- What should I say if I don’t know anything about the topic?
- What should I say if I don’t have any relevant experiences?
We hope to show in this lesson that you can still talk about a topic that you are not familiar with.
Exercise 1
Which candidate answers the question better?
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Exercise 2
Which speaker…
- don’t give a short one sentence answer.
- explain why you can’t directly answer the question. (why don’t you have any experiences connected to the question / why don’t you like the topic).
- give your opinions / experiences connected to the topic.
- use interesting vocabulary.
- use a mix of simple and complex sentences.
- sound interested in what you say.
- use positive body language, such as keeping eye contact, to show the examiner that you are interested in answering the question effectively.
- remember you can still give a band 9 answer, even if you don’t know anything about the topic.
Exercise 3
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| 1. | – a phrase that indicates you are giving additional information about what you have just said. |
| 2. | – a phrase that indicates you are being truthful but think you may disappoint the listener with your answer. |
| 3. | –a phrase that indicates you are giving a conclusion. |
| 4. | – a question which you think the listener has, and which you will now answer. |
Speaker ONE
Examiner:
Let’s talk about television. What kinds of programs do you like?
Speaker 1:
Well, um.. I don’t watch TV … I can’t answer that question.
Narrator:
Speaker TWO
Examiner:
Let’s talk about television. What kinds of programs do you like?
Speaker 2:
I don’t like most of the things on TV and to be honest, I very rarely watch anything on TV. In fact, I haven’t had a TV since I lived at home with my parents as I think the quality of most programs is very low. People often wonder how I find out the news or watch sporting events, well, in this day and age, everything we need in terms of media is online. I get my news online and I pay to have access to sports events through an internet provider. I particularly like to watch big international games of football. I don’t miss the TV because I can get what I need on the internet and most of the time when I get home from work in the evening I am happier reading a book or chatting with friends than watching a screen. All in all, I think life is better without having a TV in my living room.
