Speaking Part 3: the partner who fills every silence
Two candidates are entered together for B1 Preliminary Speaking: 10-12 minutes, two candidates, two examiners. In Part 3 they get a spoken situation with a few prompts, discuss it for about two minutes, then decide together. In every practice, Luca (strong, estimated 150+) speaks first, names all the options within 20 seconds and then argues for his choice. Sora (estimated 130, weakest on interactive communication) produced 14 words in the whole of the last Part 3 - all of them yes, or I agree with Luca. Luca thinks he is helping: 'If she doesn't talk, I fill the silence.' Neither candidate can ask the examiner to intervene, and Luca's answers cannot earn Sora any marks. The exam is in five weeks and the teacher has four 30-minute pair-work slots.
1. Whose score is more at risk, and what does the examiner actually need to hear from each of them?
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Sora's score is more at risk, but Luca's is not safe either - for the opposite reason.
- Marks are awarded to each candidate individually for what that candidate says. Luca's fluent two minutes cannot transfer, so Sora is presenting almost no evidence: 14 words, no questions, no opinions, no negotiation. That depresses her Discourse Management and Interactive Communication to the bottom of the band regardless of her actual level.
- Luca's risk is range, not quantity. He never invites, never disagrees, never partially agrees, never asks Sora to choose. Interactive Communication rewards initiating and responding, and a monologue with no turn-taking gives the examiner little to reward even when the language is accurate.
So the diagnosis is one problem with two faces: no genuine interaction. The fix is a turn-taking contract, not a plea to Sora to talk.
2. Write three phrases for Luca and three for Sora, B1-appropriate, and say what each one is doing.
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The phrases must be short enough to use under pressure and functional enough to be credited.
Luca - handing over:
- 'What do you think?' - a direct invitation, which he currently never produces.
- 'Do you agree, or would you choose something else?' - invites a different opinion, not just agreement.
- 'Shall we say the sports centre, then?' - proposes a decision, which Part 3 explicitly requires.
Sora - entering and holding a turn:
- 'Sorry, can I say something?' - a taught interruption formula, useful because Luca will not naturally leave a gap.
- 'I'm not sure. I think the club is better because it's cheaper.' - opinion plus reason, the minimum viable turn.
- 'Yes, but what about the time?' - polite disagreement, which is a scored function at B1.
Drill them as formulas, then put them on a card for practice so neither has to invent language while also managing the interaction.
3. Why is telling Sora to 'just speak more' bad advice, and what will you do in the four 30-minute slots?
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'Speak more' names no behaviour, so an anxious candidate produces more one-word turns, feels it go badly, and freezes harder. It also puts the whole burden on her while leaving Luca's monologue untouched.
Four slots:
- Slot 1 - a rule, not a plea. Luca may not give his own opinion until he has asked Sora a question. Record two minutes and count turns.
- Slot 2 - silence tolerance. Information-gap task: Luca holds a card Sora cannot see, so he must ask and she must answer. Practise the two-second pause; Luca is allowed to wait.
- Slot 3 - full Part 3 under timing, with the phrase card, then playback. Count Sora's words and Luca's questions; aim for Sora above 60 words and Luca above six questions.
- Slot 4 - Part 4 follow-up, where the examiner asks each candidate directly. Sora answers first each time so she cannot rely on copying.