Speaking: the interview

Lessons in this module

Lessons marked free are open to everyone; the rest need a login, which isn’t open to everyone yet.

1. How the Speaking test worksfree45 minWhat happens in each part of the Speaking test, what the four criteria really mean, what lifts an answer from about band 6 to 7, and your first recorded practice.
2. Part 1: talk about yourself naturally45 minA simple method for natural Part 1 answers (answer, reason, example), weak and better answers on common topics, phrases that fit anywhere, and eight questions to practise aloud.
3. Part 2: the long turn50 minA one-minute note method, a simple three-part shape and ways to keep talking for two minutes, with a model answer and three original cue cards to practise.
4. Part 3: discuss bigger ideas60 minA four-move method for Part 3 answers, language for opinions, change, the future and hedging, a model discussion with notes, and original question sets to practise aloud.
5. Fluency and coherence60 minPause less, fix slips without stalling, link ideas like a speaker and organise longer answers clearly, with drills to practise out loud and a way to audit your own recordings.
6. Pronunciation that is easy to understand60 minBe easy to understand without changing your accent: word and sentence stress, chunks, intonation, linking, word endings and problem sounds, with drills you record.
7. Vocabulary and grammar for speaking60 minSound precise and natural: topic collocations, going round missing words, idioms used safely, the tenses Speaking questions ask for, and fixes for the most common spoken slips.
8. Speaking practice bank60 minRun a realistic mock Speaking test at home, review it like a teacher, then practise with our original bank: 16 Part 1 questions, 4 cue cards and 20 Part 3 questions.