Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Transcript Episode 10: Vocabulary For Speaking
Transcript Episode 10: Vocabulary For Speaking
Hello, and welcome to Study English, IELTS Preparation. I'm Margot Politis.
Today we'll look at how to make best use of your vocabulary and get your meaning
across in the IELTS Speaking Test.
Knowing how to use your vocabulary in different ways can help you maintain
conversation.
When you find that you can't think of the right word, you can talk around the idea as
this candidate does here:
Do you think the children of famous people have it easy?
No, I don't think so. It must be very, very hard. You know, when I lived in Ecuador, I
knew a lot of famous people and they always have to have bodyguards, or they have
to live behind bars, you know, behind big walls, and children are always protected,
and they don't have the freedom, so it's a big price you pay.
You can picture the surroundings from her description even though she has not
named it.
She said 'have to have bodyguards' 'live behind bars' 'behind big walls'
'children are always protected' and 'they don't have the freedom'.
She paints a clear picture of what she means: 'live behind bars' - we imagine
someone in jail; 'bodyguards' - employing someone to protect you and your
children.
The vocabulary used in her description accurately, effectively and successfully
describes a 'gated community'.
The ability to use your vocabulary to describe something you don't have the exact
word for is called circumlocution. Circumlocution means 'talking around
something' and is assessed as a vocabulary skill.
During the interview the examiner may use a word that you don't know the meaning
of. Let's imagine the topic of computers in education comes up in the interview. The
interviewer takes the opportunity to explore this area and says:
Computer technology plays a big role in children's education today. Do you think the
benefits of using computers are overrated?
Let's say you don't understand the word overrated. You can ask the interviewer what
that word means, like this:
Computer technology plays a big role in children's education today. Do you think the
benefits of using computers are overrated?
Page 1 of 4
Page 2 of 4
The interviewer wants to see if you can express an opinion, or speculate or give a
suggestion.
It's a good idea to vary the ways you respond.
Take the question: Do you think there is too much violence in films today?
It's inviting you to express an opinion, like this:
As far as I'm concerned there is too much violence in films these days.
But there are other ways of expressing an opinion. Listen:
In my opinion there is too much violence in films these days.
From my point of view there is too much violence in films these days.
It seems to me that there is too much violence in films these days.
Well, I would say there is too much violence in films these days.
The same applies to speculating. Speculating means making suggestions, where
you don't necessarily know the right answer.
Here are some phrases you can use to speculate:
Why do teenagers vandalise public transport?
If I had to guess I'd say that it's boredom
I'm not sure but from my observation it's boredom
I imagine that the most important reason would be boredom
And here are some ways to give suggestions:
What would you do to improve public transport?
I think what should be done is increase services
The problem could be solved by increasing services
What might be done is increasing services
Page 3 of 4
Page 4 of 4