Practise a discussion that reaches a decision
Choose an activity with a partner. Explain your preference, respond to their reason and agree on a plan that works for both of you. These original ESOL Entry 3 speaking activities practise those steps; they are not official exam questions or an assessment of your level.
If you are new to the pathway, our guide to ESOL Entry 3 skills and practice explains the broader learning context.
Give a view, a reason and something your partner can use
A useful contribution gives the other person something to respond to.
Short reply: I prefer the walk.
Developed reply: I prefer the history walk because I want to learn more about this area. It could also help me learn the names of local places. What would you like to get from the activity?
The second reply explains the choice and invites another view. Your partner might agree, raise a problem or suggest a different option. Your next contribution should respond to that new information.
Try this pattern with your own idea:
- Give your view: say which option you prefer.
- Explain a reason: connect the choice to something that matters to you.
- Add a relevant detail or example.
- Invite a response, then use what the other person says.
You do not have to use these steps in the same order every time. Aim for a conversation, rather than two separate prepared speeches.
Twelve questions to develop a discussion
Use the questions in groups. Choose one, answer it and let your partner respond before moving on. You can use the fictional roles in the next section instead of sharing personal information.
Explore what matters
- What would you like to learn from a new activity, and why?
- Which days and times could work for both of you?
- How could the journey affect your choice?
- Would you prefer making something, exploring a place or meeting people? Explain your preference.
Respond to the other person
- Which part of your partner's suggestion sounds useful to you?
- What concern do you have about that suggestion, and what information supports your concern?
- What could you ask to understand their reason more clearly?
- Is there another option that could meet both people's needs? Explain how.
Agree and check
- Has anything your partner said changed your first choice? What changed your mind?
- Which option fits the information you have, and what do you still need to check?
- Can you both confirm the day, start time and finishing time?
- What is your next step, and who could take it?
These are practice prompts, not a list of questions to memorise for an exam. Different answers can be appropriate when they explain the speaker's meaning and respond to the discussion.
Role play: choose a community class together
All people, activities and arrangements below are fictional. Your task is to choose one activity to attend together, using the information given. You are discussing a possible plan, not making a booking.
| Activity | When | Place and activity details |
|---|---|---|
| Make a simple notebook | Saturday, 10 am–11.30 am | Indoors at the learning centre. Materials are provided. |
| Local history walk | Saturday, 10 am–11.30 am | Outdoors. Starts and finishes at the learning centre. |
| Cooking together | Tuesday, 6 pm–7.30 pm | Indoors at the learning centre. |
For this fictional situation, rain is expected on Saturday. The information does not say whether there is a fee or whether places are available. Do not invent an answer to those questions.
Role A: Nadia
You can attend on Saturday morning, but not on Tuesday evening. You need to be home by 12.30 pm. The bus you could take leaves the centre at 11.40 am, and the journey home takes about twenty minutes. You would prefer the history walk because you want to learn about the neighbourhood. You are willing to consider another activity if your partner has a good reason.
Role B: Tom
You can attend either time. You prefer an indoor activity this time because you do not want to walk outdoors in the rain. You enjoy making things. You live a ten-minute walk from the centre. You want to hear Nadia's reason before recommending a class.
What your discussion needs to do
Each person should explain a preference and respond to the other person's reason. Ask questions that help you decide. Finish by agreeing on an activity, confirming the timing and identifying something you still need to check.
Do not simply read out the table or announce a choice without discussing it.
One possible discussion
Nadia: I'd choose the history walk. I want to know more about the neighbourhood, and learning the place names could help me when I travel around. What do you think?
Tom: I can see why that would be useful. My concern is the rain. I'd prefer an indoor activity this time because I wouldn't enjoy being outside in wet weather.
Nadia: Do you mean you don't like walks, or that you don't want to do this one in the rain?
Tom: Just this one in the rain. I could try a walk another day. The notebook class interests me because I like making things.
Nadia: It wasn't my first choice. What would you use the notebook for?
Tom: I could keep new words in it. You could write down the place names you want to learn too.
Nadia: That's a useful idea. Do we need to bring our own materials?
Tom: The information says materials are provided. Saturday works for you, doesn't it?
Nadia: Yes. It starts at ten and finishes at half past eleven. My bus leaves the centre at twenty to twelve, and the journey takes about twenty minutes, so I can be home before half past twelve.
Tom: It works for me too. Shall we choose the notebook class and ask about the cost and available places?
Nadia: Yes, let's do that. I'll write a short question to the organiser, and we can check it together.
Tom: Agreed. We can discuss a history walk another time.
Notice how the speakers respond
Tom recognises Nadia's reason before explaining his concern. Nadia checks whether his concern is about all walks or the weather this time. Tom then connects the notebook to Nadia's interest in new place names.
Nadia changes her preference after hearing a relevant reason. Both speakers confirm the timing. They agree on a next step without pretending that a place has been booked or that the class is free.
The notebook class fits the two fictional roles: it is indoors and takes place on Saturday. That does not make it the best activity for every learner. New circumstances could lead to a different decision.
Clarify a point without stopping the conversation
Use a phrase that fits the actual difficulty:
| What you need | Something you could say |
|---|---|
| A clearer reason | What makes that option better for you? |
| Confirmation of meaning | Do you mean this Saturday or any Saturday? |
| A polite response to a concern | I understand that concern. Could we check the information together? |
| A different suggestion | Could we consider the other activity? It might solve that problem. |
| A summary before deciding | So we both need a Saturday activity, and you prefer to be indoors. |
Change the wording when you need to. Repeating a phrase that does not answer your partner will not move the discussion forward.
Try again and review the communication
Swap roles and make the decision again using different wording. Then change one fact: imagine that the notebook class has no places left. What information would you need before suggesting another plan? You may need to ask about a later date rather than claim that one of the remaining choices fits both people.
If you are practising alone, prepare two sets of brief notes, one for each role. Say a contribution for one person, then respond as the other. This rehearses organising a response; it does not provide independent feedback on your spoken performance.
Afterwards, ask yourself:
- Did I give a reason for my preference?
- Did I refer to something the other person actually said?
- Did I ask a question that helped us decide?
- Did we deal with a concern, rather than ignore it?
- Did we confirm the plan and separate it from the information still missing?
For shorter exchanges, use our Entry 1 conversation questions. To practise noticing changed information in a recording, try the separate appointment listening activities with transcripts and answers.
You can also explore the general learning activities on the official ESOL English app page, then use suitable material as a starting point for a conversation in your own words. A matching discussion lesson is not promised.
Official resources for your course
Ask your tutor which awarding organisation and skill your course uses. ESB's Entry 3 resources include speaking and listening material. The Pearson ESOL resources hub also links speaking and listening examples. Follow your own provider's current instructions for an assessment; the discussion above is original learning practice.
