Topic outline
-
Cambridge IGCSE™ / IGCSE (9-1) languagesSpeaking Test Video
-
Video transcript
Let’s start by looking briefly at the structure of the speaking test.
Preparation time:
Each candidate is given 10 minutes to prepare for the test in a different room from the examination room. During this time, the candidate is given a card which describes a role play scenario that they will take part in during the test. The candidate is not allowed to make notes or use dictionaries during the preparation time and must be supervised in the room.
The test:
To start the test, there is a short 30 second warm-up in the target language. You should greet the candidate using the prompts provided. This part is not assessed. After this short discussion, the role play can start. The role play should last for approximately two minutes and the candidate answers questions from the teacher/examiner in a role play scenario. This part of the test is assessed.
The next part of the test is topic conversation 1. This is an assessed conversation, which lasts for 4 minutes. The candidate answers questions from Topic Area A or Topic Area B and will be asked to share opinions and experiences. The final part of the test is topic conversation 2. This is also an assessed conversation which lasts for 4 minutes.
For topic conversation 2 the candidate answers questions from Topic Area C, Topic Area D or Topic Area E.
Let’s now look at what you as the teacher/examiner should do before starting the speaking tests.
You must:
• read the guidance in the Cambridge Handbook about the conduct of non-coursework speaking tests
• read the Instructions for Teachers/Examiners booklet, including the mark schemes
• study the scripts for the role plays and topic conversations, and
• download copies of the Working Mark Sheet (WMS) from the Cambridge samples database at www.cambridgeinternational.org/samples
You are also responsible for setting up the examination and preparation rooms correctly: You must find a suitable room for conducting the speaking test, with two chairs and a table or desk in between.
The room must be quiet and free from disturbances. Examination conditions must be in place at all times.
You must also find a quiet room for the candidates’ preparation time. There should be no prompts, posters or display material in the target language on the walls in either room.
Candidates must be supervised and must not be able to communicate with each other at any point during the preparation time, the test, or whilst entering or leaving the examination room. Before the test you will need to think about what you need in the examination room. Here is a list of what you need:
• the Instructions for Teachers/Examiners booklet
• a stopwatch or timer. This should not be a timer on a mobile phone
• recording equipment with spare batteries or a charger
• a black or blue pen for marking
• the Speaking assessment criteria grids – these are the mark schemes for the test
• copies of the Working Mark Sheet (WMS)
• a list of the candidate names and numbers
• the candidate cards Dictionaries and mobile phones are not allowed in the examination or preparation rooms.
If you know what you have to do and have everything that you need, the candidates will have the best possible chance to demonstrate their abilities.
Before the tests begin, you will need to check your stopwatch or timer and your recording equipment. The recording equipment must be of good quality and you need to make sure that your candidates can be heard clearly throughout the test. Place the recording device closer to the candidate or, if possible, use two microphones: one for you and one for the candidate. Check your equipment is plugged in, charged or has batteries, and that the device, CD or USB you are using has enough space for the recordings. Candidates must be examined on their own and the speaking test must be conducted entirely in the target language.
The speaking test should last about 10 minutes and the candidates are not allowed to bring notes or write notes during the preparation time or the test. They are also not allowed to use dictionaries.
During and after the test, candidates must not communicate with each other or share the contents of the test. It is important that, once the recording of the test has begun, it is NOT paused. You must record the WHOLE test.
Here is a demonstration of the full speaking test which shows the exact set up and structure of the test.
The video was filmed in a studio, and conducted in English. It is not a real test, and does not aim to provide model candidate answers. It does not show how the candidates should answer the questions or achieve marks, and it does not focus on the marking and moderation of the test.
Preparation time
This lasts 10 minutes. The candidate studies a role play scenario provided on a candidate card. They must be supervised under exam conditions. Remember that the candidate is not allowed to make notes. You must not share the topics of the topic conversations with the candidate during their preparation time or before their test.
The start of the speaking test
At the start of each test, press ‘record’ on the recording equipment. Do not stop or pause the recording equipment at any point during the test. Say your name, the candidate number, the candidate’s name, the candidate card number and the date. Start the timer or stopwatch and make a note of the start time of the test. You should monitor the timing for each part of the test and you may want to restart the timer for each part. Remember that the role play lasts for approximately 2 minutes, topic conversation 1 lasts 4 minutes and topic conversation 2 also lasts 4 minutes.
After starting the timer or stopwatch, greet the candidate using the prompts provided. This section is recorded but not assessed.Teacher/examiner: Examiner name Mrs Caroline Davidson, candidate number 0031, candidate name Alice James, candidate card number six. The date today is March 30 2021. Good afternoon how are you.
Candidate: I’m fine thank you.
Teacher/examiner: We are going to start the test. Are you ready?
Candidate: yes
The examiner keeps this short. Remember though, the greeting is not assessed and can last approximately 30 seconds. Role play Set the scene for the role play by reading out the role play scenario exactly as it is printed in the Instructions for Teachers/Examiners booklet. Ask all of the role play questions exactly as they are printed. If there are two parts to the question, you should pause, and wait for the candidate to answer the first part before asking the second part. You can repeat any role play question, if the candidate has not understood or did not hear, but you must not rephrase any of the role play questions. If the candidate still cannot answer one of the questions after you have repeated it, move on to the next question.
Listen to and assess the candidate’s answers using the role play mark scheme and write down the marks on the Working Mark Sheet (WMS).
There are 2 marks available for each response.
Teacher/examiner: You’re visiting a friend, you want to go to the park, I’m your friend. What time do you want to go to the park today?
Candidate: um we could go at half past 10.
Teacher/examiner: That’s fine. How shall we get there?
Candidate: We could take the bus?
Teacher/examiner: Good idea. It’s going to be very hot today, what shall we take?
Candidate: I think we should take some sun cream, so we don’t get burnt and a sun hat.
Teacher/examiner: Um (nods head) I agree. What have you already done here?
Candidate: Um, last weekend I visited London, and I walked around the streets, and did some shopping.
Teacher/examiner: And what have you enjoyed the most?
Candidate: Um. I enjoyed walking around the different gardens and parks the most, because it was lovely to see all the different wildlife and it was a really nice day.
Teacher/examiner: Sounds great. What would you like to do tomorrow?
Candidate: Um tomorrow I would like to stay inside, and I would like to read a book and watch a film.
Teacher/examiner: Why?
Candidate: Um because there is a new film in the cinema, and I would like to go with my friends because I think I’ll really enjoy it.
Teacher/examiner: That’s the end of the role play.
Remember here to note down the marks for the role play on the Working Mark Sheet. Topic conversations 1 and 2 Go to the correct topic conversation which is listed in the Instructions for Teachers/Examiners booklet. In the target language say to the candidate: ‘First we are going to talk about...’ giving the name of the first topic. You must ask each question exactly as it is printed and you must ask all five questions in the order that they appear in the teacher/examiner script provided. If there are two parts to the question, you should pause and wait for the candidate to answer the first part before asking the second part. Listen carefully to the candidate’s answer to each question. If the candidate does not answer a question, or answers very briefly and you think that they could give a fuller response, you can ask extension questions in the target language, starting with question stems such as ‘Tell me more about …’, ‘What else can you tell me about …?’, or ‘Is there anything else you want to say about …?’
For questions 1 and 2, if the candidate does not answer the first time, repeat the question. If the candidate still does not answer, ask the next question. Refer to this grid in the Instructions for Teachers/Examiners booklet.
For questions 3, 4 and 5, if the candidate does not answer the first time, repeat the question. If the candidate still does not answer, ask the alternative question or questions provided. If the candidate still does not answer, then ask the next question.
If the topic conversation lasts 3½ minutes or less, even after asking extension questions, you must ask up to two further questions of your choice on the same topic as the other questions to make sure that the conversation lasts 4 minutes.
Once the candidate has completed topic conversation 1, say to the candidate in the target language: ‘Now we are going to talk about...’, giving the name of the second topic.
The instructions, timing and rules on asking and repeating questions for topic conversation 2 are the same as for topic conversation 1.
Teacher/examiner: Now we’ll start the two topic conversations. First, we will talk about family, self, family and friends. Describe your family.
Candidate: I live with my mum and my dad, I also have a brother who is 19 years old. He’s older than me. And his name is Tim. And we also have a dog called Maya.
Teacher/examiner: What do you usually do with your family in the evenings?
Candidate:In the evening we usually sit together on the sofa and watch a film, or we play games. But sometimes when I have a lot of homework to do, um for example yesterday evening I didn’t spend time with my family because I had homework to do for school instead.
Teacher/examiner: Tell me about an enjoyable weekend that you’ve spent with your family or friends.
Candidate: Um last weekend my family and I drove to the beach, and we took the dog for a walk along the beach. We also swam in the sea and played some tennis, and it was a lot of fun.
The examiner decides here to ask an extension question to allow the candidate to give a fuller response.
Teacher/examiner: Tell me more about that.
Candidate: um It was a lovely sunny day, so we were able to stay outside for a long time and we had some ice-cream which was really really nice.
Teacher/examiner: Do you think it is important to have good friends in life?
Candidate: Um yes. I think it is important.
Teacher/examiner: Why?
Candidate: Um I think you need to have friends you can spend time with and do things with them instead of being with your family. That you have some other people to spend time with and go out places and enjoy different things.
Teacher/examiner: How are you going to stay in touch with your school friends later in life?
Candidate: Um, um.
Teacher/examiner: How are you going to stay in touch with your school friends later in life?
Candidate: uh, um.
After repeating the question once already, the candidate is still having difficulty answering. The examiner now uses the alternative question provided.
Teacher/examiner: What are you going to do in the future to stay in touch with your school friends?
Candidate: Um in the future, I will, when I go to university, I will stay in contact with my friends by texting them and I will go and visit them so we can catch up and talk and we’ll have a coffee together.
The topic conversation is currently shorter than 3 ½ minutes, so the examiner asks two extra questions on the same topic.
Teacher/examiner: And what would you to do with your friends during the holiday?
Candidate: Um in the holidays I would like to visit a different country, this year I’d like to visit Spain with them because it is a lovely sunny country in the summer, and we can visit different cities and do some sightseeing, and I think it will be really fun.
Teacher/examiner: What are the qualities of a good friend, Alice?
Candidate: Um I think a good friend has to be … trust, you have to be able to trust them, and also … want to … they for them to support you and for you to be able to help them and have that relationship to help one another out and also enjoy your time together and have fun together.
Teacher/examiner: Now we are going to talk about communication and technology. What kinds of electronic devices do you use?
Candidate: Um at home I have a computer. I also have a laptop that I take to school with me and like a lot of people I also have a mobile phone.
Teacher/examiner: How many hours a day do you spend online?
Candidate: Um I think I spend about three hours online a day, yes.
Teacher/examiner: Tell me about the last time you used the internet for your schoolwork.
Candidate: the last time I used the internet for my schoolwork was yesterday, I had to do some research for my geography homework and I using different websites to look up different information.
Teacher/examiner: Tell me more about it.
Candidate: Well, the internet can be very useful, there are different places, and websites, to find different pieces of information, different facts that you can use in your work that you don’t have.
Teacher/examiner: In your opinion what kinds of electronic devices will there be in 20 years’ time.
Candidate: Um, do you think you could repeat the question, please?
Teacher/examiner: In your opinion what kind of electronic devices will there be in 20 years’ time?
Candidate: Um I think that in 20 years’ time there will be even bigger computers that can do a lot more things than they can now, and I think there will be devices that are more portable than phones that you can use all the time to easily find out information and to stay in contact with people.
Teacher/examiner: What are the advantages of social networks?
Candidate: Um there are quite a lot of advantages of social networks you can easily stay in contact with your friends and see what they are doing by them posting videos or photos, and you can post videos and photos to show people what you are getting up to and also to, it’s an easy way to keep up with the news and current events by looking at what people are talking about.
Teacher/examiner: And what are the disadvantages?
Candidate: Um, unfortunately there are some disadvantages, for example, people …, there can be such things as cyber bullying on social networks where people have posted things that are horrible or mean and they often do it without thinking and don’t realise the effect or harm on other people.
The examiner, again, realises that the second topic conversation is shorter than 3 ½ minutes; she asks the candidate one extra question on this topic.
Teacher/examiner: If you had a lot of money Alice, what kind of electronic device would you like to buy?
Candidate: That’s a good question. I think I would buy a really big television so I can watch films at home just like it is in the cinema. I think I’d really enjoy it.
Teacher/examiner: thank you very much Alice, that’s the end of the test. Please could you give me your candidate card, thank you, goodbye.
Candidate: Thank you.
When both topic conversations have been completed, award a mark out of 15 for Communication for topic conversations 1 and 2 together, and a mark out of 15 for Quality of Language for topic conversations 1 and 2 together.
Use the marks schemes provided and record the marks on the Working Mark Sheet.
At the end of each speaking test, you will need to take the candidate card from the candidate. They must not take the card with them when they leave the examination room. Remember, when the candidate leaves the examination room, they must not communicate with any other candidates. Make sure that you have completed all parts of the Working Mark Sheet for the candidate and do not share the marks with the candidate.
Check that the test has been recorded and can be heard clearly. If there is a problem with the recording, follow the instructions in the Cambridge Handbook about failed recordings.
For any further information on conducting speaking tests, contact Customer Services at info@cambridgeinternational.org