IELTS SPEAKING

IELTS SPEAKING

IELTS Speaking Part 1

Part 1 is about YOU. Examiner will ask you familiar, everyday questions about your life. (4-5 minutes.) Wh questions

IELTS Speaking Part 2

• You will be given a card with a particular topic on it, and this will include key points that you should talk about.
• You will be given one minute to plan and then you will talk for between 1-2 minutes.
• It is a monologue (2 minutes)

IELTS Speaking Part 3

• Part 3 is more abstract.
• This is your opportunity to really develop your answers and discuss the issues brought up by the examiner. (4-5 minutes.)

What is the purpose of the IELTS Speaking test?

It is NOT: A test of how many answers you’ve memorised. A test of how many ‘big’/’fancy’/’high-level’ words you know. A test of how many different grammar structures and tenses you know. A test of how ‘British’ or ‘American’ your accent is. It is: A test of how well you can communicate through spoken English.

IELTS SPEAKING TIPS

IELTS Speaking Topics- Part 1

• Speaking Part 1 lasts between 4-5 minutes and you will be asked questions about familiar topics, such as:

Your job/studies Your family Your home Your hometown Your hobbies

IELTS Speaking Topics- Part 1

• Do you work or study?
• I graduated a few years ago and I’m now in full-time employment.
• What is your job?
• I’m currently an English teacher working for the Mongolian National University of Education.

IELTS Speaking Part 1 What to expect?

• 1. The examiner will introduce themselves and ask you what your name is. You can simply reply ‘My name’s _______’.
• Make sure that you use the contraction ‘name’s’ rather than ‘name is’.

2. The examiner will then ask you ‘What can I call you?’. You can simply say ‘You can call me_______’. 3. The examiner will then ask you where you are from. Simply state “I’m from_____”. There is no need for you to give any extra information about your answers at this stage. 4. The examiner will finally ask to see your identification. Show it to them and then the test can begin.

IELTS Speaking Part 2

IELTS Speaking Part 2

• Preparation

Don’t memorise answers. Focus on fluency and pronunciation Time yourself so you know how much you have to speak in 1-2 minutes. Use 1 Minute Wisely You will not have enough time to write full sentences. You will, however, be able to write keywords.

IELTS Speaking Part 2

• Personal Experiences Are Best (but telling a lie is OK too.)

The examiner will never check your answers or worry about whether they are the truth or not. However, they might ask you some follow-up questions, so be prepared for these. In my experience, the best strategy is to use real experiences first and add in some lies to help you answer the question fully. Use your imagination and you will be fine

IELTS Speaking Part 2

• Expand Your Ideas

It is much better to fully expand each main idea, than to simply state lots of main ideas and not develop them at all. This will help you give more impressive answers and it is also a better use of your time. It is much easier to think of a few relevant ideas and develop them, than it is to think of lots of different ideas.

IELTS Speaking Part 2

• Mistakes are OK
• Being nervous and stressed affects your ideas, pronunciation, fluency and normally leads to further grammar mistakes. When you make a mistake simply forget about it.
• There is nothing you can do. Don’t panic and continue.

IELTS Speaking Part 3

• In part 3 test the examiner will ask further questions which are linked to the topic talked about in part 2.
• This part of the test is designed to give you the opportunity to talk about things in a more abstract way.

IELTS Speaking Part 3

• What to do if you don’t understand the question?
• What to do if you can’t think of an answer?
• How to extend your answer?

IELTS Speaking Part 3

• What to do if you don’t understand the question?

First of all, this is not a very academic testIt is a speaking test, not a listening test and the examiner wants you to give your best possible answer so don’t be afraid to let them know. They won’t repeat the question or explain a word to you unless you ask.

IELTS Speaking Part 3

• Do I have to give an answer for every question in part 3?

Yes, if you don’t attempt an answer for all questions you will lose marks. However, if you get a question you are really struggling with you can admit this to the examiner and give the best answer you can.You could say something like: ‘I don’t know a lot about this topic, but if I had to guess I would say…..’ It is unlikely you will have to use this phrase and it should only be used when you really have no.

IELTS Speaking Part 3

• What if I need time to think?
• The IELTS examiner does not expect you to give instant answers, you are not a robot! However, they do expect you to respond in a natural way. It is completely normal for native speakers to use certain words and phrases in order to give themselves time to think.

IELTS Speaking Part 3

Phrases that can be used include:

• That’s a difficult question, let me think for a second.
• That’s a very interesting question, let me think.
• It’s very difficult to know exactly, but I think/but I believe/perhaps….
• It’s difficult to say, I think….
• I don’t really know for sure, but I would say….
• The most important thing is not to overuse these phrases.

Practice: IELTS Speaking Part 1

Q. Do you have many friends? [Why/Why not?] Q. How often do you go out with friends? [Why/Why not?] Q. Tell me about your best friend at school. Q. How friendly are you with your neighbours? [Why/Why not?] Q. Which is more important to you, friends or family? [Why?]

Practice: IELTS Speaking Part 1

Q. Do you have many friends? [Why/Why not?] Answer: I have more than 10 friends and I am not sure if I should say this is many! However, I had more than 30 friends in my school days. With the passage of the time, the number plummeted. If I count my Facebook friends as real friends, the number would go high!

Practice: IELTS Speaking Part 1

Q. How often do you go out with friends? [Why/Why not?] Answer: I meet my friends almost twice a week. I love to spend my weekends with them and sometimes I visit different places, watch movies and discuss different topics with them. I do not go out with all of my friends. I mostly hang out with 2-3 close buddies and go out with them almost 3-4 times a month.

Practice: IELTS Speaking Part 1

Q. Tell me about your best friend at school. Answer: My best friend at school was John and he was a great friend. He was tall and brave. He taught me how to show courage when we are in trouble. He has a great impact on my life. Though he lives in Australia now, we regularly communicate via Skype. I specifically liked him because he was more like a brother than a friend to me.

Practice: IELTS Speaking Part 1

Q. How friendly are you with your neighbours? [Why/Why not?] Answer: I must say I am quite lucky to have good neighbours who are always supportive and well-behaved. I am quite close to them. We have been living in our neighbourhood for more than a decade and our neighbours have become our close relatives. We have a mutual understanding and an invisible bond that ties us together as good neighbours. I respect their opinion, privacy and try to step forward whenever they need me.

Practice: IELTS Speaking Part 1

Q. Which is more important to you, friends or family? [Why?] Answer: To be honest, family comes first. However, there are some friends who become our family members. The bond between family members is often stronger but this does not mean that we do not have friends who are less important in our life. Being with the family makes us who we really are and friends make our life worth living.

Homework

Watch the videoTake notes Prepare YOUR INTRODUCTION

Thanks!