IELTS Speaking Part 2: describe a festival

A common topic for the short presentation (IELTS Speaking Part 2) is "describe an important festival in your country".

My advice is to look for a description of your festival on Wikipedia. Copy the best parts of the description and make small changes if necessary. As an example, I've copied a short description of Christmas from Wikipedia.

Describe a festival: Christmas

Christmas is an annual holiday that, in Christianity, commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ.

Popular customs of the holiday include gift-giving, music, an exchange of greeting cards, church celebrations, a special meal, and the display of various decorations; including Christmas trees, lights, nativity scenes, and holly. In addition, Father Christmas (known as Santa Claus in some areas) is a popular figure in many countries, associated with the bringing of gifts for children.

Over the Christmas period, people decorate their homes and exchange gifts. In some countries, children perform plays re-telling the events of the Nativity, or sing carols that reference the event. Christmas, along with Easter, is the period of highest annual church attendance.

A special Christmas family meal is an important part of the celebration for many, and what is served varies greatly from country to country. In England and countries influenced by its traditions, a standard Christmas meal includes turkey, potatoes, vegetables, sausages and gravy, followed by Christmas pudding, mince pies and fruit cake.

Comments

[Micon]

Hi Simon,
My name is Micon and I'm an IELTS teacher. I'm very interested to subscribe to your member site, in particular because of your tips on scoring, I have two quick questions though.

First, I know for an examiner to give a valid interpretation of the writing descriptors, they need to be trained as a WRITING examiner, and that speaking examiners cannot NECESSARILY score a writing task accurately. I know that you used to be a speaking examiner, and my question is if you were also a writing examiner. (Please don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to question your credentials because I consider you to be one of the most reliable sources of information on IELTS, it was only a question in the back of my mind).

And second, I wanted to know how much of the information and lessons on your member site is going to be about scoring a writing task as I find these lessons to be the most useful?

Thank you so much for your support.

[Simon]

Hi Micon,

I did both jobs: speaking and writing examiner.

Up to now there are 15 detailed lessons on the member site, and they are all about the band descriptors / scoring system for IELTS writing. I’m adding new lessons several times a week.

Hope to see you in my ‘class’!

[Mandeep]

Hi Simon

Thank you for sharing your idea with us. We have also some latest solved cue cards for 2020 IELTS Exam.

[Jessie]

Hi Simon, just wondering Australian tennis open could be my “festival “ speaking topic? Is that relate to the “ festival”？