Speaking Success: Trinity GESE Grade 11

Advanced stage · CEFR C1.2 — the tasks, themes and language of Grade 11, practised by Philo and Sophia.

•Grade 11, at a glance

Advanced stageCEFR C1.225 minutesOne-to-one with the examiner

1. Topic presentation

up to 5 min

2. Topic discussion

up to 5 min

3. Interactive task

up to 5 min

4. Listening task

up to 3 min

5. Conversation

up to 6 min

At the Advanced stage you give a formal presentation of up to five minutes, lead a discussion of it, take control of an interactive task, respond to three short listening passages (suggesting endings, or identifying the speakers and context), and discuss two subject areas.

1What you need to do (communicative skills)

Presentation: support your views at length, with sub-themes, using organised discourse
Topic discussion: justify your ideas and respond spontaneously to challenges
Interactive task: change direction when needed and negotiate to a conclusion
Listening: understand inference and idiomatic language
Conversation: cope with topic shifts, infer meaning from vague language, and challenge the examiner

2Themes and topics (subject areas)

Conversation subject areas: List A (teenagers) or List B (adults)

Topics

A: Independence; Ambitions; Stereotypes; Role models; Competitiveness; Young people’s rights
B: The media; Advertising; Lifestyles; The arts; The rights of the individual; Economic issues

Your own topic must not be taken from this list: choose something personal, which you know well and enjoy talking about.

3Language functions and grammar (what the examiner listens for)

Functions

Justifying an argument
Inferring
Expressing caution
Empathy and sympathy
Challenging arguments
Evaluating standpoints
Expressing reservations

Grammar and language

Complex structures used flexibly, with rare errors
A good range of idiom and colloquial language
Signposting: I’d like to begin with…, conversely…, to conclude…
Vague language: a bit more, a hundred people or so

Worked example — challenging the examiner, politely

ExaminerSurely advertising just gives people useful information about products?

SophiaI’d be a little cautious about that. Some of it does, but most advertising sells a feeling rather than a fact. Conversely, I’d accept that without it, plenty of small businesses would never be noticed at all.

ExaminerSo you’re in favour?

SophiaWith reservations. I’d want much stricter rules on advertising aimed at children. Wouldn’t you?

Tips for Grade 11

The examiner will make challenging statements on purpose: respond, don’t just agree.
Practise expressing reservations and caution: with reservations, I’d be wary of…
Choose the List A or B subject areas that your centre has told the examiner about.

•How Grade 11 is assessed

The examiner gives a letter grade for each phase, for task fulfilment: how well you use the communicative skills, functions, grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation of this grade and all the grades before it, with good fluency.

A · Distinction

An excellent performance.

B · Merit

A good performance.

C · Pass

A satisfactory performance.

D · Fail

Not yet satisfactory: the report shows what to work on.

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Based on Trinity College London’s GESE specifications (from January 2026). Always check trinitycollege.com/GESE for the current version.