CELPIP® Speaking Task 6 sample: Thursday Kids or Saturday Circle

Level 7 sample answer

131 words

Hi Delphine, thank you for asking me to lead the conversation circle. I'm happy you thought of me. But I decided to stay with the homework club on Thursday. Sigrid can't handle twelve kids by herself, it's too much for one person. Also, the students know me now, and some of them are finally getting better at math. I don't want to leave them in the middle of the year. I know the conversation circle is important too, and I feel bad that it maybe won't open. So, um, here is my idea. I can help you find another volunteer. I have a friend who was a teacher before, I can ask her. And I can write a list of easy topics and games for the first meetings. Is that helpful?

Why this answer is at level 7

This level 7 answer clearly refuses the Saturday role, explains the Thursday commitment, and offers useful alternatives. Compared with the higher-level answers, its language is more basic, its reasoning is less developed, and some transitions sound hesitant.

• Sigrid can't handle twelve kids by herself, it's too much for one person. — Content/Coherence: This gives a relevant reason for staying, but the second clause largely repeats the first. The higher-level answers develop the consequences through specific learning needs, student trust, or the possible length of the staffing gap.
• some of them are finally getting better at math. — Vocabulary: The meaning is clear, but “getting better” describes progress broadly. The higher-level answers use more precise language about fractions, tracking progress, and students admitting what they do not understand.
• So, um, here is my idea. — Listenability: This signals the move to a solution, though the filler and separate announcement make the transition slightly hesitant. The higher-level answers connect their offers more smoothly to the problem they have just acknowledged.
• And I can write a list of easy topics and games for the first meetings. — Task Fulfillment: This offers practical support without accepting another weekly shift. A higher-level answer would frame the materials more clearly around helping a replacement leader get started and propose a concrete next step with Delphine.

Level 9 sample answer

174 words

Sigrid, can I grab you for a second before the kids arrive? I wanted you to hear this from me first. Delphine has asked me to lead the new Saturday conversation circle for newcomers practising English, and after a lot of thinking, I've said yes. Since I can only manage one shift a week, that means I'll be leaving the Thursday homework club at the end of this month.

I know that puts you in a tough spot, and I'm really sorry. Twelve students is a lot for one person, especially when half of them need help with fractions at the same time. The reason I agreed is that there's simply nobody else available on Saturdays, and without a leader, the circle wouldn't open at all.

To make the transition easier, I'll write up notes on each student, including who's struggling with what. I've also asked Delphine to make finding your new partner a top priority. Would it help if I used my last few Thursdays to show you how I track everyone's progress?

Why this answer is at level 9

This level 9 answer improves on level 7 through a clear conversational structure, specific details, and a thoughtful handover offer. It is less nuanced than level 11 in exploring the competing commitments, and its transition plan leaves Sigrid's potentially prolonged workload only partly addressed.

• The reason I agreed is that there's simply nobody else available on Saturdays, — Content/Coherence: This clearly connects the decision to the conversation circle's dependence on a leader. The level 11 answer develops the competing responsibility more deeply by explaining what disruption would mean for students who have only recently built trust.
• especially when half of them need help with fractions at the same time. — Vocabulary: The specific reference to fractions makes Sigrid's workload easy to picture and improves on level 7's general language about math. Level 11 adds more nuanced expressions about trust and responsibility alongside practical details.
• Since I can only manage one shift a week, — Listenability: This clear causal link helps the listener follow why accepting Saturdays means leaving Thursdays. A higher-level response would preserve that clarity while using more varied phrasing to express the speaker's mixed feelings, as level 11 does.
• I've also asked Delphine to make finding your new partner a top priority. — Task Fulfillment: This shows responsibility toward Sigrid and involves the coordinator in recruitment. However, priority does not guarantee coverage. A stronger response would explicitly acknowledge that the proposed handover cannot fully solve months of managing the students alone.

Level 11 sample answer

172 words

Delphine, I really appreciate you thinking of me for the conversation circle — it's exactly the kind of project I'd normally jump at, which is why this was such a hard call. But I've decided to stay with the Thursday homework club.

If I left now, Sigrid would be juggling twelve kids on her own, possibly for months, and I don't think that's fair to her or to the students. A few of the Grade 6s have only just started admitting what they don't understand, and that kind of trust takes a long time to rebuild with someone new.

That said, I'd hate to be the reason the circle doesn't open this fall. A woman in my building who retired from teaching last spring has been looking for something meaningful to do, and I'd be glad to introduce you. I'd also be happy to put together a starter kit of conversation topics and activities so that whoever leads the group isn't starting from scratch. Could we meet next week to talk it through?

Why this answer is at level 11

This level 11 answer combines a firm decision with a nuanced explanation of responsibility, student trust, and the conversation circle's value. Its natural phrasing, relevant alternatives, and concrete follow-up make the refusal considerate and convincing.

• A few of the Grade 6s have only just started admitting what they don't understand, — Content/Coherence: This develops the reason for staying beyond staffing numbers. It explains why continuity matters to these particular students and connects the speaker's established relationship with them to their willingness to seek help.
• whoever leads the group isn't starting from scratch. — Vocabulary: The idiom naturally explains the purpose of the starter kit: reducing preparation for a new leader. It conveys a practical benefit concisely and fits the friendly but purposeful conversation with Delphine.
• it's exactly the kind of project I'd normally jump at, — Listenability: This conversational phrasing makes the appreciation sound personal and prepares the listener for a difficult refusal. Together with the surrounding sentence, it creates a smooth progression from enthusiasm to the decision.
• Could we meet next week to talk it through? — Task Fulfillment: The closing turns the alternative volunteer suggestion and preparation offer into a concrete follow-up. It keeps Delphine involved in solving the Saturday staffing problem while maintaining the speaker's clear commitment to Thursdays.