G3 English Paper 4: oral communication

Paper 4 is oral communication — 30 marks, 20% of G3 English, about 20 minutes including 10 minutes' preparation. It's computer-delivered around a video clip, with two parts: a planned spoken response and a spoken interaction. Note that reading aloud is not part of G3 oral.

The format

You watch a short video clip and prepare during the allotted time, then record your responses on the computer. There are two parts: a planned response where you speak on a topic linked to the clip, and a spoken interaction with follow-up questions. Reading aloud — which the old syllabus included and which returns at G1 — is not part of G2 or G3 oral.

Part 1: planned response

You speak for a short time on a question prompted by the clip. Marks reward clear, organised ideas, relevant development, and fluent, accurate delivery. Use the preparation time to jot a quick structure — a position, two reasons, an example — rather than scripting word for word, which tends to sound stilted.

Part 2: spoken interaction

You respond to further questions, developing your views and engaging with the ideas raised. Examiners reward students who say something substantive and support it, rather than giving thin, one-line answers. Treat each question as an invitation to explain, give an example, and consider another angle.

How to score Paper 4

Practice is everything: rehearse speaking on a range of everyday and issue-based topics, record yourself, and work on pace and clarity. Build a small bank of flexible examples you can draw on under time pressure. Oral is 20% of the grade and very trainable — students who practise out loud consistently outperform those who only revise on paper.