Skills for Life Speaking & Listening Entry 1-3 – Phase 2b
Task Description
How long does Phase 2b last?
This Phase lasts 3-4 minutes at Entry 1, and 4-5 minutes at Entry 2 and 3.
What is the purpose of Phase 2b?
Entry 1
The discussion is designed to elicit factual information, personal experience, likes and dislikes. It is expected that prompting will be required from the interlocutor.
Entry 2
At Entry 2, candidates will also be expected to give and justify their opinions. It is expected that some prompting will still be required from the interlocutor.
Entry 3
At Entry 3, candidates will also be expected to engage in speculation on the topics. It is expected that little prompting will be required from the interlocutor at this level.
What skills are being assessed?
Candidates are assessed according to all three strands (Listen and Respond, Speak to Communicate, Engage in Discussion) of the Adult ESOL Core Curriculum. A breakdown of the assessment criteria can be found in Focus on Assessment.
What do the candidates have to do?
Candidates talk together on a topic related to the recordings they heard in Phase 2a.
Understanding the Task
To understand better how candidates need to approach this task, it may help you to look at and analyse some tasks.
Look at the sample Phase 2b tasks from Skills for Life Speaking & Listening Entry 1, 2 and 3 sample papers, and think about what candidates have to do.
Things to consider
Now look at these questions about the nature of the task and consider your answers.
- Are the topics in Phase 2a and 2b related?
- What is the role of the interlocutor in this phase?
- In the second part of the test, do candidates speak only to the examiners?