At B1, the speaking section (produzione orale) is usually a face-to-face exchange with an examiner that combines two things: a conversation — often a short roleplay built on an everyday situation, such as rearranging an appointment or returning something you bought — and a short monologue in which you describe, narrate or give your opinion on a topic or an image. The exact format depends on whether you sit CILS or CELI. The single biggest score-killer is not grammar mistakes — examiners expect some at B1 — it is silence: stopping mid-sentence because you cannot find a word, instead of describing around it. Italian gives you real help here: conversational fillers such as "allora", "cioè" and "diciamo" buy a second to think and sound natural rather than hesitant. Asagno's speaking practice uses the same AI roleplay engine built for real-life scenarios (a flat viewing, a doctor's visit, a job interview), set to B1 level, so you rehearse actually talking, not reading a script — with a "what can I say?" hint when you get stuck and a full report afterwards covering your objectives, mistakes and suggested phrases.
What you'll learn
- The B1 speaking format: a guided conversation or roleplay with the examiner, plus a short monologue on a topic or image
- How to describe around a word you do not know instead of going silent
- Phrases for agreeing, politely disagreeing and suggesting: sono d'accordo, secondo me, non sono del tutto convinto, e se invece…?
- Natural fillers — allora, cioè, diciamo — that buy thinking time without sounding lost
- AI roleplay practice at B1 level, by text or voice, with a "what can I say?" hint
- A full end-of-session report: objectives met, mistakes with corrections, better phrase suggestions
Keeping the conversation going
Forgot the word for "landlord" (il padrone di casa)? Say "la persona che mi affitta l'appartamento" (the person who rents the apartment to me) instead of stopping. Examiners consistently reward this kind of circumlocution over silence.
"Secondo me è meglio partire di mattina, così evitiamo il traffico. Tu che ne pensi?" — "In my opinion it is better to leave in the morning, that way we avoid the traffic. What do you think?" An opinion, a reason and a question back to your partner — the three moves that keep a B1 conversation alive. (In a formal roleplay with the examiner: "Lei che ne pensa?")
Frequently asked questions
Is the speaking test with a real person or a computer?
The real exam is with a human examiner. Asagno's AI roleplay is practice for that — the format and objectives match, and it never claims to be the real exam.
Can I practise by voice, not just text?
Yes — every roleplay scenario supports both text and voice.
Will my accent lower my score?
An accent on its own is not an error — what matters is whether you are understood. For Arabic speakers the sounds most worth practising are p/b, v/f and the double consonants, because those are the ones that can change a word's meaning.