The 22-Second Long Turn
Mei is 10 days from her Linguaskill Speaking test. In a recorded mock, Part 2 gives her a topic and three bullet points and one minute to speak. She talks for 22 seconds: she spends 18 seconds on the first bullet, gives one sentence to the second, ignores the third, then says 'That's all' and waits. Her teacher notes that when she does speak, her grammar is around B2 (accurate present perfect, conditional), but her discourse is choppy: no linking, few examples. She has 30 minutes a day to practise and wants a fixed script she can memorise for every long turn. The examiner in the real test will not interrupt during the one minute, though they may ask a follow-up if she stops early. Her last mock overall was B1, with speaking dragging the score down.
1. What is the most likely reason Mei's long turn is short, and what should her 10-day practice plan focus on? Give a concrete daily routine.
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Diagnosis. Mei is not short of grammar; she is treating the three bullets as a checklist. Once the list is finished, she stops. A 22-second turn gives the examiner too little language to award B2 discourse, even if the sentences are accurate. The fix is extension, not more grammar.
10-day routine (30 min/day).
- 5 min: choose one random topic with three bullets; write one keyword and one personal example for each.
- 3 min: plan a three-move structure: what/where → why/example → contrast or result.
- 5 min: record a 60-second turn. Don't stop at the bullets; add 'because', 'for example', 'which means'.
- 5 min: listen back, count seconds, note one place to add a detail.
- 5 min: re-record the same topic, aiming for 55–65 seconds.
- 7 min: repeat with a second topic.
Track seconds and the number of examples, not just accuracy. By day 10 she should have a reliable habit of extending one bullet rather than racing through all three.
2. At 35 seconds in the real test she freezes and cannot think of the next word. What should she do in the moment, and why is silence worse than a simple phrase?
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In the moment. Silence is costly because the examiner may treat the long turn as finished; a prompt can restart her, but the lost time and fluency will show. She should use a short bridge that is not a script: 'Let me think of an example...' Then return to the bullet she has not developed, or paraphrase the topic: 'Another thing about this is...' A personal example is the fastest way back: 'For instance, last year I...'
Why this works. The test rewards coherent extended speech, so a simple phrase that links to a new idea is better than stopping. She should not apologise repeatedly or restart from the beginning. If she truly has nothing, she can compare: 'I don't have much experience of this, but people I know...' This keeps language flowing and shows strategic competence. Practise the bridge aloud in practice so it is automatic; it is a functional frame, not content to memorise.
3. She asks whether to memorise a 60-second template for every long turn. Advise her.
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Advice. A full 60-second script is risky. It will not fit most topics, and examiners notice rehearsed language that does not answer the prompt. It can also break down under pressure, producing a longer silence than an unprepared answer.
What to memorise instead. Learn a small set of frames: 'The first thing I'd say is...', 'I think this is because...', 'For example, in my case...', 'On the other hand...'. These are flexible and buy thinking time. Memorise a structure, not sentences: point → reason → example → contrast.
Practice. Use random topics and force a different frame each time. Record and check that the content answers the bullets, not that the script was delivered. This preserves natural intonation and lets her use her B2 grammar on unplanned ideas, which is what the examiner needs to hear.