Speaking: Cruise tourism, the cartoon and the examiner's counterargument
Oral exam: The candidate has 15 minutes' preparation and must speak for five minutes on a cartoon, then take part in a ten-minute discussion with one examiner. The cartoon shows a huge cruise ship labelled 'CO2' in a small harbour. On the quay, residents hold a banner reading 'Save our town'; a shop sign reads 'Ice cream €6'; a child points at the ship, while a crew member hands out discount vouchers. The examiner's first prompt is: 'Is cruise tourism a curse or a blessing for small ports?' After the candidate's monologue, the examiner says: 'But the ship brings 3,000 visitors a day and many local jobs.' The candidate must respond without simply repeating the monologue and must use at least one example from outside the cartoon.
1. Outline a five-minute monologue structure that uses the cartoon without merely describing it. Name the function of each part and give a time allocation.
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0–1 min: select only argumentatively relevant details from the cartoon: the 'CO2' label, the residents' banner, the €6 ice cream. Do not narrate the whole image. 1–2 min: interpret the tension: the ship is an economic lifeline and an environmental burden; the price sign suggests inflation or tourist pricing. 2–3 min: state a thesis, e.g. cruise tourism is a conditional blessing, not an absolute curse. 3–4 min: give two criteria: how much local value stays in port, and whether environmental limits are respected. 4–5 min: conclude and link explicitly to the examiner's question about small ports. This structure uses the cartoon as evidence, not as a picture description.
2. Formulate a response to the examiner's counterargument about 3,000 visitors and jobs. Your response should concede one point, challenge one assumption, and ask for evidence.
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Concede: 'You're right that the ship brings visitors and jobs, and I don't want to dismiss that.' Challenge the assumption: 'But visitor numbers are not the same as local benefit. Much of the spending may stay with the cruise company, and many jobs are seasonal.' Ask for evidence: 'What share of the passengers' spending actually reaches local businesses, and who bears the environmental cost?' This response shows interaction: it accepts one point, disputes the inference, and invites the examiner to specify. It avoids simply repeating the monologue. A phrase such as 'That's a fair point, but the key question is...' signals concession and counter-argument in one move.
3. Identify one linguistic strategy for the discussion and show how you would use it in a sentence.
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Strategy: concession plus reframing. Example: 'I take your point about the 3,000 visitors, but the key question is not how many arrive; it is how much of their spending stays.' This works because it acknowledges the examiner's evidence before changing the criterion. It shows the candidate can listen and adapt, which is what the discussion tests. Another strategy is signposting: 'Let me separate two issues: local income and environmental capacity.' This makes the argument easy to follow and creates time to think. The candidate should avoid a second monologue; using the examiner's words in the response shows genuine interaction.