DICAS E TRUQUESLong Turn

  • About 2 minutes alone
  • 1 question, 3 talking points
  • The points are optional
  • Then a related discussion

You get a card with a question and three talking points, and you speak on your own for about two minutes. The points are there to help: you can use some of them, all of them or none.

Afterwards, your partner answers a related question, and then you both discuss the topic with the examiner. The long turn is your chance to show you can organise an argument and sustain it.

Plan in seconds

There's very little time to prepare, so decide your overall answer to the question straight away and choose two or three points to develop. That's your plan: a position and a route through it.

Build a clear structure

Give your talk a shape the listener can follow: an opening that frames the question, two or three developed points, and a conclusion that pulls them together. Signposts like turning to and all things considered make the structure audible.

Develop, don't list

A sentence on each talking point sounds like a list. It's far better to develop fewer points properly, with explanation, examples, implications and a counter-argument that you then answer.

Bring your own angle

The talking points are optional. If you have a stronger or more personal angle, use it. Examiners reward relevance and depth, and your own examples often bring out your most natural, precise language.

Pace your two minutes

Two minutes is longer than it sounds. Don't rush the opening, keep the balance between your points, and leave a few seconds to conclude rather than being cut off mid-idea.

Stay switched on after

When your partner answers their question, listen. The discussion that follows builds on both turns, and you'll be expected to respond to their ideas as well as extend your own.

Strategy

  1. 1Read the question and decide on your overall answer straight away.
  2. 2Choose two or three points, from the card or your own, and a logical order for them.
  3. 3Open by framing the question and stating your position.
  4. 4Develop each point with reasons, examples and implications.
  5. 5Acknowledge another view and explain why you still hold yours.
  6. 6Conclude by bringing your points back to the question.
  7. 7Listen to your partner's answer and be ready to discuss both.
  8. 8Record and time yourself here, aiming for a full two minutes without long pauses.

Expressões úteis

Opening

  • It's a question that divides opinion, but ...
  • To my mind, the answer is ...
  • I'd like to look at this from two angles.
  • Broadly speaking, I'd argue that ...

Moving between points

  • Turning to ...
  • Another angle worth considering is ...
  • This ties in with ...
  • Which brings me to ...
  • Beyond that, ...

Conceding and countering

  • Admittedly, ...
  • Granted, ..., but ...
  • While there's some truth in ..., ...
  • That said, ...
  • Critics would argue that ..., yet ...

Concluding

  • All things considered, ...
  • What it comes down to is ...
  • So, to sum up, ...
  • Ultimately, I'd say ...
Pratique Long Turn80 provas para praticar. A primeira é grátis.