In CELPIP Speaking Task 2, you will be asked to talk about a past personal experience. This is your chance to demonstrate clear storytelling skills, use descriptive language, and organize your thoughts logically.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through a step-by-step approach, provide sentence starters to help structure your response, and give you sample answers so you can confidently prepare for this task.
What is CELPIP Speaking Task 2?
📌 Task: Talk about a real past experience in a clear and structured way.
📌 Preparation Time: 30 seconds
📌 Speaking Time: 60 seconds
What You Need to Do:
✅ Describe a personal experience
✅ Include what happened, when and where it happened, and who was involved
✅ Express your thoughts and feelings about it
How to Answer CELPIP Speaking Task 2
A well-structured answer makes your response easier to follow and more engaging. Here’s a simple format you can use:
🟢 Step 1: Introduction – Set the scene (10-15 seconds)
🟢 Step 2: Main Event – Describe what happened (30-35 seconds)
🟢 Step 3: Conclusion – Reflect on the experience (10-15 seconds)
Let’s go over each step in detail:
Step 1: Introduction – Set the Scene
Start by giving a brief introduction to your story.
🔹 What to include:
- What was the experience?
- Where and when did it happen?
- Who was involved?
💬 Sentence Starters:
- "One of the most unforgettable experiences I had was when..."
- "I’ll never forget the time when..."
- "A few years ago, I had an experience that changed my perspective on..."
- "I remember this one time when I..."
- "It was an ordinary day until something unexpected happened..."
- "I had always wanted to [do something], and one day I finally got the chance..."
📌 Example:
"One of the most unforgettable experiences I had was when I lost my passport while traveling in Spain. It happened two years ago, and it was both a stressful and eye-opening experience."
Step 2: Main Event – Describe What Happened
Now, explain the event in detail.
🔹 What to include:
- What exactly happened?
- Did anything unexpected occur?
- How did you react?
💬 Sentence Starters:
- "At first, everything was going as planned, but then..."
- "Suddenly, I realized that..."
- "I was completely shocked when..."
- "Things took an unexpected turn when..."
- "I wasn’t sure what to do, but I quickly decided to..."
- "For a moment, I panicked, but then I thought of a solution..."
- "Luckily, someone stepped in to help, and..."
- "Although I was nervous at first, I gathered my courage and..."
📌 Example:
"At first, I was enjoying my trip, but when I reached the airport, I realized that my passport was missing. I panicked for a moment and checked all my bags, but it was nowhere to be found. I quickly went to the airport information desk and explained the situation. Fortunately, someone had found it and turned it in to security. I was so relieved!"
Step 3: Conclusion – Reflect on the Experience
Wrap up your story by explaining what you learned or how you felt afterward.
🔹 What to include:
- What was the outcome?
- Did you learn something new?
- How do you feel about it now?
💬 Sentence Starters:
- "Looking back, I realize that..."
- "This experience taught me that..."
- "Even though it was difficult at the time, now I feel..."
- "If I had to do it again, I would..."
- "From that moment on, I started to..."
- "It was definitely a lesson in..."
- "This situation showed me the importance of..."
- "After this, I became more careful about..."
📌 Example:
"Looking back, I realize how important it is to keep travel documents in a secure place. This experience taught me to stay calm and act quickly in stressful situations. Now, I always double-check my belongings before leaving a hotel or airport."
Sample Responses
Here are a few more examples of strong responses using the same structure:
🎤 Prompt: Describe a time you helped someone.
💬 Response:
"Last winter, I helped a neighbor shovel snow from her driveway. She’s an elderly woman who lives alone, and I noticed she was struggling. At first, she refused my help, but after some convincing, she let me do it. It took about 30 minutes, and she was really grateful. This experience reminded me that small acts of kindness can make a big difference."
🎤 Prompt: Talk about a time you learned something new.
💬 Response:
"A few months ago, I decided to learn how to cook. I had never really cooked before, so I started with a simple pasta recipe. At first, I accidentally burned the sauce, but after a few tries, I got it right. Now, I love cooking, and I prepare meals for my family every weekend. This experience showed me that patience and practice can help you improve at anything."
🎤 Prompt: Describe a time you felt proud of yourself.
💬 Response:
"I felt really proud of myself when I completed my first 5K race. I had never been a runner, but I trained for two months. On the day of the race, I was nervous, but I pushed myself to finish. When I crossed the finish line, I felt an incredible sense of achievement. This experience taught me that hard work always pays off."
Key Tips for Success
✅ Use the Past Tense – Since you're talking about a past experience, use verbs like went, saw, tried, felt, decided.
✅ Describe Your Feelings – Adding emotions makes your story more engaging. Use words like excited, nervous, surprised, relieved.
✅ Keep It Simple and Clear – Choose a real experience that’s easy to explain in 60 seconds.
✅ Practice Speaking Out Loud – The more you practice, the more natural and confident you'll sound.
Final Thoughts
CELPIP Speaking Task 2 is an excellent opportunity to showcase your ability to describe past events clearly and naturally. By following the introduction → main event → conclusion format, you can create a well-organized and engaging response.
Now it’s your turn! Think about a personal experience and practice describing it using this structure. 🎙✨
Would you like more personalized feedback? Try recording your response and see how well you can structure your story!