldn’t choose it.
  Introducing your own ideas

To tell you the truth, I would do something else.

Instead of those options, I suggest ...

There’s also another possibility, ...

STAGE 3 Functions for “help solve a problem” task

 Giving advice
I think you should/could....
My advice is to...
Why don’t you....?
If I were you, I’d...
I think the best thing to do is to....

 Giving advice on personal experience

In my experience...
As a teenager, I....
I’ve been in a similar situation.
A similar thing happened to me/my friend.
I can understand how......must feel
Personally, I’d would love/hate it if...
 Introducing your own ideas
There’s another way. It might be a good idea to....
Of course, there is something else that he/she could try.
If I were you, I’d suggest something else. He/She could....
I wonder if.....has thought of.......(+ing)

STAGE 3 Functions for both tasks

 Dismissing the other option

I wouldn’t choose the other option because ...

I didn’t choose the other option because ...

I think that ... wouldn’t be ...

 Referring to something the examiner said

As you said before ...

You mentioned ...

 CONVERSATIONAL STRATEGIES

Matching!

1.Request Clarification a. Excuse me for interrupting, but....

2.Giving Clarification b. I don’t know where to begin..
Well, I’m not sure, but....
Well, let’s see/let me see/ Hmm....
3.Checking Understanding c. I’m afraid I don’t follow you.
Sorry, I didn’t catch what you said.
4.Indicating Understanding d. Now to get back to what we were talking about...
Now as I was saying...
By the way...
To tell the truth....
5.Hesitating e. Let me see if I understand/got that.
6.Interrupting f. OK/I see.
7.Taking Initiatives g. In other words....(repeat in paraphrase)
Let me put it this way/another way