Goethe B1 Speaking Part 2: Phrases and Examples

How Goethe B1 Speaking Part 2 Works

In Part 2 of the oral exam, you give a short presentation on your own. You get two topics to choose from (A or B) and pick one. During the preparation time (15 minutes for the whole oral exam), you make notes. The presentation itself lasts about 3 minutes. After that, the examiners and your partner ask you questions, and you answer.

The good news: the structure is always the same. You get five slides, and each slide tells you exactly what to talk about. If you memorize a few fixed sentences (phrases) for each slide, you’ll always know what to say next during the exam.

Tip: In our B1 course, our teacher practices this exact presentation with you, and the AI trainer listens while you speak.

The Structure: The Five Slides

The five slides always follow the same order:

1. Introduce your topic: You name your topic and briefly say how your presentation is structured.
2. Your experience: You tell about your own situation or experiences related to the topic.
3. Situation in your home country: You report how things are in your home country, with examples.
4. Pros, cons, and your opinion: You name advantages and disadvantages and give your own opinion.
5. Closing and thanks: You end the presentation and thank the audience.

Typical example topics from the official model exam are, for instance, “Do children need mobile phones?” or “Do children watch too much TV?”.

Phrases for Each Slide

Learn two or three sentences per slide. Then you’ll always have a starting point.

Slide 1: Introduce Your Topic

• “The topic of my presentation is: …”
• “Today I’d like to present something to you about the topic …”
• “First I’ll tell you about my own experience. After that I’ll talk about the situation in my home country. Next I’ll mention advantages and disadvantages and give my opinion. Finally I’ll give a brief summary.”

Slide 2: Your Own Experience

• “From my own experience I can say that …”
• “I personally have often experienced that …”
• “An example from my daily life is …”

Slide 3: Situation in Your Home Country

• “In my home country, the situation is like this: …”
• “Where I come from, it’s common that …”
• “Compared to Germany, it’s different in my country because …”

Slide 4: Pros, Cons, and Your Opinion

• “A big advantage is that …”
• “A disadvantage, however, is that …”
• “In my opinion, it’s better if …”
• “I think that …, because …”

Slide 5: Closing and Thanks

• “That brings me to the end of my presentation.”
• “Thank you very much for your attention.”
• “Do you have any questions? I’m happy to answer them.”

A Short Example (Topic: Do Children Need Mobile Phones?)

Here’s how a beginning might sound:

“The topic of my presentation is: Do children need mobile phones? First I’ll tell you about my own experience. After that I’ll talk about the situation in my home country.

From my own experience I can say that even small children want to have a mobile phone. My nephew is eight years old and uses his mother’s phone every day.

In my home country, the situation is similar. Many children get their first mobile phone when they are ten years old.

A big advantage is that parents can always reach their child. A disadvantage, however, is that children spend too much time looking at screens. In my opinion, children need a mobile phone only from age eleven or twelve.

That brings me to the end of my presentation. Thank you very much for your attention.”

This way you speak fluently for about three minutes because each slide only needs a few sentences.

After the Presentation: The Questions

Once you’re done, the examiners and your partner ask you questions about your topic. Answer calmly and in complete sentences. You can start questions with these sentences:

• “That’s a good question. I think that …”
• “From my perspective, it’s like this: …”

You should also ask your partner a question when he or she has presented. For example: “How is it in your home country?” or “What do you personally think about it?”

Three Tips for More Points

1. Speak freely, don’t read aloud. Notes are allowed, but reading long sentences aloud sounds unnatural.
2. Always give an example. A concrete example shows that you really understand the topic.
3. Stick to the structure. The five slides are your roadmap. If you talk in a jumbled way, you’ll lose points.

Conclusion

Goethe B1 Speaking Part 2 is easy to plan because the structure is always the same. Learn fixed phrases for each of the five slides, practice with a sample topic aloud, and think of a concrete example for each point. Then you’ll go into the exam confidently and with a clear plan. In the B1 course from V-IZ, you practice the presentation with a real teacher and an AI trainer until you’ve got it down.