CELPIP® Speaking Task 1 sample: Finding Math Help on a Budget

Level 7 sample answer

194 words

Chidi, I know you're worried about Amaka. Math is hard in Grade 11, but I think there are some good options.

First, I think the homework club at the library is a good place to start, because it's free. Yes, it's crowded, but she can go early to get a seat, and the volunteers can still help her. Twice a week is better than nothing.

Also, maybe you can pay for a tutor, but not every week. Sixty dollars is a lot, so maybe one hour every two week, especially before tests. That way it's not too expensive for your family.

About teaching her yourself, I think you should stop for now. You're smart and you know math, but if you always argue, she will feel bad and not want to study. Sometimes, um, kids listen better to other people than parents.

And you should talk to her teacher. The teacher can tell you which part is the problem, and maybe there is extra help at school at lunch time.

Amaka really wants to go to college, so she has a good reason to work hard. I think with some help she will pass.

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 answer gives Chidi clear, relevant advice about affordable help and family arguments. Its straightforward organization makes it easy to follow, but the explanations and vocabulary are less developed than in the higher-level answers.

• First, I think the homework club at the library is a good place to start, because it's free. — Content/Coherence: The recommendation has a clear reason connected to Chidi's budget. However, the answer mainly lists options; a higher-level response would explain how teacher feedback should guide the choice and combination of support.
• she will feel bad and not want to study — Vocabulary: These familiar words communicate the emotional problem clearly, but 'feel bad' is broad. A higher-level answer would describe more precisely how arguments could make Amaka interpret help as criticism or associate math with conflict.
• Sixty dollars is a lot, so maybe one hour every two week, especially before tests. — Listenability: The conversational wording makes the suggestion easy to understand. However, 'every two week' has a grammatical slip, and the repeated use of 'maybe' across the answer weakens its flow. A higher-level response would express the schedule more smoothly and decisively.
• And you should talk to her teacher. — Task Fulfillment: Contacting the teacher is useful advice for a student failing a required course. Here it arrives after the library and tutor suggestions. A higher-level answer would make identifying Amaka's learning gaps the starting point for deciding what help to arrange.

Level 9 sample answer

235 words

Chidi, I can tell this is really weighing on you, and it makes sense, since Amaka needs this course for college. Here's what I'd do in your position.

To start with, I'd contact her math teacher right away. Before you spend any money, you need to know exactly where she's struggling. Is it one unit, like functions, or is she missing basics from Grade 10? The teacher might also know about extra help sessions at the school that you haven't heard of.

Once you know the problem, I'd combine the library club with a tutor, rather than picking one. She could go to the homework club both nights for regular practice and then see a tutor every other week to work on the toughest topics. At sixty dollars a session, that's about a hundred and twenty a month, which is a lot more manageable than weekly lessons.

As for teaching her yourself, I'd take a step back. It's not about your math skills; it's that she's sixteen and you're her dad, so every mistake feels like criticism. You could still help in a lower-pressure way, maybe just checking her answers when she asks.

Finally, let Amaka have a say. If she picks the tutor and helps plan the schedule, she's far more likely to stick with it.

She's got a clear goal, and with the right support, I really think she can turn this around.

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 answer builds a connected plan around identifying learning gaps, combining support, and involving Amaka. Its precise examples and natural transitions improve on level 7, although the budget advice and explanation of family tension are less carefully qualified than in level 11.

• Is it one unit, like functions, or is she missing basics from Grade 10? — Content/Coherence: The specific alternatives explain why contacting the teacher comes first: different learning problems require different support. This develops the reasoning beyond level 7. A higher-level answer would connect that diagnosis more explicitly to flexible tutoring arrangements.
• I can tell this is really weighing on you — Vocabulary: The natural expression 'weighing on you' conveys Chidi's ongoing worry more precisely than a basic statement that he is worried. A higher-level response would sustain this precision when explaining the longer-term effects of arguments about math.
• As for teaching her yourself, I'd take a step back. — Listenability: The transition clearly signals a move from outside help to Chidi's role at home. The concise recommendation sounds conversational and is easy to follow. A higher-level answer would retain this clarity while developing the consequences of continued conflict.
• which is a lot more manageable than weekly lessons — Task Fulfillment: The reduced tutoring schedule directly addresses the cost concern. However, being cheaper than weekly lessons does not establish affordability for this family. A higher-level answer would check the household budget and provide a fallback such as shared tutoring.

Level 11 sample answer

265 words

Chidi, I know how much this is weighing on you, especially with Amaka's college plans riding on this one course. The good news is that a failing mark partway through the year can still be turned around, provided you act quickly.

The first call I'd make is to her math teacher. Before a single dollar goes to a tutor, you need a clear diagnosis: whether she's lost in one particular unit or whether gaps from Grade 10 have been quietly piling up. Teachers often know about lunchtime help or peer tutoring that parents never hear about, and those cost nothing.

Once you know what you're dealing with, I'd use the homework club as her steady base, crowded as it is, and bring in a tutor strategically rather than on a fixed schedule: say, two sessions in the week before each unit test, when they'll make the most difference. Before you book anyone, though, go through the household budget honestly; if even that stretches things too far, ask whether the tutor offers a cheaper rate for small groups, since a classmate or two might be in the same boat.

I'd also suggest stepping back from teaching her yourself. Your engineering background isn't the issue; the problem is that when a parent explains something for the third time, even patiently, a teenager hears frustration. If those arguments continue, she might start associating math with conflict at home, and that would be far harder to undo than a bad mark.

Lastly, involve Amaka in every decision. A plan she's helped design is one she'll actually follow through on.

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 answer combines clear priorities with detailed reasoning and practical alternatives. It treats affordability, Amaka's learning needs, family tension, and her involvement as connected parts of a workable plan, using precise language and a supportive conversational voice.

• whether she's lost in one particular unit or whether gaps from Grade 10 have been quietly piling up — Content/Coherence: This distinction gives the teacher conversation a clear purpose. Establishing the cause of the failing mark provides a logical foundation for the later advice about regular practice and targeted tutoring.
• A plan she's helped design is one she'll actually follow through on. — Vocabulary: The natural phrase 'follow through on' precisely expresses sustained commitment. It makes the final recommendation about involving Amaka purposeful: her participation is linked to whether she continues using the support.
• The first call I'd make is to her math teacher. — Listenability: This direct, conversational sentence establishes the immediate priority before the more detailed explanation. Clear signposting helps listeners follow an answer that contains several connected recommendations.
• Before you book anyone, though, go through the household budget honestly — Task Fulfillment: The advice checks whether paid help is genuinely affordable for Chidi's family. Together with the later small-group option, it makes the tutoring recommendation more responsive to the stated financial constraint than simply reducing lesson frequency.
• she might start associating math with conflict at home — Content/Coherence: This explains a possible consequence of the existing arguments and gives Chidi a concrete reason to stop teaching her himself. The conditional wording presents a risk without assuming that Amaka already feels this way.