The 18-Second Gap: Intervening in a Paired Discussion
In a mock Speaking Part 3 collaborative task, candidates have two minutes to discuss how a city should spend a £500,000 leisure budget. After 1 minute 35 seconds, Candidate A has spoken in three long turns totalling about 95 seconds; Candidate B has contributed 25 seconds and has not yet used the point on maintenance costs written on their notes. The examiner has just said, 'You have about 30 seconds left.' B’s notes read: 'cost? / maintenance / who pays?' B is fluent and accurate but has not interrupted. A is mid-turn, describing a new skate park. The interlocutor will stop the task at 2:00. B asks you afterwards whether interrupting would have seemed rude, and whether it was better to let A finish.
1. What should B do in the remaining 30 seconds? Give a phrase and a rationale grounded in the assessment criteria.
Read the worked answer
B should interrupt now, politely and briefly. Thirty seconds is enough for one contribution, but not for waiting for a natural gap that may not come. A suitable phrase: 'Sorry to jump in - can I add one point on cost before we finish?'
This does three things:
- It signals the interruption ('sorry to jump in') and justifies it ('before we finish'), which protects the collaborative frame.
- It names the topic ('cost'), so A knows B is not derailing the skate-park point but adding a dimension.
- It is short enough to leave time for a response.
The assessment criteria reward initiating and sustaining interaction, not just fluent monologue. B’s 25 seconds is a participation problem, not a politeness problem.
2. If B interrupts and A continues anyway, what should B do next?
Read the worked answer
If A continues, B should not repeat the interruption or escalate. Two moves:
- Use a back-channel that claims the floor without competing: 'Yes - and that’s exactly why the maintenance cost matters.' This links to A’s point and makes B’s point a development rather than a rival.
- If A still speaks over B, B should hold the floor for one short sentence and then hand back: 'One quick figure - £40,000 a year - but go on.'
The interlocutor stops at 2:00, so B needs one complete proposition, not a turn. B should avoid silence and avoid a second 'sorry'. The aim is to be audible and relevant, not to win.
3. Design a three-step coaching routine for B, each step tied to a specific interactional move.
Read the worked answer
Three-step routine:
- Practise 'claiming phrases' under time pressure: give B a 20-second sand timer and require one interruption per 30 seconds using 'Can I come in on that?' or 'Adding to that -'. This builds the move as a habit, not a decision.
- Teach linking, not interrupting: B should attach a point to A’s last noun ('You mentioned the skate park - the upkeep is the issue'). This lowers the social cost and raises relevance.
- Review a recording and count B’s propositions, not seconds. Set a target of three substantive contributions per two-minute task. This shifts attention from 'Am I being rude?' to 'Have I fulfilled the interactive task?'