CELPIP Speaking Task 1: Giving Advice

CELPIP Speaking Task 1 Sample Answer: Eating Well on a Plant-Based Diet

This prompt asks you to help a friend who runs regularly and wants to try a vegan diet without losing protein or enjoyment. The tricky part is giving specific foods and meal ideas that answer both worries, not just general comments about eating healthy.

Preparation

30 seconds

Speaking

90 seconds

Listener

Someone you know well

The question

Your friend Hannah, who runs three times a week, has decided to stop eating meat, eggs and dairy for at least three months. She is worried that she won't get enough protein for her training, and she thinks vegan meals will be boring. Advise Hannah on how she can eat well on her new diet.

How to plan your answer

What they want

Advise your friend Hannah, a runner going vegan for three months, on getting enough protein and making meals that are not boring.

Plan (90 sec)

Open: "Hannah, lots of athletes eat this way, so it's very doable."
Protein: lentils, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, edamame, peanut butter; some at every meal.
Easy swaps: soy milk (more protein than almond), protein smoothie after runs.
Flavour: spices, sauces, cuisines that are naturally plant-based: Indian dal, Thai curry, Mexican black bean tacos.
Planning: batch cook on Sunday; follow vegan cooks online.
Health: ask a doctor about B12.
Close: offer to cook together.

Useful vocabulary

plant-based, protein, legumes, tofu
nutrients, batch cook, recipe, supplement

Phrases

"A great source of protein is..."
"To keep meals interesting, try..."
"Make sure you also..."

Avoid

Saying only "eat vegetables"; vegetables alone have little protein.
Forgetting her running; connect protein to training.

Excellent answer (transcript): around CLB 11–12

Hannah, I love that you're trying this, and you really don't need to worry about protein. Plenty of marathon runners are vegan. The trick is to build every meal around a protein first and then add everything else. So breakfast could be oatmeal made with soy milk and a big spoon of peanut butter. Lunch might be a lentil soup, and dinner something with tofu or tempeh. After your runs, a smoothie with soy milk and hemp hearts will help your muscles recover. And vegan food definitely doesn't have to be boring. The secret is spices and sauces. Look at Indian, Ethiopian or Mexican cooking. A spicy chana masala or black bean tacos with lime and cilantro are so good you won't miss the meat. To make life easier, batch cook a couple of dishes on Sunday. One more thing: talk to your doctor about a B12 supplement, since it's the one nutrient plants don't really give you. If you want, come over Friday and we'll cook together.

168 words

Why it scores high

Content/Coherence: "The trick is to build every meal around a protein first" leads into a breakfast, lunch and dinner plan that is easy to follow.
Vocabulary: Specific food words like "tempeh," "hemp hearts" and "chana masala" show a wide, precise range used naturally.
Task Fulfillment: Linking the smoothie to helping "your muscles recover" and naming the B12 gap shows advice tailored to Hannah as a runner.

Good answer (transcript): around CLB 7–8

Hey Hannah, that's a big change, but honestly, a lot of runners eat this way, so I'm sure you can do it. For protein, the key is to include some at every meal. Tofu, lentils, chickpeas and edamame are all great sources, and peanut butter on toast is an easy snack. After a run, you could make a smoothie with soy milk, a banana and some hemp seeds. As for boring meals, try cuisines that already use lots of vegetables, like Indian or Thai food. A chickpea curry or lentil dal is full of flavour. It also helps to cook a big batch on Sunday, so you're not tempted by fast food during the week. Finally, ask your doctor about vitamin B12, because it's hard to get from plants.

129 words

What works, and what's missing

Content/Coherence: The answer treats protein first and boring meals second, with clear openers like "For protein, the key is" and "As for boring meals."
Vocabulary: Accurate terms such as "great sources," "cuisines" and "cook a big batch" fit the topic well.
Task Fulfillment: The B12 tip and recipes are useful, but the link to running is only one smoothie; more on fuelling her training would complete it.

Basic answer (transcript): around CLB 4–5

Hi Hannah, I think vegan diet is healthy, good for you. For protein, you can eat tofu, lentil and chickpea, they have many protein. Also peanut butter. For running I think you can drink soy milk after, it help your body. About boring food, no, vegan food can be delicious! You can try Indian food, like dal or chickpea curry, it have a lot of spice. Mexican food also, black bean taco is very good. You can search recipe on YouTube, there is many. And maybe ask your doctor about vitamin. Good luck, Hannah!

94 words

What holds it back

Vocabulary: Errors like "they have many protein," "it help your body" and "it have a lot of spice" mix up countable nouns and verb endings.
Task Fulfillment: Both worries are covered, but "search recipe on YouTube" and "ask your doctor about vitamin" are too vague to be really useful.
Listenability: The opening "I think vegan diet is healthy, good for you" and short, unlinked sentences make the answer sound abrupt.

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