Speaking and Listening
What this domain tests
Speaking and Listening assesses oral communication: how speakers organise and deliver ideas, and how listeners comprehend, evaluate, and respond. On a written exam this appears as transcripts of discussions or speeches, questions about a speaker's purpose and tone, and scenarios asking you to choose an effective response. You are tested on active listening - summarising, questioning, building on others' points - and on the conventions of discussion and presentation.
Core rules and concepts
- Speaker's purpose and register. Formal presentations, informal discussions, and persuasive speeches differ in diction, pacing cues, and appeals.
- Active listening. Paraphrase to confirm understanding, ask clarifying questions, and respond to the substance of a point rather than talking past it.
- Discussion conventions. Take turns, acknowledge others ("Building on what Maya said…"), disagree with ideas rather than people, and use evidence.
- Delivery cues in transcripts. Pauses, emphasis, repetition, and rhetorical questions signal emphasis and stance.
- Evaluating oral arguments. Separate claims from evidence; notice appeals to emotion versus reason; check whether a speaker answers the actual question.
Worked example
Transcript: "I know some of you think the later start time won't work. But the bus schedule is the only real obstacle, and that's fixable. Three nearby schools already made the change."
Question: Which listening response best builds on the speaker's point?
Reasoning: The speaker concedes one obstacle and offers evidence. A strong response engages both: "You said the bus schedule is fixable - could you say what the nearby schools did about transport?" This paraphrases, targets the weakest link, and invites evidence. A weak response ("I just disagree") ignores the argument; another weak response repeats the objection already addressed.
Traps that cost marks
- Confusing a speaker's tone with their message.
- Choosing a response that changes the subject rather than building on the point.
- Treating a rhetorical question as a genuine request for information.
- Assuming louder or more emotional speech is more persuasive or more reliable.
- Ignoring concessions - a speaker who grants a point is often strengthening their case.