B2 First · Speaking · Module 5, Lesson 4

Part 4: Discussion

The examiner broadens the Part 3 topic into general questions for both of you — more opinions, more justification, less picture-pointing. This is where a bare "I think so" costs the most marks.

~4 min Broader discussion questions Both candidates together Opinions + reasons + examples
Learn

What this part really tests

The examiner asks both of you broader, more general questions related to the theme from Part 3 — here, wellbeing and stress. There's no picture to describe anymore; it's sustained opinion-giving, justification, and genuinely engaging with what your partner says.

The examiner's method

  1. Give an opinion, then at least one reason, then ideally a specific example.
  2. Respond to what your partner just said before adding a new point of your own ("I agree with what you said about X, but I'd also add…").
  3. Use softening or hedging language to sound natural, not robotic ("I suppose…", "It depends, but generally I'd say…").
  4. Don't panic if you disagree with your partner — disagreeing well, respectfully, is good for Interactive Communication, not bad.

Traps that cost marks

Opinion, no reason
"Yes, I think so." and stopping there — an opinion with nothing behind it reads as underdeveloped.
Ignoring your partner
Delivering your own prepared opinion regardless of what your partner just said misses a real chance to interact.
Too passive
Always agreeing with your partner and never adding anything of your own also limits Interactive Communication — agreement needs its own reasoning too.

Worked example

Question: "Do you think schools should give students more free time to relax, or is it more important to keep them busy and productive?"

Weak: "I think free time. It's good."

Strong: A: "I'd lean toward more free time, actually — I think students who are constantly busy don't really get a chance to process what they've learned." B: "That's interesting, I actually see it differently — I think structure helps some people more than free time does, because without a plan, a lot of that free time just disappears into a phone." A: "That's a fair point. Maybe it's less about the amount of free time and more about whether students actually know how to use it well."

  1. The strong exchange gives an opinion with a reason immediately ("I think students... don't really get a chance to process").
  2. Candidate B disagrees respectfully and adds a genuinely new reason, rather than just repeating a different opinion.
  3. Candidate A engages with B's point directly ("that's a fair point") and refines the original opinion instead of just restating it.
  4. The weak answer is a bare opinion with zero reasoning — the same Discourse Management problem seen throughout this module.
Try

Spot the weakness

Each clip is a real discussion answer on a wellbeing-related question. Listen, then decide which of the four criteria is the answer's biggest problem.

Try score: 0 / 3
Now it's your turn — scroll down to Apply for a timed practice discussion, a self-check, and full model answers.
Apply

Timed practice

This isn't machine-scored. Discuss all three questions below out loud (with a partner if you can) before the timer runs out. Then self-check your own performance and compare it with a strong and a weak model answer.

Discuss these questions out loud, giving reasons and engaging with any partner's point of view.

  1. Do you think schools do enough to support students' mental wellbeing?
  2. Is it better to deal with stress alone, or to talk to someone else about it?
  3. Should teenagers be taught stress-management skills as part of the school curriculum?
02:00

Complete the timed practice above to unlock the self-check and model answers.

Self-check

Discourse Management
Interactive Communication
Grammar & Vocabulary
Interactive Communication

This self-check is a reflection tool, not a score. Speaking is assessed by a person against these four criteria across the whole test, not per answer.

Model answers

Strong example
Ready

Q: Do you think schools do enough to support students' mental wellbeing? A: I don't think most schools do, honestly — there's usually a poster somewhere, but not much actual teaching about it. B: I'd agree with that, though some schools are starting to add proper wellbeing lessons, so it depends a lot on where you go. A: That's true, and I think that inconsistency is actually part of the problem — it shouldn't depend on luck which school you're at.

Every turn has an opinion plus a reason, and B's response builds on A's point with genuinely new information rather than just repeating agreement. A closes by engaging directly with B's addition.
Weak example
Ready

Q: Do you think schools do enough to support students' mental wellbeing? A: No. B: I think yes. A: Okay.

Two bare opinions with no reasoning and zero engagement between them — the same underdevelopment problem seen throughout this module, just at the discussion stage instead of the interview stage.
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