Language course
Englisch
Find out how Speaking Part 2 in telc Deutsch B1 is structured, how the examiners assess, which mistakes cost the most points, and with which practical tips you hold a real conversation instead of a monologue.
In telc Deutsch B1, Speaking Part 2 is called Über ein Thema sprechen (talking about a topic). You and your conversation partner each receive a short text with a personal opinion on an everyday topic. First you briefly report on your own text, then your partner reports on theirs. After that, you talk about the topic together: you give your opinion, provide an example from your own life, and react to what your partner says.
Important: Speaking Part 2 is not a monologue and not a presentation. It is a real conversation with another person – and that is exactly what is assessed.
The oral exam consists of three parts. Part 2 and Part 3 each count twice as much as Part 1:
| Exam part | Content | Maximum points |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Kontaktaufnahme (making contact) | 15 points |
| Part 2 | Über ein Thema sprechen (talking about a topic) | 30 points |
| Part 3 | Gemeinsam eine Aufgabe lösen (solving a task together) | 30 points |
In total, 75 points are possible in the oral exam. Part 2 is therefore one of the most important sections – a good reason to train it especially thoroughly.
Two trained examiners assess your conversation independently of each other according to four criteria. After the conversation, they compare their evaluations and agree on a joint assessment.
| Criterion | What is assessed? | Maximum points (Part 2) |
|---|---|---|
| I. Ausdrucksfähigkeit (expressive ability) | Vocabulary and how well you can express what you want to say | 8 |
| II. Aufgabenbewältigung (task completion) | Conversation participation, conversation strategies, fluency | 8 |
| III. Formale Richtigkeit (formal accuracy) | Grammar: sentence structure and word forms | 8 |
| IV. Aussprache und Intonation (pronunciation and intonation) | Intelligibility of pronunciation and stress | 6 |
A weak result in one criterion does not automatically mean zero points for the whole conversation. Each criterion is assessed individually and then added up.
The largest single item is Aufgabenbewältigung (task completion): how actively you take part in the conversation, whether you react, ask follow-up questions and speak fluently. This is exactly where many candidates lose the most points – because they deliver their answer like a prepared monologue instead of really talking with their partner.
The following five traps cost the most points in Speaking Part 2. Whoever knows them can work on them in a targeted way.
The most common mistake: the candidate gives their opinion, provides an example – and then simply waits until it is the partner’s turn. There is no reaction to the partner’s statement and no follow-up question. That directly costs points in conversation participation.
Some candidates say only Ich finde das gut (I think that’s good) or Ich finde das schlecht (I think that’s bad), without giving a personal example. Without an example, the statement seems thin in content, and expressive ability is assessed more weakly.
When a word is missing, many candidates fall completely silent instead of phrasing what was said differently. Long pauses have a negative effect on fluency – a central part of task completion.
Not every grammar mistake costs many points. It becomes critical when a mistake really makes understanding harder – for example a wrong tense in your own example or an unclear sentence structure at an important point.
When important words are pronounced so unclearly that the conversation partner has to ask again, this directly affects the criterion pronunciation and intonation.
Speaking Part 2 is not assessed on how perfectly you present a text, but on how naturally you get into a conversation with another person.
The following five strategies help to turn a prepared text into a lively conversation.
Asking is allowed and is not assessed negatively – on the contrary, it shows conversation strategy. Use these formulations, for example:
A short introductory sentence gives you two to three seconds to think without creating a pause:
End your own statement as often as possible with a short question to your partner. This automatically creates a conversation instead of a monologue:
Even if the partner is quiet or answers only briefly, your own conversation participation is assessed. So stay active:
Use the Online Examiner in a targeted way to check your conversation participation, not just your grammar. First listen to the example dialogues on the platform and pay attention to how balanced the speaking shares of both people are. Then practise yourself and consciously count how many sentences you speak in a row without reacting to the partner.
👉 To the exercises for Speaking B1 telc
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