CELPIP Tips: Speaking Task 7
The next CELPIP Speaking task asks test-takers to give their opinion about a specific topic. Learn more about Task 7 and practice expressing your opinion!
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CELPIP candidates tend to have mixed feelings about this task. Some find it a little easier because you can use your thoughts and ideas to express your opinion about a topic, including examples from your life or from stories you’ve heard. Because you don’t have to look at photos or choose an option, you can use the preparation time to start organizing your response.
On the other hand, this task only allows 30 seconds to prepare your response and then speak you’ll have to speak for 90 seconds which is longer than most of the other questions! Additionally, it can sometimes be difficult to express our opinions due to cultural and language barriers.
The most important thing is to practice expressing your opinion as much as possible and to include a combination of personal opinions, general or cultural opinions, and comparative or conflicting opinions in addition to specific examples.
Let’s look at an example below!
Speaking Task 7: Expressing Opinions
Preparation: 30 seconds
Recording: 90 seconds
Question: Do you think that high school students should be allowed to use smart phones in the classroom? Explain your reasons.
“In my opinion, high school students should not be allowed to have access to their smart phones during class time because it can distract them from their studies. Smart phone addiction is a serious problem these days especially for the younger generation. Although having a smart phone is a great way to connect with others and to learn new things, it is not suitable for the classroom.
Of course, students can learn a lot from the internet because it’s an invaluable tool for researching and working on assignments such as class projects and essays. However, the internet can also be accessed through computers and laptops which could allow the school to control the settings. In other words, I believe that it is appropriate to have computers with internet access in classrooms as long as students can’t access their social media accounts during class.
Furthermore, smart phones can make teenagers feel isolated from others, and high school is not only an important time for educational and academic development, it is also a crucial time for social development. Additionally, it is disrespectful to the teacher if students are looking at their smart phones while the teacher is trying to teach them. By focusing on class lessons without distractions, high school students can use their critical thinking skills to understand the lessons and to participate in discussions.
High school also prepares teenagers for the real world and it’s important for them to build professional skills for their future careers. One way to do this is to practice active listening which will teach teenagers how to be engaged during class, and in the future, during work meetings, for example. Another thing to recognize is the importance of keeping our personal lives, including social media, separate from our professional lives.”