B1 Speaking Skills and Exam Preparation
B1 Speaking skills and exam preparation
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B1 Speaking skills and exam preparation
Open with the core idea that B1 speaking interaction is an active professional conversation. Students are preparing for business-related role-plays, not a grammar test and not a one-person presentation.
Learning goals:
After this class you:
Can take an active part in a professional conversation by listening, responding, developing answers and moving the conversation forward.
Know what to expect during the TOA Conversations Exam.
Deze slide heeft geen instructies
What makes a professional conversation successful?
Use this as prior knowledge activation. Likely answers: listening, confidence, questions, politeness, solutions, clear answers, eye contact, role, helping, ending well.
Difference between Speaking and Conversations exam
You are not giving a presentation
You are having a real conversation
You play a professional role. The teacher also plays a role
Stay in your role and sound like someone who is doing their job.
For this exam: you do not wait passively. You help to start, maintain and end the conversation.
Emphasise that students may answer examiner prompts, but they must also contribute actively. The exam expects interaction, not short reactive answers only.
TOA conversations exam requirements
speak in English
speak clearly
include at least 80% of the required content
notes in keywords are allowed, but you can't read out
conversation lasts about 6 minutes
This slide anchors the exam mindset. Keep linking back to the lesson motto: Stay in your role.
What active participation looks like
You do more than answer.
You:
listen carefully
respond appropriately
add useful detail
ask relevant questions
suggest next steps
close professionally
Deze slide heeft geen instructies
Stay in your professional role
You are not speaking as a student.
You may be a:
sales employee
shop employee
entrepreneur
customer service employee
e-commerce employee
marketing employee
Link this directly to exam success: role awareness affects vocabulary, tone and responses. Students should answer as a person doing the job.
Who might you speak to?
The examiner may act as a:
customer
supplier
colleague
manager
business partner
Your language should fit that relationship.
Point out differences in register and purpose. A customer may need advice; a manager may expect solutions; a supplier discussion may focus on delivery or stock.
Weak and professional role responses
Weak:
“I don’t know.”
Better:
“I’m not sure about that, but I can check it for you.”
Professional language keeps the conversation open and helpful.
You can briefly model similar upgrades such as 'I can't' to 'Let me see what we can do' or 'No' to 'That option is not available, but I can offer an alternative'.
What is the main B1 difference from a presentation?
active interaction
longer sentences
better grammar
formal vocabulary
Tests slides 2–3. Students may wrongly focus on language accuracy, but the key difference taught here is interaction: starting, maintaining and ending the conversation actively.
Conversation mindset
LISTEN
→ RESPOND
→ ADD INFORMATION
→ MOVE FORWARD
The conversation should feel like real workplace communication, not an interview.
This is the lesson's main model. Reuse these exact labels later so students see the pattern across strategies.
Listen to the full message
Do not answer too quickly.
First notice:
what the other person wants
the problem or question
the tone
any detail about time, price, delivery or preference
Then give your response.
Students at A2 often react to one keyword only. Encourage them to wait, process the whole message and then respond more accurately.
React to the situation
Your response should match the situation.
asking for information → explain clearly
complaint → acknowledge the problem
disagreement → stay polite
uncertainty → guide the person
delivery problem → offer options
new suggestion → respond to the idea
Keep this slide practical. The aim is not memorising categories but noticing that different situations need different conversational moves.
Give complete B1 answers
Use this pattern:
ANSWER
→ REASON / DETAIL
→ NEXT STEP
Short answers often stop the conversation.
Complete answers help it continue.
This slide carries a second key model. Keep the labels exact because later examples depend on them.
From short to B1
Customer: “Would you recommend this product?”
Weak: “Yes.”
Strong: “Yes, I would recommend it because it offers good value for money. It is also one of our most popular products. Would you like me to explain the main features?”
Show why the stronger answer works: it answers, explains and invites the conversation to continue.
After listening, what should you do next in the B1 model?
Move forward
Respond
Add information
End politely
Checks the sequence from slide 7: LISTEN → RESPOND → ADD INFORMATION → MOVE FORWARD.
Complete the B1 answer pattern
In a strong B1 answer, you first give your answer. Then you add a reason or detail. After that, you suggest the next step so the conversation can continue.
Echoes slides 10–11 exactly: ANSWER → REASON / DETAIL → NEXT STEP.
Ask follow-up questions
Follow-up questions are essential at B1.
They help you:
understand needs
keep the interaction going
sound professional
move towards a solution
Stress that asking questions is not extra; it is part of the skill being assessed in speaking interaction.
Useful follow-up phrases
Moving forward
“What do you think about this option?”
“Would that work for you?”
“Is there anything else I should know?”
“Would you like me to explain that in more detail?”
“Could you tell me more about...?”
“What exactly are you looking for?”
“What is your budget?”
“When would you need it?”
Finding out more
These phrases suit business and customer contexts. Encourage students to select the phrase that fits the purpose, not to use them mechanically.
Check understanding
Checking understanding is professional.
Useful phrases:
“So, if I understand correctly...”
“Do you mean that...?”
“Just to make sure, you would like...”
“Have I understood that correctly?”
Explain that this prevents mistakes and shows careful listening. It is especially useful in orders, complaints and delivery arrangements.
Ask for clarification calmly
Do not panic when you do not understand.
Useful phrases:
“Could you repeat that, please?”
“Could you explain what you mean by...?”
“Sorry, I didn’t quite understand that.”
“Do you mean...?”
“Could you give me an example?”
Normalise clarification as a professional skill rather than a weakness. Students should keep the interaction alive instead of freezing.
Give reasons and explain choices
Avoid statements without giving a reason.
Weak: “This option is better.”
Strong: “I think this option is better because it is cheaper and easier to use. It would probably suit your target group better.”
Connect this slide to workplace credibility. In business contexts, recommendations need reasons.
Which follow-up question best helps a customer choose a product?
Have I understood that correctly?
What is your budget?
Could you repeat that, please?
I agree with that.
Targets slides 12–13. The correct option is a real follow-up question that helps identify needs. The others belong to checking understanding, clarification or agreement.
Make suggestions
Useful phrases:
“I suggest...”
“We could...”
“How about...?”
“Another option would be...”
“Perhaps we could...”
“I would recommend...”
Remind students that a good suggestion usually includes a reason or benefit, not just the suggestion itself.
Suggestions work best with a reason
A stronger suggestion has two parts:
suggestion + reason
Example:
“We could promote the product on social media because that would reach a younger target group more easily.”
This slide links suggestion-making with explanation, reinforcing that B1 answers should be developed.
Respond to problems and complaints
Use this pattern:
ACKNOWLEDGE
→ RESPOND
→ SOLUTION
→ CHECK
This helps you stay calm, clear and professional.
Another high-value exam pattern. Keep it procedural and practical, especially for retail, service and trade contexts.
A professional complaint response
Customer: “The delivery is too late.”
B1: “I understand that this is inconvenient. We could arrange express delivery instead. That would cost slightly more, but you would receive the order tomorrow. Would that work for you?”
Highlight each part of the model in the answer: acknowledge, respond, solution, check.
Agree and disagree politely
Agreement
“I agree.”
“That sounds like a good idea.”
“I think that could work.”
Polite disagreement
“I understand your point, but...”
“I’m not sure that would be the best option because...”
“That could work, although...”
“Another possibility might be...”
Students should hear that disagreement at B1 is acceptable if it stays constructive and professional.
Which suggestion is strongest at B1?
This is better.
Use social media.
I suggest this.
We could advertise online because it is cheaper.
Checks slides 17–18. Strong B1 suggestions include both a suggestion and a reason.
Which reply shows polite disagreement?
You are wrong.
No, that is bad.
I understand your point, but...
I do not agree.
Targets slide 21. The correct answer stays constructive and professional instead of sounding abrupt.
Keep going with language problems
Do not stop the conversation because you do not know one word.
Strategies:
describe the word
use simpler English
rephrase
give an example
ask for clarification
correct yourself
gain thinking time
This slide addresses a major confidence issue for students around A2/A2+. The goal is communication, not perfect vocabulary.
Useful rescue phrases
Thinking and rephrasing
Describing missing words
“Let me think for a moment.”
“What I mean is...”
“Let me say that differently.”
“It’s a kind of...”
“It’s something you use for...”
“It’s similar to...”
You may briefly model a missing-word example from a shop or e-commerce context so students see how description can replace one unknown word.
Take initiative
Do not wait for the examiner.
You can move the conversation forward by offering help, asking a new question or proposing the next step.
This is one of the central exam messages. Make the contrast explicit: passive answering is not enough for strong B1 interaction.
Useful initiative phrases
“Can I ask what your budget is?”
“Would you like me to show you another option?”
“Shall we arrange another meeting?”
“I can send you the information by email.”
“Is there anything else I can help you with?”
These chunks are especially useful near transitions: after explaining, after solving a problem and when moving towards the end of the conversation.
End professionally
A strong ending often includes:
a short summary
the next step
a final check
a polite closing
This makes the conversation feel complete and professional.
Students often stop too suddenly. This slide shows that ending well is part of the interaction skill.
Model ending
“So, we’ve agreed that I’ll send you the quotation (offerte) tomorrow. Is there anything else you would like to discuss? Thank you for your time. Have a nice day.”
Point out the structure: summary, next step, final check, polite close.
B1 conversation checklist
Can I...
stay in role?
listen and respond?
give complete answers?
explain why?
ask follow-up questions?
check understanding?
make suggestions?
respond to problems?
keep speaking when I have a language problem?
take initiative?
end the conversation professionally?
Use this as the final synthesis of the lesson. It gathers all strategies into one practical review tool for exam preparation.
If you forget a word, what should you do?
Change to Dutch
Stop speaking
Wait for help
Rephrase it
Checks slides 22–23. Students should keep the interaction going by rephrasing, describing or using simpler English.
Complete the professional ending
A professional ending often includes a short summary, the next step, a final check, and a polite closing. This makes the conversation feel complete and professional.
Covers slides 26–27 and links back to initiative on slides 24–25. Students should see the ending as part of the interaction, not something extra.
