Exam-like speaking task 1

TOPIC: EDUCATION
Online education

Preparation time for both tasks: ​4 minutes

You read the following text in a news article:

There are excellent online programs and lousy online programs, and it is difficult to paint all virtual learning with a single brush, just like it is to do for brick-and-mortar schools. Some kids are comfortable with being online or will learn quickly and have teachers who know how to translate classroom activities into virtual ones. Some students won’t be comfortable. Some teachers just aren’t tech-savvy. When comparing the effects of online education with in-person schooling, research shows a negative effect on outcomes, but it depends on the population of students, and online education, relative to bricks-and-mortar, is still young.

Adapted from The Washington Post

During a conversation with the other candidate at a seminar about education that you are both attending, you decide to inform them about the article you have read and explain your opinion about it.

Upload an audio or video in which you devote ​2 minutes max to each of the following tasks:

TASK 1: MEDIATION                                                          
Talk about the following points:
● Explain in your own words what you have just read.
● Identify the main idea of the article.

TASK 2: ​PRODUCTION
Talk about the following points:
● ​Discuss the challenges that distance learning faces at present.
● Make predictions and speculate about what the situation may be like in the future.
Support your opinions with arguments.