English Training

EngGraded Examinations in Spoken English
Sample interactive prompts – Intermediate stage (Grades 7-9)

The Interactive phase – GESE Intermediate Stage (Grades 7-9)
The purpose of the Interactive phase is for candidates to demonstrate their ability to take control over and maintain the interaction while expressing the language functions of the grade. • In the Interactive phase, the emphasis isplaced upon the candidate’s ability to use functional language rather than upon the accurate use of the grammatical structures listed for the grade. In addition to general functions such as requesting information, some of the language functions listed for the particular grade should arise naturally from each task prompt. Therefore, candidates must be able to understand and use the languagefunctions of the grade to take a full part in the exchange. It is important that, once the examiner has set up the situation, the candidate takes responsibility for the interaction by asking questions and commenting on the examiner’s responses. The interaction will take the form of multiple turns, with the examiner’s turns being much shorter than those of the candidate. In some cases the interaction mayinvolve role play but the examiner and candidate are free to ‘be themselves’ so as to create as authentic an exchange as possible. In the Interactive phase, the responsibility for maintaining the interaction is the candidate’s. If a candidate fails to maintain the interaction of this phase, the examiner will not intervene and take control. In such a case, the phase will not extend to the fullfour minutes and the candidate’s performance will not be rated highly. Candidates may ask the examiner to repeat the initial oral prompt if necessary. Those responsible for preparing candidates for the Interactive phase are strongly advised to help them practise: • question formations using the grammatical structures of the preceding grades • expressing the functions of the grade in a variety of ways• holding conversations which naturally result in the use of the language functions of the grade • strategies to maintain the flow of conversation • taking the initiative and controlling the direction of the conversation.

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On the following pages are some SAMPLE interactive prompts for the Intermediate stage. Please note these are samples and will NOT be used in an actualexamination. At each Grade, the examiner will introduce this phase by saying: ‘For the next part, I'll tell you something. Then, you have to ask me questions to find out more information and make comments. You need to keep the conversation going. After four minutes, I'll end the conversation. Are you ready?’

Grade 7 – Sample Interactive Prompts
1. When I was little, I used to do all kinds ofhobbies. Now I'd like to find a new hobby which would help me to meet some different people. (Possible functions: describing past habits, eliciting further information and expansion of ideas and opinions, making suggestions) 2. My local college has a wonderful range of courses and I want to do something, but I’m not sure which one to take. (Possible functions: eliciting further information andexpansion of ideas and opinions, making suggestions, giving advice and highlighting advantages and disadvantages) 3. While I was walking around yesterday evening, I found something which might be quite valuable and I’m not sure what to do with it. (Possible functions: eliciting further information and expansion of ideas and opinions, expressing possibility and uncertainty, giving advice andhighlighting advantages and disadvantages, making suggestions) 4. I used to enjoy visiting zoos, but then I saw something one day that made me feel differently. (Possible functions: describing past habits, expressing agreement and disagreement, eliciting further information and expansion of ideas and opinions) 5. I saw my neighbour’s daughter stealing from a shop recently. I’m not sure what to do....