DET Prep Course: Read, then Speak & Listen, then Speak

This comprehensive guide tackles the speaking section of the Duolingo English Test, focusing on ‘Read, Then Speak’ and ‘Listen, Then Speak’ questions. We’ll explore the test format, scoring criteria, and three main question categories: descriptive, argumentative, and comparative. You’ll learn essential strategies, including the versatile opening sentence technique and tailored templates for each question type. We also provide advanced vocabulary tips for high scorers and offer practice questions with sample answers. Whether you’re a beginner or aiming for top marks, this post will equip you with the tools to excel in your Duolingo English Test speaking tasks.

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction to Speaking Questions
2. Overview of ‘Read, Then Speak’ Questions
3. Overview of ‘Listen, Then Speak’ Questions
4. Scoring Criteria for Speaking Tasks
5. Categories of Speaking Questions
6. Descriptive Questions
7. Argumentative/Opinion/Discussion Questions
8. Comparative Questions
9. Conclusion

Hello everyone, and welcome to our Duolingo English Test Prep Hub. Today, we’ll be covering two speaking question types: ‘Read, then speak’ and ‘Listen, then speak’.

Overview of ‘Read, Then Speak’ Questions

Let’s start by looking at an overview of these question types. First up is the ‘Read, then speak’ format. It’s classified as an Oral Response Question, which means you’ll be expected to provide a spoken answer. You’ll need to formulate and articulate your thoughts verbally.

Now, how often will you see this type of question? It appears once per session. This means you should be prepared for it, but don’t worry about facing multiple instances of this question type.

Let’s move on to some key tips for tackling this question effectively:

1. Answer clearly and naturally: This is crucial. You want to sound confident and comfortable, not like you’re reciting memorized text. Speak as if you’re having a conversation with someone.

2. Use a variety of vocabulary and sentence structures: This is your chance to showcase your language skills. Don’t stick to simple sentences or basic words. Demonstrate the breadth of your English knowledge by incorporating diverse vocabulary and constructing complex sentences where appropriate.

3. Ensure fluency: The goal here is to speak smoothly without too many pauses or hesitations. Practice is key to improving your fluency. The more comfortable you are with speaking English, the more natural your response will sound.

4. Pay attention to pronunciation and intonation: It’s not just about what you say, but how you say it. Clear pronunciation helps ensure you’re understood, while proper intonation can convey meaning and emotion, making your speech more engaging and natural-sounding.

Overview of ‘Listen, Then Speak’ Questions

Next, let’s move on to discussing the Listen, Then Speak question type. This is another crucial component of the Duolingo English Test that you’ll need to prepare for.

The format for this question is an Oral Response to the Heard Question. This means you’ll be listening to a prompt or question and then responding verbally. It’s important to note that this type of question appears twice per session, so you’ll have multiple opportunities to showcase your listening comprehension and speaking skills.

Now, let’s go through some essential tips for succeeding in this part of the test:

1. Answer clearly and naturally: Just like in the previous question type, it’s vital to speak in a clear, confident manner. Aim for a natural conversational tone rather than sounding rehearsed.

2. Use a variety of vocabulary and sentence structures: This is your chance to demonstrate the breadth of your English language skills. Don’t shy away from using more advanced vocabulary or complex sentence structures if they fit the context of your response.

3. Ensure fluency: Strive for smooth, continuous speech. Practice speaking on various topics to improve your ability to articulate your thoughts without frequent pauses or hesitations.

4. Pay attention to pronunciation and intonation: Clear pronunciation is crucial for being understood, while proper intonation can help convey your message more effectively and naturally.

5. Make sure you understand the question and ensure your response is relevant: This tip is specific to the Listen, Then Speak format. It’s critical that you listen carefully to the question or prompt and respond appropriately. Your answer should directly address what you’ve heard.

Remember, this question type is testing not only your speaking abilities but also your listening comprehension. It’s a more complex task as you need to process auditory information and then formulate a relevant spoken response.

Practicing active listening skills alongside your speaking practice will be key to excelling in this part of the test. Try to expose yourself to various English accents and speaking speeds to prepare for different possibilities in the actual test.

Scoring Criteria for Speaking Tasks

Now that we’ve gone over the question types, let’s dive into the scoring criteria. The two speaking tasks we just discussed fall under the open-response question types. For the Duolingo English Test, speaking is evaluated across six dimensions, which we’ve highlighted with red boxes. Next, we’ll go through each of these dimensions one by one.

First, let’s look at content. This dimension evaluates the relevance, style, development, and effect on the reader of your response. It’s crucial to ensure that your answer directly addresses the prompt and is well-developed with appropriate style.

The second dimension is discourse coherence, which applies to writing questions only. However, it’s worth noting that clarity, cohesion, progression of ideas, and structure are important in spoken responses as well, even if they’re not formally evaluated in the same way.

Third, we have lexis, or vocabulary. For speaking tasks, the grading engine will assess your lexical diversity, sophistication, and choice of words. While spelling isn’t applicable to speaking, using a rich and appropriate vocabulary is key.

Fourth is grammar. In speaking tasks, the system will evaluate your grammatical complexity and accuracy. Although punctuation isn’t relevant for speaking, using correct grammar in your oral responses is crucial.

The fifth dimension, which is specific to speaking questions, is fluency. This includes your speed of delivery, natural use of pauses, and how much you rely on filler words, repetition, or false starts and stops. The goal is to speak smoothly and naturally.

Lastly, we have pronunciation, another speaking-specific criterion. This covers intelligibility, individual sounds, word stress, sentence stress, and intonation. Clear pronunciation is essential for effective communication.

Remember, the AI grading engine is designed to understand your English proficiency just like expert human raters would. It’s looking at these various aspects to form a comprehensive assessment of your speaking skills. By focusing on improving in each of these areas, you can boost your performance on the speaking sections of the Duolingo English Test.

Categories of Speaking Questions

Having covered the scoring criteria, let’s take a look at the question categories for the ‘Read, Then Speak’ and ‘Listen, Then Speak’ speaking tasks.

As we can see, there are 3 main categories of questions you might encounter:

1. Descriptive Questions: These questions typically ask you to describe something in detail. This could be a person, place, object, or even a process. When answering these questions, your goal is to provide a clear, vivid picture using your words. You’ll want to use specific details and sensory language to make your description come alive.

2. Argumentative/Opinion/Discussion Questions: This category is quite broad and includes questions that ask for your personal views or require you to make an argument. You might be asked to discuss a controversial topic, defend a position, or explain why you agree or disagree with a statement. The key here is to clearly state your opinion and support it with logical reasoning and relevant examples.

3. Comparative Questions: These questions will ask you to compare and contrast two or more things. This could be anything from comparing two cities to contrasting different educational systems. When answering these questions, it’s important to highlight both similarities and differences, and organize your response in a clear, logical manner.

For both the ‘Read, Then Speak’ and ‘Listen, Then Speak’ tasks, you could encounter questions from any of these categories. The main difference is in how the question is presented to you – either in written form that you read, or spoken form that you listen to.

Remember, regardless of the category, your response should always be relevant to the question asked. Pay attention to the specific wording of the prompt and make sure you’re addressing all parts of the question.

Mastering Descriptive Questions

Next, we’ll go through each of these question categories one by one, starting with Descriptive Questions. Let’s first take a look at some sample question examples:

1. Describe a famous work of art.

•What kind of art is it?

•What does it mean to you?What do you know about the artist

•What type of work did they do there?

•What did the space look like?

•Why did you visit it?

•Where do you go to apply for a license?

•What exams are involved?

•What documents are required?

•Why does it annoy you?

•How do you react when someone does this?

•Do you think this annoys others as well?

These questions require you to use descriptive language, provide specific details, and organize your thoughts clearly. They test your ability to recall and articulate visual and experiential information.

Now, we’ll take a sample question and discuss a very important feature of these types of questions, which is closely related to the approach we’ll be using. The question is: Talk about something that annoys you. Why does it annoy you? How do you react when someone does this? Do you think this annoys others as well?

As we can see, this question can be divided into two parts. The first part is the speaking prompt or the topic, and the second part consists of specific questions. This is a very common structure in this type of question, where you have a topic followed by a series of questions.

Based on the characteristics of this type of question, we can design a versatile opening sentence to help us start our response. The sentence is:

Remember to modify pronouns when answering. For the sample question we mentioned earlier, we could structure the response like this: Well, for this topic, I would like to talk about something that annoys me. Notice how we changed ‘annoys you’ to ‘annoys me’ from the original prompt, making sure to adjust the pronouns accordingly. This approach allows us to create a smoother opening sentence. A strong start can reduce the pressure during the exam. If speaking is a weaker area for you, we recommend using this strategy to structure your responses.

Next, let’s learn a Descriptive Answer Template. Pay attention to how this template includes the versatile opening sentence we just discussed. As with all our previous videos, we use two different colors to highlight the template sentences: blue for the fixed parts and red for the sections you can freely replace with relevant content depending on the question.

You can take a screenshot to save these template sentences.

Alright, let’s try using the template sentences we just covered to answer this question. Here is the sample answer:

First, we can start by saying: *One experience that stands out in my memory is when I was constantly interrupted during a presentation.* This provides a brief description of the event or situation. Next, we can say: *This happened a few months ago during a meeting at my workplace.* This helps to mention when and where the event occurred. Then, we continue with: *I was presenting a crucial project update when a colleague repeatedly cut me off to make unnecessary comments.* This allows us to mention the details of the event.

Following this, we can say: *The reason why this experience is significant to me is because it made me realize how much I value respect and active listening in a professional setting. Being interrupted not only disrupts the flow of thoughts but also conveys a lack of respect for the speaker.* This part addresses why the event is significant or had a major impact.

Afterward, we can say: *Looking back, I feel frustrated yet motivated to address such situations more assertively. I reacted by politely asking my colleague to hold his questions and comments until the end of the presentation. I believe this kind of behavior can annoy others as well, as everyone deserves to be heard without interruption.* This helps to express your feelings or thoughts.

Finally, we can conclude with: *Overall, this experience taught me the importance of setting boundaries and promoting a respectful communication culture.* This serves as a post-event summary or review. With this approach, we have a complete and coherent response.

Similarly, we offer an advanced template with upgraded vocabulary for you to use. Keep in mind that for speaking tasks, the complexity of vocabulary is not a mandatory requirement for achieving a high score. For example, compared to fluency and content relevance, vocabulary complexity has a weaker impact on your score. We recommend this template for test-takers with a solid foundation in English who want to enhance their responses with more complex vocabulary. In other words, if your score requirement isn’t very high, you can stick to using the standard template for answering. Feel free to take a screenshot to save this template for future use.

Next, we provide a sample answer using this advanced template to respond to the previous question. This answer conveys the same meaning as the earlier sample answer but uses different expressions.

Comparatively, this answer employs a more advanced vocabulary. You can take a screenshot and save this sample answer for future reference.

Now let’s take a look at a Listen, Then Speak question. First, you may play the audio three times.

You can listen to the content of the question to determine what is being asked. After that, you may check the text-based version below. Alright, welcome back! Let’s take a look at what the questions are：

You’ll notice that the Listen, Then Speak question and the Read, Then Speak question are essentially the same in terms of structure. Both consist of one topic followed by a series of related questions. Therefore, our Versatile Opening Sentence is still applicable.

For example, for this question, we could say: *Well, for this topic, I would like to describe my dream job as a teacher.*Do you remember the template sentences we discussed earlier? Let’s continue using them to answer this question.

Also, a quick reminder: in our answer, we’ve used two different colors, with the blue parts representing the template sentences. You can save this answer for future reference or study.

Similarly, we provide a sample answer using the advanced template we previously learned, you may save it if needed.

Tackling Argumentative/Opinion/Discussion Questions

In the second part of this post, we’ll cover Argumentative/Opinion/Discussion Questions. First, let’s take a look at some sample questions.

• What are the benefits of vaccinations?

• What are the risks if children are not vaccinated?

• Why might people not vaccinate their children?

• Do you believe certain numbers are lucky or unlucky?

• Do you have any objects that you carry for good luck?

• Are there any traditions in your country related to luck?

• Is space travel important?

• Why or why not?

• Would you like to go to space?

• Do you believe they bring people together?

• What are the negative consequences of these competitions?

• How will sports competitions change in the future?

We can find that all these questions fall under the Argumentative/Opinion/Discussion category, requiring you to express personal views, provide reasons for your opinions, and often consider multiple perspectives on an issue. When answering these types of questions, it’s important to clearly state your opinion, provide logical reasons or examples to support your view, consider counterarguments or alternative perspectives, use appropriate transition words to connect your ideas, and conclude with a summary of your main points.

Next, let’s take a look at how to answer questions in this category. The first thing to note is that the common structure of the question doesn’t change with the category, so we can still use the Versatile Opening Sentence we discussed earlier. For the following question: *Discuss whether vaccinations should be required for children. What are the benefits of vaccinations? What are the risks if children are not vaccinated? Why might people not vaccinate their children?* our opening sentence could be: *Well, for this topic, I would like to discuss whether vaccinations should be required for children.*

Then, let’s learn some template sentences that are suitable for answering Argumentative questions.

Discussion/Opinion Answer Template:

You can save the template. Now, let’s try using this template to answer the question we just discussed.

First, after stating the opening sentence, you could say: *When it comes to vaccinations for children, there are several points to consider,* to describe the topic. Then, you might say: *One perspective is that vaccinations are important because they help provide immunity before children are exposed to potentially life-threatening diseases. Vaccines are tested to ensure that they are safe and effective for children to receive at the recommended ages,* to describe the first viewpoint.

Next, you could say: *This is based on the idea that vaccines can prevent common diseases that used to seriously harm or even kill infants, children, and adults,* to explain the reason behind the first viewpoint. Following this, you might say: *However, another viewpoint is that some parents may choose not to vaccinate their children for various reasons. Some parents may be skeptical of new vaccines or may be concerned about the vaccine’s safety and efficacy, so they might choose not to vaccinate their kids,* to describe the second, opposing viewpoint.

Then, you could add: *This perspective is supported by the fact that vaccine hesitancy is a complex social process and is deeply embedded in the wider social world in which people live,* to explain the reason supporting the second viewpoint. Next, you might state your own viewpoint by saying: *Personally, I lean more toward the view that vaccinations are important for children’s health.*

Finally, you could explain your reason by saying: *This is because, without vaccines, children are at risk of becoming seriously ill or even dying from childhood diseases such as measles and whooping cough. Additionally, immunization protects others in the community who may not be able to be vaccinated.*

By adding the Versatile Opening Sentence at the beginning, we now have a complete sample answer.

You can save this answer for reference and study.

Next, we’ll introduce the advanced template sentences for answering Argumentative questions. In terms of content and structure, this advanced template is identical to the previous one, but it features a more sophisticated vocabulary.

Advanced Discussion/Opinion Answer Template:

Feel free to take a screenshot if you’d like to save it.

Similarly, we’ve provided a sample answer using the advanced template sentences.

You can save and study it as needed.

Now let’s take a look at a Listen, Then Speak sample question. Just like before, play the audio three times, so you can listen and see if you can understand the question. After that, you may see the question by clicking the button below.

Alright, the questions are:

Well, this question is a bit shorter than the ones we’ve encountered before. We can still use the Versatile Opening Sentence to start our response, but we should note that the question asks for our opinion. So, we need to modify and expand the Versatile Opening Sentence accordingly. For example, we could say: *Well, for this topic, I’d like to talk about celebrities. Some people think they are not good role models for teenagers. I agree (or disagree) with that.* This way, we not only use the Versatile Opening Sentence to start our answer but also clearly express our opinion.

Next, let’s try using the previous template sentences to provide a complete answer to this question.

Here, we provide a complete answer that incorporates the Versatile Opening Sentence, which you can save.

We also have a version that uses the advanced template sentences.

You can decide whether to save it based on your needs.

Navigating Comparative Questions

In the final part of the post, we’ll discuss Comparative Questions. Let’s start with some sample questions.

•What are the two regions?

•Are there differences in weather, food, or language?

•Are there any other differences?

•What are some advantages of each?

•Which do you prefer?

•Why?

•What kinds of aid can they offer?

•What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of international aid?

•What are some examples of traditional medicine?

•Is the use of traditional medicine increasing, decreasing, or remaining the same?

•What is your opinion of traditional medicine?

In analyzing these comparative questions, we can observe several common threads that run through them. These questions are designed to test a candidate’s ability to think critically and express complex ideas in English.

Firstly, they all require the speaker to draw connections between different concepts, places, or ideas. Whether comparing regions within a country, urban and rural living, or traditional and modern medicine, the test-taker must demonstrate an understanding of multiple perspectives and the ability to articulate both similarities and differences.

Another common feature is the inclusion of sub-questions that guide the speaker’s response. These sub-questions often prompt the test-taker to consider specific aspects of the comparison, such as cultural differences, personal preferences, or broader societal impacts. This structure encourages a more comprehensive and organized response.

Next, let’s take a look at how to answer these questions. It’s important to note that the Versatile Opening Sentence is also suitable for responding to Comparative Questions. Let’s consider this sample question: *Discuss the use of traditional medicine and modern medicine in your country. What are some examples of traditional medicine? Is the use of traditional medicine increasing, decreasing, or remaining the same? What is your opinion of traditional medicine?*

So, using the Versatile Opening Sentence, the opening sentence of your response could be: *Well, for this topic, I’d like to discuss the use of traditional medicine and modern medicine in my country.*

Next, let’s learn the template for answering Comparative Questions.

Comparison Answer Template:

Please take a screenshot to save this template. Now, let’s look at a sample question. We’ll try using these template sentences to answer the question while explaining how to use the template.

First, we can say, *When comparing traditional medicine and modern medicine in China, several differences stand out. First of all, traditional medicine is based on a holistic approach to diagnosis and treatment, using herbal medication, acupuncture, and massage, while modern medicine is based on scientific methods and evidence, using drugs, surgery, and technology.* This helps describe the first difference and provides some details.

Next, we can say, *Additionally, traditional medicine has a long history of over 2000 years in China, while modern medicine was introduced only in the 16th century and became more prevalent in the 20th century.* This describes the second difference and provides some context.

We can then say, *Despite these differences, they do share some similarities, such as the use of natural products as sources of drugs, and the recognition of the importance of prevention and health promotion.* This highlights a similarity.

Afterward, we might add, *Some examples of traditional medicine are garlic, ginger, and acupuncture. The use of traditional medicine is increasing in China and worldwide, as more people seek alternative or complementary therapies for various conditions. My opinion of traditional medicine is that it has some value and potential for modern medicine, but it also needs more rigorous research and evaluation to ensure its safety and efficacy.* This addresses any remaining questions in the prompt.

Next, we’ll discuss the advanced vocabulary version of the template sentences.

Advanced Comparison Answer Template:

Again, please take a screenshot and save it.

Now, here is a sample answer using the advanced vocabulary version of the template sentences. You can save it as needed.

Note that we haven’t provided an in-depth explanation of the advanced vocabulary version because these elements are not crucial for achieving a high score in the speaking section. Additionally, this version of the answer conveys the same meaning as the previous sample answer.

In the final part, let’s look at a Listen, Then Speak question. You may play the audio three times, and you can try to understand the content of the question.

Alright, here’s the question:

Quite simple, isn’t it? Once again, we can use the Versatile Opening Sentence to start our response: Well, for this topic, I’d like to compare the eating habits of young people today to those of an older generation.

Let’s try using the templates we’ve learned to answer the question. First, we can say: *When comparing the eating habits of the younger generation today and those of an older generation, several differences stand out.* This serves as the Topic Introduction.

Next, we can say: *First of all, younger people today tend to have a more fast-paced lifestyle, which often leads to a preference for fast food and convenience meals. These options are typically high in unhealthy fats, sugar, and salt. In contrast, the older generation often had a slower pace of life and more time for meal preparation, leading to more home-cooked meals, often with fresher and healthier ingredients.* This describes the first difference and provides some details.

Then, we can say: *Additionally, the younger generation has greater exposure to and acceptance of international cuisines due to globalization, while the older generation’s eating habits were often more influenced by local or regional diets.* This describes the second difference and provides some details.

Finally, we can add: *Despite these differences, they do share some similarities, such as the enjoyment of communal eating. Shared meals during family gatherings or festivals continue to be an important cultural tradition across generations.* This highlights a similarity.

Alright, next, let’s combine this with the Versatile Opening Sentence to create a complete sample answer. You can take a screenshot to save the answer.

At the end of the post, we also provide an advanced vocabulary version of the sample answer for you to study based on your needs.

In this comprehensive guide to Duolingo English Test speaking questions, we’ve covered essential strategies for both ‘Read, Then Speak’ and ‘Listen, Then Speak’ tasks. We explored the scoring criteria, focusing on content, lexis, grammar, fluency, and pronunciation. We introduced three main question categories – descriptive, argumentative, and comparative – and provided templates for each, including a versatile opening sentence technique.

We also shared advanced vocabulary templates for high-scoring responses and offered numerous practice questions with sample answers. Remember, the key to success lies in clear, natural speech, diverse vocabulary, grammatical accuracy, and relevant content. With consistent practice using these strategies, you’ll be well-equipped to ace the speaking section of your Duolingo English Test. Good luck with your preparation!