CELPIP Speaking 8 to 9: Worked Audio Examples

Sam, I think you should prepare well for the meeting. It is important to know what you are going to say. You could write your points down and practise them. If you practise, you will feel better because you will know the talk. You should also try to be confident. People at the meeting probably want to hear your ideas, so you should not be too worried about them. You can speak slowly so they understand. If you forget something, look at your notes and then continue. I think the most important thing is to practise and not worry too much. You know your topic, so I am sure you can give a good talk.

Sam, you already know the topic, so I'd focus on making it easy to find your place. First, put three headings on a small card, with one example under each. That gives you a route through the talk without a full script to read. Second, rehearse out loud with a timer. Ask a friend to interrupt with a question once, then practise returning to the next heading. That way, a small interruption on the day won't feel completely new. Finally, plan a simple recovery line, like, 'Let me come back to the main point.' If you lose your place, pause, glance at the card, and use that line instead of apologising repeatedly. You don't need to remember every word. You need to help the neighbours follow your three ideas. Try one rehearsal tonight, then adjust any section where you keep getting stuck.

I remember learning to mend a small hole in a bag. I did not really know how to do it, so I asked a friend. At first it was difficult because the thread kept getting tangled. My friend showed me what to do and then I tried again. It was much easier after that. I worked on the bag for a while and eventually the hole was closed. I was very happy because I could use the bag again. It was a useful experience, and I learned that it is good to ask someone when you do not understand something. My friend was patient, which helped me a lot.

Last winter, I tried to mend a hole in my canvas shopping bag. I'd watched a video, but my thread kept turning into a knot. A friend noticed that I was pulling a very long piece through the fabric each time. She cut it shorter and showed me how to hold the bag flat while I made small stitches. That was the turning point: I could finally see where the needle needed to go. The finished repair was a little crooked, but it held when I filled the bag with groceries. I felt pleased rather than embarrassed about asking for help. One clear explanation had solved a problem that repeated attempts hadn't.

Hi Alex, I wanted to talk about the bookshelf. I know you said you cannot collect it today, but a week is quite a long time. I need the space in my room, and another neighbour said they could come tomorrow. So I think I will give it to them. I hope that is okay because it is a bit difficult for me to keep it here. I understand that you are busy, but I am busy too, and I need to get the room sorted out. Sorry about that. Maybe you can find another bookshelf somewhere else. I hope you understand what I mean.

Alex, I'm sorry the collection has become difficult. I need the bookshelf out of the room tomorrow, so I've decided to offer it to the neighbour who can collect it then. I realise you were expecting to have it, and I should have made the deadline clearer when we first spoke. Keeping it for another week would leave the room unusable while I rearrange it, so I can't agree to that delay. If you'd like, I can send you the link to our building's exchange group; there are often similar items there. I know that's not the same as having this one reserved, but I wanted to tell you directly before I confirmed the other collection.

I think people should reserve picnic tables because it would be more organised. At the moment, people might arrive and find that all the tables are taken, which is disappointing. If they booked a table, they would know they had somewhere to sit. It would also be fair because everybody could use the booking system. Some people might not want to book because they decide to go to the park at the last minute. However, I think planning is important, especially when a place is very popular. There could be a website where people choose a time. It would be convenient, and it would stop people from being disappointed. Overall, I think booking is a good idea.

I'd support reservations for some of the busiest picnic tables, provided others remained available without booking. For a group travelling across town, knowing that one table is reserved makes a real difference. They can bring food without worrying that everyone will have to balance plates on their knees. A time limit would also stop one group from claiming a table for the entire day when they only need it for lunch. However, a booking system is not automatically fair. Someone without reliable internet access could be excluded, and an empty reserved table would frustrate people already in the park. I'd therefore allow phone bookings and release a table if the group hadn't arrived within fifteen minutes. Keeping a few tables unreserved would protect spontaneous visits too. This would give planned outings some certainty while leaving the park useful to people who simply decide to stop by.