Speaking Lab

Speaking — describe & compare

Se te presentan dos fotografías. Compara y contrasta ambas imágenes, centrándote en las diferentes formas de comunicación y el tono de las negociaciones. Debes hablar durante 1 minuto sobre la relación entre las imágenes y luego responder a una pregunta relacionada durante 1 minuto. Total: 2 minutos.

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Useful phrases

• It appears as though the atmosphere is somewhat strained. — Parece como si el ambiente estuviera algo tenso. 🔊
• In stark contrast to the first scene, this one suggests... — En marcado contraste con la primera escena, esta sugiere... 🔊
• One could infer that they are reaching an impasse. — Se podría inferir que están llegando a un punto muerto. 🔊
• The subtle body language implies a sense of urgency. — El lenguaje corporal sutil implica una sensación de urgencia. 🔊
• While the first image depicts a collaborative effort, the second... — Mientras que la primera imagen representa un esfuerzo colaborativo, la segunda... 🔊
• There is a palpable sense of tension between the parties. — Hay una sensación de tensión palpable entre las partes. 🔊
• Judging by their facial expressions, it seems likely that... — A juzgar por sus expresiones faciales, parece probable que... 🔊
• The setting serves to underscore the seriousness of the meeting. — El entorno sirve para subrayar la seriedad de la reunión. 🔊
• They seem to be at loggerheads over certain terms. — Parecen estar en desacuerdo/enfrentados sobre ciertos términos. 🔊
• On the face of it, the negotiation looks quite heated. — A primera vista, la negociación parece bastante acalorada. 🔊
• The visual cues suggest a power struggle is taking place. — Las señales visuales sugieren que se está produciendo una lucha de poder. 🔊
• It's hard to tell for certain, but they might be... — Es difícil saberlo con certeza, pero podrían estar... 🔊

Pronunciación

Para sonar más natural en el examen, practica el 'sentence stress' (acentuación de la frase). En inglés, enfatizamos las palabras con significado (sustantivos, verbos, adjetivos) y reducimos las palabras gramaticales (preposiciones, artículos, auxiliares) usando 'weak forms'. Por ejemplo, en la frase 'They are at a stalemate', la palabra 'are' y 'a' deben ser rápidas y débiles, mientras que 'stalemate' debe llevar el peso de la frase.

Model answer

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Both images depict professional environments, yet they convey vastly different communicative tones. In the first image, we see a high-stakes negotiation taking place in a modern boardroom. The atmosphere appears somewhat strained; one professional is leaning forward, attempting to persuade her counterparts, while the man opposite her adopts a more defensive, skeptical posture with his arms crossed. It seems as though they are at a critical juncture in their discussion, perhaps reaching an impasse regarding the terms being presented.

In contrast, if we were to compare this to a more collaborative setting, the tension here would be much more palpable. While the setting is sophisticated, the body language suggests a power struggle rather than a consensus-building exercise. Judging by their intense facial expressions, it is highly likely that the stakes are significant, which explains the lack of casualness. Ultimately, the image captures the essence of high-level business communication, where non-verbal cues like posture and eye contact are just as influential as the verbal arguments being made. It is a classic representation of a heated corporate negotiation where interests are being fiercely defended.