APTIS SPEAKING

1.  Please tell me about your best friend.

My best friend’s name is Alicia. She has long black hair and brown eyes and is a bit shorter
than me. We have been friends for over 10 years, and we tell each other everything. I met
her when we were at school in Italy and we grew up together. We don’t see each other now
as much as we used to but wherever we are we keep in contact by text or on Skype.

2.   What do you like to do in your free time?

In my down time, I really like doing sport. I go to the gym a few times a week to work out
and I also try to play basketball with my friends on Saturdays. Although going to the gym
helps keep you fit, for me playing a team sport is more rewarding and fun., and you get
more of a social-like when you go out with your friends and team mates after the game.

3. Tell me about your country.

Turkey is a very beautiful country. Istanbul is a bustling city and a little chaotic, but we
have amazing countryside and nice beaches in the south that are more peaceful. It also has
an extensive and varied history going back to the time when Istanbul was one of the most
important cities in the Ottoman Empire, which covered a large part of Eastern Europe, The
Middle East and Asia.

 4.  Please tell me about your family

I come from quite a small family and I only have one other brother. He’s five years older
than me and now he’s married I don’t see as much of him as I did. We used to be awfully
close and he would always look after me. My mother and Father both come from the same
village and have been married for 40 years. Originally, we are from the south of France
although we have move about a bit.

5. Please tell me about your hobbies.          

One of the things I am really passionate about is cooking and baking in particular. I love
making bread, cakes, pizza and so forth. I think I got my love of baking from my
grandmother. I used to go and stay with here at the weekend and she always made a big
family tea with sandwiches, cakes, and pie for all of us. I still cook a lot at home even though
I’m much busier these days.

6. Please tell me about your work or studies.

I study psychology which is about how people think and experience things. Many people
think it’s about studying illness but actually, it’s very general, if you want to specialize, you
have to do it at post-graduate level. I’d like to work with psychology when I leave university
and I am thinking about going into educational psychology developing learning programs
etcetera.
7. Please tell me about your favorite food.
I think that it’s fair to say that my favourite food is Kabsa. Its’s a dish made with chicken,
although you can use lamb or goat, and rice but the chicken has been flavoured with a
delicious mix of herbs and spices. After that it’s cooked very slowly until the meat is soft
but still juicy. The word ‘kabsa’ comes from the Arabic word ‘kabasa’ which means
squeezed. Originally it was all pushed into one pot, that’s what gives it its name.

8. What do you like doing in your free time? 

My favourite free-time activity is watching cricket. I used to play a lot but now I don’t have
the time because it’s possible to spend a whole day playing. I watch whenever I can though.
I’ve heard people say that cricket is boring, but I disagree with that. Sometimes, although
there doesn’t seem to be much happening, the situation can be extremely intense. It hasn’t
got the continuous movement like in football or rugby, but cricket can still have you on the
edge of your seat.

9. What is the weather like today?

Today is a typical late summer day. It’s quite comfortable, maybe around 23 degrees and a
little cloudy, mostly the big clouds that look like pillows. There is plenty of blue sky and so
it feels pleasant. Recently, the weather hasn’t been that good and while there hasn’t been
much rain, it’s been cloudy and not very warm. Fortunately, we’re lucky where I live
because it is never very cold, below zero is rare.

10. What is your typical day like?

My typical day is quite quiet especially because I work from home. I like to get up early.
That’s good in the summer when it’s light at 4.00 am but not so good in the winter when it’s
still dark at 7.00. I go to the gym early because if I don’t, I won’t go in the evening and I start
work at around 8.30. At 11.00 am I stop and have brunch. Then I work until about 5.00,
sometimes I might have a sleep around 1.00 pm. Then I make dinner, watch some TV and
go to bed fairly early. Weekends are different.

11. What is the food like in your country?

The food in my country is a bit like the language, a mix. There are plenty of traditional
dishes and lots of dishes we have imported from other cultures. For example, the most
popular dish in the UK is curry which originated in India. The UK is particularly good for
local cheeses and fish. Another thing most people love are the desserts and cakes. There are
hundreds of different cakes and lots of desserts such as pies, crumbles, trifles and custards.
Not good if you’re on a diet though.

12. What is your village/ town/ city like?

My town is a quiet coastal town on the south coast of England. The population is in the
region of 50,000 and the main industries are tourism and fishing. It has an attractive
harbour where in the past a ferry used to go to northern France. The big attraction is the
town’s wide sandy beach which is perfect for families because it is in a bay and the water is
shallow and safe. Although the place can be busy in the summer months it is fairly quiet at
other times which makes it a pretty cool place to live.

13.  How do you like to spend your holidays and vacations?

For my holidays I really enjoy travelling to other countries and experiencing a different
culture. I love to sit for an hour or so outside a café with a cup of coffee and watch the
world go by. I tend to go to Mediterranean countries when I travel as I like warm weather. I
keep telling myself that I have to be more adventurous and see visit some other countries
but I always seem to end up in Spain or Italy or Greece.

14. Who is your favourite sports person?

My favourite sportsperson is the boxer, Mohammad Ali. Although he died a few years ago,
he is still a hero to many people and he is always at the top of the greatest sportsmen and
women. What makes him very special is, not just that he was a great boxer and regained
the world title 3 times, but how he resisted fighting in the Vietnam war. Because of this, he
had the world title taken from him but he continued to oppose the war and stand up for
civil rights.

15. What do you find relaxing?

I find fishing very relaxing especially fishing in a beautiful place on a warm sunny day. For
me, this is usually a lake near where I live. The good thing about this place is that it is not
too big and there are trees around it, so it’s quite sheltered and tranquil. There is also a lot
of wildlife to look at. When I arrive there early in the morning and know that I can sit
quietly all-day, it is the most relaxing feeling. Catching a few fish is a bonus.
16. Please tell me about your hobbies and interest? (30 seconds)
I am extremely keen on swimming. If I get the chance, I’ll go every day. I love going to the
beach because I really enjoy swimming, for this reason I’m there nearly every morning in
summer. For instance, last week I went swimming every day and twice on Saturday and
not only is swimming good fun, but it’s healthy too. What I mean to say is that if you swim
every day, you’ll stay fit. On the other hand, I’m not distance swimmer. It’s more for
pleasure really. I’d say that I was mostly a keen amateur and that means I don’t take it too
seriously.

What Else Do I Need To Excel in APTIS Speaking Part 1

Learn vocabulary related to these topics.

It is always useful to learn facts and phrases to describe your city or country
geographically.
Example:
It’s situated on the south coast of the UK on the coast.
Madrid is right in the centre of Spain and is the highest capital city in Europe.
It is good to learn words and phrases that describe people.
Example:
My best friend is tall and has long dark wavy hair.
He can be a bit moody but, on the whole, he’s a great guy.

Connect short clauses using linking words to make complex sentences.

Think about the grammar you need

You could probably answer all the questions using the present simple but if you can add
more grammar you will get a higher score.
Example:
I go out and have a meal with my family most weekends but when I was younger, I used to
meet up with my friends.                                                                                    Or
I go out and have a meal with my family most weekends but I’m studying away from home
at the moment, so I don’t see them as often.
Used to + inf is a helpful expression in speaking tests because it is easy to use and adds
extra information about the past.
The present continuous talks about temporary situations happening now, also add extra
information and show the examiner what you can do.

Likes and dislikes

There is a very good chance that you will be asked about your likes and dislikes (you can
use these to express your opinions or if you are describing a friend or family member as
well).
Like. We can use like/love and hate, either with ‘to’ or in the gerund form (there is a very
small difference but for this both are correct).
Example:
I love to get up early in the summer.
Or
I love getting up early in the summer.
Enjoy/dislike/can’t stand all take the gerund form. Practice making sentences about
yourself.
Example:
I love getting up early in the summer but when I was at school, I used to hate it.