Time to improve your Speaking Sample performance!
In this article, you can find my full 160-level Speaking Sample answer.
You’ll also find the audio and video, if you want to follow along with me.
And if you are preparing for the Duolingo English Test and want to score 120+ first time…
Make sure to check out our full DET Preparation Course.
Question:
Speak about the topic below for 3 minutes:
Unexpected situations can require us to adjust our plans. Describe a time when you had to change your goals or priorities due to unforeseen circumstances. How did you handle the situation, and what was the outcome?
And here’s my answer. I’ve put the stressed words in bold, and I’ve underlined the words that you should say quickly without emphasis.
The first situation that comes to mind when I think about a shift in priorities is when I was planning to embark on a gap year. My intention was to spend a year or so working abroad so that I could improve the fluency and accuracy of my spoken English. However, everything changed when, just as I felt my mind was made up, a professor of mine advised that I should apply for a prestigious scholarship programme which would allow me to attend one of my country’s most prestigious universities. I felt conflicted because I feared what would happen if I wasn’t offered the scholarship and had also missed the opportunity to work abroad as planned.
In the end, I firmly believe that I was right to go ahead and apply for the scholarship. Though it meant changing my mindset, it opened up some really positive opportunities for my professional life. My tutor gave me a lot of support, and I’d definitely say that this was instrumental in helping me to be accepted. The whole experience made me realise that it can be worth adjusting our plans when new circumstances arise.
My initial aim had been to improve my spoken English, and the scholarship programme actually helped me to do so very effectively. On top of that, taking advantage of this unexpected situation helped me to make a start on my chosen career path. If I’d continued with the plan I’d made before, I wouldn’t have as many professional opportunities available to me today. So, for many reasons, I would undoubtedly make the same decision again if I had to go back.
All in all, that experience gave me confidence in my ability to handle change and I’m really pleased that it played out as it did.
Here’s the audio of my answer:
Or you can watch along with the video here:
I hope this was useful!
And remember, for 120 or higher in the DET, check out our full DET preparation course.
