cae speaking

cae speaking

CAE Speaking consists of four parts and lasts for 15 minutes

set 1

set 3

set 2

set 10

set 4

set 5

part one answer personal questions

set 6

set 7

set 11

set 9

set 8

set 12

answering questions 1

describing

part 2 : 4 things

answering questions2

introduction here

comparing

speculating

sample questions

part 3

Mind Map Discussion

Subtitle

Examples

connecting the ideas

starting the dialogue

reaching an agreement

sample

part 4 topic discussion

government and unemployment

high paying jobs

unemployment

Cae speaking pdf

What kind of area do you live in? We live in a suburban neighbourhood with semidetached houses mostly. It is a nice place to live – it’s clean, quiet and trouble-free, however commuting to the city may take longer that usual. How do you prefer to communicate with your friends and family? Nowadays I mostly use mobile apps to exchange messages. I resort to calling when it’s really time-sensitive or when I don’t feel like typing a long message. I prefer to be texted rather than called to as well. Is it easier to learn English alone or with somebody else? Well, practicing the language is much easier with a partner – it goes without saying. When it comes to studying though, I am in favour of working on your own, because then you can do this at a pace that is most comfortable for you. Do you prefer to go out or to stay at home? I’m a real homebody, I’m afraid! My friends keep trying to convince me to go to parties or get-togethers, but these things are simply not for me! I feel rather anxious when I have to talk to a person I don’t know, I’m just too embarrassed to approach people. Simply talking about this makes me nervous.

Sample answer Candidate B: I’m going to talk about the picture with the young guy leaning on a pile of books and the child learning to swim. Both capture people in the middle of learning, however, one focuses on academic knowledge, while the other shows a more practical skill. The guy, who seems to be a college student, doesn’t seem to be that happy — in fact, he is anything but happy; he looks pretty tired from all the rote learning. The little girl, on the other hand, is visibly elated to try something new to her — swimming. I believe that the girl wearing the float suit is mastering the new skill in a much more effective way for two reasons — she’s happy to do it, and she’s very young. Young kids are like sponges, taking in new information and processing it more effectively than teenagers and adults. Examiner: Candidate A, in which picture the person going to benefit from the new skill the most? Candidate A: Without a doubt, it is going to be the guy with the books. One’s academic performance is directly reflected in their quality of life, so the harder he studies, the better off he’ll end up in the future, both financially and in a more general sense. He probably knows it, and that is why he works himself into exhaustion to the point of dozing off on the stacked pile of books.

How easy is it go get around your city? It’s really easy, provided you’ve got a car! However, if you don’t have one, we have lots of bus routes as well as trams. You can also cycle, but there are no bike lanes so you better watch out! Have you watched an interesting film or read a book recently? I am reading “To Kill a Mockingbird” at the moment. I can’t say that I find the plot too fascinating, but it’s an iconic piece of literature. They say there’s a movie adaptation too, I might look into that after I’ve read the book. What do you think is most important when learning a foreign language? Understanding your limitations is key. As a non-native, one is unlikely to get as good as a person who has been speaking the language since their birth. Once you have come to terms with the idea, learning the language becomes so much easier. I’m talking from personal experience, so this may be very different for others. Do you prefer to watch movies in the original? If it’s in English – sure. My command of the language is enough to understand whatever’s going on, except for some finer nuances and shades of meaning. It is also quite nice to hear the voices of real actors, not the dubbed version, you know.

At the beginning of Part 3 you have to decide who will begin the conversation. It is important to be respectful and give your partner enough room to make a choice. You can either initiate this yourself or wait for your partner to go first. Here are some phrases for both:

The responses do not necessarily have to be linked to the corresponding question, so feel free to mix and match them. A good idea is to let the initiator go first, but ultimately it is up to you.

Showing doubt or uncertainty is one of the integral aspects CAE Speaking Part 2 & 3.

We highlight similarities and differences in both photos. Talking about similar things: Both pictures show… In both pictures we can see… Both pictures one and two have… Pictures one and two are similar in the way that there is/are… in each one. Just like the picture on the left, the right picture has/shows… The two pictures have a number things in common, namely… These two pictures convey the same message/idea of… // share the same message/idea Talking about differences : Unlike the first picture, picture two has/shows In contrast with the right picture, picture on the left has/shows/displays Picture one…, while picture two… Conversely, picture two… Picture on the right shows a different approach to… While the second picture takes place…, picture one… Contrastingly, these pictures show different takes on…

How did you get here today? I had to take the bus – I live quite a way from here, you see. It would have taken me over an hour to walk here, but the bus got me here in less than a quarter of an hour. Do you live alone or with your family? I moved out last year, I rent a small flat with a friend. I think a person of my age should try living away from their parents to learn to be more responsible. Who does the cooking where you live? Well, I and my friend take turns preparing food. I rather enjoy my shifts, but the guy I live with doesn’t seem to be into it, so sometimes I have to remind him that it’s his turn today. Do you prefer to plan ahead or live without doing much planning? The latter, I’m afraid. I’m simply not cut out for planning – maybe because I’m not too organised. My father tried to teach me how to be more self-disciplined. Well, I guess it didn’t really work for me – I still find it quite difficult to plan and to force myself do what I don’t feel like doing.

When you address Part 2 questions, you usually do so for both pictures, either talking about differences or similarities based on the question context. You are advised to speculate as well to make your answer more hypothetical since we can’t really know it for sure.

Sample answer Candidate A: I’ll be comparing the top picture and the bottom right one. The group of people in the top photo seem to be sleeping on something that looks like a pier. It’s hard to guess what exactly they are doing there — they might have come here to have a quick snooze after classes. The lady in the other picture seems to be exhausted from work — she must be so tired she doesn’t even realise she is sleeping on her desk. I’m pretty sure that neither of the situations is comfortable for sleeping — the pier’s boards are not the best surface to lie on. The person in the bottom right picture is probably feeling marginally better, seated on her chair with her head resting on her wrist. Examiner: Candidate B, in which situation do people need to rest the most? Candidate B: I’d have to choose the picture with the young lady sleeping next to her laptop. Obviously, it wasn’t her first choice of place to doze off — she must be absolutely knackered from all the work, otherwise she wouldn’t be sleeping there. She’s probably catnapping, only to continue on her project as soon as she wakes up.

In this final part of CAE Speaking you have an individual conversation with the examiner. This task is similar to the first one, but the topic of discussion is the one from Part 3. You should express and justify your opinion on the subject as the examiner guides you, asking you related questions. You might get to answer the same question as your partner. The examiner might also encourage you to engage in a dialogue with the other test-taker. This part of the exam lasts for up to 5 minutes.

Where do you come from? I’m from Madrid, I’ve been living there for two years now. Originally I come from Estepona, a small resort town in the south of Spain. What do you do there? I study art at Complutense University of Madrid, my major is history of fine art. I also do a part time job at a local restaurant as a waiter and I volunteer as an ESL teacher at my former school. What do you do in your free time? I play the ukulele – if you don’t know, it’s a small four-string guitar that originates from Hawaii. I’m rather keen on reading too – but I don’t read much contemporary literature, mostly books written in the twentieth century. How long have you been studying English? I started learning the language when I was eight, but I wasn’t too crazy about it at the time – my parents insisted that I had English classes. I really came to like it in my teens though!

When describing pictures in CAE Speaking, alternate between different phrases: The first picture has/shows/displays In the first picture, there is/there are/we can see One thing to keep in mind — don’t spend more than 15 seconds describing BOTH pictures. I want to stress it – spend no more than 15 seconds on description. Another important aspect is not to just describe; you want to include either comparing the pictures or speculating: “While in the first picture there is a man all on his own looking at a picture, the second one shows a group of kids, probably schoolchildren, enjoying a show together.” T

Do you live in the city centre? Oh, I wish. No, apartments there are really pricey, I live with my family on the outskirts. Thankfully, our town isn’t that big so it takes me twenty minutes at most to get anywhere I need to. Have you got any hobbies? I’m really into drawing, both on my tables and using watercolours. I picked up this hobby when I was in high school and I have been doing it ever since. In your opinion, why do people learn English? Well, everybody seems to speak it nowadays, so I would guess that people don’t want to feel left out. It opens all kinds of opportunities for you, so might as well learn it! What is your attitude to exercising? I’m not very keen on sports or doing physical exercises, although the benefits are obvious – it makes you a healthier, happier you. A fit person looks great too! I guess I should definitely try working out, ha-ha.

What can you tell me about your home town? I’m afraid there is very little to tell about it – it’s a nice, clean and quiet place, but there isn’t much to attract visitors. We’re somewhat famous for the velodrome that was built over a century ago, but that’s about it. Do you work or study? I’m a part of an evening course at the end of which I will become a certified electrician. I also work shifts at a local fast-food joint in order to pay the bills and help my family. What kind of work do you plan to to do when you graduate? Just like my peers, I plan to relocate to a bigger city where it’s easier to land a job. There’s always an option for me to work at one of the local factories, but that’s more of a plan B for now. How important is it for your to stay close with your family? I am really attached to my mom and dad, and I’m sure they feel the same. I’m in my late twenties so it might sound weird, but I can’t image leaving them to move to a different place.

What do you do for a living? I have a part-time job as a nurse in the only hospital in our town. I also give guitar classes – it helps me to pay for university tuition and I like sharing my knowledge with others, so its a win-win for everyone. Do you consider yourself to be particularly good at something? Mom says I’m really talented when it comes to playing the guitar, that I take it after my father. I also score consistently well in my math tests, so there’s that. I don’t think I have any other remarkable skills or talents. Do you have any pets? We live in a flat, so we choose not to have any animals at our place since they need some space to frolic in. If we lived in a house though, I would love to have a cat or a dog. Even a bird would be nice What aspect of learning English do you find most pleasant? Learning about the various cultures of native English speakers is really fascinating. It is quite interesting how different can people be, even though they speak the same language. English history is rather captivating too, with its many tumultuous periods.

What do you do for a living? I have a part-time job as a nurse in the only hospital in our town. I also give guitar classes – it helps me to pay for university tuition and I like sharing my knowledge with others, so its a win-win for everyone. Do you consider yourself to be particularly good at something? Mom says I’m really talented when it comes to playing the guitar, that I take it after my father. I also score consistently well in my math tests, so there’s that. I don’t think I have any other remarkable skills or talents. Do you have any pets? We live in a flat, so we choose not to have any animals at our place since they need some space to frolic in. If we lived in a house though, I would love to have a cat or a dog. Even a bird would be nice What aspect of learning English do you find most pleasant? Learning about the various cultures of native English speakers is really fascinating. It is quite interesting how different can people be, even though they speak the same language. English history is rather captivating too, with its many tumultuous periods.

Would you prefer to live in a big city or a small town? I live in a populated urban area and I really like it there. There is always something to do, people seem to be more open. I grew up here and I can’t imagine living in a more quiet, rustic place. Do you prefer to spend your time indoors or outside? I have to spend a lot of time studying at school, so whenever I get a chance I try to get some fresh air. I spend most of my weekends in parks or in the woods near my house, just walking and contemplating things. How often do you see your relatives? Most of my aunts and uncles live far from here, so I haven’t been seeing much of them recently. In the past though we used to have extended family reunions two or three times a year. Is there any advice you could give to people learning English? Oh, I don’t really know! I believe that persistence is key – you have to dedicate some time to your studying every day, even if you are not in the mood. It also helps to learn as a group so you could support each other when you are about to give up.

What is your favourite place in town where you live? I really like the Central Square, it’s in the very heart of our town. There’s plenty of vegetation there, so it is pleasantly fresh even on hotter days there! Would you say that your interest have changed over the past few years? To some extent they have, yes. I’ve taken up cycling and I’ve been doing more sports in general. But generally it has been pretty much the same for me. Can’t say I’m unhappy about it – I’m rather happy where I am in life at the moment. How do you hope to use English in the future? I hope to do more travelling in the future, mostly English-speaking countries. Without a doubt, it will help me to get around there, to meet and befriend new people. Hopefully, it will allow me to feel more involved with the cultural aspect of these countries too. You know, going to a play at a theatre or watching a movie. Do you prefer live or recorded music? Well, I don’t get to listen to much live music. But whenever I do it feels fantastic! So, live music it is for me. However, it could be the feeling of novelty that makes it so memorable and enjoyable.

What kind of school did you go to? It was a regular comprehensive school. I went there because it was in the area we lived in. I had math and physics as my main subjects, so I had plenty of classes in both. How do you usually relax? I kind of enjoy playing videogames, so if I have an hour or so to kill, I turn on my console and play something with my brother. I also play the piano, but I’m not very good at it, so it doesn’t really help me to decompress. What kind of food do you like? I’m a really fussy eater, I’m afraid! I’m not a vegetarian, so I’m fine with eating meat, but there are certain vegetables, namely onion and cabbage, that I simply can’t stand! That’s why I have to cook myself to make sure they don’t get in my food. How important is it for you to be successful in life? It really depends on how you define success. If we talk about money, then sure, I don’t mind being well-off! But if you mean fame or recognition, then I don’t care much for that. In fact, I’d rather not have that.

Have you got any brothers or sisters? I’m an only child in my family. I do have cousins though, I see most of them regularly at our family meetups. I’m a bit jealous of people who have a sibling, it must be great to have someone of your age, someone you can relate to. What do you consider to be your greatest achievement so far? That’s a tough question to answer… well, I graduated as the top student of my class, I guess that has to count for something. I’m still young so I don’t have much to brag about! Are you more comfortable alone or with other people? I’m really extroverted, so being with other is really my element! It just doesn’t feel right to me – spending time on your own, it seems so unnatural. Humans are social creatures after all, we are meant to belong to a group. Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time? Hopefully, I will have graduated and found a decent job. I might have a family by then, even kids, who knows. However, I’m not the one to make such long-term predictions, I prefer to plan short-term and see where it goes.

Examiner: Boris, is it better to have a high-paying job or the one that is more enjoyable? Boris: Well, if both can’t be had, then I guess doing something you really like should be the priority. I doubt that the money you get for doing the job you loathe will do you any good. But to reiterate, ideally, the two should go hand in hand. Examiner: Thank you. Ira, do you agree? Ira: Of course, you’d be really blessed to do something you’re passionate about and make good money out of it, but how often is that the case? You must be extremely lucky to find yourself in such a position. If we take more realistic cases into account, then I’d go with money over enjoying what you do — at the end of the day, that’s what a job is all about — earning money! One can always have fun in their free time.

A common mistake in Part 3 is to simply wait for your turn to speak without paying attention to your partner’s response. This is going to bring your mark down! Instead, you want to implement ideas from your partner’s answer into your own. It’s important to transition the ideas smoothly — your exchange should look like a dialogue, not a series of isolated sentences! Here are some ways to make your speech more cohesive:

What do you do for a living? I have a part-time job as a nurse in the only hospital in our town. I also give guitar classes – it helps me to pay for university tuition and I like sharing my knowledge with others, so its a win-win for everyone. Do you consider yourself to be particularly good at something? Mom says I’m really talented when it comes to playing the guitar, that I take it after my father. I also score consistently well in my math tests, so there’s that. I don’t think I have any other remarkable skills or talents. Do you have any pets? We live in a flat, so we choose not to have any animals at our place since they need some space to frolic in. If we lived in a house though, I would love to have a cat or a dog. Even a bird would be nice What aspect of learning English do you find most pleasant? Learning about the various cultures of native English speakers is really fascinating. It is quite interesting how different can people be, even though they speak the same language. English history is rather captivating too, with its many tumultuous periods.

Candidate A (Boris): Do you mind if I go first? Candidate B (Ira): Sure, go ahead. Boris: I believe that a part-time job offers the serious advantage of giving you more free time and flexibility to do something else while allowing you to make enough money for a living. Ira: It might be so, but are you sure working part-time will be enough to cover anything but one’s living expenses like bills and groceries? I really doubt it, to be honest… I think working for a smaller company offers similar advantages to the ones you’ve mentioned, but the money must be better since you’ll be putting in more working hours. Boris: I guess you are right. And the smaller companies are usually willing to give you more leeway with your schedule and your decisions. However, smaller businesses tend to go under quite often, so there’s very little in terms of job security. But what about self-employment? On paper, it should give you all the freedom you wish for — being your own boss and all! Ira: Oh, I’m not so sure about that. You’ve brought up financial security, and working for yourself is such a dangerous venture! If stability is something you prioritise, that is probably not your best option. It does sound lucrative, though — you earn as much as you make; there is nobody to order you around. It sounds so invigorating! Examiner: Thank you. Now you have about a minute to decide which occupation is most stressful. Ira: Being self-employed is likely to be the most emotionally taxing, I mean, you have the weight of decision on your shoulders; everything depends on you. All of this has to really take its toll emotionally, wouldn’t you agree? Boris: To be honest, at first I was thinking about working for a major company, but you do have a point, and you’ve managed to convince me. In the light of your arguments, mine seem irrelevant; I won’t even bother with them.

Examiner: Now I would like you to discuss the following question: should the government be responsible and provide for the unemployed? Ira: I’d like to express my own opinion, if you don’t mind? Boris: Of course, go ahead. Ira: Thank you. I totally support this notion — the state should provide financial security for those unlucky ones without any reliable source of income. It would allow people to get better qualifications or enrol in a course to make them more employable. Boris: You do make some valid points — it would be fair to support individuals who are keen to get re-educated to have a more relevant skill set in the ever-changing job-market. However, I believe that this system could be easily exploited by less conscientious individuals — people could just live off of welfare, being officially unemployed, while at the same time having a part-time job on the side. It is something that can’t be tracked easily. Ira: It doesn’t have to be so negative, though! But I totally see what you mean, and indeed, such a possibility definitely exists. I guess it’s not easy to find the middle ground in this matter. Examiner: Thank you. That is the end of your CAE Speaking part.

Are there interesting places to go where you live? Well, my city is famous for its national park – in fact, it’s the largest in Europe! Of course, since it’s the capital, there lots of places to go, so everybody is sure to find something to their liking. How often do you meet up with your friends? Nowadays we got together only once or twice a year. I guess most of us grew apart after school, maybe we didn’t have much in common to begin with! Who is more important to you – your friends or your family? As they say, blood is thicker than water – we don’t get to choose our family, but we befriend people that we are fond of. That said, family still remains a priority to me, although I’ve never been in a situation when I had to choose between the two. What is your attitude to volunteer work? Oh, it’s a great thing to do! Helping someone in need is a reward in its own. Not everything you do should be compensated monetarily, life isn’t about making money as far as I’m concerned! Knowing that somebody has benefitted from your effort is just so great!

In the second half of Part 3 you have to agree upon one or two aspects of the mind-map. If you fail to agree on one, it is okay to respectfully disagree. Here are some useful phrases for suggesting, encouraging a conversation, agreeing, and disagreeing:

Examiner: Ira, how does unemployment affect the society in general? Ira: It’s a tough question… A lack of job openings must have serious economic and social consequences. When people are unable to afford even the most basic things, their purchasing power goes down, which in turn affects the economy negatively. People and society find themselves in a Catch-22 situation. Examiner: What do you think, Boris? Boris: I’m not sure if it’s as bad as Ira makes it look. A well-qualified professional is always going to be able to find employment. It’s the lack of necessary qualifications that might be preventing certain individuals from finding a position to their liking, and they are probably unwilling to resort to menial jobs. It’s all about the attitude.

• In this part, the candidates are given a mind map — a question with five prompts, or aspects, which they discuss together.
• You are given about 15 seconds to look at the question and prompts, after which you and your partner have to decide who starts the discussion.

• Both candidates have to discuss the aspects, suggesting new ideas and developing your partner’s points. You try to maintain a discussion by asking for other participants’ opinions and giving your own.
• Neither of you should dominate the talk.
• This part lasts for about two minutes. If there are three test-takers in the group, then the time is extended to three minutes. In the second part of this task, you have to choose one of the aspects and either agree or disagree with the discussion topic. You have one minute for this part of the task.
• Part 3 tips and useful phrases I’d like to point out three important aspects of CAE Speaking Part 3:
• Starting the dialogue
• Connecting and transitioning the ideas
• Reaching an agreement

Where do you come from? I’m from Madrid, I’ve been living there for two years now. Originally I come from Estepona, a small resort town in the south of Spain. What do you do there? I study art at Complutense University of Madrid, my major is history of fine art. I also do a part time job at a local restaurant as a waiter and I volunteer as an ESL teacher at my former school. What do you do in your free time? I play the ukulele – if you don’t know, it’s a small four-string guitar that originates from Hawaii. I’m rather keen on reading too – but I don’t read much contemporary literature, mostly books written in the twentieth century. How long have you been studying English? I started learning the language when I was eight, but I wasn’t too crazy about it at the time – my parents insisted that I had English classes. I really came to like it in my teens though!

What do you do for a living? I have a part-time job as a nurse in the only hospital in our town. I also give guitar classes – it helps me to pay for university tuition and I like sharing my knowledge with others, so its a win-win for everyone. Do you consider yourself to be particularly good at something? Mom says I’m really talented when it comes to playing the guitar, that I take it after my father. I also score consistently well in my math tests, so there’s that. I don’t think I have any other remarkable skills or talents. Do you have any pets? We live in a flat, so we choose not to have any animals at our place since they need some space to frolic in. If we lived in a house though, I would love to have a cat or a dog. Even a bird would be nice What aspect of learning English do you find most pleasant? Learning about the various cultures of native English speakers is really fascinating. It is quite interesting how different can people be, even though they speak the same language. English history is rather captivating too, with its many tumultuous periods.