The CELPIP Teacher Podcast

Good morning, afternoon, or evening my future Canucks,

Today, April 20th, 2026, I launched my CELPIP Speaking and Writing Podcast and I couldn't be happier to find another way to help you ace CELPIP!

What's the CELPIP Podcast?

This is something I've been working on for a while. I am taking my knowledge of CELPIP speaking and writing and putting it into my brand new CELPIP Tips podcast. Every episode will focus on tips, tricks, and knowledge to help you increase your CELPIP speaking and writing scores.

Where can I listen to it?

Wherever you usually listen to podcasts, it's everywhere!

What's the first episode about?

CELPIP speaking task 1! In this short podcast, I give you everything you need to craft a high scoring CELPIP speaking task 1 answer. I leave no stone unturned and after you listen to this, you'll think CELPIP speaking task one is easy! Give it a listen here:

If you're preparing for the CELPIP exam, Task 1 of the Speaking section is one of the first things you'll face on test day — and it's one of the tasks that catches people off guard. Not because it's the hardest, but because most test-takers don't prepare for it the right way.

What Are Examiners Actually Looking For?

This is where most test-takers go wrong. They focus on their English and forget about the task requirements. CELPIP Speaking is scored on more than just vocabulary and grammar — the examiner is also checking whether you did what the task asked you to do.

Here are some notes for CELPIP speaking task one:

• You are giving advice

• You need to present an idea and then support the idea

• You're having a conversation with a friend (this is VERY important)

• You have 30 seconds to prepare

• You need to speak for 90 seconds

Check out this little picture below which shows you exactly what you MUST do in CELPIP speaking task 1:

Miss even two of those requirements and your score drops — regardless of how strong your English is. That's the part most self-studiers don't realize. Don't worry, all this is covered in my podcast.

 The Most Common Mistakes on Task 1

After working with CELPIP takers for so long, I see the same patterns come up again and again:

• Not addressing the person directly — launching into generic advice instead of speaking to them

• Only giving one or two ideas instead of three

• Not supporting ideas (this is a big one!)

• Not using transition words or phrases

• Forgetting to conclude — and running out of time mid-sentence

The good news? Every single one of these is fixable once you know what to look for. And that's exactly what I cover in the podcast episode. I walk you through the exact structure I teach my students for Task 1, the key English phrases that fit naturally into a Giving Advice response, a full example answer with commentary, and what separates a 9 from a 12 on this task.

A Taste of the Key English

You don't need to memorize a script for Task 1 — but you do need a toolkit of natural phrases that signal what you're doing. Here's a small sample of the kind of language that fits this task:

Notice these phrases are conversational — not textbook-formal. That's intentional. CELPIP is designed to test real-world English, and your Task 1 response should sound like something you'd actually say to a friend.

Ready to Listen?

Episode 1 of The CELPIP Teacher Podcast is live now. In under 30 minutes, you'll have a clear, repeatable approach to Task 1 that you can practise immediately.

I think that about covers today's blog post. I hope you give this podcast episode a listen to because I know you will learn some great English and increase your CELPIP score.

If you have any questions, just shoot me an email: ronan@thecelpipteacher.com, I read all my emails.

Bye for now,

Ronan