Teaching Resources > KET > Speaking > Using Repair and Compensation Strategies

Identifying Communication Strategies

Helping the Listener

Asking for Help

Using Repair and Compensation Strategies

It is important to remember that in the Speaking test, the candidates are assessed primarily on communicative ability. This includes the skill of keeping a conversation going by showing when you haven't understood something or that you are having difficulty trying to say something yourself. Here are some of these 'repair and compensation' strategies.

Asking for help when you haven't understood

• Apologising - 'I'm sorry, I didn't understand'
• Asking for spelling - 'Can you spell that, please?'
• Asking for repetition - 'Can you say that again/repeat that please'
• Confirming - 'So you mean…'
• Asking for clarification - 'Do you mean…?/Did you say…?'
• Asking for partial repetition - 'He went to Bali.' … 'Where did he go?'

Helping the listener

• Paraphrasing - saying the same thing in a different way
• Clarifying by giving an example or categorising - 'it's a shop you can get medicine from'
• Showing that you are looking for a word - 'I don't know how you say it, but…'
• Correcting yourself - 'Oh no, I mean…'
• Hesitating while you think - '…er…um…' (but not too much!)