Speaking Part 3: Interrupting a Dominant Partner Without Losing Collaboration
In Part 3, Ana and Tomas have two minutes to discuss: 'Which two things are most important for a town to attract young visitors?' The five prompts are a music festival, cheap transport, a sports centre, an evening food market and free Wi-Fi. Tomas has spoken for about 50 seconds about the music festival. Ana has said only 'Yes, I agree' twice. The examiner has not signalled the decision phase yet, but Ana estimates one minute remains. She believes the evening food market and cheap transport are stronger than the festival, but she does not want to sound rude. She is also worried about making a grammar mistake, so she waits to form a perfect sentence and loses her turn. The examiner will later ask them to decide together which two are most important. Ana has 12 seconds before Tomas pauses.
1. Write Ana's next turn: interrupt, redirect to two untested options, and keep it collaborative. Explain the function of each part.
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Possible turn: 'Sorry to jump in, but can I add something? A festival is great for a big weekend, but what about the food market? It's cheaper and it gives people something to do in the evening. What do you think?' Functions: 'Sorry to jump in, but can I add something?' is a polite interruption that claims the floor without criticising Tomas. 'A festival is great for a big weekend' concedes his point, so he does not feel overruled. 'But what about the food market?' redirects to an untested option with a question, which invites a response rather than closing the discussion. 'It's cheaper and it gives people something to do in the evening' supplies a reason, not just a label. 'What do you think?' returns the turn and keeps the interaction collaborative. Reasoning: she should not wait for a perfect sentence; a short, clear turn with one reason and one question is more valuable than a silent search for accuracy.
2. In the final minute, Tomas insists on the festival and cheap transport, while Ana prefers the food market. How should she handle the decision?
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She should use a criterion and propose a compromise, not repeat her preference. For example: 'I see your point about the festival, but it's only one weekend. If we want visitors throughout the year, the market and cheap transport might work better. Shall we go for those two?' This concedes his point, gives a reason based on duration, and offers a clear pair. If he still resists, she can test the criterion: 'OK, which two would attract the most people for the least money?' The decision phase requires a joint decision, so she should use 'Shall we say ...?' or 'Why don't we go for ...?' rather than 'I think we should'. Reasoning: the examiner is listening for interactive communication and a clear outcome. Naming two options explicitly matters more than winning the argument. A criterion turns disagreement into a shared choice.
3. What should Ana do if she cannot remember the phrase 'evening food market'?
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She should paraphrase immediately rather than switch to her first language or fall silent. For example: 'the place where local people sell hot food in the evening' or 'an outdoor area with food stalls at night'. She can then continue the argument: 'That would give visitors something to do after dinner.' Reasoning: Part 3 assesses communicative effectiveness, and circumlocution is a legitimate strategy. A pause while she searches for the exact phrase costs interactional time; a short paraphrase keeps the turn and still refers to the prompt clearly. She should avoid apologies such as 'Sorry, my English is bad', which add nothing and reduce fluency. If Tomas does not understand, she can add a concrete example: 'You know, like small restaurants outside - you walk around and choose.'