BULATS- Speaking Part Three Script

BULATS Speaking Part Three script and useful phrases

Use one of the two cards below to roleplay a typical BULATS Speaking Part Three information exchange task.

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Candidate

Your team needs to replace the office photocopier. The examiner is a supplier of photocopiers who has come to your office to give you some information about their machines. Ask the examiner about these things:

• functions
• cost
• lengths of contract

and any other information that you think is relevant. Start the conversation whenever you are ready.

 

Then discuss this question with the examiner:

What are the most important things when choosing office equipment?

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Examiner

You are a supplier of photocopiers who is visiting the candidate in the hope of providing them with one of your machines. Answer their questions about these things:

• functions – colour photocopying, stapling, scanning and faxing
• cost – 500-dollar initial charge, then 35 dollars a month
• length of contract – three months minimum, with discounts for longer contracts

You can also supply other information, but let the candidate lead the conversation.

 

Then discuss this question with the candidate:

What are the most important things when choosing office equipment?

You can also give your own opinion and ask other questions to keep the conversation going, but let the candidate do most of the talking.

 

Here is a typical format for such a conversation. Did your conversation go this way? If not, how was it different? 

Candidate: Thank the examiner for coming

Examiner: Respond

Candidate: Say you want to ask for information

Examiner: Respond

 

 

Candidate: Ask the first question

Examiner: Answer the question

Candidate: Respond

 

 

Candidate: Ask the second question

Examiner: Answer the question

Candidate: Ask for confirmation

Examiner: Confirm the information/ Clear up the misunderstanding

 

 

Candidate: Ask the third question

Examiner: Answer the question

Candidate: Respond

 

 

Examiner: Ask if there are more questions

Candidate: Say no

Candidate: Thank the examiner

Candidate: Talk about future action

 

 

Brainstorm at least three ways of saying each of the things in bold above, making the sentences as different from each other as possible.

 

Do the same for this alternative format

Examiner: Ask if there are more questions

Candidate: Say yes and ask one question

 

Check your answers against the list of phrases on the next page.

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Candidate: Thank you for coming here to see me today/ Thanks for coming all this way/ Welcome to Procter and Gamble

Examiner: You’re very welcome/ Thanks for inviting me/ It’s a pleasure to be here

Candidate: So, can I ask you a couple of questions about the machines?/ I’d like to ask you one or two things about the equipment/ I have a few queries about the photocopiers

Examiner: Of course/ Go ahead/ What would you like to ask?

Candidate: First of all I’d like to know more about the functions/ Can you tell me what kinds of things the copier can do?/ To start with, I’d like some information on the different things I can do with the machines

 

Candidate: Thanks/ Okay, that sounds okay/ Mmm hmm

Candidate: And what about the price?/ Can you also tell me something about the cost?/ My second question is about how much we will have to pay

 

Candidate: Do you mean per month or per year?/ Is that a yearly or monthly charge?/ What do you mean by “annual”?

 

Candidate: And my last question was about the length of contracts/ Finally, I need to know how long I have to sign up for/ Another thing I wanted to ask about was the period the agreement would last for

 

Examiner: Was there anything else?/ Did you have any other questions?/ Would you like any other information

Candidate: No, I think that’s all, thanks/ Actually, that’s all I can think of (for now)/ That’s everything I needed to know, thanks

Candidate: Thank you for your time/ Thanks again for coming to see me/ This has been very useful, thanks

Candidate: I’ll get back to you when I’ve spoken to my boss/ I’ll email you this afternoon to confirm our order/ I’ll let you know our decision by Friday

 

Alternative format

Examiner: Was there anything else?

Candidate: There was one more thing, actually/ Yes, I have one last question/ Just one more

 

Find synonyms above, e.g. “equipment” and “machine”.

 

Find synonyms for these words and phrases in the examples above:

questions                                                     one or two                                     things it can do

price                                                             per year                                         length

contract                                                        get back to you

 

Do the roleplay twice more, once with the script above to help, and once with just the format on the second page to help.

Answer key

questions – queries/ one or two – a couple (of)/ things it can do – functions/ price – cost/ per year – yearly/ length – period/ contract – agreement/ get back to you – email you/ let you know