ielts speaking guidelines

7/30/2019 IELTS Speaking guidelines

1/12

IELTS SPEAKING

Speaking test adviceFollow this Speaking test advice and try to talk fluently.The Speaking test is a face-to-face conversation with a certified examiner. It is as close to a

real-life situation as a test can get.

The examiner will ask you about familiar topics such as home, work or studies in part 1.This should help you feel comfortable when speaking. Try and relax so that you can speak

as naturally as possible.

Take time before the test to practise speaking with a partner, friend or teacher.

Make the most of your Speaking test: try to talk as much as you can talk as fluently as possible and be spontaneous relax, be confident and enjoy using your English develop your answers speak more than the examiner ask for clarification if necessary do not learn prepared answers; the examiner is trained to spot this and will change the

question

express your opinions; you will be assessed on your ability to communicate

the examiners questions tend to be fairly predictable; practise at home and record yourself


2/12

IELTS Speaking Test: Key Facts

Duration: Between 11 and 14 minutes.

Participants: Candidates interviewed individually. The test is recorded.

Format: The test consists of three parts.

Part 1 (Interview)

Part 1 of the IELTS Speaking test lasts between 4 and 5 minutes. The examiner will ask

some simple 'getting-to-know-you' questions which will help the examiner find out a little

about you and help put you at ease. These will be general questions such as about your

family, your studies, where you come from or what your interests are.

Example Questions

Q: Where are you from?

Q: Why are you studying English?

Q: Have you visited any English speaking countries?

Q: Do you play any sports?

Tips!

Giving full, relevant answers to the examiner's questions will help get the interview off to a

good start.

1) Avoid giving short, uncommunicative replies.

Q: Where are you from?

A: I'm from Hoorn in the Netherlands. (Don't stop there!) It's about 35 kilometers north of

Amsterdam. It's a modern city but with a lot of history and a lovely place to live.

2) Avoid short, 'yes', 'no' answers to closed questions. (These are questions beginning 'Have

you ...', 'Do you ...', 'Is it ...' etc which can be answered simply with a yes or no answer).

Q: Have you visited any English speaking countries?

A: Yes. (Don't stop there!) I went to England last year and spent two weeks seeing the

sights. A couple of years ago I went to New York with my parents and had a great time.

Q: Do you play any sports?

A: No. (Don't stop there!) I'm not really interested in playing sports. I like watching sport on

TV and I really enjoyed keeping up with the Olympics recently.

3) Offer examples to help you explain a statement.Q: Why are you preparing for the IELTS exam?

A: Because I need it for my studies. (Don't stop there!) I've been offered a place at a

university in England to study on an MBA but I need to show my level of English is good

enough.


3/12

Part 2 (Long Turn)

Part 2 of the IELTS Speaking test lasts between 3 and 4 minutes (including 1 minute

preparation time). The examiner gives you a task card and you have to speak about the

subject without interruption for between 1 and 2 minutes.

Example Task

Example 1) Describe a place you have visited that you have fond memories of.

You should say:

where this was

why you went there

what you did there

and what it was about the place that makes it so memorable.

Example 2) Describe your favourite personal possession.

You should say:

what this possession is

when you first got it

when you use it

and why it's so important to you.

Tips!

1. Use your 1 minute preparation time wisely and make notes of the points you'd like tomake.

2. The question will help you with the structure of your talk. The introduction can include

the item itself and maybe a brief description. The main body of your talk could describe the

situation when you acquired the object and go on to explain when you use it. You can then

end with an explanation of why the object is so important.

3. Try to avoid giving a very dry, unimaginative introduction such as 'The object I'm going

to describe is ....'. Get your talk off to a memorable start with something on the lines of: 'If

I was about to lose everything and could only save one thing it would be my ...', or 'I've got

several things that mean a lot to me but the one that really stands out is my ...'

4. If you're concerned about not having enough to talk about for 1 to 2 minutes or running

out of time before you've finished, the answer is to practise as often as possible. Time

yourself and ask a friend for feedback.


4/12

Part 3: (Two-Way Discussion)

In Part 3 of the test, which lasts between 3 to 4 minutes, the examiner will ask you

questions linked to the topic in Part 2.

Example Questions (Based on example topics in Part 2 above)

Q: It is sometimes argued that local cultures are being destroyed by tourism. Why do think

people might feel this?

Q: What benefits do people get from travelling to other countries?

Q: Do you think people are becoming too materialistic?

Q: To what extent are people's buying habits affected by advertising?

Tips!

1. If you need time to collect your thoughts use expressions (sparingly) like: 'That's a good

question.', 'Well, let me think ...'.

2. Don't forget to avoid short, 'yes', 'no' answers. Try to offer examples to back up a

statement.

3. Help make your contributions memorable. Try explaining a point using a short, personal

anecdote.

4. If the examiner asks a question that you don't understand, take control of the situation

with questions such as those that appear below. Responding like this will show evidence of

your communication skills.

A) If the examiner uses a word or phrase that you don't understand, say something like:"Sorry but could you explain what you mean by ........"or

"I haven't come across that word/expression before. Could you explain what you mean?"

B) If you simply didn't hear something that was asked, respond with:

"Excuse me, I didn't quite catch that. Could you say that again?"

"I'm sorry, but would you mind repeating that?"

C) If you want to make sure you've understood what the examiner has asked you could

say:

"Do you mean ........"

"When you say ........, do you mean/are you asking ........?


5/12

Speaking test #1

Interview

- Is bicycle a good way to move around?- Do you think that there should be a separate lane for bicycles?

- Why should a child have a bicycle?- Are you working or a student?

Cue card

Describe a famous person, you should say:- Who he/she is,- Why he/she is famous,- Whether or not you would like to meet him/her and why.

Discussion

- Which qualities should a famous person have?

- Why does the young generation copy them?- Who were the famous people 50 years ago and who will be famous in the next 50 years?- Should they have personal life?- If you had a chance to become famous what would be your attitude?

Speaking test #2

Interview

- What is your full name?- What can I call you?- Can I see your identification?- What do people usually do on weekends in your country?

- What do you do on weekends?- Did you think art is important in life, such as painting and sculptures?- Did you draw anything when you were at school?- Are there any art galleries or museums in your home town?

Cue card

Describe an animal you saw, which you find very interesting. You should say:- Where you saw it,- How you felt about it,- Why you think it was interesting.

Discussion

- What kind of animals do people have in their home?- Tell me about an animal you saw which is very rare in your home town.- Why do people have pets in their homes?- Do you think people do not respect animals these days? What about 50 years ago?- Earlier people used animals for their work. Now, what do people use to do their work?- Researchers are being conducted on animals, is this a good idea?- So many animals are extinct these days. What do you think about this? Why it is happening?

Speaking test #3


6/12

Interview

- Tell me about the recent changes in your home town.- What is the meaning of your name?- Why were you given this name?- How may I address you?

Cue card

Describe the happiest recent event that you had.

Discussion

- What moments make other people happy?- What moments are happy for the elderly?- Are rich people happy?

Speaking test #4

Interview

- What is your full name?- How may I address you?

- Where are you living?- How long have you been living there?- What are the advantages of your home town?- Is there any swimming pool?- Have you been to any swimming pool anywhere?

Cue card

Describe a famous person in your country.

Discussion

- Why do people want fame?- How can a person become famous?- What kind of people get inspiration from celebrities?- What sort of people were famous in the past, 50 years ago?

FAMILY

Describe your family? Do you have a large or small family? How much time do you spend with your family? What do you like to do together as a family? Do you get along well with your family? Are people in your country generally close to their families?

WORK


7/12

What do you do? What are your responsibilities? How many hours do you work each day? Do you enjoy your work? Is there some other kind of work you would rather do? If you could change your job or profession, what would you do? Describe the process of getting a job in your country. Describe the company or organization you work for. What is your position? What do you like about your job? What do you dislike about your job?

EDUCATION

Describe your education. What kind of school did you go to as a child? Did you go to a co-educational school? What was your favourite subject as a child? Who was your favourite teacher? What is the education system like in your country? Do you think your country has an effective education system?

STUDIES

What are you studying now? What is your area of specialization?HOMETOWN

Describe your hometown. Whats special about it? Where is your hometown located? Is it easy to travel around your hometown? What is it known for? What do people in your town do?

What are the main industries in your hometown? What problems face your hometown? What languages are spoken in your hometown? What are the advantages of living in your hometown? What are some problems faced by your hometown? Compare your hometown with another city.


8/12

What are some environmental problems faced by your hometown?WEATHER

Whats the weather like in your country? Does the weather affect your mood? How do rainy days make you feel? Whats your favourite season of the year? What do you like to do when its hot? What do you usually do in the winter? How many seasons does your country have?

HOME

Describe your home. What kind of building do you live in? How long have you lived there?

WEDDING

Have you ever been to a wedding? Whose wedding was it? Where was it held? What clothes do people wear? Describe the wedding ceremony. What sort if gifts do people buy for the bridal couple? What kind of clothes did the bride and groom wear?

TRAVEL

Do you like to travel? What kind of places have you visited in your life? Which place would you really like to visit? Why? Whats the best place youve ever visited?

COMPUTERS

Do you think computers help society? Do you think computers are bad for health?

How do you think computers have changed the world?INTERNET

Do you use the Internet much during the day? What do you usually do on the Internet? What are some advantages of the Internet? What are some disadvantages?


9/12

Do people in your country use the Internet a lot? Do you do any shopping on the Internet?

EMAIL

Do you send and receive email regularly? Who do you usually communicate with? How often do you check your email? Do you think writing email has strengthened or weakened peoples writing skills? What are some disadvantages of email?

FRIEND

Describe a friend. How long have you known each other? What do usually do together? What do you like the most about him / her? How often do you see each other?

PLACE

Describe a place you like to go. Why is this place special to you? When did you first visit this place? Where is this place located? What language is spoken here? Do you speak this language?

SMOKING

What do you feel about smoking in public places? Do you think smoking should be banned in peoples homes?

MARRIAGE

What is the attitude toward marriage in your country? Do most young people plan on getting married in your country? What are some of the advantages of marriage? What are some of the disadvantages? Is the divorce rate high in your country?

Do you think people should be allowed to get divorced?HOBBIES

Do you have any hobbies? What are some of your hobbies? When did you first develop tis hobby? What are some of the advantages of having a hobby?


10/12

How much time do you spend on your hobby?FILMS

Do you enjoy watching movies? Whats your favourite film? Who are your favourite actors? How often do you watch films?

SHOPPING

Do you enjoy shopping? How do you feel about shopping? Do you like shopping on the Internet? Do you have any favourite stores? What dont you like about shopping? Which is the most popular place to shop in your hometown?

SPORTS

Do you like sports? Do you enjoy watching sports? Do you enjoy participating in any sports? Which sports are most popular in your country? Whats your favourite sport/ When did you first become interested in sports? How often do you participate in sports? What equipment do you need for your favourite sport?

FOOD

What are some of your favourite foods? What foods are popular in your country? What are some of the famous dishes of your country? Do you enjoy cooking?

FESTIVAL

Whats the most important festival in your country?

How do people celebrate this festival? What special food is associated with this festival? What special activities are associated with this festival? What do you enjoy most about this festival? Do you think festivals are important for a society?

TELEVISION


11/12

Do you watch television a lot? What do you usually watch on television? How many hours of television do you usually watch? What are the most popular shows in your country? What kind of shows do you like to watch? What are some advantages of television? What are someof the disadvantages of television? What did you last watch on television? Why do you think certain TV shows are so popular?

TOURISM

Which places would you recommend to a visitor to your country? Do a lot of tourists visit your country? What do they usually do there? How has tourism changed your country? Is your country expensive for most tourists? What are some famous landmarks in your country?

DAILY ROUTINE

Describe your daily routine. What do you usually do? What do you do on the weekend? What is you typical weekday like? Does your life change much from week to week? Do you have any free time during the week?

YOUR COUNTRY

Which country are you from? Where is this country located? Which part of the country do most people live in? What are the main industries in your country? Is it easy to travel around your country?

CLOTHES What type of clothes do you like to wear? What kind of clothes do people in your country usually wear? How important is fashion to you? What kind of clothes do you dislike? Do you think people behave differently in different kinds of clothes?


12/12

What kind of clothes do people wear to work in your country? Are clothes expensive in your country?

GOING OUT

Do you like going out or staying at home? What do you like to do when you go out? How often do you go out? Do people in your country go our a lot? How and where do people in your country usually socialize? What kind of entertainment is popular in your country?

GAMES

Do you enjoy playing any games? What kind of games do you play? Do you think adults should play games? What do children learn from games? What kind of games did you play when you were a child? What games are popular in your country today? What kind of games were popular when you were young? Do you think mental games like chess are good for you?

COLOURS Do you have a favourite colour? What are your countrys colours? Do you think colours affect our moods? Can you learn anything about a person from the colours he / she likes? Do you like the same colours now as you did when you were a child?

MUSIC

Do you like music? What kind of music do you like? When do you usually listen to music? What kind of music did you like when you were younger?

What kind of music is popular in your country? Do you play any musical instruments? Do you wish you could play any musical instruments? Which is your favourite instrument?

ielts speaking guidelines

Documents