CELPIP Speaking Practice Test 7 — All 8 Tasks With Prompts & Sample Answers

A friend of yours just moved to Montreal and wants to get involved in the city’s arts and culture scene. Advise them on how to start networking and finding opportunities. What steps would you recommend?

If a friend just moved to Montreal and wanted to get involved in the arts scene, I would recommend a few specific ways to start. First, the Belgo Building on Sainte-Catherine Street houses dozens of artist studios and galleries, and many of them host open studio events on the first Saturday of every month. These are free to attend, and the artists are generally very open to chatting with visitors about their work. I would suggest going with a small notebook and being genuinely curious rather than trying to sound knowledgeable about art. Second, the MURAL Festival and the Festival International du Jazz sur le Plateau are always looking for volunteers, and this is one of the fastest ways to meet creative, energetic people in the city. Volunteering at a festival instantly gives you a purpose and a community, and the relationships formed in those high-energy environments often last beyond the event itself. Third, I would recommend taking a class at the Visual Arts Centre in Westmount or at a community workshop in the Mile End. Even if my friend is not an artist themselves, a pottery or printmaking class is a great way to meet people who share a passion for creativity. Finally, I would tell them to explore the independent galleries along Saint-Laurent and attend as many vernissages or opening nights as possible, even if they feel a bit awkward going alone at first.

Talk about a time you worked with others to accomplish a shared goal. What was the project or task, what role did you play, and what was the result?

Last year, the community garden near my apartment in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood was at risk of being closed due to funding cuts. A group of about fifteen neighbours, including myself, decided we could not let that happen. I took on the role of organizing a fundraising weekend market. I coordinated with local bakeries to donate pastries, designed simple flyers, and created a schedule so that someone was always at the welcome table. What surprised me was how quickly everyone contributed — one neighbour who was a musician offered to play guitar, another brought homemade jam to sell, and a retired teacher ran a seed-planting workshop for children. By the end of the weekend, we had raised over two thousand dollars, which was enough to cover the garden's operating costs for the entire season. More importantly, the event brought our neighbourhood closer together. I still see people from that weekend at the garden and we always stop to chat. I learned that when a community rallies around something they care about, they can achieve far more than any individual could alone.

Describe the scene at a busy outdoor art market on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Montreal. What can you see, hear, and feel?

It is a warm Saturday morning in early June on a pedestrian street in the Plateau, and the outdoor art market is in full swing. White tents line both sides of the cobblestone road, their canvases flapping gently in the breeze. One artist, a woman in her sixties with paint-stained fingers, displays watercolour landscapes of Mont Royal in every season, from the bright greens of spring to the deep reds and oranges of October. Across from her, a younger printmaker has set up a portable press and is demonstrating linocut printing to a small crowd of fascinated onlookers, including a boy who watches with wide eyes as the ink transfers from the carved block to the paper. Near the corner, a musician plays a gentle bossa nova on a nylon-string guitar, and a couple dances slowly beside his open case, which already holds a few coins and folded bills. The smell of fresh crepes from a food cart mixes with the scent of blooming linden trees that line the street. A woman carrying a canvas bag stops at every second booth, carefully examining each piece before moving on. Art is everywhere here, not confined to gallery walls but spilling out onto the street, inviting everyone to participate. It is the kind of scene that makes you fall in love with Montreal all over again.

How do you think the role of technology will change the way artists create and share their work in the next ten years? Make a prediction and explain your reasons.

I predict that technology will greatly democratize art creation and distribution. With advancements in augmented reality and AI tools, artists will be able to create immersive digital murals that change with the viewer’s perspective. Social media and NFT platforms will allow artists to sell directly to a global audience, bypassing traditional galleries. However, this may also lead to oversaturation and increased competition. I think we’ll see a rise in hybrid artworks that combine physical and digital elements. Younger artists who embrace these tools will thrive. Overall, technology will make art more accessible but also challenge the value of original pieces.

Compare the experience of visiting a large, international art festival like MURAL versus visiting a small, local gallery exhibition. Which experience do you think is more valuable for someone new to the art world? Persuade your listener.

For someone new to the art world, I believe a local gallery exhibition is more valuable initially. Large festivals like MURAL can be overwhelming with massive crowds and diverse works. A local gallery offers a more intimate setting where you can have meaningful conversations with the artist. It allows you to learn about the local art scene step by step. While festivals are exciting, they might not provide the personal connection that a gallery does. I would persuade a beginner to start with small exhibitions to build confidence and understanding. Later, they can enjoy festivals with better appreciation. So, local galleries are the best starting point.

You are organizing a small outdoor art show in a Montreal park. On the morning of the event, you receive a call from the city saying that due to unexpected construction, the park is unavailable. You have 15 vendors and at least 50 visitors expected. What steps do you take to handle this situation?

First, I would stay calm and quickly contact alternative venues, such as nearby community centres or school gyms. I would also call the vendors to inform them about the problem and ask for any suggestions. If we secure a new location, I would update the event page, email attendees, and use social media to announce the change. If find that completing the event today is not possible, I would postpone the event and email everyone with the new date. I would apologize sincerely and offer a small discount or free entry for the next event to maintain goodwill. Communication is key in such situations.

Some people believe that public funds should be used to support large art festivals, while others argue that this money should go to social programs. What is your opinion? Provide reasons to support your view.

I believe that public funds should absolutely be used to support large arts festivals like the MURAL Festival in Montreal, and I would go further to say that this kind of investment is one of the smartest economic decisions a city can make. Every year, the MURAL Festival attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the Plateau, filling hotels, restaurants, and shops during what would otherwise be a relatively quiet early summer period. The economic multiplier effect is real. For every dollar the city contributes through grants, multiple dollars flow back into the local economy through tourism spending. But beyond the economics, there is a deeper reason to support these festivals. Public art transforms neighbourhoods. The murals created during the festival remain on those walls for years, turning ordinary brick buildings into landmarks that people seek out and photograph. They give a neighbourhood an identity. They inspire conversations among strangers. They make art accessible to people who might never set foot in a traditional gallery. I also believe festivals create community pride. When residents see their own streets celebrated on an international stage, it strengthens their connection to the city. Some people argue that public funds should only go toward essential services like roads and schools, but I think that is a false choice. A city that invests in both practical infrastructure and cultural life is a city that people want to live in and businesses want to invest in. Montreal understands this better than most cities, and the results speak for themselves.

Describe a time when you encountered a piece of art that made you feel confused or surprised. What was the art, and why did it evoke those feelings?

A few years ago, I visited an art gallery in Old Montreal that was showing a contemporary installation piece I genuinely did not understand. The entire room was dark except for a single bare light bulb suspended from the ceiling by a thin wire. Below the bulb, on the floor, there was a pile of what looked like crumpled newspaper pages. There was no explanatory text on the wall, no artist statement, just the bulb, the paper, and the darkness. I stood there for several minutes, feeling confused and even slightly frustrated. Then an older woman beside me leaned over and whispered, in French-accented English, that the newspapers were all from the same date, June 6, 1944, the day of the Normandy landings. She explained that the artist's grandfather had been a Canadian soldier who landed on Juno Beach, and that the light bulb represented the hope of liberation while the crumpled newsprint represented the chaos and waste of war. Suddenly, the piece transformed in my mind. What had seemed absurd and meaningless became deeply moving. I stood there for another ten minutes, just taking it in. That experience taught me two things. First, art is not always meant to be immediately understood. Sometimes it requires patience, context, and even the kindness of a stranger. Second, the most powerful art often operates emotionally before it operates intellectually. I left the gallery feeling humbled and grateful for the reminder that there is always more to see than what is visible on the surface.