9.2 Oral Tarea 2: Exposición de un tema (2–3 Minute Talk on a Topic)

9.2 Oral Tarea 2: Exposición de un tema (Short Talk on a Topic)

After your presentation, the interviewer moves to Tarea 2: Exposición de un tema. It is a short monologue of 2 to 3 minutes about a topic from your immediate personal world, prepared during the 10 minutes before the test. The official specifications describe the skill as giving very basic information, in short and simple sentences, about yourself and your immediate surroundings: daily life, people you know, belongings, places, studies and similar topics.

The Modelo 0 Lámina: Mi semana

The five options around the topic are Trabajo y estudios, Transportes, Comidas, Deportes and Tiempo libre. The suggestion box reads: ¿Qué días trabaja/estudia? ¿Qué transportes usa? ¿Qué deportes hace normalmente? ¿Qué hace en su tiempo libre? ¿Dónde come todos los días?

The lámina also announces Tarea 3: the interviewer will ask you some questions about the Tarea 2 topic, and then you will ask the interviewer two questions about it. Your Tarea 2 choice therefore shapes the rest of the test.

Other topics consistent with the specifications include your family or people you know, your home or neighbourhood, your city, your studies and your belongings. The exam guide's sample used the topic Lugares (places), and the candidate spoke about his work, his city and his neighbourhood.

How the Rater Scores Tarea 2

The rater gives Tarea 2 two marks, one for Uso de la lengua and one for Cumplimiento de la tarea. Tarea 2 is worth 35% of the rater's marks (Tarea 1 is 20% and Tarea 3 is 45%).

• Task fulfilment, band 2: provides the required information on all the points of Tarea 2, that is, your three chosen options.
• Task fulfilment, band 1: covers only one or two of them.
• Task fulfilment, band 3: covers all the points and adds relevant details, comments, opinions or reasons.
• Use of language, band 2: groups of words and short sentences, a few simple structures (present indicative, ser and estar, basic agreement), with pauses, errors and possibly the influence of other languages.
• Use of language, band 3: enough repertoire to express facts, wishes, preferences, feelings or opinions (me gusta..., quiero..., creo que..., porque...), basic links (porque, pero, adverbs, demonstratives) and control of basic grammar.

In the exam guide's band-1 sample, the candidate mentioned all three points but communicated only part of the information and spoke for little more than a minute instead of two or three. Coverage and length both matter.

Planning the Talk in Your 10 Minutes

Spend roughly four minutes on Tarea 1 keywords and six on Tarea 2:

1. Choose the lámina whose options you can talk about most easily.
2. Choose three options and write three or four keywords for each: days, places, people, times.
3. Plan one reason or opinion per option: porque es barato, me gusta mucho, creo que es sano.
4. Think ahead to Tarea 3: note two simple questions you could ask the interviewer about the same topic.

Talk structure (2-3 minutes)
  Introduction -> "Voy a hablar de mis estudios, de las comidas y de mi tiempo libre."
  Option 1     -> 3-4 sentences + 1 detail or reason
  Option 2     -> 3-4 sentences + 1 detail or reason
  Option 3     -> 3-4 sentences + 1 detail or reason
  Close        -> "Esta es mi semana. Muchas gracias."

Key Language for Each Mi semana Option

Frequency expressions (todos los días, los lunes, dos veces a la semana, normalmente, a veces) make a weekly routine sound natural, and gustar plus porque turns a list into a talk with opinions.

Model Talk: Mi semana (about 2 minutes)

Voy a hablar de mi semana: de mis estudios, de las comidas y de mi tiempo libre.

Soy estudiante de Biología en la universidad. Tengo clase de lunes a jueves por la mañana, de nueve a dos. Los viernes no tengo clase y estudio en la biblioteca. Me gusta mucho la universidad porque mis compañeros son muy simpáticos.

Normalmente desayuno en casa: un café con leche y una tostada. A las dos y media como en la cafetería de la universidad porque es barata. Por la noche ceno con mi familia a las nueve. Mi comida favorita es la paella de mi madre.

En mi tiempo libre me gusta leer y ver series. Los sábados por la tarde voy al cine con mis amigos y después tomamos algo en un bar del centro. Los domingos descanso en casa.

Esta es mi semana. Muchas gracias.

Why it works: it covers three options, each with times and frequency, gives reasons with porque, links ideas with y, después and normalmente, and stays in the present tense. At about 150 words, a calm delivery takes around two minutes.

If You Run Short of Ideas

• Add who, where, when or why to a sentence: Voy al cine con mi hermana, al lado de mi casa, los viernes, porque es más barato.
• Use the suggestion box: answer each suggested question in one or two sentences.
• Use thinking phrases: Bueno..., A ver..., Pues....
• Stay in Spanish and do not read your notes; a short pause is better than switching to English.