The ECPE Speaking Section lets test takers demonstrate their ability to ask and answer questions; orally explain and paraphrase written descriptions of people, places, or things; provide recommendations; negotiate a decision; present a position or decision; and justify a position or decision. The five stages of the test build on each other; as the test progresses, the linguistic and interactional demands become increasingly more challenging.
Here are some articles/vocabulary to study on various topics (Click on the links below):
Functional Language for all 5 stages of the ECPE Speaking test
Stage 2
Student A
Ok let me tell you about my two options
Let’s see…
First, there is …..
It says here….
It also says that…..
The only drawback is ….
That’s all the information I have about the ……..course
Now let me tell you about the other option…
So those are my options, Which one do you think sounds best?
Student B
Well, If I were you, I’d go for the first option you told me about, the…….
Stage 3
Student A
So we need to make our final choice of who we’re going to recommend for the position of….. The candidate/option I chose is…. And the one you chose is… So let’s compare the two
Let’s look at their qualifications… / the location / the price / the facilities
I see what you are saying… but we shouldn’t attach too much importance to academic credentials alone..
The way I see it sometimes (experience)_ can be just as crucial as ,,,,,
Do you think …… is something we should consider when choosing ……
Both of them…..
…… is better at…. This is something we should take into consideration when choosing ….because….
One difference is…
We need someone who is………
So it looks like we’ve decided that …. is our final choice right
It’s a tough choice though, isn’t it?
Planning Stage 4 ( two minutes given – this part is not scored )
Talk together to decide which two bullet points (reasons) each one of you is going to cover and help each other with ideas of how you are going to justify these reasons (supporting details)
Decide who is going to start the presentation. Don’t forget an introduction (Student A) and a conclusion (Student B)
Stage 4
Student A
After careful consideration, we have come to the conclusion that….is the most suitable…. for …….
or
My partner and I were impressed by this option for a number of reasons…
The first reason why we believe X would be the best option is.. This would mean that…. It would benefit our company …..
Equally important is the fact that this…..
A second factor that played a role in our decision is …..
Another advantage is the fact that… More specifically……
And now my partner (name) will continue with 2 more points in favor of…. or
Student B
Apart from the points that ..(your partner’s name)…mentioned there are two other reasons why we selected……
A third factor that played a role in our decision was that ….. what this means is that…..
OR
One more reason why we believe X would be the best choice is…. By this, I mean that…
We also considered it important that……
A final reason is that…. This would certainly be an asset for … OR
The final point we took into account when making our decision was that….
We believe it is important that …. should/can
As we all know…..
We, therefore believe that for all these reasons, the fact that …a …b… c… d… X would certainly be the best choice for… OR
So those were the main reasons that my partner and I would like to recommend that you choose …….. for ….
Stage 5
I understand your concern regarding…..
I do understand what you mean….
It might seem as a problem but the way we see it is…..
That is certainly a potential drawback of this option, I would say, however…. We could…. for example…..
One of the most common requirements of Business English is holding meetings in English. The following sections provide useful language and phrases for conducting meetings and making contributions to a meeting.
source : Beare, Kenneth. (2020, August 27). Phrases for Performing Well in Business Meetings.
Good morning/afternoon, everyone. If we are all here, let’s get started / start the meeting / start.
Welcoming and Introducing
Please join me in welcoming (name of participant) We’re pleased to welcome (name of participant) I’d like to extend a warm welcome to (name of participant) It’s a pleasure to welcome (name of participant) I’d like to introduce (name of participant)
Stating the Principal Objectives
We’re here today to … I’d like to make sure that we … Our main aim today is to … I’ve called this meeting in order to …
Giving Apologies for Someone Who is Absent
I’m afraid.., (name of participant) can’t be with us today. She is in… Unfortunately, (name of participant) … will not be with us to day because he … I have received apologies for absence from (name of participant), who is in (place).
Reading the Minutes (notes) of the Last Meeting
To begin with I’d like to quickly go through the minutes of our last meeting. First, let’s go over the report from the last meeting, which was held on (date) Here are the minutes from our last meeting, which was on (date)
Dealing with Recent Developments
Jack, can you tell us how the XYZ project is progressing? Jack, how is the XYZ project coming along? John, have you completed the report on the new accounting package? Has everyone received a copy of the Tate Foundation report on current marketing trends?
Moving Forward
So, if there is nothing else we need to discuss, let’s move on to today’s agenda. Shall we get down to business? Is there Any Other Business? If there are no further developments, I’d like to move on to today’s topic.
Introducing the Agenda
Have you all received a copy of the agenda? There are X items on the agenda. First, … second, … third, … lastly, … Shall we take the points in this order? If you don’t mind, I’d like to go in order today. skip item 1 and move on to item 3 I suggest we take item 2 last.
Allocating Roles (secretary, participants)
(name of participant) has agreed to take the minutes. (name of participant), would you mind taking the minutes? (name of participant) has kindly agreed to give us a report on … (name of participant) will lead point 1, (name of participant) point 2, and (name of participant) point 3. (name of participant), would you mind taking notes today?
Agreeing on the Ground Rules for the Meeting (contributions, timing, decision-making, etc.)
We will first hear a short report on each point first, followed by a discussion of … I suggest we go round the table first. Let’s make sure we finish by … I’d suggest we … There will be five minutes for each item. We’ll have to keep each item to 15 minutes. Otherwise we’ll never get through.
Introducing the First Item on the Agenda
So, let’s start with … I’d suggest we start with… Why don’t we start with… So, the first item on the agenda is Pete, would you like to kick off? Shall we start with … (name of participant), would you like to introduce this item?
Closing an Item
I think that takes care of the first item. Shall we leave that item? Why don’t we move on to… If nobody has anything else to add, lets …
Next Item
Let’s move onto the next item Now that we’ve discussed X, let’s now … The next item on today’s agenda is… Now we come to the question of.
Giving Control to the Next Participant
I’d like to hand over to (name of participant), who is going to lead the next point. Next, (name of participant) is going to take us through … Now, I’d like to introduce (name of participant) who is going to …
Summarizing
Before we close today’s meeting, let me just summarize the main points. Let me quickly go over today’s main points. To sum up, …,. OK, why don’t we quickly summarize what we’ve done today. In brief, … Shall I go over the main points?
Keeping the Meeting On Target (time, relevance, decisions)
We’re running short of time. Well, that seems to be all the time we have today. Please be brief. I’m afraid we’ve run out of time. I’m afraid that’s outside the scope of this meeting. Let’s get back on track, why don’t we? That’s not really why we’re here today. Why don’t we return to the main focus of today’s meeting. We’ll have to leave that to another time. We’re beginning to lose sight of the main point. Keep to the point, please. I think we’d better leave that for another meeting. Are we ready to make a decision?
Finishing Up
Right, it looks as though we’ve covered the main items. If there are no other comments, I’d like to wrap this meeting up. Let’s bring this to a close for today. Is there Any Other Business?
Suggesting and Agreeing on Time, Date and Place for the Next Meeting
Can we set the date for the next meeting, please? So, the next meeting will be on … (day), the . . . (date) of.. . (month) at … Let’s next meet on … (day), the . . . (date) of.. . (month) at … What about the following Wednesday? How is that?
Thanking Participants for Attending
I’d like to thank Marianne and Jeremy for coming over from London. Thank you all for attending. Thanks for your participation.
Closing the Meeting
The meeting is finished, we’ll see each other next … The meeting is closed. I declare the meeting closed.
Meeting Participation Vocabulary
The following phrases are used to participate in a meeting. These phrases are useful for expressing your ideas and giving input during a meeting.
Getting the Chairperson’s Attention
(Mister/Madam) chairman. May I have a word? If I may, I think… Excuse me for interrupting. May I come in here?
Giving Opinions
I’m positive that… I (really) feel that… In my opinion… The way I see things… If you ask me,… I tend to think that…
Asking for Opinions
Are you positive that… Do you (really) think that… (name of participant) can we get your input? How do you feel about…?
Commenting
That’s interesting. I never thought about it that way before. Good point! I get your point. I see what you mean.
Agreeing
I totally agree with you. Exactly! That’s (exactly) the way I feel. I have to agree with (name of participant).
Disagreeing
Unfortunately, I see it differently. Up to a point I agree with you, but… (I’m afraid) I can’t agree
Advising and Suggesting
Let’s… We should… Why don’t you…. How/What about… I suggest/recommend that…
Clarifying
Let me spell out… Have I made that clear? Do you see what I’m getting at? Let me put this another way… I’d just like to repeat that…
Requesting Information
Please, could you… I’d like you to… Would you mind… I wonder if you could…
Asking for Repetition
I’m afraid I didn’t understand that. Could you repeat what you just said? I didn’t catch that. Could you repeat that, please? I missed that. Could you say it again, please? Could you run that by me one more time?
Asking for Clarification
I don’t quite follow you. What exactly do you mean? I’m afraid I don’t quite understand what your are getting at. Could you explain to me how that is going to work? I don’t see what you mean. Could we have some more details, please?
Asking for Verification
You did say next week, didn’t you? (‘did’ is stressed) Do you mean that…? Is it true that…?
Asking for Spelling
Could you spell that, please? Would you mind spelling that for me, please?
Asking for Contributions
We haven’t heard from you yet, (name of participant). What do you think about this proposal? Would you like to add anything, (name of participant)? Has anyone else got anything to contribute? Are there any more comments?
Correcting Information
Sorry, I think you misunderstood what I said. Sorry, that’s not quite right. I’m afraid you don’t understand what I’m saying. That’s not quite what I had in mind. That’s not what I meant.
Meeting Format
Meetings generally follow a more or less similar structure and can be divided into the following parts:
I – Introductions
Opening the Meeting Welcoming and Introducing Participants Stating the Principal Objectives of a Meeting Giving Apologies for Someone Who is Absent
II – Reviewing Past Business
Reading the Minutes (notes) of the Last Meeting Dealing with Recent Developments
III – Beginning the Meeting
Introducing the Agenda Allocating Roles (secretary, participants) Agreeing on the Ground Rules for the Meeting (contributions, timing, decision-making, etc.)
IV – Discussing Items
Introducing the First Item on the Agenda Closing an Item Next Item Giving Control to the Next Participant
V – Finishing the Meeting
Summarizing Finishing Up Suggesting and Agreeing on Time, Date and Place for the Next Meeting Thanking Participants for Attending
Functional Language for all 5 stages of the ECPE Speaking test
Stage 2
Student A
Ok let me tell you about my two options
Lets see…
First there is …..
It says here….
It also says that…..
The only drawback is ….
That’s all the information I have about the ……..course
Now let me tell you about the other option…
So those are my options, Which one do you think sounds best?
Student B
Well, If I were you, I’d go for the first option you told me about , the…….
Stage 3
Student A
So we need to make our final choice of who we’re going to recommend for the position of….. The candidate/option I chose is…. And the one you chose is… So let’s compare the two
Let’s look at at the similarities…..
Let’s look at their qualifications… / the location / the price / the facilities
I see what your saying… but we shouldn’t attach too much importance to academic credentials alone..
The way I see it sometimes (experience)_ can be just as crucial as ,,,,,
Do you think …… is something we should consider when choosing ……
Both of them…..
…… is better at…. This is something we should take into consideration when choosing ….because….
One difference is…
We need someone who is………
So it looks like we’ve decided that …. is our final choice right
It’s a tough choice though, isn’t it?
Planning Stage 4 ( two minutes given – this part is not scored )
Talk together to decide which two bullet points (reasons) each one of you is going to cover and help each other with ideas of how you are going to justify these reasons (supporting details)
Decide who is going to start presentation. Don’t forget an introduction (Student A) and conclusion (Student B)
Stage 4
Student A
After careful consideration, we have come to the conclusion that….is the most suitable…. for …….
My partner and I where impressed by this option for a number of reasons…
The first reason why we believe X would be the best option is.. This would mean that…. It would benefit our company …..
Equally important is the fact that this…..
Another advantage is that fact that… By this I mean that……
And now my partner (name) will continue with 2 more points in favor of…. or
…. will continue with further detalis about our reasons for choosing this ….. to recommend to you
Student B
Another factor that played a role in our decision was that ….. what this means is that…..
One more reason why we believe X would be the best choice is…. By this I mean that…
We also considered it important that……
A final reason is that…. This would certainly be an asset for … OR
The final point we took into account when making our decision was that….
We believe it is important that …. should/can
As we all know…..
We, therefore believe that for all these reasons, the fact that …a …b… c… d… X would certainly be the best choice for… OR
So those were the main reasons that my partner and I would like to recommend that you choose …….. for ….
Stage 5
I understand your concern regarding…..
I do understand what you mean….
It might seem as a problem but the way we see it is…..
That is certainly a potential drawback of this option, I would say however…. We coud…. for example…..
It will involve one-on-one nutrition consultations
Developing and facilitating nutrition seminars
Recipe testing
Freelance writing
Researching blogs
Continuously be learning
Helping them implementing some changes that are going to improve their lifestyle
Job Profile – Nutritionist :
“If you are interested in healthy eating and want to help improve people’s wellbeing, this job could be perfect for you. Nutritionists need to be able to relate to people from all backgrounds. They need to inspire and motivate people. They also need a non-judgemental attitude. To become a nutritionist you will normally need an approved degree or postgraduate qualification, or a minimum of seven years’ experience in this field.
Skills, interests and qualities
To become a nutritionist, you will need to have:
excellent communication skills
the ability to relate to people from all backgrounds
a non-judgemental attitude
the ability to inspire and motivate people
a keen interest in healthy eating
good knowledge of the impact of diet on health
evaluation and reporting skills
good time management and organisation skills
the ability to work as part of a team and with other professionals”
[OLT] Getting to know the ECPE Speaking Test @ HAU
Vocabulary to learn after watching the video :
They are young and draw enormous crowds
They have rock star status
This is the new wave of rising stars
From bedroom producers and DJs to multimillionaires
The world’s number one ranked DJ
For the love of music
World tour
The biggest names at the moment
He currently commands 6 figures per gig
A new breed of young talent
He is quickly climbing the ranks of the DJ and Producing world
Making music in my bedroom
It’s a trend some can’t really explain
I was inspired by…
The more established stars
He is arguably one of the biggest names at the moment
I embrace new sounds, I am always happy to collaborate with new artists
To make your hit record
An impact for upcoming talent
Give the chance to young talent
A good mix between national and international artists
It’s a platform for them
Job Profile – DJ :
“DJs play music for audiences at live venues, or entertain radio audiences. If you are interested in music, and you are confident and outgoing, this job could be ideal for you.
In this job you will need to have a good sense of timing. It would help if you are technically minded, so you can learn to operate the equipment. Sometimes you will need to think on your feet.
To get into this job you will usually need knowledge of music technology and an awareness of music trends. You will also need to get experience through volunteering or work placements. Courses, in subjects like music technology and radio broadcasting are also available, which could help you develop some of the skills you need.
Skills, interests and qualities
To be a DJ, you would need to have :
a keen interest in and enthusiasm for music
a confident and outgoing personality
a good sense of timing and co-ordination
some understanding of technical equipment
calmness under pressure
the ability to work to strict deadlines
the ability to do several tasks at the same time
the skills to manage your own business and promote yourself, if you are self-employed
Vocabulary in Chunks 
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