B1 Preliminary for Schools Speaking Part 2 – Teacher’s Notes

Description
Students look at a Part 2 photograph and brainstorm what they can say about it. They practise Part 2
in pairs, firstly focusing on organising their ideas and then on a range of vocabulary. They then look
at different phrases which are useful for Part 2, and describe another photograph trying to use as
many of the phrases as possible.

Time required: 50 minutes

Materials  Student handouts 1 and 2
required:  Photographs from sample Part 2 tasks (plus the same photos to
project on board if possible)
 Instructions for sample Part 2
 Follow-up activity (optional)
Aims:  to familiarise students with B1 Preliminary for Schools Speaking Part 2
 to analyse the task, think of suitable language for it and practise the
task

Procedure

1. Explain to your students that they are going to do an exercise similar to that in Part 2 of the
B1 Preliminary for Schools Speaking test. Briefly ask students what happens in Part 1 of the
speaking test and elicit (if they have done the overview activity) or remind students what they
have to do in Part 2. Add any missing information so that the following is established:

 The examiner gives each candidate a different photograph.

 Each candidate has to talk on their own.
 The task is to talk about what they can see in the picture.

2. Hand out one of the photographs in the Part 2 sample task and show it on the board if possible.
Add that the photographs in the exam will be bigger and in colour.

3. Students brainstorm in pairs what they can see for a minute.

4. Elicit what the class can remember from the overview activity about the assessment criteria.
Explain that Grammar and Vocabulary (the range, accuracy and appropriacy of language, i.e.
the right language, used in the right way, at the right time) and Discourse Management (the
organisation of ideas) are important in Part 2.

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5. Write the following headlines on the board:

 place
 people
 activity
 objects
 colours
 atmosphere
 time of day
 weather

As a class, ask for suggestions of what students could say about the photograph for each of the
headings, e.g. ‘A teenage girl is in the kitchen making a cake. She looks like she is enjoying it.’
Point out that the best answers link these ideas; ask a volunteer to put them together into a longer
sentence, e.g. ‘A teenage girl is in the kitchen and she looks like she is enjoying making a cake’.

6. Give students Handout 1 and put them into pairs to add their own ideas under each heading. Ask
if there are other things in the photographs the students could mention (e.g. the clothes people
are wearing)

7. Explain that they are now going to do the task. One student reads out the instructions. Their
partner describes the photograph in as much detail as possible, using the ideas on the board and
on the handout. Time the students for one minute. The listening student should pay attention and
identify one good thing and one weaker thing about how their partner organises their ideas. (
Students might need a demonstration/example of this first). Monitor the students’ performance
and language and take a few notes for feedback later. You could also choose to focus on the
same assessment criterion, i.e. Discourse Management.

8. Ask the listening student to give their feedback to their partner, and it is to be as positive or
constructive as possible.

9. The students change roles so that the other student is speaking about the same photograph.
They should speak as fully as possible about the picture. Their partner reads out the instructions
then listens carefully to identify points for feedback, as in step 7. This time ask the speaking
student to focus on their range of vocabulary. Time the students for one minute and monitor the
students’ performance and language and take a few notes for feedback later, with you focusing on
just range of vocabulary of the full Grammar and Vocabulary criterion.

10. After a minute, the listening partner gives their feedback. You could give your feedback now or
later.

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11. Explain that they are now going to do the same with another photograph. Hand out the other
photograph and ask students if there is a common theme between the two photos (–no). Explain
that the photos don’t share a theme. Direct students to Handout 1 again. Put students in pairs to
brainstorm and make notes on the headings in Activity 1 for this photograph.

12. Give students Handout 2 (useful phrases) and review the meaning, form and pronunciation of
the phrases. Describe the first photograph yourself using some of the phrases to show how they
can be used in the task.

13. Ask students to choose a few phrases they would like to use in their speaking about this
photograph and think about how they will use them.

14. Change the pairs of students so that each student speaks to a new partner. Repeat steps 7,8,
9 and 10 for this photograph.

15. Finish off with language feedback, then ask students to talk about their hobbies and interests
and why with their partner. Open class feedback on same.

Suggested follow-up activities

 Ask students to bring in their own photographs and repeat the activity. This activity makes
a good warmer or filler once students are accustomed to what to do.
 Play a video of a sample Part 2 or show students the audio script of one and ask them to
read it.
 Students can do a mock test in groups of four with one student acting as an examiner
asking them questions and another student acting as the assessor giving them marks for
each of their answers in phase 2. Students should take turns in being the assessor and
interlocutor (examiner).

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Answer key
Student handout 1
Photograph 1

Place This photo shows a kitchen.

The girl is a teenager, she could be around 15. She has got long
black hair and is wearing a patterned dress. There is a woman next
People
to her, she could be her mum. She has got short black wavy hair
and is wearing a t-shirt and a pair of jeans.
Activity They are standing at kitchen table baking.
The room is very tidy. There’s an iPad on the table with some
cooking things behind it. There is a mixture of eggs and flour and a
Objects
knife on the table. Behind them on the kitchen worktop, there’s a
teapot and scales. There is a cupboard with more in it.
Colours The walls are white and the kitchen cupboards are too.
They both look very relaxed and interested in the baking. The room
Atmosphere
is very tidy so it looks like a peaceful place.
It could be morning or afternoon because you can see their
Time of day
reflection in the cooker.
Weather They are both wearing short sleeves so it might be warm

Photograph 2

Place This photo shows a living room.

The boy looks about 14. He has short brown hair and he is sitting in
People
front of a coffee table.
The boy is watching football on TV. He’s looking at the screen very
Activity
carefully so he might be a supporter of the football team playing.
There are some pictures on the walls. There are 3 remote controls,
Objects one for the play station and one for the stereo player. Also, on the
coffee table is a pen and paper and a candle and some decorations.
The boy is wearing a white t-shirt. There’s a red leather couch.
Colours
There are lots of light brown colours from all the wood in the room.
The room looks clean. The boy is sitting forward so he must be
Atmosphere
excited about the football match.
Time of day It’s daytime as there is some light shining on the floor.
Weather The boy is wearing a t-shirt so it might be warm.

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B1 Preliminary for Schools Speaking Part 2
Student handout 1

Look at Photograph 1, and think about these points. Note down your ideas

Place

People

Activity

Objects

Colours

Atmosphere

Time of day

Weather

Now look at Photograph 2, and think about these points. Note down your ideas

Place

People

Activity

Objects

Colours

Atmosphere

Time of day

Weather

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B1 Preliminary for Schools Speaking Part 2
Student handout 2

Study the following useful phrases for Part 2. Try to use them when you are practising Part 2
speaking.

Saying what you can see:

In the picture, I can see…
There’s …
There are …
I think it’s …
I don’t think …

Describing something:
It looks like … (+ noun)
It looks quite… (+ adjective)
He looks… (+ adjective)
The girl looks a bit … (+ adjective)

Saying where something is:

In the foreground there’s …
In the background you can see …
On the left …
On the right …
At the bottom …
In the corner …
In the middle …

Comparing things:
The girl looks much older than the boy.
The yellow car is the biggest.
The mother isn’t as pretty as the baby.

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B1 Preliminary for Schools Speaking Part 2
Sample task

Photograph 1

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Photograph 2

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© UCLES 2019. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made.
For further information see our Terms and Conditions.
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