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New Ecpe Speaking Test Functional Language Candidate Guidelines Final Version

The document provides information about the new ECPE Speaking Test, including guidelines for candidates. It summarizes that the test evaluates candidates on discourse and interaction, linguistic resources, and delivery through a decision-making task completed in pairs. The document then lists functional language organized by common functions that candidates will need to display during the test, such as asking and answering questions about interests, expressing opinions, and dealing with doubts. It concludes by outlining guidelines for how candidates should conduct themselves, which includes listening carefully, seeking clarification, and avoiding copying directly from provided materials.

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224 views

New Ecpe Speaking Test Functional Language Candidate Guidelines Final Version

The document provides information about the new ECPE Speaking Test, including guidelines for candidates. It summarizes that the test evaluates candidates on discourse and interaction, linguistic resources, and delivery through a decision-making task completed in pairs. The document then lists functional language organized by common functions that candidates will need to display during the test, such as asking and answering questions about interests, expressing opinions, and dealing with doubts. It concludes by outlining guidelines for how candidates should conduct themselves, which includes listening carefully, seeking clarification, and avoiding copying directly from provided materials.

Uploaded by

warujim
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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New ECPE Speaking Test:

Functional Language

&

Candidate Guidelines

Functional Language

2

The new ECPE Speaking Test has been designed to elicit spoken language representative
of Level C2 of the CEFR. Candidates work in pairs to complete a decision-making task.
In the new ECPE Speaking Test candidates are evaluated in three main areas:
Discourse and Interaction (Development, Functional Range, and Listening Comprehension)
Linguistic Resources (Range and Accuracy)
Delivery and Intelligibility
This booklet provides candidates with a useful list of functional language that they will need to display
throughout the Speaking Test. However, candidates need to be cautioned that they also need to use the
functional language correctly and appropriately and to pay attention to what language follows such expressions.
The guidelines at the end of this booklet describe how candidates should conduct themselves during the
Speaking Test.
















Functional Language

3

Asking Yes/No Questions about interests and likes
Are you interested in/ keen on ?
Do you like/enjoy ?
Do you take much interest in ?
Do you have any favorite ?
Have you got any favourite ?


Answering Yes/No Questions about interests and
likes
Yes, actually/ as a matter of fact I do/I am
Oh, I love !
Well, as a matter of fact
actually/ to be honest
I prefer
I am rather more into/ interested in
No, I dont particularly enjoy

Asking WH- Questions about interests and likes
What are / is your favorite ?
What kind of do you like (best)?
enjoy most?
enjoy?

What kind of are you interested in?
keen on?


Answering WH-Questions about interests and likes
I am rather interested in
quite keen on

I rather like
quite enjoy

Oh, I like very much.



Asking for opinions
What do you think about/of ?
How do you find/feel about ?
What are you views concerning ?
feelings regarding ?
What do/would you suggest?
What/How about ?
What would you say about/ to ?
How does the idea of appeal to you?
Would/Will it be a good idea if/to ?
Wouldnt/Dont you agree that ?


Expressing Opinions
Personally/Frankly I think that
What I think is that
Its (quite) clear (to me) that
I feel
Its obvious that
In my opinion
As far as I am concerned
The way I look at it
It seems / appears to me
If you ask me
As far as I can tell
To my mind
To the best of my knowledge
Im quite sure that

Functional Language

4

Asking for clarification
Could you explain what you mean by ?
What do you mean?
Im sorry but Im not clear about
Im not sure I understand that/follow you.





Giving clarification
Well, what Im trying to say is that
all saying

What I really meant was
mean is

What Im really saying/trying to say is
Sorry, let me explain it more clearly
in another way
better
Let me put it in another way


Expressing Agreement
I couldnt agree more.
I agree entirely.
Thats exactly what I think.
Id go along with you on that.
I think you have an interesting point.





Expressing disagreement
I honestly dont see why
I dont think there is any need to
Im not sure I quite agree/Ill go along with
you there/on that.
I dont think it would be advisable to
Yes, but on the other hand
Yes, but youve got to remember that
Well, to be quite honest
I am afraid that
Isnt it possible that ?
What will happen if ?

Expressing doubt
I take/see your point but
I see what you mean but
I agree with you on the whole but
But dont you think/see that ?
Thats true I suppose but
Thats an interesting point of
view/comment but
Well, you have a point there but
Might it not also be true that ?

Dealing with doubts and objections
You neednt worry about
Look at it in another way
This may seem impossible/improbable to
you but



Functional Language

5

Introducing a point
Im sure/convinced that
It seems quite clear/obvious that
Wouldnt you agree/admit/say that
The first/basic problem seems to be/ is
Introducing an opposite point
I take/see your point but
Possible/True, Yes, but
On the other hand
Looking at it from another point of view

Buying time: fillers
Well
Um / er
Actually
You know/ see
I see.
I/ you mean
As a matter of fact
Lets see (now).
Now let me think/see.
Ill have to think about it.
Frankly,
To be (quite) honest/frank,
In fact,
I wonder
The thing is
Its like this, you see
What Im trying to say is
What I would say is
Lets put it this way
Ill tell you what

Saying things in other words/ Defining
People
Its a person who works in
someone you can find in
somebody who is known for
who

Places
Its a place where

Time
Its the time when

Things
Its something similar to
like
made of

Its a kind/ type of

Its a thing that is used to
an object for

People use it to
for

Giving Reasons
This is why we have decided . . .
The main reason is . . .
Another equally important reason
Our decision is
Therefore, we strongly believe



Highlighting
In fact,
As a matter of fact
In particular / Particularly

Pinpointing the reference (for Examiner 2)
You mentioned
Could I go back to the point you made
about ?
I was interested in your comments on
You stated that
Candidate Guidelines

6


Listen carefully to your partner/examiner
Try to respond appropriately to your
partner/examiner
Provide coherent and elaborate responses
throughout
Speak at a normal rate of delivery
throughout
Seek and provide clarification when
necessary
Ask for information to be repeated when
necessary
Try to display a range of appropriate
vocabulary and grammar structures

Avoid looking at your partners handout
during Stages 2-3
Organize and connect well the features
under each option
Paraphrase the features of each one of your
options by using your own language as
much as possible
Avoid repeating language already produced
or provided
Try to use appropriate register
Try to self-correct

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