Advice to help you through the Michigan ECPE speaking test

While helping students prepare for the new format Michigan ECPE speaking test we have come up with a few pieces of advice not included in our previous overview of this part of the ECPE exam. Let's cut out the waffle and get straight to the tips.

Stage 1: Introductions (3-5 minutes)

The examiners are ideally looking for students who are happy to make this a three-way conversation instead of passively sitting and waiting for their turn to answer a question from the interviewer. In other words, they want you to add a comment or two when your partner is replying to the interviewer.

Help your partner do this (and hopefully they will be equally helpful with you). As you are sitting, turn slightly towards your partner. This sends out a signal that you are willing to interact with them and not just with the examiner. Then when you are answering a question from the examiner glance across to your partner and make eye contact with her (it would be most natural to do this when you think she might have something to add or when you are nearing the end of your answer).

Remember that by helping your partner and helping to keep the contributions to the conversation fairly equal, you will be scoring more points yourself. And of course, it isn't a competition. You both can (and I am sure will) pass.

Stage 2: Summarizing and Recommending (5-7 minutes)

Firstly, take your time to read the points silently and carefully before you begin your presentation. As you read, sort out the points into three categories: facts that simply describe the options; points in favor; points against. Why not write a little plus next to the benefits and a little minus next to the drawbacks? Only if you sort the points out into these categories, will you know how to introduce them with the most appropriate linking phrases (on the other hand, by contrast, in addition, etc).

The second issue concerns note taking. Candidates are allowed to take notes while their partner is presenting her two options. But is it really necessary? Our conclusion is: No. If you pay attention to what your partner is saying, you will be able to remember enough to express an opinion about which of her two options is better, and at this stage you don't have to say much to justify your opinion so you don't have to remember everything that has been said.

However, you should take a few notes if your mind has a tendency to go blank. Taking notes will help to focus the attention while your partner is speaking and give you something to jog your memory later. Practise the interview both with and without taking notes to see if the notes really do help you.

Some advice about what to say in your presentation: 1) Include comments about what you are going to say. E.g. "Well, Helen, let me present my two candidates for the post of science teacher at our school. The first candidate whose details I have is called..." Similarly, when you move onto the second option, "Now let me turn to the second candidate, whose name is..."

2) Although the official instructions ask you to paraphrase or summarise, really you need to elaborate. Usually, this involves saying why an advantage is indeed advantageous (or the opposite). For instance, you are presenting options for a charity and one note says that this option is cheaper. You can elaborate by saying, "This will mean we have more money left to devote to the rest of our charity's work."

3) Avoid very informal English in your presentation (things like: "Hey, this is awesome/absolutely wicked/crazy/gross, etc").

4) When you finish, ask your partner to comment: "Well, those are my two options, Helen. Which do you think is better?"

5) When you give your opinion about your partner's options, briefly give a reason. You could just highlight the biggest advantage of the preferred option.

6) Take the initiative to move the conversation on, saying something like, "Let me present my two options now. The first is..."

At the end of this section the examiner will probably ask you to state which of your two options you prefer. You shouldn't give any reasons for your choice at this stage.

Stage 3: Consensus Reaching (5-7 minutes)

Don't assume that your task here is to fight for your option and pressurize your partner into agreeing that yours is best.

Don't begin with a long speech in defense of your chosen option. Begin with a question. Questions are good - they help to keep the conversation bouncing back and forth, and that will help both of you get a higher score. You might begin like this: "So, Helen, why do you think your preferred option is the one we should finally recommend?"

If there is an important point that you can't remember, ask your partner like this: "What did you say about the location of the school? Where is it exactly?"

Keep your discussion focused on the task in hand. You have to make a decision in an imaginary situation. Refer back to it. For instance, if you have to choose a summer school for a group of kids, ask: "Which of these two schools would be best for our kids?" You might want to explore or highlight the criteria for a judgment like this: "I think we need a school that is..."

Keep your eye on your watch (which you might want to put flat on the table in front of you). Within five minutes you need to have come to a consensus about one of the options. Avoid taking too long, but also avoid coming to a consensus too quickly. Even if you think your partner's option is the best, spend some time talking about the strengths of your chosen option.

Supposedly, you need your notes from stage 2 in this discussion, but in our opinion you have enough time here to ask your partner about any points that you can't remember, and because questions are such big point scorers in the interview it might actually be beneficial to have a few gaps in your memory.

Stage 4: Presenting and Convincing (5-7 minutes)

This is the stage where we do think you should jot down four very, very brief notes - notes of the topics of the four points you are going to make to persuade the examiner that your jointly chosen option really is the best. You will also note which points you will present and which your partner will present. This will help avoid the nightmare scenario in which your partner accidentally covers one of your points and leaves you with little to say.

In the preparatory discussion clarify the advantages that you will highlight and the reasons why each of those is so important

In the preparatory discussion the language can be quite informal.

Keep your eye on your watch and within two or three minutes turn to the examiner and say something like: "I think we are ready now to present our chosen option."

Again, don't skip the introductory comment: "Well, we are convinced that X is the best option. There are four main reasons why we believe this. The first, although not the most important, is that ..."

If you speak first, pass the presentation over to Helen. Don't just stop speaking and expect Helen to jump in. Say something like: "Those are two of our justifications. Helen has another two, don't you Helen?"

Remember that the presentation is supposed to be rather formal, so avoid any obviously informal language.

Stage 5: Justifying and Defending (5-7 minutes)

The last and probably the easiest stage. Remember that there are no right answers (you can't lose a single point because of the particular option that you chose to defend or because of the particular arguments that you used to defend it). The examiner's questions in stage 5 might convey the impression that he or she thinks your choice was the wrong one, but remember that he/she is obliged to say something along those lines just to keep the conversation going.

As in Stage 1 the examiner will want this to be a three-way conversation, instead of interrogating you individually. Bear this in mind, and help by passing a few things over to your partner. You might say, for instance: "I think Helen's point about the unpopularity of that option was a good one. What was it you said again, Helen?"

Or you might say: "In my experience, teachers who try to be very friendly with students don't always get the best out of their students. What do you think, Helen? Have you observed that as well?"

Be prepared for a question about the disadvantage of the option you recommended. In your presentation you will have highlighted four advantages. Now the examiner will probably want to find out about the drawback you didn't mention. You need to be able to say why that drawback is not so serious.

The End

Hey, that's it! Is it really so painful? We don't think so.

If you have any questions or comments about the new ECPE speaking test, do send us an email. We'd love to hear from you.

Good luck!

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