Ielts Speaking Lessons

Lesson 1: IELTS Speaking Part 2 In the IELTS speaking part 2, you will be given a topic by the examiner, and you have to speak for two minutes. The topic will be one that the examiner chooses and you cannot change it. They are always things that you should have some experience of and be able to talk about. However, some students find it difficult to do because you only have one minute to prepare what you are going to say. You may also be nervous having to speak for 2 minutes in front of someone. You don't want to run out of things to say so in this lesson there are some tips to help you extend your long-turn. Let's imagine that you are given this IELTS speaking part 2 question:

Describe someone who has had an important influence on your life. You should say: • • •

Who the person is How long you have known him/her What qualities this person has

Explain why they have had such an influence on you

Firstly, you must talk about the topic on the card. However, if you only talk about the specific questions on the card, you may find that you finish too soon. As long as you keep to the topic, it is ok to talk about other things. Here are two things you can do in the minute you have before you speak to help you find more to say for the IELTS speaking part 2.

1. Use other ‘question’ prompts These are question prompts: Who Where

What How

When Why

When you prepare, write down the other question prompts that are not on the list, and think of things you can say about those as well. 1

For example: When - When did you meet? Where – Where did you meet?

2. Think of a Story You can also tell a story about the person, place, event or thing you are discussing. So in your one minute, think of and note down a quick and preferably interesting story to tell about the topic. You can tell the story anywhere in your IELTS speaking part 2, as long as it fits in.

Example IELTS Speaking Part 2 The person I’m going to talk about today is my teacher from high school. (who) Her name was Miss Chadwick and she taught quite a few subjects at the school. She had been working there for quite a few years when I met her I think. (where) We met for the first time in my English class. (more about ‘who’) I remember this well because she was quite young compared to most of the other teachers in the school so I was surprised that she was a teacher! In fact she looked more like she could be one of the older students! (How long) So I met her when I was 15, and that was 10 years ago. I don’t actually know her anymore as we lost contact soon after I left the school, but I still remember her very well for several reasons. (What qualities) Firstly, she was very kind. She always treated all the students very well in the class, and I can’t remember her ever shouting at anyone. Also, she had a really good sense of humour. She would make jokes in the class which most of the other teachers never did. The other teachers were very serious all the time. And she made the classes a lot of fun and very interesting, something that I think is very important otherwise you start to get bored. Oh, and also she explained things very well and very clearly. Often teachers are not able to do this in a way that students can understand, especially when it's complicated subjects. So those are the qualities that she had. (why such an influence) The reason she had such an important influence on me is because I was quite a shy person at school and not very confident, but she helped me to change this. (tell a story) Each year, there was a school play that would be held in front of all the parents, and that year, when I was 15, Miss Chadwick was organizing and directing the play. I really didn't want to be in it because I was so shy, but Miss Chadwick insisted that I take one of the roles, and it was one of the main roles which meant that I would have to do a lot of speaking! I was so nervous. Anyway, I went ahead and did it, and on the night I did really well and really enjoyed it. And that really boosted my confidence and this has helped me to this day. So my teacher Miss Chadwick is the person who has influenced my life and I will never forget her. _____________________________________________________________________________________

Lesson 2: IELTS Speaking Questions and Answers: This lesson is a quiz using IELTS speaking questions and answers to provide you with some general tips on successfully answering questions for part one of the IELTS speaking test. 2

In part one of the test, you are asked general questions about yourself - follow this link to view example part one questions if you do not know what to expect. You'll be asked about 12 questions in part one of the test, and these will be taken from three different sets of topics which the examiner will choose. For example you could be asked about: 1. Your home town 2. Your favourite holiday destination 3. What kinds of books you like to read So you'll have about four questions on each of these. Now, take this 'IELTS Speaking Questions and Answers Quiz' to see if you know what is the best way to respond in this part of the test. Decide which answer you think is the best, then click on the letter to see if you are right.

Part One IELTS Speaking Questions and Answers - Quiz Choose the best answer: 1. How many people are there in your family? There are four. We live in a large house in the north of my country. It gets very cold there in the winter but it is really nice during the summer months. I try to go back there often. There are four. My brother and my parents. There are four. There's myself of course. Then there's my younger brother, he's fifteen years old. And I have my mother and father who are both in their late 70s. I have two grand parents as well, but they don't live with us.

2. Do you know the people who live next door to you? No, I've never met them. The reason for this is that I'm away most of the time at university so I've never really had the opportunity. I know my family has met them on a few occasions, just for a quick chat, but they don't know them well. I think they like to keep their privacy. No, I've never met them. No, I've never met them. I think my parents have, but I don't know who they are. 3

3. What kinds of books do you like reading? I don't like reading. Books are boring. I much prefer to play on the internet or just watch TV in my free time. Reading books just sends me to sleep. Although I think books are great ways to learn, and I know some people love to read, I've never been a great fan of them. I used to read books a bit when I was younger but not much anymore. I read a lot on the internet actually, articles on various topics. So I do read, but it's just not usually books. I don't really like reading, but I did read a book once. I'll tell you the story. It was set in the 1960's in London. It was about a poor family who were just trying hard to make ends meet as they had so little money. If followed the life of the boy in the family from when he was young until he grew up. The first part of the book was about growing up with his family and his school life...(candidate continues the story)

You should have learnt from these IELTS speaking questions and answers to: Stay on topic Listen carefully to the question and make sure you are answering it. Don't talk about something completely different just so you can talk for longer. Extend your answers Give reasons for your answer. This can be a useful way to extend your responses. Always explain WHY you have given the answer that you have. Don't speak excessively Extend your answers but don't go on too much. This will only mean the examiner will have to keep interrupting you to move onto the next questions. Be honest but positive Try to remain upbeat and positive even if you are saying you don't do things or don't enjoy things you are being asked about. You can always put a positive slant on your answers. ________________________________________________________________________________

Lesson 3: Speaking About Change: Questions that will involve you speaking about change are common in part 3 of the IELTS test. Therefore you need to make sure that you are the grammar and phrases to be able to do this. 4

Often you are asked to compare a situation now with the same situation in the past. Common time periods include; 20 years, 30 years, when your parents were young and when your grandparents were young. This lesson will provide you with some useful grammar for speaking about change in the IELTS test, and how to spot these types of question. Examples: • • • •

How are the eating habits now in your country different from eating habits in the past? Are the types of leisure activities that are popular today the same as those that were popular when your parents were young? How have shopping habits changed over recent years? Have the types of transport people use changed much over the last few decades? _________________________________________________

Used to One way of describing how things have changed is to use “used to”. We use it to refer to facts or situations that were true in the past but are not true now. When the change occurred is not important. Example: “Vietnam used to be a colony of France, (but now it is independent)” “Jimmy Carter used to be the President of the United States, (but now he isn’t.)” This can, of course be used to give personal information. “I used to smoke, (but I gave up 2 years ago.)” “Mike used to be a detective in the CID, (but now he’s a teacher)” _________________________________________________

Comparatives In these types of questions the function being tested is “compare”, so using comparatives is obviously a good way of answering the question and speaking about change. Example: "Thirty years ago, the streets were much quieter thannow.” “I think that reading was much more popular in the past.” When talking about how things are different now, the present perfectis often used as well as the present simple. “The streets have become much noisier.” (Notice, a time is not needed) “Reading is much less popular than it was in the past.” _________________________________________________

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Speculation Particularly for some of the longer periods, you may not be sure of exactly how things have changed and it is all right to speculate. “Would” can be used for strong speculation. Example: “It would have been harder for my grand father to find out about international news, because there was no radio or T.V in his village.” “In the past, people would have traveled less often.” When you are not so sure you can use other words. (perhaps, possibly, might, may, etc.) “I’m not sure but, perhaps, they might have studiedless science thirty years ago” “Possibly, in my father’s day, people could have playedmore sport.” _________________________________________________

Question types Questions about changes tend to be phrased in ways like these: “How do you think … is different from thirty years ago?” “In what ways has … changed from when your parents were young? “How is … different from twenty years ago?” Of course, the examiner may choose to word the question in other ways. __________________________________________________________________________________

Lesson 4: Will and Going to: Usually in part 3 of the speaking test you will be asked to talk about the future in at least one of the questions (some of the questions in part 1 may also be about the future). Will and going to are popular words to do this, so we will look at them, but there are some other ways too. It is important to notice when a question is about the future so you can make sure that your response is also using the future tense. Here are some example questions: • • •

Do you think any new national celebrations will come into being in the future? How do you think the internet will change people's buying habits in the future? Do you think it will be more or less important to have a good education in the future?

Here is an explanation of will and going to and some other useful structures for discussing the future 6

Will There are various uses of ‘will’, but in IELTS part 3 we can use it when we want to talk about future events that we believe are certain. ‘Will’ is followed by verb 1, or the infinitive. Education will be more important in the future because as populations increase, there will be greater competition for jobs. If you use ‘will’ on its own, this means you believe in what you are saying 100%, or you have 100% evidence to back up your claim. You can add in a word like ‘definitely’ if as well if you want to emphasize your certainty even more: Education will definitely be more important in the future because as populations increase, there will be greater competition for jobs. If you are less certain (which is often the case as we usually don’t have evidence with us) then we use words such as 'maybe', 'perhaps', 'possibly', 'probably' and ‘likely’. Education will probably be more important in the future because as populations increase, there will be greater competition for jobs.

Going to Will and Going to are used in similar ways. We can use ‘going to’ to talk about a plan we have, but in the IELTS test part 3 we usually use it when we are making a prediction based on evidence we know of, often from what we can see in front of us. ‘Going to’ is followed by verb 1, or the infinitive. The sky is very black (the evidence we can see). I think it’s going to rain. (not an IELTS example) The internet is getting much easier to use and safer (the evidence), so I think it’s going to be very popular for buying clothes in the future. The climate is going to become warmer and warmer because the government is not doing enough to prevent global warming.

Will or going to? ‘Will’ is more common for giving predictions about future events, so if you are unsure of the difference between them, just use ‘will’. However, we often use will and going to inter-changeably. For example, in the sentences above we can swap them without affecting the meaning: The climate will / is going to become warmer and warmer because the government is not doing enough to prevent global warming. Education will probably / is probably going to be more important in the future because as populations increase, there will be greater competition for jobs. 7

Modal Verbs In addtion to will and going to, another way to talk about the future is to use modal verbs such as ‘may’ and ‘might’. Again, these are used when you are not certain about something. They have the same meaning. I think education may become more important in the future, but it really depends on what happens to the job market. The climate might get cooler in the future if we manage to restrict CO2 emissions.

Present Continuous This is also used to talk about the future. It is often used when we want to talk about what has been arranged for the future, so it may be less common for part 3 and more common for part 1, but it is still possible for some things you may want to say: Our president is meeting the president of the USA next year, so hopefully they will discuss the problems of our country.

Will and Going to - Sample Answer Here is a sample answer to a question: How do you think the internet will change people's buying habits in the future? Buying from the internet is becoming more and more popular. For example, we’ve seen many book shops close down because people can buy online at cheaper prices from sites such as Amazon. It makes life much easier if products can be delivered direct to our door, especially with our busy modern lifestyles. I think this willonly increase in the future as more people feel safe to buy online and online shops make it easier to purchase this way. Also, I think our lives are only going to becomebusier, so more people will choose to shop this way. _____________________________________________________________________________________

Lesson 5: IELTS Mind Map - Speaking Part 2 This lesson introduces you to the idea of using an IELTS mind map to help you with your speaking for part two. There are different methods and techniques you'll come across for preparing for this part of the speaking test, so you really need to decide which way suits you best. Mind maps are a way to visually organize information. A single idea is placed in the middle, with ideas associated with that word around the edge.

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A mind map can be useful for IELTS speaking in part two because you can place the main topic from the cue card in the middle and then brainstorm ideas around it. You can use other question words such as 'why', 'when', 'who', 'where' etc to help you think of ideas. As well as question words you can also add a story as this is a useful way to extend your answer click here to view a lesson on how to extend your answers for part 2 and using a story to help you do this. You can also add in any useful vocabulary that you think of. Look at this example cue card, and then look at the mind map that someone has done in order to answer the question. Describe a lake, a river or a sea you have visited. You should say: • • •

Where the lake, river or sea is How often you have visited it What activities you do there

Explain why you like this particular place. Mind Map

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As you can see, a story has been added in, and some extra information about 'who', plus some interesting vocabulary It's up to you in what order to answer the question. You don't have to follow the card, but you should try to cover all the points that are on there and your talk must be organized and coherent. The mind map or following the card will help with this, plus giving cues to which section you are on. For example: "I've visited it many times because..." tells the examiner you are talking about the 'How often' part. Here is a sample answer. Note how all the points are covered, plus some extra information that is not on the card but is on the mind map.

Sample Answer using a Mind Map - A Lake You've Visited I’m going to talk about a lake that I’ve visited. The lake is in the Lake District area which is in the North West of England. As you can guess by its name, it’s very famous for its many beautiful lakes. The area is also known as ‘The Lakes’ and it's a National Park. I’ve visited it many times because I live only a few hours from there. I usually go every summer, and I’ve been going for many years now – probably since about 1998. We used to go a lot in my summer holiday when I was at school. Now I’m working I still go, but I’ll go at weekends. I usually go with my family – that’s my two brothers and my Mum and Dad. Sometimes we might go with our cousins as well. I've also been with friends quite a few times. There are loads of thing to do there. At this lake we go to, there are a lot of water sports and I really like those. There’s jet skiing, sailing and kayaking for example, but you don’t just have to do those things – there’s plenty to do even if you don’t like those kinds of activities. You can go walking around the lake or further out into the areas around the lake because there are many areas which are really beautiful. There are also some great places to eat good food. One of the best things I've done is a Kayaking trip. It wasn’t actually on the lake, but in a river close by. There are some white water rapids, so I went on those with a friend. We started it with a group of others at a calm part of the river, with a guide as well to make sure everyone was safe. Some parts then got quite rough with the water and strong currents. It was scary but really exhilarating as well. I’ll definitely try and go again one day. The reason why I like this place so much is that although there are lots of exciting activities that you can do, it’s also surrounded by lots of breathtaking scenery, with stunning views of the hills and rivers. So it’s still really tranquil and relaxing and a really good way to unwind if you've had a difficult week at work and just want to get away. So that’s the lake that I’ve visited and I’m sure I’ll continue to visit there in the future.

Try practicing this method of using a mind map to see if it helps you with your answer. 10

Here are some cue cards you can practice with. __________________________________________________________________________________

Lesson 6: IELTS Speaking Tone When you do your speaking test, it is important that you get the speaking tone correct. In this lesson we'll look at how linking phrases can affect the tone. You are basically having a conversation with someone, so you want to sound natural. Some candidates think they have to sound very formal and academic. You obviously do need some good vocabulary to get a higher score on the test, such as that from the academic word list (used correctly of course!), but language that you would hear naturally if you had a conversation with your friends is also as important and will get noticed by the examiner. Take a look at this question and then the answer by a candidate: When do you think it is acceptable to be late for appointments? You should always try to be on time. However, there are some occasions when it is ok to be late. Firstly, in my country the traffic is terrible, so sometimes you cannot help but be late because of that. Furthermore, if you are very ill, this may be another reason that makes you late. You can’t really help that. Moreover, if an emergency arises because of, for example, a problem with your child, you will need to take care of that first of course. What do you think is the problem with the speaking tone? Click to see below. Show/Hide Answer

The problem with this response is the words linking the ideas, or the transitions. It is not that they are 'wrong' as such. In theory they can be used as the meaning is clear, but they are very formal. They are suitable for an academic essay, but you will not often hear someone use these words when they are speaking with you. So if you use these it will make what you say sound very forced and unnatural. Here is the same answer but the speaking tone is more natural: When do you think it is acceptable to be late for appointments? You should always try to be on time, but having said that, there are some occasions when it is ok to be late.A particular problem in my country is the terrible traffic jams, so sometimes you cannot help but be late because of that. Also, if you are very ill for an unexpected reason, again there is nothing you can do about that. Another good reason is if an emergency arises because of, for example, a problem with your child, you will need to take care of that first of course. As you can see, this sounds more natural and will sound more fluent. It will also seem less 'mechanical'. 11

So get into the habit of improving your speaking tone by forming linking phrases that are not too mechanical or formal. ______________________________________________________________________________________

Lesson 7: Hypothetical Situation: Sometimes in part 2 of the speaking test you are asked to describe things that involve a hypothetical situation. If something is hypothetical, then it is an unreal situation in the future. It is just an idea or imagined. The grammar for this is connected to conditional type II 'if clauses'. Take a look at this: Question: If you won the lottery, what would you do? Answer: I’d buy a large house in the countryside. Of course the person has NOT won the lottery – so it is just an imagined or unreal situation. In the ‘if’ part of the clause, you’ll notice that the past simple (won) is used, even though the imagined future is being referred to. ‘Would’ is used in the second part. For the IELTS task card, you'll just be seeing the 'would' part. Take a look at this sample task 2 question: Describe an interesting job you would like to have You should say: • • •

What the job is Who normally does this job What skills are needed for the job

Explain why you would like this job. So when you talk about a hypothetical situation, you need to make sure you use the correct grammar. Remember that ‘I would…’ is usually shortened to ‘I’d…” when we are speaking. Take a look at this model answer. The uses of 'would' are in red.

Model Answer I’m going to talk about a job I’d like to have. Ok, if I could choose any job, it would be an air hostess. They are the people who take care of customers who are travelling on planes - serving the food, making sure the travellers board and depart the plane safely, and taking care of any other issues. This type of job can be done by men or women, but there are usually certain requirements. For instance, you have to be at least 19 years old in most cases when you first apply and usually a 12

certain height, not too small. Also, your weight needs to be in proportion to your height. So in other words, not overweight unfortunately. They also really prefer people who are younger. So not just anyone can do it. Those who do the job usually want to travel as much as they can to see the world, or maybe to make money as in some developing countries it is a lot better paid than many other jobs. Regarding the skills, one of the most important things to be is outgoing. I think you need to be very confident and happy to chat with anyone! You also need to be patient as I’m sure you can sometimes get passengers who complain, but you still have to continue to be nice to them. For qualifications, you have to have good GSCE marks. I think that is it. The reason that I’d like a job like this is because I’d really like to see the rest of the world and I’d like to meet lots of new people from different cultures and countries. It’s actually something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time, since I was young, which is why I know so much about the requirements. I’m quite a confident person and very outgoing, so I think I have all the qualities that are needed for such a job. If I was given the chance to do this job in the future, I’d be very happy. It’s my dream so hopefully one day it will come true. As you'll notice, only a few parts of this response are using 'would'. The amount you use it will depend on what you are saying. In much of the response the candidate is talking about facts regarding the job, which are always true, so the present simple is being used. She's not referring to the future. She only refers to a hypothetical situation a few times in her response. Here are some examples for you to practice with:

Example Hypothetical Situation Speaking Card 1 Describe a beautiful place in your country that you would like to visit. You should say: • • •

Where it is Who you would go with When you would go

Explain why you would like to visit this place.

Example Hypothetical Situation Speaking Card 2 Describe a house you would like to buy in the future. You should say • •

What kind of house it would be Where you would like it to be 13

•

Who you would like to live there with

Explain why you would like to buy a house like this _________________________________________________________________________________________

Expressing Opinions for IELTS Speaking: Lesson 8 Expressing opinions or giving your thoughts is an important part of the IELTS speaking test, especially in part 3 when you have a 2-way discussion with the examiner. You will also need to justify your opinion or explain why you have that opinion. By justifying your opinion you will be extending your response and making sure you are having a proper discussion with the examiner which you need to do in part 3. In this lesson we'll look at some ways to express your opinions and justify them. To do this we usually use adverbial phrases at the start of the sentence. Here are some ways of expressing opinions or saying what you think about a topic: ______________________________________________

Expressing Opinions Expression

Meaning

Example

Clearly Obviously

Easy to understand or see

Clearly, the economy is not going to improve this year.

Personally

Showing that it is your opinion

Personally, I don't think the legal drinking age should be reduced. Others may disagree.

Generally

Usually, or in most situations

Generally, the trains are a lot more reliable than the buses in my country.

Surprisingly

Unexpectedly or in a way that Surprisingly, the government prohibited smoking in all is unusual public places last year. I never thought this would happen.

Inevitably

In a way that cannot be avoided

I didn't study much. Inevitably, I didn't get the score I needed.

Predictably

As expected

Predictably, problems are now occurring in the city because of overpopulation.

Frankly

To be honest and direct

Frankly, I wish I'd waited before taking the IELTS test as I'm not ready!

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Sadly Unhappy, sad or sorry about Regrettably something Unfortunately

Regrettably, my family could never return to their country because of the civil war.

And after expressing your opinions, here are some ways that you can justify them:

Justifying Opinions Across one sentence + Subject Verb:

...as the government has invested a lot of money into the system. ...because the government has... ...since the government has... ...due to the fact that the government has... Generally, the trains are a lot more reliable than the buses in my country...

+ Noun Phrase:

...because of the government's investment of money into the system. ...due to the government's investment of... ...as a result of the government's investment of... ...as a consequence of the government's investment of...

Across two sentences + Subject Verb:

The reason for this is that the government... This is because the government has... Generally, the trains are a lot more reliable than the buses This is due to the fact that the government has... in my country. + Noun Phrase:

This is due to the government's investment of... This is because of the government's investment of...

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This is as a result of the government's investment of... This is as a consequence of the government's investment of...

Expressing Opinions - Practice Now it's your turn. In questions 1-5, choose which adverbial phrase should go in the gap. Look carefully at the rest of the sentence. Is it something surprising? Sad? Obvious? Predictable? Typical? ________________________________ 1.

2. 3.

, people get married quite late in my country.

, we must try and lift people out of poverty to improve standards of living. , I don't think climate change is caused by human actions.

4. , crime is increasing in my city because the government did not increase the number of police like they said they would. 5. , many children are unable to get the education that they need so they end up in low-paid work as adults. ________________________________ In the next 5 questions, choose the correct justifying phrase to go in the gap. Again, look at the sentence. You need to decide which one will fit grammatically. Is it followed by a noun or a subject and a verb? ________________________________ 6. Predictably, temperatures are continuing to rise

a lack of action by governments.

7. Sadly, more refugees are fleeing the country

the war is continuing.

8. Obviously, the failure rate in schools is high

the low numbers of teachers.

9. Generally, people are having children later in life. women are now working. 10. Personally, I don't believe that unemployment will fall. unwillingness of companies to hire new staff.

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many more the

The correct answers: 1. Generally

2. Clearly

3. Personally

6. due to

7. as

8. as a consequence of

4. Inevitably

5. Regrettably 9. The reason for this is that

10. This is because of _________________________________________________________________________________

Lesson 9: Speaking Questions for IELTS You can get various types of speaking questions for IELTS so it is important to understand how to reply to them properly. This lesson is particularly important if you are at a lower level of English, as those with weaker speaking skills often show that they have misunderstood the question when they give their answer. Giving the wrong answer could also come from not concentrating properly. This could be due to nerves, so you miss exactly what the examiner has asked. So you have to listen carefully. Take a look at this example question: IELTS Examiner: How important do you think it is to learn English language? Candidate: Oh, I really like learning English. I think it will really help with my career. This candidate has shown that they did not listen properly, or simplymisunderstood the question. These are the kinds of answers that would be expected. • • • • •

It's very important because... It's extremely important... It's fairly important because.. It's quite important because... I don't think it's very important because...

So in this case it is an adverb of degree that would be expected as they commonly follow how questions that ask for an opinion about something. That is not to say that there are not other possibilities, but this directly answers the question, unlike the other reponse which was incorrect. Now try this speaking questions for IELTS exercise to see if you know the meaning of other common question phrases. Link the question phrase to its correct meaning.

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Types of Speaking Questions for IELTS Part 1 - Practice 1. How important...? 2. How often...? 3. How do you...? 4. Would you rather...? 5. What kind of...? 6. When...? 7. Where...? 8. Why...? 9. Who...?

Correct Answers: 1. Opinions about something 2. Frequency of something 3. Methods / procedures 4. Preferences 5. Types 6. Date or time 7. Places 8. Reason 9. Person or institution Of course you have to be careful how you answer each question. There can be many different types of question using these phrases and many different answers, but below are some examples on the topic of food based on part 1 of the test. Note how the answers, though, to these speaking questions for IELTS directly relate to the question. Also, notice how the answers are extended by giving reasons, which is important for part 1.

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Examples of Types of Speaking Questions for IELTS Food How important is having breakfast to you? Not very important really. I often miss it as I never feel that hungry when I first wake up. Lunch is often the first meal of the day for me. Would you rather eat out or eat at home? I prefer to eat in as I like home cooked food. You know for sure what is in the ingredients, whereas at a restaurant you can never be sure of what is in the food and whether it is healthy or not. How often do you eat out? About once or twice a week. Mostly I eat in because I get back from work late and don't have time to get to a restaurant. What kind of restaurants do you like to go to if you do eat out? Usually it is small family run places. They have a better atmosphere than those big chains and often the price if more reasonable too. You can also get to know the owner which is nice. When did you last go to a restaurant? Oh, it was probably about a week ago, last weekend. I went to a place called Chino's, down the road from me. It does great Italian food. Where is the best place to shop for groceries? I think the supermarkets are good to get cheap things, such as the everyday items like tinned food and toiletries, but local stores are better for meat and vegetables because they are always fresh. How do you get to the shops when you go for food? I usually go by car, but occasionally by bike if the weather is ok and I don't need to buy too much. The car can obviously be better if it's the weekly shopping and you need to purchase a lot. Why do you think there is a problem with obesity in many countries? I think it is principally to do with diet and time. People don't have a lot of time so they eat fast food. The lack of time also means that people don't do enough exercise. Who should be dealing with obesity? The government should do something, such as making producers label food packaging clearly, but individuals also have to take responsibility for their own weight and life-style. 19

Follow up activity Try writing your own part 1 speaking questions for IELTS and then practice them with a partner. _______________________________________________________________________________________

Lesson 10: Useful IELTS Interview Expressions In this lesson we will look at some useful IELTS interview expressions. You need to make sure that you have adequate vocabulary and phrases to explain your position in the speaking test. You may need to ask for clarification if you don't understand something, or for something to be repeated if it was said too fast for you. It is also good if you have a variety of phrases to give your opinion. It is common in part three of the IELTS test, for example, to be given an opinion or view and to say what you think about it. So you will need to say if you agree or disagree, or partially agree. Or maybe you think it depends on the circumstances. Or you may need to give yourself some thinking time before you can answer a question. Knowing and practicing some useful phrases will help you in this respect. Below are a list of phrases to help improve your IELTS speakingand under the table is some further explanation for some of the phrases. Most of these phrases and the examples below are more relevant to part 3 of the speaking test because this is where you are asked your opinion more than part 1, and you are more likely to misunderstand a question or need further clarification because the questions are more difficult.

USEFUL IELTS INTERVIEW EXPRESSIONS

What I'm trying to say is... In other words... Saying something in another way

To put it another way... What I mean is... Perhaps I should make that clearer by saying... 20

Yes, I agree... Agreeing with an opinion

That's my view exactly. I would tend to agree with that. I couldn't agree more. No, I disagree. I'm afraid I disagree.

Disagreeing with an opinion

I see things rather differently myself. I wouldn't say that is necessarily true. I tend to disagree. I'm not so sure about that. I don't entirely agree. It is true that......however...

Partially agreeing with an opinion

That is partly true, but... I agree with that to an extent. However... What do you think?

Getting asked an opinion (by the What's your view / opinion? examiner)

What are your views on...? How do you feel about...? That depends...

Saying your opinion could vary according to the situation

I think it really depends... That depends on how you look at it. Could you please explain what ...(word)... means?

Asking for clarification(part 3 only)

Sorry, I don't understand the question. Could you explain? Sorry, I'm afraid I didn't understand the question. Sorry, can I just clarify what you mean. Are you asking me ...(say what you believe you have been asked)... 21

Asking for repetition

Sorry, would you mind repeating the question? Sorry, I didn't quite catch that. Could you repeat the question? So all in all...

Summing up

To sum up... To conclude...

When do I use these phrases? 1) Saying something in another way People use these phrases to further clarify what they have said. In other words, to make it clear exactly what they mean. So you are saying the same thing you have just said but in a different way. Maybe you felt you did not explain something properly to the examiner and it is better to say it again but differently or you just want to emphasize your point, as in this example: Examiner: Some people think that children should not be allowed to watch anything they like on television because some programmes can negatively affect their behaviour. What do you think? Candidate: I tend to disagree. I think children should be given the freedom to decide what is right for them to watch and not be told by parents what they can and cannot see. In other words, it's up to the child, not the parent. 2) Getting asked an opinion / agreeing with an opinion / disagreeing with an opinion

You may use these phrases if the examiner asks you for your opinion on a topic. For example: Examiner: Some people think that children should not be allowed to watch anything they like on television because some programmes can negatively affect their behaviour. What do you think? Candidate: I wouldn't say that is necessarily true. Most children are mature enough to understand that television is not real and so I don't believe that it causes them any harm. I think children should be given the freedom to decide what is right for them to watch and not be told by parents what they can and cannot see. 3) Partially agreeing with an opinion

You may not fully agree with the opinion and wish to explain this further. Examiner: Some people think that children should not be allowed to watch anything they like on television because some programmes can negatively affect their behaviour. What do you think? 22

Candidate: I don't entirely agree. It is true that some programs cause harm to children. For example, programs with very violent behaviour, so parents must ensure children don't watch these kinds of programs too much. However, there has to be a balance. Children have to be given some responsibility to make their own decisions to and it is simply not possible for the parents to monitor their children's TV habits all the time.

4) Saying your opinion could vary according to the situation It is very often the case that an opinion is never that simple or straightforward that you can just 'agree' or 'disagree'. It usually depends on the context, particular situation or person. It is common to say 'depends' when this is the case. Examiner: Some people think that children should not be allowed to watch anything they like on television because some programmes can negatively affect their behaviour. What do you think? Candidate: I think it really depends on the way the child has been brought up. Some children are brought up well by their parents and they know what is right and wrong and I don't think watching some programmes that have violence or similar things will change that. Other children aren't given the care or attention they need by their parents and they may have personal problems. Watching violence on TV may make them even worse if they already have a bad behaviour, so they probably do need to be monitored. Answering part 3 questions using 'depends' is quite effective as it shows you can analyse a situation well rather than simply agreeing or disagreeing, and it also gives you a chance to say more than if you just agree or disagree.

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Lesson 11: Personal Experiences in Part 3 of the IELTS Speaking Test This lesson is about using personal experiences in Part 3 of the IELTS Speaking Test Students often make a mistake in part 3 of the IELTS test as they talk only about their personal experiences. This is usually the sign of a weaker candidate. Parts 1 and 2 of the speaking test are very much about YOU. In Part 1, they ask questions about anything from your studies to your favourite types of clothes. In Part 2, you have to talk for two minutes about such things as a place you've been to or someone you know. However, Part 3 is not so much about you. It is about topics more generally, and how they affect everyone, rather than just you personally. 23

Here are some example questions from part 3 of the speaking test on a variety of topics:

Food: • • •

Describe the type of food that people eat in your country How are the eating habits now in your country different with those in the past? How healthy is your country's food?

Education: • • •

What do you think about the way languages are taught in schools in your country? How do you think a poor university education can affect career success? What changes do you think will happen in the classroom in the near future?

Leisure: • • •

Why are some activities more popular than others? How do the types of leisure activities popular now differ from those popular when your parents were young? What types of leisure activities may become more popular in the future?

If you look carefully at the questions, you will see that they are not about YOU, they are about people generally in your country or around the world. A common mistake for some students is that they make the topic only, or mostly, about themselves or people they know rather than talking more generally. Here are examples of good and bad answers to two of the above questions. What is wrong with the 'bad' answers? Example 1 Describe the type of food that people eat in your country. Bad answer: I might try some other dishes occasionally, such as Korean food as I like that, but I always tend to eat Japanese food. At home my mum will always make Japanese food too. My brother will eat much more western food than I do, but he will go out to buy this rather than getting it at home. Good answer: There are a lot of different types of food in Japan if you are in big cities like Tokyo, such fast food outlets, Italian restaurants, Korean food, and of course a lot of Japanese restaurants. But most local people tend to eat Japanese food, even in these big cities when there are other choices, but especially in smaller towns and villages.

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Example 2 What do you think about the way languages are taught in schools in your country? Bad answer: In my school we learned English and it was taught really badly. I think it's firstly because the teachers themselves were not native English people, and their English was not perfect. So they taught us to say some things incorrectly, and also they could not always say things clearly so we could not learn good pronunciation off them. Good answer: In most schools in my country, English is the main language taught. I think it is actually taught quite badly because many of the teachers are not native English teachers. A good example is at my school. The teachers themselves were nearly all Korean, not native English people, and their English was not perfect. So they taught us to say some things incorrectly, and also they could not always say things clearly so we could not learn good pronunciation off them. As you will have noticed, in the bad answers, the candidate just speaks about their personal experience and nothing general. In the good answer, the candidate talks about society in general. However, this does not mean that you cannot refer to your own experiences, but this should be done to illustrate your general response in order to further explain what you mean. You can see an example of this in the good response about education. Notice how the candidate starts with a general answer but then explains it further with their own experience (in red): In most schools in my country, English is the main language taught. I think it is actually taught quite badly because many of the teachers are not native English teachers. A good example is at my school. The teachers themselves were nearly all Korean, not native English people, and their English was not perfect. So they taught us to say some things incorrectly, and also they could not always say things clearly so we could not learn good pronunciation off them. So it is ok to talk about your own experiences, but these should just support your general ideas about society – the whole answer should not just be about your experience. Here are some more examples of some good answers that are supported with personal experience (in red):

How do you think a poor university education can affect career success? II don't think that is does have to affect it because many people manage to become successful without a higher education. It is more down to your confidence and motivation than anything else. For example, I've got two brothers. The older one went to university, but the most successful of the two is actually my younger brother who started working straight after school. He is now the head of one of the biggest companies in Italy, and this was down to his drive and enthusiasm for his work and his ability to get on with people well. How healthy is your country's food? 25

It's not really that healthy I would say. A lot of Thai food is cooked in fat and oil, especially the street food which is often cooked in fat that is reused many times. MSG is also added a lot. Also, there are now a lot of fast food restaurants that people eat at because it is convenient. My younger cousin already has diabetes and he is only 23 and I'm sure that is due to diet. And my father has a bad heart which is from too much cholesterol which I think has also been caused by the food. So to sum up, in part 3 of the speaking, make sure that you are talking generally rather than about personal experiences. However, you can use personal experiences, but these should just be used to illustrate your general points. _________________________________________________________________________________________

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