IELTS Simon

IELTS Speaking: work or study?

These are common questions at the start of the speaking test:

1. Do you work or are you a student?
2. Do you like your job / course? Why / why not?

Example answers:

1. Before I came to England I was working as an accountant, but at the moment I'm studying English because I hope to do a Master's here.
2. Yes, I really like my job because it's interesting and I work with a great team of people. OR: Yes, I enjoy studying English, but my real aim is to do a Master's and then find a job in an international company.

Note:
Don't ask the examiner: "Do you mean in my country or here in England?" - it doesn't matter. Don't worry if you have a job and study at the same time - you can mention both.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: describe a house

Try preparing ideas or a full answer for this topic:

Describe an interesting house or apartment that you have visited.
You should say

- where the house or apartment was
- who lived there
- what it looked like on the outside and/or inside
- and explain why you found this house or apartment interesting.

IELTS Speaking Part 3: think in terms of paragraphs

In part 3 of the speaking test you should try to give longer, detailed answers. A good way to do this is to imagine that you are making a paragraph.

Remember the 'paragraph building' techniques that we use in writing task 2:

Idea, explain, example
Start with a direct answer to the question, like the 'topic sentence' in a written paragraph. Then explain your answer in more detail, and support your explanation with an example.

Try answering this question: Do you think that it's important for people to celebrate their achievements?

Firstly, secondly, finally
Start with the direct answer, then explain it by giving two or three reasons, and maybe an example too.

Try answering this question: Why do you think some people prefer not to tell others about their achievements?

IELTS Speaking: correct the mistakes

Here are some sentences that people wrote below last Friday's speaking lesson. Can you find and correct the mistake(s) in each one?

1. I am gonna tell you about a book center at the downtown.
2. It was a marvellous experience that I wish I could repeat it soon.
3. At last, I feel that the staff are quite responsible.
4. Initially, everything was ok, no special.
5. That's my first time visited church.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: three sample questions

If you're looking for more topics to practise, here are three speaking tasks that a student sent me. How would you answer?

1. Describe a quiet place that you visited. You should say

- where it was
- when you went there
- what you did there
- and explain why it was so quiet

2. Describe a time when you were scared. You should say

- when it happened
- where you were
- why you were frightened
- and explain how you felt after this experience

3. Describe something that a friend has done but you haven't done. Say

- what your friend did
- where and when your friend did this
- how you felt about your friend's experience
- and explain why you would (or wouldn't) like to do what your friend did

IELTS Speaking Part 3: follow the steps (in your head)

When answering questions in part 3 of the speaking test, you should have three (or maybe four) steps that you follow.

Practise checking off these steps in your head as you answer:

1. Give a direct answer to the question
2. Explain with a reason or reasons
3. Give an example (e.g. a personal example)
4. Explain the opposite or an alternative (you don't always need this step)

For example, here's a question from a recent lesson:

Why do you think people like taking photos of themselves and others?

Here's my answer, following the first three steps above:

(Direct answer) I think the main reason why people take photos of themselves and their friends and family is to collect memories. (Explain) What I mean is that photos are like souvenirs that remind us of special moments in the past; people like looking back over their lives and seeing what they were doing or how young they looked at a particular time. (Example) My niece is a good example; she takes 'selfies' whenever she goes somewhere interesting, and she loves to look through them with her friends.

Task:
My answer is already long enough, but can you add the fourth step?

IELTS Speaking: scoring and part 3

Let's consider what an examiner might be thinking during part 3 of the speaking test.

Speaking Part 3

After part 2 of the speaking test, the examiner probably has a pretty good idea of the candidate's level. Part 3 is useful because it allows the examiner to probe a little deeper to make sure that he/she is right. For example, if the examiner is unsure about what score to give for grammar, he/she might choose a question that requires the candidate to compare the past with the present (i.e. using different tenses), or a question that requires the candidate to imagine something (perhaps using a conditional).

When I was an examiner, I used part 3 as an opportunity to push candidates a little harder. I tried to get them to open up, express themselves, and explain their opinions. In other words, I was giving them a final chance to impress me with some good English. This is what you should try to do.

Tip: Don't let your energy or effort level drop after part 2. Do your best to leave a good impression on the examiner. This technique will help you.

Note: I'll come back to yesterday's point about 'less common' and 'idiomatic' vocabulary in next Friday's lesson.

IELTS Speaking: scoring (continued)

Continuing from yesterday's lesson, here's my quick guide to how examiners judge candidates' performance in part 2 of the speaking test.

Speaking Part 2

Part 2 gives the examiner a chance to really listen to the candidate's English. When I was an examiner, I used to imagine that I had my eyes closed (of course I didn't actually close them) so that I could concentrate only on what I was hearing.

In this part of the test, the examiner can judge all aspects of performance. But above all, I believe that part 2 is the candidate's best chance to impress the examiner in one key area: vocabulary (lexical resource). In order to give a high score, the examiner needs to hear some 'less common' and 'idiomatic' vocabulary. In simple terms, this means that candidates need to use some phrases that a native speaker might use in a normal conversation.*

Tip: Part 2 is your best chance to impress the examiner with good language. But I don't mean 'complex grammar' and lots of fancy linking words. Focus on giving an interesting and detailed description that contains a range of relevant words and phrases.

*I'll say more about 'less common' and 'idiomatic' vocabulary next Friday.

IELTS Speaking: how examiners decide on scores

Here's a rough guide to how examiners decide what scores to give in the speaking test. At least, this is how I used to approach scoring when I was an examiner.

I'll look at part 1 of the speaking test today, and then I'll cover parts 2 and 3 over the weekend.

Speaking Part 1

Examiners are aware that part 1 questions are quite easy, and that candidates will only be able to give relatively short answers. Therefore, they are not expecting to hear any "super-impressive" language at this stage.

Instead, I believe that examiners are getting an overall impression of the candidate's ability in the following areas: pronunciation, avoiding mistakes in simple / easy sentences, answering without too much hesitation, speaking fluently without too much repetition.

Tip: Candidates perform better if they focus on answering fluently. Easy answers are fine; just make them as fluent and natural as possible.

IELTS Speaking: a tip for each part

Here are three tips, one for each part of the speaking test.

Part 1: stop and smile
For part 1 of the speaking test, you need to get used to giving short answers. Many students find it difficult to stop speaking, and the examiner is forced to interrupt. My tip is to give your answer then stop and smile, showing the examiner that you are ready for the next question.

Part 2: tell a story
In the context of speaking part 2, a story is simply a long example to illustrate a point that you have made. If you’re describing a person, for example, you could tell a story to illustrate why you like him/her. People find it easy to keep speaking for longer when they have a story to tell.

Part 3: include an ‘if...’ sentence
Look at technique number 2 in this lesson. The 'alternatives' technique helps you to say more, and it also encourages you to add a conditional 'if...' sentence, which might help your grammar score.

IELTS Speaking: advice about grammar and vocabulary

It's difficult to think about grammar when you're trying to speak. I think it's much easier to improve your vocabulary score than your grammar score.

Remember:

• Grammar is only 25% of your speaking score.
• If you are thinking too much about grammar, you will lose fluency.
• If you try to use memorised grammatical structures, your speech will not sound 'natural'.
• You will not avoid small grammar mistakes unless you have lived in an English speaking country for many years.

I've taught many students who have achieved a score of 7 or higher, and they all made small grammar mistakes. They got their high scores because we focused on vocabulary, ideas, opinions and fluency.

Have a look through my speaking lessons, and you'll notice that the focus is usually on vocabulary.

IELTS Speaking: pronunciation

In the IELTS speaking test, 25% of your score is for pronunciation. Many students confuse 'pronunciation' with 'accent'. These are not the same thing!

Nobody expects you to speak with a perfect British English accent. In fact, the examiner will not judge your accent at all.

Your pronunciation score is based on these things:

• clarity (speaking clearly)
• speed (not too fast, not too slow)
• word stress
• sentence stress
• intonation (the rise and fall of your voice)

It's not easy to improve these things quickly or through deliberate practice. Good pronunciation is usually the result of lots of listening and copying. My tip is: stop worrying about your accent, and focus on speaking clearly.

IELTS Grammar: correct the mistakes

Here are some sentences that people wrote below yesterday's lesson. Can you correct the mistakes or change the sentences to improve them?

1. By giving some pocket money to a kid for a fixed period of time can help with planning and being responsible for the choices.
2. Personally, Everyone should set money aside just because it will help them to achieve their long-term goals.
3. I have always reminded by my parents to save something for the rainy day.
4. One should manage financial well so as to get the things they want.
5. It is also said that save something for rainy days.

IELTS Speaking Part 3: money topic

Here are some part 3 questions that could follow on from the part 2 topic that we saw in a lesson two weeks ago:

1. Why is it important for people to save some of their money?
2. In your view, should children be taught how to manage money?
3. Do you think that girls are better at saving money than boys?

Try to answer with a minimum of three sentences: answer, explain, example.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: ideas for last week's topic

Last Friday I asked you to think about the topic below.

Describe a time when you saved up some money to buy something special.

Here are some ideas from one of my video lessons (speaking lesson 5 on this webpage). In the lesson I describe a 'smartwatch' and suggest the following vocabulary 'themes':

Electronic watch 'features' theme

• smartwatch
• synchronise with phone / computer
• contacts, photos, emails
• store music
• receive notifications
• search the web
• it responds to voice commands
• make ‘contactless’ purchases
• track exercise goals
• fashion accessory

Electronic watch 'useful' theme

• various features and functions
• organise my life
• work, appointments, social life
• check calendar at a glance
• set reminders and notifications
• practical, functional, convenient
• the ultimate in portable devices
• instant access to…
• couldn’t live without it

I'm sure you could use some of this vocabulary to describe "something special that you saved money to buy".

IELTS Speaking Part 2: 'saving money' topic

Here's a recent exam topic that a few people told me about:

Describe a time when you saved up some money to buy something special.
You should say

- what you wanted to buy
- why you wanted it
- how you saved your money
- and explain how you felt when you finally bought the item.

I've written several lessons about the 'describe an object' topic, here, here and here for example. Maybe you could take some of my ideas and adapt them to the task above.

IELTS Speaking: how to prepare

Here's a quick summary of my advice for IELTS speaking preparation.

Part 1

Make yourself a list of part 1 questions. Practise going through the full list, giving a simple one-sentence answer for each question. Record yourself and listen to your answers. Aim to answer without hesitation to demonstrate fluency. If you repeat this process every day, you should see improvements.

Part 2

Prepare sample answers in written form for the six main topic areas. Ask a teacher or native English speaker to help you to improve your descriptions, by correcting mistakes and adding better vocabulary ideas. Practise those six descriptions until you can 'perform' them without needing to read your notes. Record yourself, analyse your performance and keep practising and perfecting until you have really mastered the six topics. Then move on to other less common topics and try to do the same.

Part 3

Make yourself a list of part 3 questions. Practise going through the list, giving 3-step answers. Force yourself to give a direct answer, explanation and example every time. When this way of answering starts to feel easy and natural, because you've created a habit, you can experiment with 4-step answers. Record yourself, analyse your answers and repeat the process. Don't move on to any new questions until you feel that you've 'mastered' your original list.

IELTS Speaking Part 3: conditional questions

There's only one conditional question among the part 3 discussion topics in Cambridge IELTS book 12:

What would life be like if people didn't have to work?

This question is asking you to imagine a different reality. Some teachers call this type of sentence a 'second conditional' (if + past simple + would + infinitive).

Can you answer the question with at least one correct conditional sentence?

IELTS Speaking Part 2: 'art' topic

We looked at some part 1 questions about 'art' in last Friday's lesson, so let's look at the same topic in part 2 of the speaking test.

Describe a piece of art (a painting, drawing, sculpture or decorative object) that you like. You should say

- what the piece of art is
- where and when you saw it
- what it looks like or what it shows
- and explain why you like this piece of art.

Tip:
Maybe you're worried that you don't like art or you don't have any ideas for this topic. But the task doesn't tell you to describe a famous piece of art. It would be fine to describe a picture that you drew yourself, or perhaps something that a child (a family member) drew at school.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: 'ideas' practice

In this lesson I suggested that you spend some time thinking of ideas for writing task 2. You could follow the same advice for speaking part 2: take a list of questions, and spend some time brainstorming ideas for each one.

For example, here's a short list of speaking part 2 tasks:

• Describe a happy childhood memory.
• Describe a present that you received as a child.
• Describe a food that you enjoyed eating when you were a child.
• Describe a favourite toy that you had when you were a child.
• Describe a game that you enjoyed playing as a child.

Notice that all five questions are about the topic of "childhood" - it might help to focus on one main topic area. Don't worry about giving full answers for now; just spend some time noting down your ideas and memories.

IELTS Speaking: read, record, compare

Try this exercise:

First, take one of my sample answers for any speaking question (part 1, 2 or 3). For example, you could use the first answer in last Friday's lesson. Read my answer a few times and try to remember it.

Next, hide my sample answer and try to answer the question yourself, using as much of my answer as you can remember. Record yourself giving the answer.

Finally, listen to the recording and compare your answer with my original answer. Did you make any mistakes or miss anything? If you have time, transcribe the recording so that you can analyse your answer more closely.

IELTS Advice: part 1 speaking technique

Did you notice how I answered each question in yesterday's lesson? Here's the first part of each of the four answers:

- No, not at all.
- Yes, definitely.
- Yes, unfortunately it does.
- Yes, many times.

After answering with these short phrases, I then explained my answers in more detail, using full sentences.

I think this is a nice technique that you could try. Start with a short "yes or no" answer (e.g. yes I do, no we don't, yes it certainly is...), and then explain your answer fully. Perhaps this technique will give you a few extra seconds to think before you give your full answer.

IELTS Speaking: pauses and hesitations

A student asked me for advice about avoiding pauses and hesitations in the speaking test. So here are some tips:

• First, don't worry too much about this. It's normal, even for native speakers, to pause or hesitate to some extent. The more you worry, the more likely you are to hesitate.
• Don't "overthink". If you're thinking about grammar, linking or using "difficult" words, you're more likely to hesitate. Just focus on answering the question with the first idea that comes into your head.
• Slow down. Many candidates speak too quickly; hesitation or repetition occurs because their brains can't work fast enough to keep up.

But here's the main piece of advice: practise!

Make yourself a collection of IELTS speaking questions (from this site or from the Cambridge books), and practise answering them without hesitating.

And don't just practise this once. Go through your list of questions many times (every day if necessary), and you'll find that you gradually improve, both in terms of the quality of your answers and in terms of fluency and lack of hesitation. Maybe you could even record yourself, perhaps once a week, so that you can analyse your own performance.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: 'countryside' answer

Describe an enjoyable day out in the countryside that you had.
You should say

- where you went on this day out
- who you were with
- what you did
- and explain why you enjoyed the day

Here's my sample answer for the task above. I've tried to use most of the phrases from this lesson.

I’m going to describe a recent trip to a lovely place called the Tissington Trail. The Tissington Trail is a path or track that follows the route of a former railway line through beautiful countryside in the county of Derbyshire, here in the UK. The old railway line was taken up many years ago, and it was transformed into a recreational trail that is ideal for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

I went to the Tissington Trail because we had some family members, my brother and sister-in-law and their daughter, staying with us over the weekend. They had come up to Manchester from London, and they wanted my wife and me to take them somewhere where they could breathe in some fresh countryside air and get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

To reach the trail we had to park in Tissington itself, which is a charming, picturesque village. We hired some bicycles there and set off along the trail. It was an easy ride because the trail is mostly flat, with just a few gentle dips and inclines, and we were able to enjoy the stunning scenery as we passed through areas of woodland, a dramatic limestone ravine, and grassy meadows that were covered with colourful wild flowers.

The part of the day that I enjoyed the most was when we cycled through a historic railway tunnel on our bicycles. The tunnel has been fitted with a sound installation that plays eerie steam train noises as you pass through it; we all loved the idea that the sounds transport you back in time, and that you feel like you’re on an old steam train with its whistles and clunking machinery. It was a really nice day out, and we all enjoyed relaxing in the village tearoom at the end of our bike ride.

IELTS Speaking: correct the mistakes

The following sentences were written by students below this lesson, and describe an enjoyable day in the countryside. But can you find and correct the mistake(s) in each one?

1. If I have chance to go there, I love to visit there again soon.
2. I took too many beautiful pictures on my camera.
3. It's about 80 km far from the city.
4. I am going to talk about one day that I have spent in the countryside on May.
5. It was a countryside near to my city, where some relatives were living there.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: 'countryside' vocabulary

Before we try the 'countryside' task that I shared in last week's lesson, let's see if we can find some good ideas to help us. There are plenty of tourism websites with descriptions of places to visit in the countryside, so we should be able to "steal" some nice phrases.

I searched online for descriptions of a real place that I've visited, called the "Tissington Trail". Here are some words and phrases that I found:

• following the route of a former railway line
• transformed into a recreational trail
• ideal for walkers, cyclists and horse riders
• mostly flat, with a few dips and gentle inclines
• passes through a picturesque / charming village
• takes you through a historic railway tunnel
• an eerie sound installation in the tunnel
• the whistles and clunks of a steam train
• tearooms and picnic areas
• a dramatic limestone ravine
• stunning scenery
• fantastic views
• an abundance of colourful wild flowers
• a feeling of peace and tranquility
• breathe in the fresh air
• traffic-free, and away from the hustle and bustle

I'll try to use some of these phrases in my full answer.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: 'countryside' topic

Here's a recent question that a student told me about:

Describe an enjoyable day out in the countryside that you had.
You should say

- where you went on this day out
- who you were with
- what you did
- and explain why you enjoyed the day

Feel free to share your ideas in the comments area below this lesson. I'll continue with this topic next Friday.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: be ready to adapt

If you've prepared ideas for the six main topic areas in part 2, are you also ready to adapt those ideas if the topic is slightly different?

For example, if you've prepared a description of a family member, would you be able to use some of the same ideas to describe a famous person? Or if you've prepared a description of a film, would you be able to use some of the same ideas to describe a book or an advertisement?

My tip: when preparing the topics, think about 'theme language' and then think about how you could adapt your ideas for similar tasks.

IELTS Speaking Part 1: finish my sentences

How would you finish my answers to the questions below?

1) Do you like watching television?

Yes, I like watching television, especially in the evenings, because.....

2) How much time do you spend watching TV programmes?

On an average day, I watch..... and..... , so I probably watch about.....

3) What types of programmes do you prefer? Why?

My favourite types of programmes are..... and..... because.....

4) Do you think it's bad for children to watch television?

Maybe too much television would be a bad thing, but I think that.....

IELTS Speaking Part 3: analyse my answer

If you've read my advice about how to answer part 3 questions, you'll be able to analyse the answer below. Can you comment on the way I've organised or "built" the answer, and point out any good vocabulary and/or grammar? You should find several verb tenses, for example.

Do you think people will watch less television in the future?

Yes, I do think people will watch less television in the future, although that doesn't mean that they will watch fewer programmes or spend less time looking at screens. What I think will happen, and it's already happening, is that people will watch things on the Internet, through websites like YouTube. To use a personal example, I used to watch TV in the evenings, but now I often choose to stream videos, films and TV series through my computer instead.

IELTS Speaking: 3 parts, same topic

A useful way to practise IELTS speaking is to work on one main topic that might appear in all three parts of the test. For example, take the topic of "television":

Part 1 questions:

1. Do you like watching television?
2. How much time do you spend watching TV programmes?
3. What types of programmes do you prefer? Why?
4. Do you think it's bad for children to watch television?

Part 2 task:

Describe a television programme that you enjoyed watching. You should say
- what type of TV programme it was
- where you watched this programme
- what the programme was about
- and why you enjoyed watching it.

Part 3 questions:

1. Why do you think television is so popular among people of all ages?
2. Do you think people will watch less television in the future?
3. Do you see television as being educational or just a form of entertainment?