CELPIP Speaking Task 1: Giving Advice

CELPIP Speaking Task 1 Sample Answer: Getting Your Hands into Clay

This prompt asks you to encourage a friend who loves handmade pottery but keeps avoiding it because it looks difficult and messy. The tricky part is answering both fears with specific first steps, so your advice is more than just telling her to try.

Preparation

30 seconds

Speaking

90 seconds

Listener

Someone you know well

The question

Your friend Grace in Kelowna has admired handmade mugs and bowls for years and would love to try making them herself. However, she keeps putting it off because she thinks working with clay will be too hard for her and that it will make a big mess. Advise Grace on how she can take her first steps into pottery.

How to plan your answer

What they want

Advise your friend Grace, who loves handmade pottery but thinks it's too hard and too messy, on how to take her first steps.

Plan (90 sec)

Open: "Grace, nobody's first bowl is perfect; that's the fun part."
Start with a one-day workshop or a beginner class at a local studio.
Hand-building (pinch pots, coil mugs) is easier than the pottery wheel.
Mess: wear old clothes or an apron, tie back hair; studios do the cleanup and firing.
Expectations: aim to enjoy it, not be perfect.
Make it social: go with a friend; offer to join her.
Close: "You'll come home with your own mug."

Useful vocabulary

studio, wheel, hand-building, glaze
kiln, firing, apron, beginner workshop

Phrases

"A good way to start is..."
"You don't have to worry about..."
"Why don't we...?"

Avoid

Saying "just try it"; give specific first steps.
Ignoring either worry: difficulty or mess.

Excellent answer (transcript): around CLB 11–12

Grace, you've been talking about pottery for ages, so I think it's time to stop admiring other people's mugs and make your own! Honestly, it's much more beginner-friendly than it looks. Most studios in Kelowna offer one-evening workshops where they supply everything, the clay, the tools, even the aprons, and the instructor shows you each step. If the wheel feels intimidating, start with hand-building. You basically shape the clay with your fingers, making pinch pots or coil bowls, and it's very relaxing. Once you're comfortable, the wheel won't seem nearly as scary. As for the mess, clay does get everywhere, but that's half the fun. Wear clothes you don't care about, tie your hair back, and leave the rest to the studio. They handle the cleanup and the kiln. The main thing is to go in expecting something lopsided. My first bowl looked like a melted ashtray, and I still use it for keys. Why don't we sign up for a workshop together next month?

165 words

Why it scores high

Task Fulfillment: The personal story, "My first bowl looked like a melted ashtray, and I still use it for keys," turns her fear of failure into something funny and reassuring.
Content/Coherence: Each fear gets its own clear section, from "If the wheel feels intimidating" to "As for the mess," with practical steps in both.
Vocabulary: Natural phrases like "for ages," "beginner-friendly," "half the fun" and "lopsided" sound fluent and relaxed.

Good answer (transcript): around CLB 7–8

Hey Grace, you've talked about pottery for so long, I think it's time to give it a try! The easiest way to start is with a one-day beginner workshop at a local studio. You don't need to buy anything, and the instructor guides you through every step. If the wheel looks scary, ask for a hand-building class first. Making a pinch pot or a coil mug is much easier, and it's still really satisfying. About the mess, it's true that clay gets everywhere, but that's part of the fun. Just wear old clothes, and studios usually give you aprons and do the cleanup. Most importantly, don't expect your first mug to be perfect. Everyone's first piece is a bit crooked. I'd actually love to come with you, if you want company.

131 words

What works, and what's missing

Content/Coherence: The advice flows from a workshop to hand-building to the mess, each with a reason like "You don't need to buy anything."
Vocabulary: Specific terms like "pinch pot," "coil mug" and "a bit crooked" show good topic vocabulary.
Task Fulfillment: Both worries are answered, but the difficulty worry could use a personal example to make the reassurance more convincing.

Basic answer (transcript): around CLB 4–5

Hi Grace, I know you want to make pottery long time. I think you should try! First, go to a beginner class in studio. The teacher show you everything, step by step, so it's not too hard. Maybe start with hand, not the wheel. Wheel is more difficult. You can make small bowl with your hand. About the mess, yes, clay is dirty, but you can wear old clothes and apron. The studio have place to wash. Your first bowl is maybe not beautiful, but it's okay. Just enjoy. If you want, I can go with you!

97 words

What holds it back

Vocabulary: Errors like "want to make pottery long time," "The teacher show you" and "The studio have place" show weak verb agreement and missing words.
Content/Coherence: The idea "start with hand, not the wheel" is useful but unclear, because the speaker doesn't name hand-building or explain it.
Task Fulfillment: Both fears are mentioned, but each gets only a line, so the reassurance feels thin.

The CLBs are estimates of the level each sample was written at, not official CELPIP scores. How we estimate CLB