The group discussion with a dominant speaker
Three candidates take part in a five-minute group discussion for the school's oral assessment. The topic is: 'Should students be allowed to use mobile phones during break?' Candidate A opens with a national survey figure, speaks for two of the five minutes, and interrupts Candidate C twice. Candidate B says nothing for the first ninety seconds, then reads a prepared paragraph in a flat voice. Candidate C paraphrases A's point, adds an example from the school canteen, and asks B, 'What do you think?' near the end. The department's practice grid gives separate marks for interaction, fluency, pronunciation and accuracy; interaction includes initiating, responding and balancing. The examiner must justify marks to an external moderator. Candidate B has one re-assessment in 48 hours and asks what to change first.
1. Using the evidence, compare A and C on interaction. Which candidate is likely to score higher on that criterion, and why?
Read the worked answer
On interaction, C is likely to score higher. Interaction criteria usually reward initiating, responding, linking and bringing others in. A initiates and supplies a statistic, which is a strength, but two interruptions and a two-minute monologue distort the balance; the group is supposed to be a discussion, not a presentation. C does three interaction moves: paraphrases A, which links; adds a concrete example; and asks B a direct question. That final move repairs the group's imbalance and shows awareness of the audience. A may still score higher on fluency or range because of the extended turn and the survey figure. The judgement is criterion-by-criterion, not a single 'best speaker' label. For the moderator, the examiner should cite the interruptions as evidence against A on balancing and the question to B as evidence for C on initiating and supporting.
2. Give Candidate B a 48-hour plan with three specific behaviours, and explain why each targets the assessment criteria rather than general confidence.
Read the worked answer
Day 1: replace the script with five cue cards, each with one claim and one example. A script encourages reading and flat intonation; cue cards force eye contact and natural pausing. Practise a 45-second turn with a timer, then stop even if unfinished, to break the monologue habit. Day 2: learn three functional phrases - 'Can I add to that?', 'That's a good point, but...', 'What about you, A?' - and use each once in a recorded three-minute practice. Replay the recording and count links and questions, not pauses. This targets interaction and fluency directly. Do not spend the 48 hours on accent or new vocabulary; the assessment separates pronunciation and accuracy, and a last-minute vocabulary list will increase hesitation. Include one full run with a partner who deliberately interrupts, so B practises responding under pressure.
3. During the discussion B cannot recall the word 'confiscate'. What should B say instead, and what should B avoid? Explain in terms of communication strategies.
Read the worked answer
B should paraphrase: 'take the phone away for the rest of the lesson' or 'keep the phone until the end of the day'. This keeps the meaning and the turn. B should avoid three things: switching to the first language, stopping for more than a couple of seconds, and apologising at length ('Sorry, I don't know the word'). A short self-repair is acceptable - 'they take it - confiscate it, I mean' - if the word returns. The strategy is circumlocution: describe the function, the object, or the result. In an oral assessment, communication is not blocked by a missing word; it is blocked by a silence or a language switch that excludes the group. B can also use a category word: 'the school removes it'. The examiner can credit the paraphrase as evidence of resourcefulness, provided it fits the sentence.