Speaking

Topics/Prompts/Sample questions
A1 Level

Talking about personal information: Whats your name? Where do you live?
Discussing family: Do you have any brothers or sisters?
Talking about hobbies/tastes: What do you like doing in your free time? How often do you?
Whats your favorite? Why?
Asking about leisure activities: Do you like shopping/traveling? What do you spend money on?
Describing photos (e.g., physical descriptions of people)

A2 Level

Describing past events: holidays, vacations or childhood memories. Where did you go last
Christmas?
Comparing people or places: Which city do you prefer? Why? What are the differences?
Describing pros and cons of subject: Internet, cell phones, cheap travel, etc.
Talking about future plans: What are you going to do on the weekend?

B1 Level

Hypothesizing: What would you do / Where would you go if you could take a year off?
Giving advice: What advice would you give someone who wanted to learn your language? etc.
Giving opinions: Whats your opinion about (current news item or hot issues)
music piracy, etc.
Discussing problems (e.g., of local interest). How do you feel about?

B2 Level

In addition to any of the above.

Reporting events/anecdotes/newspaper stories: What did the paper say about X? (extract
reported speech)
Talking about dreams and regrets: What would you have done if?

C1 Level

In addition to any of the above.

Discussing/Debating global issues globalization, environmental issues, etc., on a deeper
level. What would you say to someone who?
Summarizing an article (which has been previously read). Can you extract the main points of
this article?

Richmond Publishing, S.A. de C.V., 2013. 15

Speaking

Assessment of speaking
Overall Scales

The general descriptors below have been taken from the Common European Framework
scales on Overall Spoken Interaction. These descriptors may be useful if an overall assessment
of speaking needs to be undertaken.

A1 Level
Can interact in a simple way but communication is totally dependent on repetition at a slower
rate of speech, rephrasing and repair. Can ask and answer simple questions, initiate and
respond to simple statements in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics.

A2 Level
Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of
information on familiar and routine matters to do with work and free time. Can handle very
short social exchanges but is rarely able to understand enough to keep conversation going of
his/her own accord.

Can interact with reasonable ease in structured situations and short conversations, provided
the other person helps if necessary. Can manage simple, routine exchanges without undue
effort; can ask and answer questions and exchange ideas and information on familiar topics in
predictable everyday situations.

B1 Level
Can exploit a wide range of simple language to deal with most situations likely to arise while
traveling. Can enter unprepared into a conversation on familiar topics, express personal
opinions and exchange information on topics that are familiar, of personal interest or pertinent
to everyday life (e.g., family, hobbies, travel and current events).

Can communicate with some confidence on familiar routine and non-routine matters related
to his/her interests and professional field. Can exchange, check and confirm information, deal
with less routine situations and explain why something is a problem. Can express thoughts on
more abstract, cultural topics such as films, books, music, etc.

B2 Level
Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction and
sustained relationships with native speakers quite possible without imposing strain on either
party. Can highlight the personal significance of events and experiences, account for and
sustain views clearly by providing relevant explanations and arguments.

Can use the language fluently, accurately and effectively on a wide range of general, academic,
vocational or leisure topics, marking clearly the relationship between ideas. Can communicate
spontaneously with good grammatical control without much sign of having to restrict what
he/she wants to say, adopting a level of formality appropriate to the circumstances.

C1 Level
Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously, almost effortlessly. Has a good command
of a broad lexical repertoire allowing gaps to be readily overcome with circumlocutions. There
is little obvious searching for expressions or avoidance strategies; only a conceptually difficult
subject can hinder a natural, smooth flow of language.

Richmond Publishing, S.A. de C.V., 2013. 16