CELPIP Speaking Task 6 is all about dealing with a difficult situation. This situation can be with a friend, a family member, an acquaintance or a customer.
A Personal Situation That Put Me In A Difficult Position
CELPIP Speaking Task 6 in real life: Just yesterday I found myself in a difficult situation with one of my older sons. He got off work late, and asked for a ride home.
As we got close to home, he told me some of his friends had just sent him a message to ask if he could go and eat with them at a nearby fast food spot.
I told him no because it was already late.
Then, as we got closer to the house, he got another message. His friends were already there and waiting.
Oh no.
That was where the difficult moment came in for me. They were waiting for him.
Should I change my mind and let him go even though it was already pretty late? Or should I stick to my decision and tell him no even though his friends were there waiting?
What would you do?
(Take a moment and think about it: what if this was your CELPIP SPEAKING TASK 6 exam question? How would you respond?)
I knew my wife would agree with me. It was too late to be going out, so I told him no one more time and explained why.
I felt uncomfortable!
My son let his friends know that he was too tired and that he didn’t have permission to go, and that’s how we dealt with the situation.
Challenging Situations Don’t Feel Comfortable!
Have you ever faced a difficult situation where you felt pressured to change your mind or give into the person you were talking with?
It can be hard to keep calm or to be polite. It might even be harder to stick to the position or decision you have made because you’ll feel pressure to change your mind.
But that will be something you need to do in Task 6 of the CELPIP Exam.
Here’s how you can do that:
Last week I had a class with a student and we were practicing for CELPIP speaking task 6. I just loved the way she responded to a question I gave her.
I loved it so much that I wanted to share it with you. It has nothing to do with me at all, this was all her creativity and quick thinking, but I think there is much we can learn from how she responded.
My Student’s Difficult Situation
She was an employee in a coffee shop. The owner of the cafe has a strict no pets/animals policy in the shop.
A client had just arrived and had a dog with them. They were asking if the dog could come inside because it was starting to rain heavily and they didn’t want their dog to get wet.
Her job was to kindly respond to the client and let them know of the cafe’s no pet policy.
My student surprised me completely with her response because she didn’t say a single thing that I thought she would say.
Instead, this is what she did:
She showed empathy by immediately talking to me as if I were the client. She said how sorry she was that it was raining and that she would love to invite the dog to come inside to keep dry.
Then my student kindly explained that the owner had a pet allergy which was why they had such strict rules in the cafe.
She also explained that it was possible that other clients could be allergic to pet hair as well, or they might be afraid of dogs.
Then she explained that they had a special roofed area just outside especially for pets. The dog could wait perfectly dry while the client enjoyed a coffee.
She also offered to give the dog a delicious treat so that he’d be happy too.
I was impressed with her answer because she demonstrated firmness and kindness as she stuck with the policy of her store.
She also carefully explained why she could not allow the pet inside, but then she showed great care and empathy by saying how much she wished she could.
What You Need To Remember For CELPIP Speaking Task 6
– Remember to use your imagination and pretend that you are actually in the situation the exam puts you in. (Even if it isn’t true about you.)
– Remember to be firm and stick with your position if that is what the question asks you to do.
– Remember to firmly, meaning not changing your mind, but kindly explain why you cannot agree with the person who is asking you to make a change.
– Bonus: Remember to show feeling or empathy with the person who is asking you to do something that you can’t do. Let them know that you care! This will strengthen your CELPIP Speaking Task 6 score.
Would you like to learn more about the CELPIP Exam? Check out the official CELPIP website here.
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