Dance & Performing Arts Revision — English Speaking Board (International) Ltd QCF
Complete English Speaking Board (International) Ltd QCF Dance & Performing Arts specification revision resources. Tailored syllabus coverage with topic breakdowns, quizzes, and practice questions.
Specification Topics
- Speech for Employability
- Speech Performance Grade 3
- Speech Performance Grade 1
- Speech Performance Grade 8
- Speech Performance Grade 6
- Speech Performance (Drama-Focused) Grade 5
- Speech to Connect
- Speech Performance (Presentation-focused) Grade 5
- Speech to Connect
- Speech to Inform
- Speech to Perform
- Speech to Perform
Top Exam Board Tips
- Structure your 4-minute talk with a clear opening, logical points supported by the audio/visual aid, and a strong concluding call to action relevant to the employability topic.
- In the interview, treat the assessor as a professional contact; practice active listening, pause before answering, and use specific, work-related examples to strengthen responses.
- For the telephone scenario, note that assessors will evaluate clarity and professional etiquette—speak slightly slower than usual, confirm details, and avoid fillers.
- During the formal discussion, prepare to both lead and support: initiate a relevant point early, then listen and respond to others' ideas to show collaborative communication.
- Select a piece that offers clear opportunities for vocal contrast and character development to showcase your range.
- Record your rehearsals and critically evaluate your use of vocal resources to identify areas for improvement.
- During the performance, focus on connecting with the audience through direct address and sustained eye contact to enhance engagement.
- In the moments before you begin, take a breath and mentally step into the role, committing fully to the character from the first word.
- Rehearse your talk with the actual audio/visual equipment to ensure seamless integration and timing.
- Anticipate potential interview questions about your chosen person or career, and prepare specific anecdotes or facts to include.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Reading directly from notes or slides instead of engaging the listener, which undermines the natural and persuasive delivery expected in a pitch.
- Using overly casual language or slang during the telephone call, forgetting that a workplace scenario requires a professional tone even in simulated contexts.
- Dominating the formal discussion by not allowing others to speak, or conversely, remaining silent and not contributing, failing to demonstrate balanced and respectful participation.
- Not preparing for common interview questions, leading to vague or rambling answers that lack specific examples or relevance to the candidate's skills.
- Failing to warm up the voice, leading to strained or monotonous delivery.
- Breaking eye contact with the audience to glance at notes, disrupting the illusion of the role.
- Over-reliance on a single vocal pattern, resulting in a flat performance that does not reflect the content's variety.
- Misjudging the pace, rushing through significant passages or dragging in less important sections.
Key Terminology & Definitions
- (1) Deliver a 4-minute talk or pitch about an employability-related issue using audio and/or visual support. (2) Take part in a 1:1 interview with the assessor. (3) Make a ‘telephone call’ in relation to a work-based scenario. (4) Participate in a formal discussion.
- employ appropriate vocal resources to engage the audience through performance, respond to the quality, form and content of the material being presented, adopt and sustain a role
- Professional oral communication
- Interview techniques
- Persuasive pitching
- Active listening and response
- Audio-visual aid usage
- employ appropriate integrated vocal resources to engage the audience in a performance which shows a sense of ownership, respond with authority and mature understanding to the quality, form and content of the material being presented, adopt and sustain a role and effectively convey complexity of meaning
- Research and plan a balanced presentation about a contemporary issue; Deliver the talk, without full notes, to time; Expand on initial information with analysis, comment and opinion; Employ audio/visual aids during the talk; Speak a substantial piece of published, creative English from text or memory (poetry or prose), commenting critically on it; Assume the role of a character and communicate convincingly in that role; Support a discussion in a group, encouraging ideas and opinions; Respond to questions, and make contributions to the work of others; Listen carefully and positively throughout the work of a small group.
- (1) Deliver a 4-minute talk in relation to a famous or interesting person using audio and/or visual support. (2) Perform a piece of poetry, prose or drama on the theme of a place or person from memory. (3) Read a passage of about 150-200 words and comment on the characters involved.(4) Participate in a formal discussion.
- Research and plan a balanced presentation about a contemporary issue; Deliver the talk, without full notes, to time; Expand on initial information with analysis, comment and opinion; Employ audio/visual aids during the talk; Speak a substantial piece of published, creative English from memory (poetry, prose or drama), commenting critically on it; Analyse and comment on a substantive speech; Support a discussion in a group, encouraging ideas and opinions; Respond to questions, and make contributions to the work of others; Listen carefully and positively throughout the work of a small group.
- Personal Talk with Audio-Visual Aids
- Memorisation and Creative Interpretation
- Expressive Reading Aloud
- Interactive Listening and Response