Lesson 5 of 5

Speaking About Culture

Core 60 min

Pathway

Lesson 8.5 closes Unit 8 with Speaking Part 3 hypothetical questions, extending answers, and a Unit 8 review.

What you'll be able to do

Handle hypothetical Part 3 questions ('What if …?')
Extend an answer with reason, example and concession
Review Unit 8 grammar and vocabulary

Speaking Task

Speaking · Part 3 — Hypothetical questions

What might happen if the media became more strictly regulated?
How would communication change if everyone spoke the same language?
Would the world be a better place without social media? Why / why not?

REE-C answer frame

R — Response

Answer the question directly, in the right tense (would, might, could).

E — Explanation

Give the reasoning behind your answer.

E — Example

Add a concrete, real or hypothetical example.

C — Concession

Acknowledge the other side: 'That said, …' / 'Having said that, …'.

Part 3 — 'Better off without social media?'

Band 6 · Competent

'I think yes, because people use it too much and it's bad for them.'

Band 7 · Good

'On balance, I think we would probably be better off with far less of it rather than none at all — constant comparison clearly damages younger users' confidence, and you can see that in rising anxiety rates. Having said that, social media has also given a voice to people who would otherwise be ignored, so abolishing it completely would lose something valuable.'

Speaking Task

Pathway focus · Academic Speaking depth

Academic-track candidates: aim to introduce one piece of evidence or research in Part 3 — 'studies have suggested that …', 'one widely-cited finding is …'.

Key Takeaways

Unit 8 review

List 5 culture & identity collocations from 8.1.
Write one sentence each with a / the / zero article.
Recall the 4-step MCQ method from 8.2.
Give the three 'safe positions' for to-what-extent essays from 8.4.

Exam Strategy

Exam Tip
Hypothetical questions = hypothetical tenses. Lock in 'would', 'might' and 'could' from the first sentence.

Independent Practice

Part 3 record

Record yourself answering all 3 questions, using REE-C each time. Aim for 45–60 seconds per answer.

Unit 8 vocab recall

Cover the meanings and recall the 10 culture & identity items from 8.1.

Key Takeaways

Remember

Part 3 rewards extension, not speed. Two strong sentences beat five short ones.
Unit 8 = articles + media language + a clear-position essay.

When you're done, mark this lesson complete.