SPEAKING
Tips for the Speaking test - Part 1
Part 1 lasts between four and five minutes. The examiner will introduce him/herself and asks you to introduce yourself and confirm your identity. The examiner will ask you some simple ‘getting-to-know-you’ questions on familiar topics, e.g. home, family, work, studies and interests. These questions will help the examiner find out a little bit about you and help put you at ease.
Look at these tips:
A: I’m from Buenos Aires. (Don’t stop there!) It’s the capital city of Argentina and is also the largest city in the country. It has a lot of history and is famous for having a rich culture. I really like living there.
A: I prefer watching TV. When I come home from work I’m usually quite tired so I feel like relaxing. I find sitting with my family in the living-room watching TV is relaxing because we watch TV and chat together. For me, this is a great way to unwind.
A: Yes. I listen to music everyday on my way to work. I like lots of types of music but my favourite is rock music. I’m a big fan of U2. I really like Bono’s singing voice.
Always expand your answers to simple, ‘yes’ or ‘no’ closed questions. (Questions beginning ‘Are you…’, ‘Do you …’, etc).
Think about how you would expand your answers to these questions:
Part 2 of the Speaking test is the individual long turn where you have to speak on your own for up to two minutes. This part of the test lasts for between three and four minutes. The examiner will give you a card which asks you to talk about a particular topic. It will include the key points you should cover in your talk. You are given one minute to prepare your talk, and also a pencil and paper to make short notes. You then have to talk for one to two minutes on the topic, after which the examiner will ask you one or two questions on the topic.
Look at these tips:
In Part 2 of the Speaking test you have one minute to make some notes about the topic you have to speak about.
Look at the two example topic cards below and make some notes about what you would say:
Describe a wild animal that can be found in your country.
You should say:
Describe a family celebration you have been to.
You should say:
Tips for the Speaking test - part 3
In Part 3 of the Speaking test the examiner will ask further questions which are connected to the topic discussed in Part 2. This part of the test is designed to give you the opportunity to talk about more abstract issues and ideas. It is a two-way discussion with the examiner, and will last four to five minutes. Because Part 3 is a discussion you’ll be expected to give more detailed answers than in Part 1. It’s therefore good to have a strategy to help you give longer answers.
Look at these tips:
A: I think advertising affects the things that people buy, whether they are aware of it or not. (Why) The reason for this is that everywhere we go we see advertisements on the street or on the side of buses. Even when we are at home we see adverts on the TV or on the Internet. (Second reason) Also, the amount of things that people buy nowadays has increased as society has become more consumerist. (Example) Take, for example, mobile phones. Almost everyone has a mobile phone that works but many people still want to upgrade their phone to get the newest or latest model. I think this is because advertising encourages us to buy. (Alternative) Despite this, I still think we have the choice to decide what to buy or whether to buy. Advertising can influence us, but it can’t control us.
Topics in Part 3
In Part 3 of the Speaking test, you discuss something related to the topic in Part 2, but in a more abstract way.
In the interviews we’ll watch in Step 2.16, the topic in Part 2 is ‘Describe a wild animal in your country’. In Part 3, the discussion looks at animal rights, the relationship between humans and animals and environmental challenges.
In this step, think about the kind of Part 3 discussion topics which might be developed from these Part 2 topics.
Pronunciation
The Phonemic Chart - hear the sounds of English by clicking on the symbols, then hear sample words including the sounds and try practice activities.
Pronunciation activities to practise problem sounds.
The Sounds of English from the BBC.
Sentence stress - activities to help you understand and practise how sentence stress can affect meaning.
Record yourselfVocaroo is one of the easiest ways to record yourself online and share recordings with others. You will have a chance to try this out in Step 2.18
Test adviceThese Exam speaking videos from LearnEnglish Teens give useful tips, vocabulary and practice in a range of tasks.
Our IELTS Interview Skills videos take a lighthearted look at some of the common problems and mistakes people make during the interview.
IELTS Practice Speaking Test
Part 1 lasts between four and five minutes. The examiner will introduce him/herself and asks you to introduce yourself and confirm your identity. The examiner will ask you some simple ‘getting-to-know-you’ questions on familiar topics, e.g. home, family, work, studies and interests. These questions will help the examiner find out a little bit about you and help put you at ease.
Look at these tips:
- Explain your answers by giving reasons for what you say.
- Ask for clarification if necessary.
- Develop your answers. Give full, relevant answers to the examiner’s questions. This will help get the interview off to a good start.
A: I’m from Buenos Aires. (Don’t stop there!) It’s the capital city of Argentina and is also the largest city in the country. It has a lot of history and is famous for having a rich culture. I really like living there.
- Express your opinions; the examiner is assessing your ability to communicate.
A: I prefer watching TV. When I come home from work I’m usually quite tired so I feel like relaxing. I find sitting with my family in the living-room watching TV is relaxing because we watch TV and chat together. For me, this is a great way to unwind.
- Always expand your answers to simple, ‘yes’ or ‘no’ closed questions. (Questions beginning ‘Are you…’, ‘Do you …’, etc).
A: Yes. I listen to music everyday on my way to work. I like lots of types of music but my favourite is rock music. I’m a big fan of U2. I really like Bono’s singing voice.
- Talk as fluently as possible and be spontaneous.
- Speak more than the examiner.
- Relax, be confident and enjoy using your English!
Always expand your answers to simple, ‘yes’ or ‘no’ closed questions. (Questions beginning ‘Are you…’, ‘Do you …’, etc).
Think about how you would expand your answers to these questions:
- Do you like your job?
- Do you hope to do this job for a long time?
- Do you still live in the town where you grew up?
- Do you think it has changed since you were young?
- Do you like reading?
- Do you think people will continue to read books in the future?
Part 2 of the Speaking test is the individual long turn where you have to speak on your own for up to two minutes. This part of the test lasts for between three and four minutes. The examiner will give you a card which asks you to talk about a particular topic. It will include the key points you should cover in your talk. You are given one minute to prepare your talk, and also a pencil and paper to make short notes. You then have to talk for one to two minutes on the topic, after which the examiner will ask you one or two questions on the topic.
Look at these tips:
- Always use your one minute preparation time - make notes of the points you’d like to talk about, ideally three points for each question on the task card. Practice making notes quickly with example questions, until you can do this easily.
- Use the task card to structure what you want to say. It will provide you with a simple beginning, middle and end structure.
- Begin by telling the examiner what you’re going to talk about, so that they know what to expect.
- Try to imagine the topic of your talk in your head when you’re preparing. Always try to talk about a real experience, as this is much easier than trying to invent something.
- Don’t forget to give the examiner some detail about your topic. This will also help you to have enough to talk about for two minutes.
- The last point on the task card often asks you to express your opinion. Make sure you answer this question as it’ll help you to talk for the full two minutes.
- This is a chance for you to talk about something that is familiar to you. Make sure you show off your vocabulary!
- Practise. Prepare by practising speaking with a friend or by recording yourself. Do this a few times until your happy you can speak easily for two minutes.
In Part 2 of the Speaking test you have one minute to make some notes about the topic you have to speak about.
Look at the two example topic cards below and make some notes about what you would say:
Describe a wild animal that can be found in your country.
You should say:
- what it looks like
- where it lives
- what you like/don’t like about it
Describe a family celebration you have been to.
You should say:
- what the celebration was for
- where it took place
- who was there with you
Tips for the Speaking test - part 3
In Part 3 of the Speaking test the examiner will ask further questions which are connected to the topic discussed in Part 2. This part of the test is designed to give you the opportunity to talk about more abstract issues and ideas. It is a two-way discussion with the examiner, and will last four to five minutes. Because Part 3 is a discussion you’ll be expected to give more detailed answers than in Part 1. It’s therefore good to have a strategy to help you give longer answers.
Look at these tips:
- Answer the examiner’s question
- Give some reasons why
- Provide examples
- Offer an alternative opinion
A: I think advertising affects the things that people buy, whether they are aware of it or not. (Why) The reason for this is that everywhere we go we see advertisements on the street or on the side of buses. Even when we are at home we see adverts on the TV or on the Internet. (Second reason) Also, the amount of things that people buy nowadays has increased as society has become more consumerist. (Example) Take, for example, mobile phones. Almost everyone has a mobile phone that works but many people still want to upgrade their phone to get the newest or latest model. I think this is because advertising encourages us to buy. (Alternative) Despite this, I still think we have the choice to decide what to buy or whether to buy. Advertising can influence us, but it can’t control us.
Topics in Part 3
In Part 3 of the Speaking test, you discuss something related to the topic in Part 2, but in a more abstract way.
In the interviews we’ll watch in Step 2.16, the topic in Part 2 is ‘Describe a wild animal in your country’. In Part 3, the discussion looks at animal rights, the relationship between humans and animals and environmental challenges.
In this step, think about the kind of Part 3 discussion topics which might be developed from these Part 2 topics.
- A family celebration
- A shopping trip
- A meal in a restaurant
Pronunciation
The Phonemic Chart - hear the sounds of English by clicking on the symbols, then hear sample words including the sounds and try practice activities.
Pronunciation activities to practise problem sounds.
The Sounds of English from the BBC.
Sentence stress - activities to help you understand and practise how sentence stress can affect meaning.
Record yourselfVocaroo is one of the easiest ways to record yourself online and share recordings with others. You will have a chance to try this out in Step 2.18
Test adviceThese Exam speaking videos from LearnEnglish Teens give useful tips, vocabulary and practice in a range of tasks.
Our IELTS Interview Skills videos take a lighthearted look at some of the common problems and mistakes people make during the interview.
IELTS Practice Speaking Test