Workshop
BEC Preliminary Speaking
Christopher Hubbard
Senior Assessment Manager
Cambridge English
Today we will…
• overview BEC P and V Speaking tests
• Identify key elements of performance for
different tasks
• focus on preparing candidates for the test
• Discuss any other questions/issues you have
An overview of BEC Speaking
Level
Parts
Time
BEC Preliminary
B1
3
12/14
minutes
BEC Vantage
B2
3
14/20
minutes
BEC Higher
C1
3
16/22
minutes
BEC Preliminary
Part
Interaction
1
C
I
Timing
Content
about 2
minutes
personal information
and opinions
about 5
minutes
a chosen businessrelated topic
about 5
minutes
a business-related
situation
C
2
3
C
I
C
C
I
BEC Vantage
Part
Interaction
1
C
I
Timing
about 3
minutes
personal information
and opinions.
Present, past and
future
about 6
minutes
a chosen businessrelated topic
about 5
minutes
a business-related
situation
C
2
3
C
I
C
C
I
Content
The focus of Part 1
Focus on general
interaction and social
language
Functions
talking about yourself
expressing personal
opinions
Giving personal information.
Talking about present
circumstances, past
experiences and future plans
Functions
talking about yourself
expressing personal opinions
Part 1 – what should I do?
• give factual information, varied times/tenses
• produce clear pronunciation
• express preferences
• agree and disagree
• express and justify opinions
• give personal information
• use business vocabulary
COMMUNICATION / MARKETING / STAFF
Question and Answer
Classroom Activity for Part 1
Part 2
Organising a larger unit of discourse. Approx. 1 minute
Functions
Giving information
Expressing/justify opinions
What is important when…?
What is important when…?
Attending a conference
Selecting staff for promotion
•Topics
•Venue
•Cost
•Attitude to work
•Current performance
•
Planning
Classroom Activity for Part 2
Part 2 planning
select topic
decide which points to discuss
write ideas/key words
reasons
paraphrase
Showing range
Classroom Activity for Part 2
Part 2 showing range
Grammar and Vocabulary
B2
 Shows a good degree of control of simple grammatical forms, and
attempts some complex grammatical forms.
 Uses appropriate vocabulary to give and exchange views, on a range of
familiar topics.
B1
 Shows a good degree of control of simple grammatical forms.
 Uses a range of appropriate vocabulary when talking about familiar
topics.
Discourse Management
 Produces extended stretches of language despite some hesitation.
 Contributions are relevant and there is very little repetition.
 Uses a range of cohesive devices.
 Produces responses which are extended beyond short phrases, despite
hesitation.
 Contributions are mostly relevant, but there may be some repetition.
 Uses basic cohesive devices.
Organising a meeting
It’s important to
Picking up good habits
Classroom Activity for Part 2
Part 3
turn-taking
agreeing and/or disagreeing
negotiation
suggesting
collaborating
speculating
exchanging information
comparing and contrasting
expressing & justifying opinions
decision-making
A large company is choosing some gifts to promote their company.
Which three would be most suitable?
calendar
diary
wall clock
t-shirt
calculator
pens
golf umbrella
baseball caps
Part 3
Let’s analyse the task:
- What are candidates asked to do?
- What should they try to avoid?
- What should they do if partner doesn’t say
much?
- What is the best way of achieving this?
So, what type of information would you choose?
Okay, er…er…I would include information about the company and
also about, er, the ?own? staff of the company, in order to keep the
employees involved in the current development of the enterprise.
yeah
Yeah, I think it’s also, er, important to speak about the results of the
company to motivate the…employees and, yeah, to let them know
that…
Yeah, I understand. And as well, the contribution of each employee
to the enterprise performance. Yeah.
Um, regarding the type of the staff, I think..er…er, all people in the
enterprise should be involved in this, in this internal magazine.
Yeah. Because, er, it, er, ?where it is?....er….better…er…better
performance of each employee in the enterprise.
…exactly…
…yeah…
Yeah, they should all be able to give any idea to influence the
<content> of the newspaper, of the <magazine>, because all are
important and if you talk about things that they are interested in, it
will be more efficient, a better magazine.
Yeah, you could include something like the employee of the week,
or the employee of the month to motivate them…erm…erm…things
regarding the environment of the enterprise, think that is also
important.
Also speak about the concurrency to…see if the company has a
good…result comparing to the others.
Erm…it’s also important to speak about the contribution of the
enterprise to the environment, er, to the society; the things they are
doing for most of the people, not only the things they are doing for
them.
I think so too…to make all the people interested in the magazine
you can speak about general topics relating to your for instance
your products…products as a company.
Interactive Communication
Initiates and responds appropriately.
Maintains and develops the interaction and negotiates towards an outcome with very
little support.
Initiates and responds appropriately.
Keeps the interaction going with very little prompting and support.
Initiating and
Responding
Initiating: starting a new turn by introducing a new idea or a new development of
the current topic.
Responding: replying or reacting to what the other candidate or the interlocutor
has said.
Prompting and
Supporting
Prompting: instances when the interlocutor repeats, or uses a backup prompt or
gesture in order to get the candidate to respond or make a further contribution.
Supporting: instances when one candidate helps another candidate, e.g. by
providing a word they are looking for during a discussion activity, or helping them
develop an idea.
Taking turns
Classroom Activity for Part 3
Staff Magazine
Your company is planning to introduce an internal magazine to keep staff informed
of company developments.
You have been asked to help plan the staff magazine.
Discuss the situation together and decide:

what type of information to include in the magazine

which type of staff should contribute to the magazine.
Tips for Part 3
• Best candidates develop what their partner says
• Candidates who dominate are penalised
• Candidates should make full use of the
2 minutes
• Always ask for instructions to be repeated
if unsure
Extra teaching activities
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Speed interview
In-house magazine
Vocabulary building
Pronunciation
Devil’s Advocate
Hypothetical situations
Minimal pairs
How is BEC Speaking marked?
• Analytical Scales
• Global Achievement Scale
Workbook pages 21-29 show scales and
glossary of terms
Support for teachers

Teacher Support Websites
http://www.cambridgeenglishteacher.org/
https://www.teachers.cambridgeesol.org/ts/
Free resources - lesson plans, handbooks etc.
Exam discussion forums
Teacher tips

Publications for exam preparation
Past Paper Packs
Speaking Test Preparation Packs
Top Tips Series for candidates

Seminars and conferences
Further information
University of Cambridge
Cambridge English Language Assessment
1 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB1 2EU, UK
Email: Helpdesk@CambridgeEnglish.org
Keep up to date with what’s new via the Cambridge ESOL website:
www.CambridgeEnglish.org