TRINITY

MODULE SPEAKING AND LISTENING

B2 C1
20 minutes 25 minutes

• 3 x Speaking tasks: • 3 x Speaking tasks:

o Topic discussion task o Topic Presentation

o Collaborative task o Topic discussion

o Conversation task o Collaborative task

• 1 x Independent listening task o Conversation task

Topic presentation
• 1 x Independent listening task

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 TRINITY TOPIC

The examination begins with a formal presentation of a topic.

B2: The candidate starts the presentation of the topic to be discussed with the examiner. The examiner is
expected to interrupt the candidate with questions. The topic phase last up to 4 minutes.

C1: The candidate starts the presentation of the topic for up to 4 minutes. Then the candidate will invite the
examiner for further discussion for another up to 4 minutes. The examiner is expected to discuss the candidate’s
topic asking questions or presenting her point of view sometimes on the other side of the argument of the
candidate’s.

Candidate Profile:

At this stage the candidate can:

− understand the main points, arguments, inferences, changes in register and emphasis in extended,
complex and sometimes unstructured speech
− contribute and respond confidently and appropriately in interaction in all social and professional
contexts, on matters within their personal experience
− control the direction of the conversation and maintain its flow with ease, relating skilfully to the
contributions of the listener
− demonstrate full control of a wide range of language structures, vocabulary and functions approaching
that of a native speaker
− produce speech at word, sentence and discourse level which rarely deviates from an internationally
intelligible model.

Format:

The examination consists of the following:

− greetings and setting at ease
− B2 presentation of a topic prepared by the candidate and discussed with the examiner (up to 4 minutes)
/ C1 presentation of a topic prepared by the candidate (up to 4 minutes)and discussion of the topic
presentation with the examiner (up to 4 minutes)
− Collaborative task (up to 4 minutes)
− Conversation on one subject areas selected by the examiner: B2 Subject areas: National
environmental concerns, Personal values and ideals, Public figures past and present, Society and
living Standards, the World of Work. /. C1: subject areas: Ambitions, Independence, Stereotypes,
Role models, Competitiveness, Young people’s rights, The media, Advertising, Lifestyles, The arts, The
rights of the individual, Economic issues
− Independent listening (8 m.) Task 1.- Listen to an audio (2,40m.) when you finish summarise in one
or two sentences. Task 2.- The examiner will ask a question and you should take notes when listening
to the audio again. At the end, you will have 1 minute to talk about your notes.

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 TOPIC PHASE

CREATIVE ARTS

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 TOPIC PRESENTATION GUIDELINES:

− Before the examination, the candidate prepares a FOUR-minute presentation of a topic of his
or her choice.
− The choice of subject matter or theme is left to the individual candidate but candidates are
advised to select their topics carefully. Actual knowledge is not being assessed in the
examination, but the talk should be informative and presented in such a way as to engage and
maintain the examiner’s interest.
− Adherence to the timing of this phase is very important and so candidates are strongly advised
to ensure that the presentation lasts up to but no longer than four minutes. Presentations which
extend beyond the time allocated will be stopped so as to ensure that all other examination
phases can proceed according to the stated requirements.
− C1: As this is a formal presentation, the candidate is expected to produce brief notes in the
form of handouts for the examiner. These should be given to the examiner before the start of
the presentation. These notes will not be taken into account in the assessment of the phase as
it is the candidates’ oral skills which are being assessed and not their writing skills. The
candidate will have produced their own brief notes for personal use and to remind candidate
the main points of the Topic but these notes are a reminder not a script. These notes do not
have to be shown to the examiner.
− As the presentation is oral, the use of complete written scripts in the presentation is not
allowed.
− B2: During the presentation, the examiner will ask questions and discuss with the candidate.
− C1: During the presentation, the examiner will make notes on points which he or she wishes
to raise in order to gain clarification or further information about the views and ideas
expressed. Candidates need to be reassured that the examiner is not collecting examples of
the candidate’s language for assessment purposes.
− The Topic is NOT something to be learned by heart. Of course, candidate must be familiar
with the TOPIC. You must prepare for the examiner's comments and questions by
anticipating what the examiner might say and be ready to give a reply. Candidate who
simply “recite” their topic will not do well in this section of the examination.

− Candidates should prepare an outline /layout /guideline in advance and send to the
examination centre when required some days before the exam.

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 − Working Up a Topic
1.- Put a heading to the topic:

2.- Complete the spiderstorm with your own ideas:

3.- WRITE THE OUTLINE OF YOUR TOPIC:

TITLE _____________________________________________________

1.- _____________________________________________________

2.- _____________________________________________________

3.- _____________________________________________________

4.- _____________________________________________________

5.- _____________________________________________________

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4.- GUIDE TO WRITING

a.- Choice of Topic:

Candidates are strongly discouraged from choosing a Topic which is the same as the “subject areas
for discussion” in the Conversation Phase. This is because this limits the range of subjects which the
examiner can talk about with the candidate in the Conversation Phase.

Make a list of possible topics. Ideas are all around us -the jobs we do, our hobbies, dreams, interest,
etc. You can even get ideas from the subject areas from previous grades such as: personal values and
ideals, the supernatural, environment, education, recycling, crime, the Internet, globalisation, racism,
deforestation, extreme sports, habits and obsessions, etc.

b.- Eliminating and Selecting Possible Topics:

By now you should have a long list of Topics or categories. For the examination you only need ONE
TOPIC. Any topic is acceptable if it is right for you! In other words it is something you enjoy talking
about, you know what you want to say about it and you feel very enthusiastic about it.

The examiner will sense your enthusiasm and ask you to explain points, give more details and develop
your ideas.

Consider the following questions for each Topic on your list to help you eliminate topics which you
do not want to work on:

1.- Is this Topic too complicated or too technical or too difficult for me?
2.- Am I really interested in this subject to make it interesting for myself and the examiner?
3.- Do I really know anything about it?
4.- Can I find out anything about this topic? Where?
5.- Have I talked or learnt before anything about this topic?
6.- Would I like to know more information about this topic?

c.- Working Title for the Topic:

This is simply a working title. You can improve your title later when you have worked on it some
more.

d.- Brainstorming:

You now have your Topic and a working title for it. Try and make it as interesting as possible for you
and the examiner. The best way to do this is to decide on an “angle”.

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Your “angle” is the way you are going to deal with your Topic. Let's take a simple idea like
“EDUCATION”. We can generate a list of ideas associated with education:

− How education has changed in the last 100 years.

− My experience in education
− Who is involved in education
− Improvements should be done
− ________________________________.
− ________________________________.
− ________________________________.

e.- Researching Material for the Topic.

Some topics may need a little research or thought. Remember, the source does not need to be an
English publication, photos, statistics, drawings, diagrams, etc can came from any publication.
Articles, interviews, reports and so on will often come form local sources as the will reflect local
interest and culture.

This is how the Topic can become a communication and multi-skill task as reading (and thinking),
writing (taking notes, recording vocabulary, key structures to imitate, points to expand on), listening
(podcasts from the Internet, television, your teacher's comments) and of course speaking (practising
your topic with collegues and teachers).

Remember at this point: Have I got too little, too much or sufficient material to talk about my Topic
for the time established (5 m.)?

f.- Structure of your Topic:

1. Introduce the subject of the topic. What are you going to discuss?
2. State your opinion, presenting the side you are going to support. What are
the sides of your issue?
3. Present arguments in favour of the issue. Support your information with
specific details or the source where you read or knew about it. What are the
arguments in favour?
4. Present arguments against the issue. Support your arguments. What are the
arguments against?
5. Make a general balanced conclusion or state future actions that could be
taken.

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g.- Questions to be asked at this point:

1.- What are you going to tell the examiner about?

2.- What general things can you say about your topic?
3.- What details are you going to include?
4.- What examples are you going to give?
5.- do you need to explain anything to the examiner who often knows nothing about your subject
(technical/jargon words, rules...)
6.- At what point is it appropriate to give explanations or more details in your presentation?
7.- Are you sure you are not repeating the same information?
8.- At what point should you move on to the next point of your topic?
9.- Are you going to include your own and other people's opinions?
10.- The examiner is willing to become interested in any topic you present. Are you including enough
to make it interesting for the examiner? Are you saying things to keep the examiner interested?
11.- Have you got enough things to say about your topic without “drying up” and expecting the
examiner to take over? If you “dry up” or “run out of steam”, you cannot expect the examiner to do
all the work to keep the conversation going.
12.- How are you going to finish your presentation? Will you quickly summarise what you have said?
Will you give a final opinion on your topic? Will you make a final statement about it?
13.- Have you anticipated some of the questions the examiner might ask? Have you thought about
your possible answers? (Many of the examiner's questions will be predictable. By practising with
your colleagues, classmates, teacher, you will have the opportunity to deal with similar questions and
comments from the examiner.
14.- Have you used some or many of the language items outlined on the Grade page? Remember, the
topic is the ideal opportunity to use them naturally in a context chosen by you.
15.- Have I written my topic in my own language for translation into English? If you write down your
topic in your own language for translation you will certainly produce a translation full of mistakes. It
will not sound natural.

h.- questions to the examiner:

You should also be prepared to ask the examiner questions about the topic area where appropriate.

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 COMMUNICATIVE SKILLS AND LANGUAGE PRODUCTION

TRINITY REQUIREMENTS: MY NOTES:

COMMUNICATIVE SKILLS :

• Give a formal presentation, discursive in nature, on a chosen

subject, with an identifiable structure, using discourse
connectors and cohesive devices and showing controlled use
of organizational patterns.
• Introduce the presentation, develop particular points, expand
and support points of view at some length with subsidiary
points, integrate sub-themes and conclude.
GRAMMAR
. Basic and more complex sentence structures should be
included.

LEXIS:
• Expressions used before challenging, e.g. That’s a good
point but…, Perhaps I didn’t explain my point clearly…
• Expressions for downplaying and softening, e.g. It’s quite
difficult, If I could just ask
• Signposting expressions, e.g. I’d like to begin with… , On
the other hand… , So to sum up…
• Language of caution, e.g. It tends to be, It seems as if
• Vague and imprecise language, e.g. a bit more, a hundred
people or so

PHONOLOGY
• The correct pronunciation of topic and subject area specific
vocabulary
• Various features of pronunciation which only occasionally
deviate from an internationally intelligible model.
• A range of stress and intonation patterns, pitch and volume
to convey subtle shifts in meaning and attitude.
SPECIALIST TERMS/JARGON WORDS

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 SAMPLE TOPIC:

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 TOPIC LAYOUT / GUIDELINE

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 TOPIC DISCUSSION GUIDELINES:

When preparing the topic, the candidate should try to anticipate the contributions of the examiner and
think of ways of developing the topic beyond the limitations of the formal presentation. The
interaction is intended to be an authentic discussion with both parties having equal responsibility for
maintaining the flow. There should be a real exchange of ideas and opinions with the candidate being
able to challenge the examiner on his or her opinions. The candidate must be ready to justify,
exemplify and elaborate on the ideas and opinions given in the presentation.
The discussion is intended to be about the actual presentation rather than on the theme of the topic.
The candidate is expected to be pro-active in the discussion and not simply to respond to the
contributions of the examiner.

A candidate who fails to prepare a topic cannot be assessed for Task fulfilment for the above two
phases.

The phases will be voided and this will result in a fail being awarded for the examination as a whole.

PREDICTABLE EXAMINER'S QUESTIONS PREDICTABLE CANDIDATE'S ANSWERS

-What would you have done if you hadn't been a - Well, I haven't the faintest idea. I have always
teacher? desired to be a teacher. However, I wouldn't mind
having been a sociologist.

PREPARED STUDENT'S QUESTIONS PREPARED STUDENT'S ANSWERS

- Don't you think that it is decisive in someone's - Yes, in fact it is.

life to choose properly their studies?

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USEFUL TRANSITIONAL WORDS AND PHRASES

A.- WRITING A TOPIC:

Introducing the topic 4 Añadir información

First of all, I would like to say that … Apart from this/that Aparte de esto/eso
The first point I would like to make is … In addition to Además de
What’s more Además; lo que es más
I would like to begin by …
Moreover Además
Many people think that … On topo f that Además
Some people say/claim … Besides Además
Why do some people believe … ? On the one hand Por una parte
On the other hand Por otra parte
1 Construir un argumento
5 Dar ejemplos
a) Primer párrafo
In the first place En primer lugar For example Por ejemplo
First of all Antes que nada For instance Por ejemplo
To start with Para empezar On the whole En general
At first sight A primera vista To sum up Para resumir
b) Segundo párrafo 6 Expresar algo de otro modo
Secondly En segundo lugar
In the second place En segundo lugar That is (to say) Es decir
In other words En otras palabras
c) Tercer párrafo In short En resumen
Finally Por último
Lastly Por último 7 Establecer un contraste
In conclusión Para concluir
However Sin embargo
2 Expresar realidades Novertheless No obstante
On the contrary Por el contrario
As a matter of fact. De hecho Instead En cambio
In fact De hecho Whereas Mientras que
Actually En realidad
Really En realidad 8 Modificar lo que se está diciendo

3 Explicar causas y resultados To a certain extent Hasta cierto punto

More or less Mas o menos
Because of this/that A causa de esto/ eso At least Al menos
For this/that reason Por esta/esa razón Especially Especialmente
Therefore Por lo tanto In particular En particular
As a result Como resultado Above all Sobre todo
Consequently En consecuencia On the whole En general
In general En general

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Basically Básicamente 11 Otros
Essentially Esencialmente
And so on Etcétera
9 Expresar una opinión personal By the way A Propósito
To be honest A decir verdad
In my opinion En mi opinión To tell the truth A decir verdad
In my view En mi opinion
From my point of view Desde mi punto de vista 12 Marcadores de tiempo
Personally Personalmente
As far as I’m concerned Por lo que a mi respecta First of all Primero
Next/Then Luego
10 Resumir lo que se ha dicho After that Después
While Mientras
In all En total In the meantime Mientras tanto
In a nutshell En resumidas cuentas All of sudden De repente
In short En resumen Finally Finalmente
In conclusion Para concluir In the end Al final
As a conclusion I must say that..... Such as Tal(es) como
B.- DEVELOPING AN ARGUMENT IN YOUR TOPIC

Explaining by giving an example

Esperanto has no irregularities. For instance it has no irregular verbs.

For example Esperanto has the same suffix for all verbs.
If I can give an example all verbs in the present end in Esperanto with –as.

Giving real/true/surprising information

Esperanto is very easy to learn. In fact, you can master it in a year.

As a matter of fact you don’t have to learn a lot of words in Esperanto.
Actually you can build your own words in Esperanto.

Adding another, different idea.

Besides in Esperanto the order of the words is nearly free.

Esperanto sounds nice. What’s more, it easy to pronounce.
In addition to that Esperanto has no differences between speaking and writing.

Making a contrast.

All the same Esperanto is not well know.

Even so I like to learn Esperanto.

Esperanto is easy to learn. However, only about one million people can speak it. Esperanto is for everyone a foreign
language. In spite of this people in different countries learn it.

Summarising

To put it simply – Esperanto is simple.

In short – Learning Esperanto is quick and easy.
Esperanto has only 16 grammar rules and a cleverly word formation system. In a word, you can learn it fast.

Defining more exactly.

At any rate Esperanto is a nice hobby for people who are interested in languages.
At least Esperanto is an auxiliary language, not an international language.

Talking generally

On the whole Esperanto is good for communication between people of different languages.
As a rule Esperanto is not taught in normal schools.
In general most people ignore Esperanto.

Giving a result/consequence.

Esperanto is not based on the influence of a country therefore Esperanto can’t be spread out easily.
As a result Esperanto is not an alternative to English.
So you can’t use it as an international language today.
Only few people speak Esperanto. Because of this you can use Esperanto only as a hobby.
C.- FUNCTIONS FOR GENERAL
CONVERSATION
Say what you like /dislike
I'd always admired her work.
I'm really into her work.
I'm a big fan of his stuff.
He's one of my all- time favourites.
It's not my (kind of) thing at all.
It's really not my taste.
It's not my cup of tea.
I can't relate to this type of thing.
Explain procedures
prefacing with a general statement:
It can be a bit tricky at first
It's pretty straightforward
It's really easy
It's a piece of cake
sequencing:
- Firstly.....
- The first think you've got to do is...
- Then/ Secondly, ....../ The next step is to
+infinitive......
- Once you do this.....
- Finally, ....
addressing the listener:
- You do this.../ Do this...
- One does this (usually written English)
conditions/ what can go wrong:
- without doing this, it won't work
- if it doesn't work, you should...
checking it's understood:
- OK? / Got it? / Any questions?
Describe important architecture
use superlatives:
- The Great Pyramid is arguably / probably the
most........
- It is one of Australia's best known / most
photographed .....
- It is though to be..
- It is the largest..../ tallest...
use fronting for dramatic effect
- Opening on ....(December 1999)
- Built to house ... (the body of a Pharaon)
- Fondly known as the "...."
provide details (size, description, etc. )
- It is built from metal / stones...
- the base is....
- occupying / covering an area of more than ....
metres squared
- it is over 1km round, and 50m high
- it covers of ground floor space
- standing 134m high / above
describe reason for building / purpose:
It was built:
to celebrate the aniversary …
/ as a memorial for.....
/ in order to../ in honor of
- built to house.../ as office space
Express priorities It was very tough.
It exceeded my expectations.
saying it's very important: We felt we'd accomplished something.
It was a fantastic learning experience.
my main priority is .... I've learnt a lot.
the essential thing for me is... I'm planning to ....
this is absolutely vital!
I couldn't do without... Say how much you know / don't know

saying it's not important: I know:

I'm pretty sure
I'm not really bothered / concerned about this. I know it like the back of my hand
This isn't a major priority. I know it by heart
I could do without.. I know it inside out
I'm fairly positive
Describe people I'm certain

first impressions: I don't know:

She comes across as ... (adjective- self- I haven't a clue

sufficient).. I don't know off the top of my head
but once you get to know her, she's ...(adjective- I never heard of him
kind- hearted) I don't know offhand
The thing that strikes you about him /her is that I know next to nothing
..... I haven't the faintest idea

character- good thing and bad things: Checking you understand

The thing that I (don't) like about her is that ...... I’m not quite sure what we have to do first.
What I (don't) really like about her is ..... So you want me to…?
He's so... (adjective) Sorry, do you mean we have to…?
He's such a (+adjective) man/person
He can be a bit ....(+negative adjective- ignorant) Correcting yourself
What I meant was… .
Talk about an achievement Sorry, I meant to say… .
I mean… .
I've always...
I'd never done... Expressing likes, dislikes and preferences
We decided to organise...
We set up... I would like… but… .
I didn't know what to expect. I wouldn’t mind … but on the other hand … .
The whole thing was quite a challenge. Although … I’d like … because … .
I think I’d prefer … as … . Yes, that’s true …
I’m not really very interested in … .
If I had to choose … . Strong agreement
I prefer … .
I think I would say … . That’s what I also think….
To be honest, I haven’t thought much about it. So I do / neither do I
I agree (with you) …
Interrupting I couldn’t …… ……..

Can I just say … ‘ Disagreement

Sorry to interrupt, but … .
I agree up to a point, ….
Paraphrasing Yes, but what about …..?
Do you …… ……..?
It’s something you need when … . But don’t you agree that …?
It’s when you … . Actually, I think it’s …… ……... ……
Your use it to … .
It’s like a … . Adding an opinion
It’s a … where/that/who … you (+ verb).
It’s a kind of … . Apart from that …
And there’s another thing …
Speculating Not only that …
Actually …
It could be/could have been … . So far …
It can’t be/can’t have been … .
It might be/might have been … . When we don’t know about the topic
It must have/must have had … .
I get the impression that … . To be honest, I haven’t thought much about it but
…
Giving opinions
Advantages
For me, one of the most important….. is ……
I just think that what matters is ……. In the first place …
The most important factor for me is …. The main advantage is that you are free to …
Personally, I would say that… There is no one else to …
I’m not really very interested in … Then there is …
It’s very hard to say, but … What’s more …
If I had to choose …, I would ..... Another advantage is that …
I (don’t) think …
In my opinion …
Yes, absolutely …
I’m sorry, but I don’t agree…
Disadvantages Linking expressions

On the other hand … In addition,

Secondly, … In fact,
Another disadvantage is … In other words,
Last but not least, … For instance,
That is to say,
Summarising Moreover
For example,
In conclusion (I believe that) … Similarly
To sum up, there are arguments … Besides,
However, in my view … Nevertheless
What’s more
Because of this
Even so,
On the other hand