A Local Festival or Celebration

The task

Talk about a local festival, fair or public celebration that you attended. Describe what you did and what you remember most about it.

• Read the task, prepare during the preparation time, then speak aloud for the speaking time.
• This is an original practice question written in a CELPIP-style format. It is not a real test question.
• The CLB level of each model answer was reviewed by a TESOL-certified instructor. It is not an official CELPIP score. This practice material is not affiliated with or endorsed by Paragon Testing Enterprises.
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Preparation

30 seconds

Speaking time

60 seconds

Question

30 of 30

Last summer I went to the Caribbean carnival in Toronto with my cousins. It was very hot, maybe thirty-two degrees, and there was so many people. The parade was the best part. The dancers wear amazing costumes with feathers and many colours, and the music was so loud, you can feel it in your chest. We ate jerk chicken from a food truck. My cousin lost her phone in the crowd, but a nice man found it and give it back. That was my favourite moment, actually. I want to go again next year.

Why this answer works

• Names the event, who went, two details and the strongest memory.
• Simple descriptive words and slips ("there was so many people", "The dancers wear", "give it back") typical of a CLB 7.
• The memory is clear, but the reason it mattered is only hinted at.

One event I really enjoyed was the winter carnival in Quebec City, which I went to with two friends a few years ago. It was freezing, around minus twenty-five, so we wore about four layers each. The atmosphere, though, was amazing. There were huge ice sculptures, live music in the streets, and a parade in the evening with lights and floats. My favourite part was trying maple taffy, where they pour hot syrup onto the snow and you roll it up on a stick. We also went down a giant toboggan slide, which was terrifying and hilarious at the same time. What I remember most is how friendly everyone was, chatting with strangers despite the cold.

Why this answer works

• Contrast between the cold and the atmosphere gives the story energy.
• Explains an unfamiliar thing (maple taffy) clearly for the listener.
• "What I remember most is" answers the prompt directly.

The celebration I remember best is Canada Day in downtown Ottawa, the first summer after I'd moved there. A coworker talked me into going, and I'm so glad she did. We got there mid-afternoon, and the whole downtown had turned into a sea of red and white, with face paint, maple leaf hats and buskers on every block. We lined up forever for poutine, which was worth every minute, and caught a few sets of live music. But what really got me was the fireworks. I was in this enormous crowd, with people from all over the world, all cheering for the same country, and I suddenly felt like I belonged here. I hadn't expected to get emotional, but I did.

Why this answer works

• Moves from vivid scene-setting ("a sea of red and white") to a personal turning point.
• Natural, idiomatic phrases: "talked me into going", "lined up forever", "what really got me".
• Answers what you remember most with a feeling and a reason, not just a description.