Speaking part: HALLOWEEN - Langart

Task 1

Imagine that you are preparing a project with your friend. You have found some interesting material for the presentation and you want to read this text to your friend. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, then be ready to read it out aloud. You will not have more than 1.5 minutes to read it.

When you think of Halloween, you probably think of pumpkin lanterns, fancy-dress costumes and children asking for sweets. If you think of a country that celebrates Halloween, you probably think of the United States first. Americans and Canadians have adopted Halloween in a big way, but Halloween traditions actually come from Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.

Many people make pumpkin lanterns to decorate their homes at Halloween. They remove the inside of the pumpkin, cut shapes for the eyes, nose and mouth and place a candle in the empty pumpkin to make a scary face. People of all ages dress up on Halloween. In the UK some of the most popular costumes include witches, vampires, ghosts, skeletons, zombies and monsters. On Halloween children knock on their neighbours’ doors and ask for ‘treats’, like sweets or chocolates.

Task 2

Study the advertisement.

Halloween at Walt Disney World

Welcome to a kid-friendly, spooktacular party!

You are considering taking your younger siblings to Disney Halloween Festival, immersing yourselves in a fa-boo-lously fun atmosphere and now you’d like to get more information. In 1.5 minutes you are to ask four direct questions to find out about the following:

  1. park hours
  2. entertainment programmes
  3. character dining options
  4. locations of PhotoPass magic shots

You have 20 seconds to ask each question.

Task 3

You are going to give an interview. You have to answer five questions. Give full answers to the questions (2–3 sentences). Remember that you have 40 seconds to answer each question.

Tapescript for Task 3

Interviewer: Hello everybody! It’s Teenagers Round the World Channel. Our guest today is a teenager from Russia and we are going to discuss spooky festivals. We’d like to know our guest’s point of view on this issue. Please answer five questions. So, let’s get started.

Interviewer: Are there any spooky festivals in Russia? Is there a Halloween-like celebration in Russia?

Student: _________________________

Interviewer: Do you celebrate Halloween? Why/ Why not?

Student: _________________________

Interviewer: Have you ever been to a Halloween party? What do you think is the best costume for this spooky holiday?

Student: _________________________

Interviewer: Why do children like Halloween?

Student: _________________________

Interviewer: Why do you think it is important to practise traditions, including Halloween-like ones?

Student: _________________________

Interviewer: Thank you very much for your interview.

Task 4

Imagine that you and your friend are doing a school project “Halloween ideas”. You have found some photos to illustrate it but for technical reasons you cannot send them now. Leave a voice message to your friend explaining your choice of the photos and sharing some ideas about the project. In 2.5 minutes be ready to:

  • explain the choice of the illustrations for the project by briefly describing them and noting the differences;
  • mention the advantages (1–2) of the two ways of celebrating Halloween;
  • mention the disadvantages (1–2) of the two ways of celebrating Halloween;
  • express your opinion on the subject of the project – which way of celebrating Halloween presented in the pictures you’d prefer and why.

You will speak for not more than 3 minutes (12–15 sentences). You have to talk continuously.