Creating photo speaking tasks for B2 First and C1 Advanced

In this post, I’m going to share some ideas for creating tasks to practise comparing photos for Part 2 of the B2 First and C1 Advanced speaking tests.

I suggest that prior to using the ideas below, you do the activities suggested in my previous post, where students watch a short video and answer questions about the photos and videos that are created with a mobile phone.

The video I have used for practising the photo task in the B2 First and C1 Advanced speaking tests is an advert for an i-phone.

With students preparing for Cambridge B2 First and Cambridge C1 Advanced:

Tell your students (*this could be done individually, in pairs or in small groups):

Choose two photos that could be used together in the compare two photos task (Part 2 of the speaking test).

The photos should be thematically linked (e.g. two photos of people doing the same or similar activity/in the same type of place, etc.)

Some suggestions from me:

I’ve taken some screenshots of pairs of shots in the video that you can use, or you/students can make their own screenshots. This would, I think, produce some useful discussion between students and get them really thinking about connections.

B2 First:

Complete the instructions below about the two photos for the speaking task.

Here are your photographs.  They show …

I’d like you to compare the photographs and say why you think the people ………

Some suggestions for photo pairs for B2

1.  Photos  12 & 13  (Crowds – in a concert, after a concert)

Here are your photographs.  They show crowds of people.

I’d like you to compare the photographs and say why you think the people are in these places together.

2.   Photos 4 and 6  (shop window and old shuttered window)

Here are your photographs.  They show people taking photos of windows.

I’d like you to compare the photographs and say why you think the people are taking photos of these windows.

3.   Photos 1 and 3 (people running)

Here are your photographs.  They show people running.

I’d like you to compare the photographs and say why you think the people are running in these places.

C1 Advanced

Complete the rubric below about the two photos for the speaking task.

Here are your pictures. They show …

Say

why the people might be …
how the people can benefit from doing these different activities?

how easy/difficult/important it might be to …….

Some suggestions from me for photo pairs

Photos 2 & 17 skateboarders, gymnast
How can the people benefit from doing these different activities? How difficult might it be to keep your balance?

Photos 27 & 28 – friends having their photo taken by a stranger
Why might these people have asked this person to take their photograph? How important might it be for them to capture this moment?

Follow-up

Students can choose pairs of photos from their own phones and create more Part 2 Speaking tasks.

If you liked this post, feel free to share it and you might find my previous post, using the same video useful too – I’d recommend doing the activities there before you do the ones in this posts.