Oral Communication
Paper 4 tests speaking skills in two parts: a planned response (15 marks) and a spoken interaction (15 marks). Students are assessed on content, fluency, organisation, engagement, and language accuracy. The planned response requires delivering a short speech based on a prompt, while the spoken interaction involves discussing a related topic with the examiner.
Part 1: Planned Response
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🔹 Task:
Watch a short video (30–60 seconds) and respond to the given prompt in a 1.5–2 minute spoken response.
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🔹 Structure:
- 🔹 Introduction: Reframe the prompt, state your opinion clearly (10–15s).
- 🔹 Body: Give 2–3 key points using Spoken PEEL (Point, Explain, Example, Link), supported by personal experiences, observations, or general knowledge.
- 🔹 Mini-Conclusion: Summarise your stand and end with an impactful or forward-looking statement (15–20s).
Part 2: Spoken Interaction
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🔹 Task:
Engage in a 2–3 minute conversation with the examiner on a topic related to the video but broader in scope.
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🔹 Question Types:
- 🔹 Personal opinion (e.g. 'Do you think young people today lead healthy lifestyles?')
- 🔹 Social issue (e.g. 'Why do you think people rely on fast food?')
- 🔹 Future-oriented or evaluative (e.g. 'How can schools encourage healthy lifestyles?')
- 🔹 Comparative (e.g. 'Is healthy eating more important than exercising?')
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🔹 Response Strategy:
Use Spoken PEEL, acknowledge other perspectives, include anecdotes, stay concise, and treat it like a natural conversation.
- ⚠️ Thinking longer answers are always better — examiners prefer focused, well-structured responses.
- ⚠️ Memorising full speeches — responses should sound natural, not rehearsed word-for-word.
- ⚠️ Giving very short answers in Part 2 — 1–2 sentences are not enough.
- ⚠️ Treating Part 2 as another speech — it should feel like a conversation with back-and-forth flow.
- ⚠️ Believing fluency means speaking very fast — clarity and confidence matter more.
- 👉 Plan quickly in 20–30 seconds with 2–3 key points.
- 👉 Aim for 90–110 seconds for Part 1 — too short shows weak content, too long may ramble.
- 👉 Use Spoken PEEL: Point → Explain → Example → Link.
- 👉 Engage the listener with tone, pace, and volume.
- 👉 Use PRESM (Personal, Regional, Environmental, Social, Media) for depth in answers.
- 👉 Never answer with 'I don’t know' — use fillers like 'That’s an interesting question, I think…'.
- 👉 Expand answers beyond 1–2 sentences in Part 2.
- 👉 Practise timing by recording yourself.
- 👉 Use linking words: firstly, however, for example, therefore, in conclusion.
- 👉 Stay calm — examiners want to see communication skills, not trick you.
- 👉 Don't stop talking, if you are stuck immediately move on to the next point.