These tips will help:

1. Unless your pronunciation is particularly poor, don't waste time on pronunciation lessons. It is much more
beneficial to spend the time acquiring a good range of vocabulary and structure.
2. This is easy to say, but don't be nervous. Think of is like this: if you are really nervous and can't speak then your
score will be poor. If you are confident and speak freely, you will have no idea what your score will be - it could be
great!
3. Remember your job is to give the assessor something to assess - if you only say 'Yes' or 'No' during the interview,
the assessor won't be able to give you a good score. Your job is to give the assessor as much as possible to consider.
This means speaking as much as you can. Don't go off topic and don't talk about anything that comes into your head,
but speak as much as you can. The assessor will stop you when he is ready.
4. Remember the assessor won't prompt you to speak. If you don't say enough he/she will go onto the next question. If
you continue not to say enough, the interview could be very short!
5. Don't ask the assessor what questions mean. All he/she can do if you don't understand is repeat the question. You
can though ask the examiner to repeat a question if you are not sure you understood it.
6. As with the writing test, don't show off. Some candidates the interview as a way of showing the assessor what you
know. They use sophisticated vocabulary and difficult grammar without really knowing how to use both. The result
will be a decline in how well you speak and your score will go down.
7. Extend your answers by giving reasons:
a. "I don't really like going to the cinema."
b. "I don't really like going to the cinema because it's expensive and I don't like crowds very much."
Phase 1 Tips
8. In the first phase of the speaking test, the assessor will ask you questions about yourself. Research the topic! The
assessor might say "Tell me about your parents' jobs." If you don't know anything about them, you will be stuck. It
can be surprising how little people know about their own situation.
9. Consider this phase of the test meeting someone for the first time and telling them about yourself. Try to be relaxed
and keep the conversation going.
10. Don't worry about lying - this is not a test of if you are a good person. If the assessor says "Tell me about your
hobbies and interests" and you reply "I don't have any" then you aren't saying enough to allow the assessor to assess
you. In situations like this, lie. Make up the wildest story you can imagine.
Phase 2 Tips
11. In Phase 2 of the speaking test. You are asked to make a presentation on a topic. It will always be something
person, like talking about a holiday you went on. After the test, many candidates suggest they didn't know about the
topic which is why they couldn't answer the question. Clearly, this can't be the case. What they mean is they couldn't
answer the question because they couldn't think of what to say. If this is the case for you, during the one minute you
have to prepare, brainstorm your answer. For example, the assessor my ask you to talk about a holiday you really
enjoyed. On you piece of paper, write down questions words:
Where?
When?
Why?
What?
Who with?
How?
Etc.

When you have asked the questions, answer them:

Where? Chiang Mai
When? last year
Why? celebrate end exams
What? climbed mountains / saw hill tribes
Who with? uni friends
How? bus from Morchit Etc.
If you then 'expand' (say as much as you can about) your answers you should fill up your two minutes easily.
12. One of the things you must do in both phases of the speaking test is show a range of grammar structures. In phase
two you might be asked to talk about a holiday you had. This is the answer:
'We went to Thailand for our holiday last year. First we went to Bangkok and saw the Grand Palace. Then we went to
Ayuthya and saw the ancient city. After that we went to Chiang Mai and met the hill tribes. Finally, we went to Chiang
Rai and saw the hill tribes, too."
Although grammatically perfect, there are only a few sentence structures used. We could change this by changing the
order of things:
"Before going to Chiang Rai and seeing the hill tribes we visited Ayuthya and went to the ancient city."
This adds another structure to the answer 'Before + Verb + ing' - this will improve your score. Take some time now to
look at the answer above and consider as many ways possible including more sentence structures.
13. You can't ask the assessor direct questions about a presentation topic, but it is permissible to 'scope' what you can
talk about in a presentation. For example you can as I talk about the hill tribes in Chiang Mai?" The assessor will
answer 'Yes' or 'No'.
Phase 3 Tips
14. Phase 3 is where the final score is given to a candidate. This is the part of the test where you must excel. Do the
best that you can here without trying to hard or getting yourself into problems. Although a number of sources suggest
that scores are averaged between the three phases of the speaking test, this stage is where the 'ceiling' is established you can't get a higher score than your performance in phase 3.
15. Phase 3 is much more like a conversation between you and the assessor. Here he/she doesn't have a script and can
ask you anything he/she wants. If you go off topic, the assessor will make attempts to make sure you stay on topic there's no point in rehearsing a speech!
16. Amongst other things, in Phase 3 you will be asked to speculate about the future, give and opinion, suggest a
solution to a problem, or describe a process or procedure. Try to come up with a complete answer. If you are asked
how you would solve traffic problems world wide, don't just talk about buying more buses; consider where the money
for the buses would come from, explain how you would raise the money for the buses and persuade people who to use
them. This will certainly impress the assessor.
17. Make eye contact with the assessor. Although theoretically you could speak great English with your head down,
the fact is you may not come across as confident. Although there is no mark for confidence, you need to present
yourself in as positive way as possible.

Personal
Argumentative/ short tempered

Loyal/ faithful
Adventurous/ unadventurous/ brave/ courageous/ thrill seeking
Positive/ negative/ gloomy/ a complainer/ a whinger
Hard working/ lazy/ a slacker
Punctual/ unpunctual
Adaptable/ Predictable
Outgoing/ Sociable/ a party animal
Creative
Ambitious/ unambitious/ optimistic/ pessimistic/ confident/ self-assured/ arrogant
Stressed/ relaxed
Dynamic/ energetic
Indecisive/ impulsive/ spontaneous
Competitive/ uncompetitive
Sociable/ fun loving/ unsociable/ a loner
Materialistic e.g - brand names
Films
the film is adapted from (book name)
an adaptation of (book name)
award winning
a classic
a (romantic) comedy
a tearjerker
a black comedy
a (psychological) thriller
an action/disaster movie
science fiction
set in (time or place)
a powerful story of
the film deals with
the film looks at
the film tells the story of
superb casting
the character is played by
the leading man/woman
superb performances from
a gripping film
a moving story
special effects
an exceptional masterpiece
to have a cult following

a blockbuster
to do well at the box office
to receive critical acclaim
Personal Point of View
We use these words and phrases to express a personal point of view:

In my experience
As far as I'm concerned
Speaking for myself
In my opinion
Personally, I think
I'd say that
I'd suggest that
I'd like to point out that
I believe that
What I mean is

General Point of View

We use these words and phrases to express a point of view that is generally thought by people:

It is thought that...
Some people say that...
It is considered...
It is generally accepted that...

Agreeing with an opinion

We use these words and phrases to agree with someone else's point of view:

Of course.
You're absolutely right.
Yes, I agree.
I think so too.
That's a good point.
Exactly.
I don't think so either.
So do I.
I'd go along with that.
That's true.
Neither do I.
I agree with you entirely.
That's just what I was thinking.
I couldn't agree more.

Disagreeing with an opinion

We use these words and phrases to disagree with someone else's point of view:

That's different.
I don't agree with you.
However
That's not entirely true.
On the contrary
I'm sorry to disagree with you, but
Yes, but don't you think
That's not the same thing at all.
I'm afraid I have to disagree.
I'm not so sure about that.
I must take issue with you on that.
It's unjustifiable to say that...

Sports Vocabulary
Sport is one of the most popular topics for conversation. To learn the words you need
for conversations about sport, study our sports vocabulary lists. On this page you can
find general sports vocabulary, and by clicking on the links to the right you can find
special vocabulary for particular sports, together with quizzes. You can also explore a
whole section about the Olympic Games. When you are ready, you can try your hand at
ourSports Knowledge and Vocabulary Quiz.
Sport or sports?
1. sport (noun/singular): Johhny loves sport.
2. sports (noun/plural): Johnny plays two sports; football and tennis.
3. sports (adjective): Johhny reads the sports news every day.
Word

Example sentence

Meaning

arena

The arena was full of excited

spectators cheering on their
team.

a level area for holding sports

events, surrounded by seats for
spectators

amateur

The Olympic Games were

originally for amateur athletes
only.

engaged in something, like

playing sports, without
payment; non-professional

athlete

Most professional athletes

spend hours every day in
training.

a person who trains for and

competes in a sport

athletics

There are some very good

runners on our athletics team.

'track and field' events of

running, jumping, throwing, etc.

award

All the members of the winning to give someone something as a

team were awarded a gold
reward for high achievement
medal.

beat

Italy beat France to win the

2006 FIFA World Cup.

captain

The captain usually leads his or the leader of a team

her team onto the field.

catch

A wicketkeeper in cricket must

be very good at catching the
ball.

to grab and hold something that

has been thrown

champion

The boxer Muhammad Ali was

World Heavyweight Champion
three times.

a top-rated, highly successful

player

cheer on

The fans made a lot of noise

cheering on their team.

to shout encouragement to a
team or a player

coach

Players should carry out their

coach's instructions during a
game.

a person who trains and directs

an athlete or a sports team

to defeat someone in a game or

a competition

Entertainment
The words below are some of the most important used when talking about
entertainment.
Entertainment - People
actor
actress
artist
audience
backing group
ballerina
choreographer
cast
composer
conductor
dancer
director
drummer
guitarist (lead / bass)
magician
musician
orchestra
painter
pianist
playwright
producer
saxophonist
sculptor
singer
vocalist
violinist
Entertainment - Arts and Crafts
carving
drawing
knitting
painting
pottery
sculpture
sewing
Entertainment - Artistic Events
ballet
concert
exhibition
film
play

opera
Entertainment - Inside the Theater
aisle
box
circle
curtain
footlight
gallery
lighting
microphone
orchestra pit
row
screen
scenery
set
speaker
stage
stalls
wings
workshop
Entertainment - Places
art gallery
cinema
concert hall
exhibition center
museum
opera house
stadium
theater
Entertainment - Verbs
applaud
boo
conduct
exhibit
perform
play (a part)
The Weather
The words below are some of the most important used when talking about
the Weather.
The Weather - Describing the Weather
breeze
breezy
bright

clear
cloud
cloudy
damp
drizzle
drizzly
dry
dull
fog
foggy
hailstone
lightning
rain
raindrop
rainfall
rainy
shower
showery
snow
snowfall
snowflake
snowy
storm
stormy
sun
sunny
sunshine
thunder
wet
wind
windy
The Weather - The Temperature
chilly
cold
freezing
hot
mild
scorching
warm
The Weather - Verbs
glow
freeze
hail
pour (with rain)
rain
shine
snow

Senses
The words below are some of the most important used when talking about
Senses.
Senses - Senses
hearing
sight
smell
taste
touch
Senses - Verbs
catch a glimpse
glance
glimpse
hear
listen
look at
notice
observe
scan
see
stare
watch
Senses - Other Related Words
(color) blind
deaf
eyesight
hard of hearing
short- / long- sighted
People and Physical Characteristics
The words below are some of the most important used when talking about
People and Physical Characteristics.
People and Physical Characteristics - Age
baby
toddler
child
teenager
young man / woman
youth
middle-aged (man / woman)
elderly (man / woman)
teens

early mid late

about
twentyish
thirty something
People and Physical Characteristics - Build
fat
overweight
slim
thin
skinny
plump
stocky
well built
People and Physical Characteristics - Complexion
fair
dark
olive
pale
tanned
clear
good
spotty
pimpled
freckles
spots
pimples
People and Physical Characteristics - Facial Features on Men
moustache
clean-shaven
beard
People and Physical Characteristics - Hair
long
short
medium length
shoulder length
black
fair
dark
red
gray
going gray
light brown
blond
white
curly

spiky
straight
wavy
bald
receding hairline
People and Physical Characteristics - Height
average height
above average
below average
petite
short
tall
Family and Relationships
The words below are some of the most important used when talking about
Family and Relationships.
Family and Relationships - Families
aunt
brother elder / older brother
cousin
daughter
father
grandchild
granddaughter / son
grandfather / mother
grandparent (s)
great-grandchild
husband
ex-husband
in-laws
son-in law, etc.
mother
niece
nephew
parents
sister
son
step-father
step-daughter, etc.
twin
twin-sister/ brother
uncle
widow (woman)
widower (man)
wife
ex-wife
Family and Relationships - Marital Relationships

divorced
engaged
married / unmarried
separated
single
widowed
Family and Relationships - Verbs
get divorced (from)
get engaged (to)
get married (to)
get on (well) with someone
marry someone
start / end a relationship with someone
Family and Relationships - Other Related Words
acquaintance
boss
colleague
employee
employer
fianc
fiance
friend
best friend
neighbor
partner
Places
The words below are the most important words used when talking about
different places and areas such as shops, towns and the countryside. At the
end of each group of words you will find a link to a page which has further
Example Sentences and Definitions concerning that word group. Another link
leads to the list with a pronunciation RealPlayer file for the correct
pronunciation (standard North American accent) of the words.
Places - Buildings People Live In
apartment
block
apartment block
block of flats (British English)
bungalow
cottage
duplex (American English)
flat (British English)
floor on the ground / first / top floor
house
detached house (British English)

semi-detached house (British English)

terraced house
story - ten / multi-story building (British English - storey)
Pronunciation Examples of these Words File
Quiz: Living Quarters
Quiz: Rooms People Live and Work in
Example Sentences and Definitions
Places - Other Buildings
bar (American English)
car park
castle
cathedral
church
office
office block
park
post office
pub
restaurant
skyscraper
station
bus station
fire station
police station
railway station
town hall
Pronunciation Examples of these Words File
Example Sentences and Definitions
Places - Stores and Shops
baker's
butcher's
department store
dry cleaner's
fishmonger's (British English)
fish-shop
greengrocer's
grocer's
ironmonger's (British English)
hardware store (American English)
shop
shopping mall (American English)
stationer's
sweetshop (British English)
tobacconist's (British English)
Pronunciation Examples of these Words File
Example Sentences and Definitions
Quiz: Choosing The Right Shop
Places - Communities

city
capital city
port
resort
holiday resort
seaside resort
ski resort
town
village
Pronunciation Examples of these Words File
Example Sentences and Definitions
Places - Parts and Areas of Communities
area
country area
residential area
rural area
urban area
center
city center
town center
district
outskirts
region
suburb
in the suburbs
suburban (adj)
Pronunciation Examples of these Words File
Example Sentences and Definitions
Places - Geographical Features
bay
beach
cliff
coast
on the coast
countryside
flat (adj)
forest
hill
hilly (adj)
lake - loch
mountain
mountainous (adj)
plain (n)
river
sea
seaside
shore
stream (n)
valley

wood
woody / wooded (adj)