Part 3

Band 5+: How has the concept of 'privacy' evolved with the rise of social media algorithms?

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Polished transcript:

Male Female

In my opinion, our comprehension of privacy hasn't really changed. However, the definition of privacy has changed. For example, when you are scrolling through Instagram, and before this, you talked to your friend about bicycles, then on Instagram you'll see advertisements about bicycles. I shared this example because it's my own experience. When I wanted to buy a bicycle, I just talked about it with my girlfriend, mom, and brother. Then I saw a lot of advertising on Instagram and TikTok about bicycles and related products. This is only one example. Social media algorithms are looking for your attention. When you talk about a specific topic and then see it on Instagram, you will pay attention to that advertisement. And that's the point.

Actual audio transcript (What native speakers are likely to hear):

In my opinion, our comprehension of privacy hasn’t really changed. However, the definition of privacy has changed. For example, when you are scrolling your Instagram, and for instance, before this, you talked to your friend about bicycles, Then on Instagram you’ll see advertisements about bicycles. I shared this example because it’s my own example. When I wanted to buy a bicycle, I just talked about it with my girlfriend, mom, brother. And then I saw a lot of advertising on Instagram and TikTok about bicycles and about all this stuff. And this is only one example. Social media algorithms are looking for your attention. When you talk about some niche and then you see it on Instagram, you will pay attention to this advertisement. And that’s the point.

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Speaking Time: 49 seconds

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Overall Band Score

5.5

(+/- 0.5)

Vocabulary Complexity:
C1 - Intricate
Strive to incorporate even richer and more precise language.

Vocabulary Repetition:

about: 5

instagram: 4

example: 3

when: 3

this: 3

bicycles: 3

then: 3

privacy: 2

changed: 2

talked: 2

attention: 2

Try using synonyms for the above words

Pronunciation

Your pronunciation is quite good. Working on consistency and tackling difficult sounds may enhance clarity.

Task Response

The response addresses the topic of privacy and algorithms but fails to meet the requirements of a Part 3 answer. In this section of the exam, the examiner expects a general, abstract discussion rather than personal anecdotes. The answer relies heavily on a personal story ('I shared this example because it's my own experience'), which is more appropriate for Part 1. To improve, avoid using 'I' or 'my' and instead discuss how society as a whole or users in general experience these changes. Additionally, try to expand on the 'evolution of the definition' aspect by discussing how the boundary between public and private information has blurred, rather than just describing how targeted advertising works.

Fluency & Coherence

The speaker's fluency is limited by frequent repetitions and a somewhat circular way of explaining ideas. While the answer is understandable, the structure is quite basic. You used 'For example' and 'And that's the point,' but the progression of ideas feels more like a casual conversation than a structured Part 3 response. To improve, try to use more sophisticated cohesive devices (e.g., 'Consequently,' 'This phenomenon illustrates,' 'Furthermore') and avoid repeating the same example multiple times to make a point.

Lexical Resource

The vocabulary used is very functional and basic (e.g., 'stuff,' 'all this stuff,' 'talked about,' 'looking for your attention'). In Part 3, examiners expect more precise and academic terminology. Instead of 'all this stuff,' use 'related commodities' or 'relevant products.' Instead of 'looking for your attention,' use 'capturing user engagement' or 'leveraging consumer data.' Avoid using 'my own example' repeatedly; instead, use 'a personal anecdote' or 'a case in point.'

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

The grammar is mostly accurate in simple sentences, but there is a lack of complex structures. The speaker relies heavily on simple present and simple past tenses. To reach a higher band, you need to incorporate conditional sentences (e.g., 'If users were more aware of data collection, they might...') and passive voice (e.g., 'Data is being harvested by algorithms...'). There were also some minor issues with sentence connection, making the speech feel fragmented.

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Task Response

Fluency & Coherence

Lexical Resource

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

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