Interpersonal and Presentational Speaking
The speaking domain has two modes. Interpersonal speaking is unrehearsed exchange: you answer, ask, clarify, and negotiate in response to a prompt or interlocutor. Presentational speaking is planned one-way discourse: you describe, narrate, explain, or persuade for an audience. Raters attend to task completion, comprehensibility, language control, vocabulary range, discourse organization, pronunciation, and tones. Fluency is not speed; it is the ability to keep meaning clear with natural pauses and repair.
Core rules and concepts
- Use softeners and politeness in interpersonal tasks: 真不好意思, 我特别想去，可是..., 能不能..., 改天...好吗？ A blunt 不行 can fail pragmatically.
- Structure presentational talks: opening thesis, two or three supported points, transitions (首先/其次/然而/总之), conclusion.
- Control tones that change meaning: mā (mother), má (hemp), mǎ (horse), mà (scold); 问 (wèn) vs 吻 (wěn).
- Circumlocute when a word is missing: 就是那种.../用来...的东西. Do not switch to English.
- Self-correct briefly: 不是，我的意思是...
Worked example
Prompt: A Chinese friend invites you to a Spring Festival dinner, but you already have plans. Decline politely and suggest another time. Reasoning: The task is interpersonal, so a refusal alone is insufficient. A strong response thanks the friend, gives a brief reason, expresses regret, proposes an alternative, and asks for agreement: 谢谢你邀请我！我真想去，可是那天我已经有安排了。我们初五一起吃饭，好吗？ This preserves the relationship and completes all moves. A memorized monologue about Spring Festival would miss the interaction.
Traps
Ignoring the follow-up question; using memorized presentational material in an interpersonal task; speaking too fast and blurring tones; switching to English; refusing without an alternative.