CELPIP® Speaking Task 1 sample: Helping More Technology Learners

Level 7 sample answer

192 words

Sunita, I think you could use part of the session for a small class and keep some time for personal questions. A group class would help more people, but it shouldn't replace all the individual help because some visitors won't feel comfortable speaking.

First, ask people what they want to learn when they arrive. You could write the common questions on a list. Then choose one topic that several people need, like changing text size. This would save time because you wouldn't explain the same thing separately to everyone.

Also, keep the lesson short and show the steps slowly. People bring different devices, so the buttons might not look the same. Um, you could give them time to try each step before moving on.

For private help, use a simple appointment list for the rest of the session. That way, everyone know when their turn is, and nobody has to ask a personal question in front of the group. Tell visitors that a difficult problem may need another appointment. Finally, ask the centre if another volunteer can join. You need more help because two volunteers can't answer every questions in ninety minutes.

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 teaching answer gives relevant, clearly ordered advice about combining group teaching with personal help. Its straightforward vocabulary, occasional grammar slips, and limited detail about managing appointments distinguish it from the more developed answers.

• Then choose one topic that several people need, like changing text size. — Content/Coherence: The example connects collecting questions with choosing a useful group topic. The reasoning is easy to follow, but a higher-level answer would develop how that demonstration fits into the session's overall schedule.
• A group class would help more people, — Vocabulary: The familiar wording communicates the benefit clearly, although it describes that benefit broadly. Higher-level answers use more precise language to explain how shared demonstrations reduce repeated explanations and preserve individual support.
• That way, everyone know when their turn is, — Listenability: The connection between the appointment list and knowing your turn is clear. However, the subject–verb agreement slip briefly interrupts the otherwise natural phrasing; the higher-level answers maintain cleaner grammatical control.
• For private help, use a simple appointment list for the rest of the session. — Task Fulfillment: This directly addresses visitors who hesitate to ask questions publicly. However, an appointment list alone does not establish how many people can receive help; higher-level advice adds clearer limits on appointment length, scope, or capacity.

Level 9 sample answer

230 words

Sunita, I wouldn't switch the whole session to a class immediately. A mixed format could reduce the repeated explanations while keeping a quieter option for visitors who need individual support.

Start by collecting a short description of each person's question, either when they register or when they arrive. That would show you whether several visitors need the same basic skill. You could then spend the first twenty minutes demonstrating one common task, such as enlarging text or organising photographs. Keep the topic narrow, because a broad lesson could easily overwhelm beginners.

Since people bring different devices, explain the purpose of each step as well as where to tap. If someone's screen looks different, your other volunteer could help them find the equivalent setting. A simple printed guide might also let visitors practise later without remembering every instruction.

For the remaining time, offer short individual appointments and make the order visible. Visitors could describe their issue quietly, so they wouldn't need to announce something personal to the room. I'd explain upfront that an appointment is for one main question. That would prevent one complicated device problem from taking over the session.

Finally, track the questions you couldn't address and ask the centre about recruiting another volunteer. Even if extra help isn't immediately available, those notes would give you concrete evidence of demand and help you choose useful topics for future sessions.

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 teaching answer develops its recommendations with clear reasons, practical examples, and precise language about beginners and different devices. Compared with level 7, it anticipates more difficulties, but it lacks the top answer's explicit capacity calculation and detailed privacy safeguards.

• Keep the topic narrow, because a broad lesson could easily overwhelm beginners. — Content/Coherence: The recommendation includes a convincing reason tailored to inexperienced technology learners. This develops the advice beyond level 7; the top answer further connects topic selection with allowing visitors who have unrelated questions to attend only an appointment.
• those notes would give you concrete evidence of demand — Vocabulary: The phrase precisely explains why recording unanswered questions would support a request for another volunteer. The top answer makes this already effective wording more actionable by specifying what to count and when to review it.
• Since people bring different devices, explain the purpose of each step as well as where to tap. — Listenability: The sentence moves smoothly from a familiar problem to a clear instruction. Its balanced phrasing makes the advice easy to follow aloud; the top answer sustains that clarity while also presenting a more detailed session structure.
• I'd explain upfront that an appointment is for one main question. — Task Fulfillment: This sets a useful boundary so a complicated problem does not consume the session. It improves on level 7's appointment list, while the top answer also specifies appointment duration, available slots, and what happens when bookings fill.

Level 11 sample answer

261 words

Sunita, I'd try a combined format for three weeks before committing to a full class. You could tackle common questions together while keeping individual appointments for people who would rather speak privately.

Ask visitors to describe their main question when they sign up, with the option of telling you quietly. That would let you spot repeated requests without putting anyone on the spot. If several people need larger text, for example, build a short demonstration around that specific task. Anyone with an unrelated question could come just for an appointment.

I'd divide the ninety minutes into a twenty-minute demonstration, an hour of appointments, and ten minutes for transitions and wrapping up. With both volunteers offering ten-minute appointments, you'd have twelve slots. Once those are booked, offer places the following week instead of creating a lineup you can't possibly finish.

During the demonstration, one of you could explain while the other helps visitors find equivalent controls on different devices. Explain what each setting does, so people aren't lost when their screen looks different. A short printed guide would give them something to practise with at home.

For individual help, agree on one priority question per appointment. Visitors should operate their own devices, and personal account details should stay off any shared screen. That protects their privacy and builds confidence.

Finally, keep a simple count of appointments and requests you couldn't accommodate. After three weeks, you'd have evidence to take to the centre when asking for another volunteer. Clear limits should help you keep your head above water without leaving quieter visitors behind.

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 teaching answer combines clear, natural advice with a workable schedule, explicit capacity limits, and thoughtful privacy measures. Its recommendations address both growing demand and quieter visitors, while the trial period gives Sunita a practical way to evaluate the changes.

• With both volunteers offering ten-minute appointments, you'd have twelve slots. — Content/Coherence: The capacity calculation follows logically from the appointment schedule and available volunteers. It turns the general idea of individual help into a concrete plan and supports the subsequent recommendation to offer later bookings when places fill.
• Clear limits should help you keep your head above water without leaving quieter visitors behind. — Vocabulary: The idiom naturally captures Sunita's workload pressure, while the reference to quieter visitors keeps the closing advice focused on inclusion. The wording is expressive and well suited to a supportive conversation with a coworker.
• I'd divide the ninety minutes into a twenty-minute demonstration, an hour of appointments, and ten minutes for transitions and wrapping up. — Listenability: The parallel list makes a detailed schedule easy to follow aloud. Each part has a clear purpose, and the conversational opening keeps the recommendation approachable despite the amount of practical information.
• Visitors should operate their own devices, and personal account details should stay off any shared screen. — Task Fulfillment: This addresses the personal nature of technology support with specific safeguards. Having visitors perform the steps supports learning, while keeping account details off shared screens directly protects people who may already feel uncomfortable asking for help.