IELTS SPEAKING TEST
It is important that you are relaxed when taking this test. It is understandable that you will be under considerable tension created by the examination situation. Nevertheless, take a deep breath, and try to look self-assured. The examiner is trying to assess your language communication capabilities. He/she will not be able to assess you unless you speak up The test is designed to give you ample chance to answer a variety of questions. It does not matter if all the things that you say are not true.
Answer in complete sentences. Keep talking until the examiner interrupts you or goes to the next question. Start speaking within the time it takes one to count to 5. If you need time to think say something like "That's an interesting question." or just repeat the question in a form like "You'd like me to tell you about (topic)."
Do you have anyone who speaks English to train with? (You don't need anyone proficient as long as they can read a bit.) Hand them the list of speaking questions and have them ask questions at random.
If you get stuck on vocabulary try to describe what you mean. Don't sit there knitting your brow and allowing the tension to rise. "Oh, the word I'm looking for has slipped my mind." is a good phrase to introduce a description if you can remember it. If you get utterly lost, say something like, "I'm afraid I've talked myself into a corner. Let me start over." or better "I don't think I should continue in this vein. Let me say it in a different way." and start answering the question in a different way.
You will be assessed on the following criteria:
- ability to communicate effectively
- ability to use appropriate vocabulary and structures
- ability to take initiative in a conversation
- general fluency
- organization of thoughts and points
- content (totally relevant/ sometimes irrelevant/ totally irrelevant)
This test is divided into 3 different sections. Initially you will be asked the so called "warming up" questions such as your name, the place you come from, etc. Here you should demonstrate your skills in providing extended answers rather than just an outright YES, NO or other similar one word answers. Attaining fluency takes plenty of practice and so make it a point to converse in English with others. Another aspect is to THINK IN ENGLISH. Let your thoughts be in English rather than in your own language.
Don’t learn chunks of answers. The examiner is trained to spot this and will change the questions.
Develop your answers as much as possible.
Speak more than the examiner.
Ask for clarification if necessary.
Remember it is not a test of knowledge and there is no single answer, but ensure that you give your opinion. Don’t worry if you feel it is not sophisticated enough.
The areas covered are fairly predictable and not infinite so practise at home by recording ideas onto a tape recorder
In the second part of the test, the examiner will give you a topic on which you will have to speak for 2 minutes. You will be given 1 minute to prepare your talk. Don't be afraid to jot down your points in a piece or paper and plan your answer. Then start talking! If you do not plan your answer, you may end up running out of ideas for the talk.
During the Examination:
Let your volume be normal, not too loud
Do not speak too fast else you will run out of topic material or the examiner may not understand you
Maintain eye contact with the examiner
Do not show any signs of nervousness even though internally you might be
Some Helpful Websites
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http://www.effingpot.com/slang.shtml
http://www.slangcity.com/
http://1000dictionaries.com/slang_dictionaries_1.html
American Slang
http://www.manythings.org/slang/
Here are some samples questions which could be useful. Try answering them.
1. What is the meaning of your given name?
2. Does your name affect your personality?
3. Tell me something about your hometown.
4. What are the differences in accent between your hometown and (test city)?
5. What is the character of the people like in your hometown?
6. What is people's favourite food in the region where you live?
7. Are there any traditional festivals in your region?
8. Tell me something about a local Festival.
9. How have weddings changed in recent years?
10. Describe a traditional wedding ceremony.
11. How do (Nationals) usually celebrate birthdays?
12. Are there any traditions concerning the birth of a baby?
13. How do you like (test city)? Compare it to your hometown.
14. What place do you like best in (city)?
15. What places in (your city/test city) should a foreigner visit?
16. What places would you recommend a visitor to go to in your region/hometown?
17. If you had the choice, where would you choose to live in (your country)?
18. Which parts of (your country) would you recommend a foreigner to visit?
19. Tell me something about your family.
20. Which is the worst place you've been to in (your country)?
21. Who takes the greatest responsibility for bringing up your child in your family?
22. Which is the best place you've been to in (your country)?
23. Who does most of the household chores in your family?
24. Are the traditional sexual roles within the family changing?
25. Why is the divorce rate increasing so rapidly? Is it a problem?
26. What is your opinion of the (some problem) situation in (your country)?
27. How are children disciplined in (your country)?
28. Is it acceptable for couples to live together without marrying?
29. If you had the choice, would you have a son or a daughter?
30. Would you bring your child up any differently to the way your parents did?
31. Who is your favorite musician?
32. Do women still have too heavy a burden in their day to day life?
33. Is the increasing influence of American culture largely a positive or negative thing?
34. What, according to you, has been the greatest change in recent years?
35. What, according to you, has been the most problematic change in recent years?
36. What, if you are a lecturer what changes have you seen in education over the past few years?)
37. Who should bear the responsibility for payment of tuition fees?
38. What can be done to improve education in rural areas?
39. Have recent changes affected your job in any way?
40. Do you agree with private education?
41. What can be done to close the gap between urban and rural areas?
42. If you had the power, what reforms would you carry out within education?
43. Describe a typical working day for you.
44. How do you see yourself in ten years time?
45. If you had the opportunity to change your job, what would you do instead?
46. If you had one million (local currency), what would you do with it?
47. If you could start your life again, would you do anything differently?
48. Do you have any ambitions?
49. Which country/place would you most like to visit?
50. What changes do you think (your country) will see in the next few years?
51. Will any possible future changes affect your job in any way?
52. How do you think you will cope in (your host country)?
53. What do you do in your spare time?
54. What will you do if you fail the IELTS?
Wish you all success in the IELTS exams.
These are real IELTS Speaking question from the latest exam, one of my students shared them:
Interview
- Do you work or are you a student?
- What is difficult about your job?
- Would you recommend your job to someone else?
- What are the types of shops that you usually go to?
- What is the name of the shop?
- What changes have you seen in those shops these days?
- Do you read books? What kinds of books?
- Did you read books when you were a child? How often?
- Do children nowadays love reading?
- Would you give a book as a gift?
Cue Card
Describe a magazine that you read, you should say
- Why is it interesting?
- Who reads them?
- Is it popular with other people?
Explain why is it important to read them.
Discussion
- Compare reading a newspaper and a magazine.
- How do people read them? Do they just read the headlines or the entire story?
- Why do people read magazines?
- Is reading the newspaper popular in your country?
- What are the other sources of news? Do people from the rural areas have the same access to these sources as people from the urban areas?
- What are the advantages of the Internet?
- Are there any disadvantages?
- Describe the impact of the internet in the lives of the students.
- Do you recommend that all countries adopt the latest trends in technology?
How to defeat the time constraints in IELTS test!
In the IELTS test, time is your enemy. Candidates who have taken the test and did not perform as well as they had hoped often complain that they were unable to give all the answers in the Listening Test because the tape was too fast, and that they ran out of time in the Reading Test.
To begin with, do not worry if you do not finish the tests. Remember, the test is designed to measure candidates over a range of scores from 0 to 9 (0 indicates the test was not attempted). Candidates whose English is near perfect can expect to score 9, but even native English-speaking people would be unlikely to complete every Listening Test answer perfectly or finish the Reading Test a long time before the examination ends. Remember, the test is meant to be challenging.
The IELTS test measures many aspects of your English ability including the speed at which you listen, read, write, speak, and think in English. Your personal speed is not something which changes a great deal from day to day, but does change considerably over a longer period of time, as a direct result of practice in working with the English language.
Your personal speed and ability in the 5 areas previously mentioned is pretty well fixed at any given time. The official IELTS Band Scores you receive are extremely accurate, since each test is trialled extensively to achieve standardised results for candidates at all English levels. Nonetheless, there are certainly many things you can do, before and on the day of the test, to help maximise the use of your time and give yourself the best chance of success.
Consider the following situation: although a racing car cannot go faster than its maximum speed, the race can still be won, and its maximum speed maintained for longer, if an expert driver is at the wheel. An expert racing car driver will:
?? spend a great deal of time practising at the wheel before race day
?? visit the track so that he or she knows where to go and what to expect
?? get enough sleep before the day of the big race
?? eat a good breakfast on race day morning;
?? check his or her watch constantly to monitor the car?s progress
?? keep moving along the track and not get stuck on a bad corner
?? breathe long and deeply to relax and keep the oxygen going to the brain
?? drink water (but not too much!) when the car is at the pit-stop.
The Listening, Reading, and Writing Tests are given in that order, and are usually held on a single morning. The combined length of those three tests is 2 hours and 30 minutes. (The Speaking Test is conducted at an appointed time in the afternoon.) Only one short break is given between the Reading and Writing Tests, so you need to be at your best for a long period of time, which is why you must sleep and eat well before the test. The hints and guidelines in this book should help you achieve your?maximum speed?. The more effort you put in, the faster your personal speed will be on the day. INCREASE YOUR SENTENCE READING SPEED
The faster and more accurately you read, the more questions you will be able to answer. In all the tests, the instructions, the example, and the questions themselves need to be read quickly, and must be well understood in order for you to have more time to find the answers. It pays to increase your overall reading speed.
To increase your reading speed, you must learn to read in groups of words that form logical units of thought within sentences. Look at the following sentence:
Britain has been a popular choice for thousands of international students over many years
Notice how you can think of the sentence as being made up of 3 main parts:
1. Britain has been a popular choice (What and where?)
2.? for thousands of international students (Who for?)
3.? over many years. (When?)
Note also, that in this case (and many others) all the phrases answer wh/how questions. It may be helpful at first to think of wh/how questions when trying to read in phrases.
If you read each word in a sentence one at a time, you will read very slowly and most likely misunderstand the meaning of much of what you read. So read your sentences in phrases by considering all the words of a phrase as a single unit.
Notice how much quicker it is to read the sentence, and how the meaning of what you say is more clear. Practise reading in phrases everyday. Look ahead on the page as you read, and always aim to find logical places in the sentences where phrases begin and end. Note also that there is often more than one solution as to where the logical breaks between phrases occur within sentences.
Read faster by reading words in groups that form logical units of thought
DEVELOP A MEMORY FOR ENGLISH
In the Reading Test, it pays to remember as much as you can of what you have just read, but at least the words can be read again. However, in the Listening Test you cannot go back, and the tape is only played once. If the answer comes before the keyword/phrase, your memory of what you have just heard is even more important. Nevertheless, the answer usually follows the keywords/phrases that you hear, and is close in time to the main keyword/phrase you are listening for.
To improve your?English memory?, try the following exercise. Using the pause button on the tape recorder, repeat the sentences spoken in the passages on the audio cassette tape that comes with this book, gradually increasing the length of what you repeat. Do not worry about repeating the exact words. Simply aim to remember more of what you have heard.
I agree that time costraint is a big problem. I think one can handle listening test if they can hear without any tension. Even If you miss one or two points, keep listening without getting diatracted. Because once you think about something else, you will miss out everything that comes behind it. So you will end up loosing may be 10 answers for missing only 2 answers.
So stay cool while listening.
_________________
Help others to help yourself, in the end faith only matters
Listening.
I think one needs to practice a lot with the CD's(with the workbook) because they simulate a lot the real exam.
You need a lot of focus because the recording was played only once, what helped me a lot were the advice of reading ahead the questions(taking note of what type of questions ex. asking for a direction, a place,time, a person) before a recording was played.
I noticed that although some questions can be filled in (the blanks) right away as the recordings were played, one needs to undertand what was stated in the monologue because what you need in the next questions can be answered by what you heard earlier in the monologue(whether the speaker agrees or disagrees with the second or third person.
Basically you must realize hearing is different from listening.
Reading.
as stated in Dr. Vivek's advice, supposed to be the hardest. I agree.
I can say that taking Academic reading you also need focus, and skills in skimming and scanning.When I scanned the questions following each paragraph before starting doing the reading, I've even had taken note(encircling/underlining in each question) whether that particular group of questions is multiple choice, matching, asking for specific idea or item like names.So when I started reading the article, I'm filling the answer sheet directly as I'm reading the paragraphs.Since you're not given time to transfer answer to answer sheet.
One very good point to remember is that, you must be conscious of the time given(during my exam aside from a wristwatch in front of me, the exam hall has a big clock in front). You know, what had helped me a lot was when I realized there is still lots of time remaining 3-5 minutes every after paragraph, you can check again and review your answers. I think I felt that I am more than sure because there I realized the paragraph itself were a little bit tricky, almost half of my answers were changed and corrected in the process.
Writing.
I lacked practice, but I saw to it to make first an outline.
as advised by Dr. Vivek's, I checked first with
the second topic which goes like this...some people believe that universities nowadays were not able to make undergraduates equipped with the needed skills when they eventually join the workforce.Others believe that education must be provided to students for the true purpose of education per se-art of education. In your opinion, what is the true function of University education? From the outline I made earlier just after knowing waht is asked- I was able to elaborate by composing sentences.
in interpreting the table which is the first task. From the outline I made earlier after knowing what is asked, I composed paragraphs regarding the given line graph.(a survey from (x-axis)1875 to 2010 of % of working personnel-agriculture/marketing & manufacturing(y axis).
I think what is important here is understanding what you're asked for and answer through your self composition. This would require your creativity.
Lastly since a line in the answer sheet usually is composed of 8-12 words(based on my handwriting) I made sure that I did not lack the required no. of words, 150 for the first and 250 for the 2nd. I 've exceeded them a little.
Speaking.
Since I've registered for the exam just 2 weeks before my preferred date, I'm examinee no. 90-100 out of i think 200 examinee. since total was halved into two and the 2nd half were scheduled the following monday-a separate day I felt lucky i'm completing last part-listening on same day.But when i checked on the schedule, i was surprised it would be on a different venue and i was scheduled 8pm (first 3 parts were finished at lunchtime in a different venue) so i have to prepare myself few hours more and to travel.I failed to check,answer, and prepare even 2-3 sentences each on list of topics.
It rained so hard that night that when i arrived at the speaking test site, i was immediately called in to enter the room.
The first two parts were alright.I was able to introduce myself well and answered some questions like please describe your hometown, when i said it's different unlike before, the interviewer asked how come, so i explained reasons why i described it that way.there was a question like do you still have dreams, what can you say about it- i replied i think they are expressions of your innermost desires and thoughts.
i was asked what do you think is the most common and effective way of communications nowadays in your country, i replied - still one on one communication with people, i explained that through it, you can show facial expressions and body language.when he corrected me how about the use of sms or texting i just reasoned out, that personally i considered mobile texting as an impersonal way of communication.
secondly, i was asked to prepare short talk on- have you got news recently, who informed you, when did you received, what makes the news interesting. 1 minute was given, i was able to make an outline and was able to elaborate by telling sentences based on the outline.
my problem came with the last part which was supposed to be an argument between me and the interviewer on a topic which was related to the 2nd part. Although i was still able to say some sentences, there were instances that i mumbled some words with some few seconds of gaps and stuttering in between but i prevented saying any ahh in between words. I was asked on how do i spend time with my family, what form of mass media resources does most filipino get nowadays? my problem with the latter question is that i think i failed to answer the question, i explained that people do not mind choosing options and tend to just receive and get what is being provided in the media and look for other avenues. finally when the interviewer asked me again what form of mass media filipinos commonly get, i was able to answer that radio communications/transmissions in contrast to television and other forms since majority of the population still thrives in coastal and countryside outreaches of the country.
My main problem in the last part was practice in everyday use of english, which i lacked obviously since i've worked with local people for the last 5 years. It's seldom that i had the opportunity to speak the language.
but, still I'm grateful to pass IELTS in one take.
Thanks again to everybody, especially to AIPPG.
Truly this recent IELTS result for me would open more doors of opportunities. I hope I was able to share in any ways possible.
part 1-Introduction
1.Hello. Could you show me your identification card please?
Hello. Sure, here you are.
2. Could you tell me your full name please?
My full name is XXX. I am also called by my English name, which is XXX.
3. What shall I call you?
You could call me XXX.
4. How are you?
I am well thank you, and yourself?
5. How old are you?
I am 22 years old. In other words, I was born in 1980. On the eight of March 1980, to be exact.
6. Does your name have any special meaning? (5 - 6)
Yes, my name does have some special meaning. My family name means peace, and my first name means strong one. My English name was given to me by one of my high school teachers, and it does not have any special meaning really.
6. Does your name have any special meaning? (7 - 8)
I presume you are referring to my Chinese name. Yes, the English equivalent of my family name would be something like peace, and in the case of my first name it would be strong one. My English name was randomly chosen by one of my high school teachers, and it really doesnt have any special meaning.
7. Is your name important to you? (5 - 6)
No. I dont think it can do anything for me. I believe a person has to work out his own life. I am planning to do this as well as I can
7. Is your name important to you? (7 - 8)
Not really. I am part of the new generation who do not attach too much significance to our names. Names were important to the older generation as they of the opinion that it will determine your destiny to some extent. However, I personally believe that I myself will determine my destiny irrespective of what my name is. I will do this by acquiring good qualifications and by working hard.
part 2-hometown
8. Where do you come from? (5 - 6)
8. How long have you lived in your hometown? (5 - 6)
I come from xxx. My parents have been living here for the past thirty years or so. I grew up here and I attended a well-known school called School number 163. We live in a nice area with many shops, restaurants, and other businesses.
8. Where do you come from? (7 - 8)
8. How long have you lived in your hometown? (7 - 8)
I come from xxx. My parents have been living here for the past thirty years or so. I grew up here and I attended a well-known school called School number 163. We live in a respectable area with many shops, restaurants, and a variety of other businesses. The people in our building are generally friendly and quite, which makes it a pleasure to live there.
9. Where do you live? (5 - 6)
I live with my parents here in xxx at the moment. To be more exact, we live in an apartment building in one of the northern suburbs of the city. I have my own room and enjoy the privacy that it brings, but I am looking forward to the day that I can have my own apartment. Allow me to explain: they are good parents, and I love them very much, but I would like to be more independent soon.
9. Where do you live? (7 - 8)
Well, that is not so easy to answer. Please allow me to explain. During the week I live in a dormitory at the university, but over weekends I live with my parents in a village about one hour by car from xxx. So I really do not know which of the two to call my home at the moment.
10. Can you tell me something about your hometown? (5 - 8)
Yes, certainly. xxx is in the northeast part of my country, and the capital of the xxx province. It has about three million inhabitants. It has many heavy industries such as automobile, aircraft, and machine tool manufacturers. In addition, it is rich in history. For example, the xxx invaded the city and committed many atrocities (that is to say many crimes) during the occupation. This is still remembered by many of the elderly folks to this day. Another example that I could mention is the Imperial Palace that belonged to the last dynasty.
11. Can you tell me about some famous landscapes in your hometown? (5 - 8)
11. Can you tell me about some famous scenic spots in your hometown? (5 - 8)
11. What are the main places of interest in your hometown? Why? (5 - 8)
11. What places should foreigners visit in your hometown? Why? (5 - 8)
Sure. Firstly, I could mention the Great River, which you will find around the city. To the northeast of the city there is the famous Mountains and the zoological park and botanical gardens. In summer it is a popular place to visit and see tigers, bears, wolves, other animals and even pandas in their natural environment. In winter we often go skiing there. Secondly, I would like to mention the Park. It consists of a large park, with many gardens and a lake. In addition it also is the site of an emperors tomb from the Dynasty. Lastly, there are many other sites that are worthwhile visiting. For example, Government (City Hall) Square with the Great Theater alongside it, Java Square, and the spectacular TV Tower, which is the highest architectural attraction in my country.
12. What places in your hometown do you like best? (5 - 8)
There are many places that I like. If I had to choose one place, I would like to tell you about Government Square. Firstly, it is the largest square. What I mean is that it is a large open space where one can see the sky clearly, and feel free. Secondly, it houses an important government building. I guess you could call it the City Hall.
13. What are the main crops in your region? (5 - 6)
In our region many crops are grown. For example one would find all kinds of vegetables in the fields of this region. In addition, many farmers have orchards. Here they grow many kinds of fruit like apples, pears, and peaches.
13. What are the main crops in your region? (7 - 8)
In our region many crops are grown. For example one would find all kinds of vegetables in the fields of this region. In addition, many farmers have orchards. Here they grow many kinds of fruit like apples, pears, and peaches. Lastly, it is important to note that it is not known for its agriculture. It is better known as an industrial city. For example, here are many heavy industries manufacturing anything from aircraft and automobiles to machine tools.
14. What is the difference between your hometown and other cities(such as Hong Kong)? (5 - 6)
The main difference between my hometown and Hong Kong is the climate. For example, there they have a tropical climate. That is to say that it is very hot and humid. Here in my hometown we have cold winters and hot summers. Secondly, My hometown is an industrial city, whereas Hong Kong is more a financial center. That is to say, here we have many factory workers, or to be more exact, family-orientated workers who are not very wealthy, and in Hong Kong there are many tycoons, millionaires, and wealthy people.
14. What is the difference between your hometown and Hong Kong? (7 - 8)
The main difference between my homnetown and Hong Kong is the climate. For example, there they have a tropical climate. That is to say that it is very hot and humid. Here in my hometown we have cold winters and hot summers. Although cities like Toronto,New York, are larger than my hometown, they all are bustling with industrial and cultural activities. Maybe Hong Kong is an exception, as it is better known as one of the most important financial capitals of the world.
15. What are the people like in your hometown? (5 - 6)
15. Can you tell me something about the character of the people in your hometown? (5 - 6)
Well, they arent any different from the people in any other large city. For example, here we also have good and bad people. Secondly, like everyone else, they are trying to work out a good life for themselves and their children. Forexample, parents are trying all they can to ensure that their children receive a good education.
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