The Interactive Communication Skill

The Speaking Paper of the Cambridge First exam offers opportunities to talk with your partner without the intervention of the examiner. Those are moments when you are in total control of your say, the turn-taking, initiating and responding for about 3 minutes.

There are phrases that add up to making it all fluent and natural. Without those phrases, we sound like words read aloud from a book. You need to make a bit of effort to acquire them, These are expressions that range from:

• agreeing
• disagreeing
• asking for an opinion
• asking for clarification
• rephrasing
• summing up

Here is a presentation that lists quite a few examples:

Useful expressions you should use in the speaking part of the FCE or IELTS exam from Emily Telcuk

Perhaps one the challenges when using these expressions is not feeling like an actor or actress performing a part. Think of what you say in your own language instead of the English words. Mind you, I do not mean you should attempt a word-for-word translation. What needs translating is the situation. What do you say instead?

Once you are aware of what you naturally say in those situations, it is only a question of practising and directing your attention to those colloquial links in our interactions. Having interactive skills means you can effortlessly initiate, respond and react to what your partner is saying. Remember the old adage: practice makes perfect!