B2 First Listening and Speaking: task practice
Listening and Speaking are the two papers candidates prepare least and lose most on. Listening rewards knowing what a distractor sounds like and writing exactly what you hear; Speaking rewards interaction and fluency far more than perfect grammar. Each topic below takes one task and gives you the language and the routine it needs.
What this paper asks of you
- Recognising paraphrase in speech, where the answer rarely uses the words on the page.
- Spotting correction and contrast markers: actually, in fact, although, to be honest.
- Predicting what kind of word or idea a gap or question needs before the recording starts.
- Writing answers exactly as heard, with correct spelling, in the sentence completion task.
- Using the two hearings differently: the first to answer, the second to confirm and fill gaps.
- Speaking at length without prompting, which is what the long turn assesses.
- Interacting: inviting, agreeing, disagreeing politely and building on a partner’s idea.
- Comparing and speculating rather than simply describing.
- Managing a discussion towards a decision within the time given.
- Keeping going when you do not know a word, by paraphrasing rather than stopping.
Task types, one page each
- Listening multiple choiceB2 First listening multiple-choice practice: handle the long interview in Part 4, predict answers, spot distractors and use both hearings, with forty items.40 questions
- Sentence completionB2 First sentence completion practice for Listening Part 2: predict the word, write exactly what you hear, and avoid the spelling and grammar traps.40 questions
- Listening multiple matchingB2 First listening multiple matching practice for Part 3: match five speakers to statements by gist, handle overlapping options and use both hearings.40 questions
- Collaborative taskB2 First collaborative task practice for Speaking Part 3: discuss the written prompts with your partner, negotiate and reach a decision, with forty items.40 questions
- The long turnB2 First long turn practice for Speaking Part 2: compare two photographs, answer the printed question and speculate for a minute, with language and forty items.40 questions
Note
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