IELTS speaking

SESSION 1
INTRODUCTION
 01

INTRODUCTION
General structure
The speaking section assesses your use of spoken English.
Every test is recorded.

Part 1 - the examiner will ask you general questions

about yourself and a range of familiar topics, such as
home, family, work, studies and interests. This part lasts
between four and five minutes.

Part 2 - you will be given a card which asks you to talk

about a particular topic. You will have one minute to
prepare before speaking for up to two minutes. The
examiner will then ask one or two questions on the same
topic.

Part 3 - you will be asked further questions about the topic

in Part 2. These will give you the opportunity to discuss
more abstract ideas and issues. This part of the test lasts
between four and five minutes.
 DETAILED STRUCtuRE

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

interview LONG TURN DISCUSSION
Communicate opinions and Speak at length on a given Express and justify opinions
information on everyday topic, using appropriate and to analyse, discuss,
topics and common language and organising and speculate about issues.
experiences. ideas coherently.
 02

Marking
criteria
 MARKING CRITERIA

LEXICAL
RESOURCE PRONUNCIATION

FLUENCY & GRAMMATICAL

COHERENCE RANGE & ACCURACY
 FLUENCY & coherence
The ability to talk with normal levels of continuity, rate and effort,
and to link ideas and language together to form coherent,
connected speech.

FLUENCY coherence
- Logical sequencing
- Clear marking
- Speech rate
- Relevance of spoken
- Speech continuity
sentences
- Cohesive devices
 Lexical resource
The range of vocabulary at the test taker’s disposal, which will
influence the range of topics which they can discuss, and the precision
with which meanings are expressed and attitudes conveyed.

vocabulary
- Variety of words
- Adequacy and appropriacy of
vocabulary
- Ability to use paraphrase
 grammatical range & accuracy
The accurate and appropriate use of syntactic forms in order to meet
Speaking test requirements, and to the test taker’s range of
grammatical resources, a feature which will help to determine the
complexity of propositions which can be expressed.

range accuracy

- The length of spoken

sentences
- Appropriate use of - Error density
subordinate clauses - The communicative effect of
- Complexity of the verb phrase error
- Complexity of other phrases
- Range of sentence structures
 pronunciation
The accurate and sustained use of a range of phonological features to
convey meaningful messages.

- The ability to divide speech into meaningful

utterances or chunks
- The appropriate use of rhythm and stress
timing, and the linking of sounds to produce
connected speech
- The use of stress and intonation
- The production of sounds at the word and
phoneme level, and the degree of effort to
understand
- The overall effect of accent on intelligibility
 03

SPEAKING PART 1
 The format

In this part, the examiner will ask

general questions on some familiar
Where you live
topics such as home, family, work, ● Which town or city do you live in now?
studies, hobbies, and interests. ● Do you like where you live now?
Why/Why not?
The questions are simple and are ● Do you want to continue living there in the
about you and your life future? Why/Why not?

experiences, and they're designed

to help you feel at ease.
 The content

● Work FIXED TOPICS

- What work do you do?
- Do you enjoy the work? Why/Why not?
- Would you like to continue with this type of
work in the future? Why/Why not? ● Where you live
- Which town or city do you live in now?
● Study - Do you like where you live now?
- What subject are you studying? Why/Why not?
- Why did you decide to study ..../this - Do you want to continue living there in
subject? the future? Why/Why not?
- What will you do when you complete your
course? Why?
 The content

● Music
- How often do you listen to music?
- What kind of music do you like most?
- When do you listen to music?
- What types of music are most popular in
your country?
Seasonal topics ● Weekends
- What do you usually do on the weekend?
- What did you do last weekend?
- What will you do next weekend?
- Do you enjoy your weekends now more
than you did when you were a child?
 Wh- questions

For example:

Q: Where do you live now?

These questions are usually open-ended
and start with 'what', 'when', 'where',
Q: What kind of books do you often read?
'why', 'who', or 'how'. Try to provide
detailed answers.
Q: When do you have to stay up late?

Q: Who do you talk to when you need help?

 ANSWER STYLES
Which style is the most appropriate answer to the following question? Why?

Q: What kind of books do you often read?

Answer style 1: Answer style 2:

Honestly, I don't read as much as I'd
like to, but when I do, I tend to choose
biographies. I find it interesting to
know more about someone else's life,
especially those who've made
significant contributions to society.
As a student, I spend most of my
reading time on academic textbooks.
They're a crucial part of my studies,
and I appreciate the depth of
knowledge they provide in my field of
interest.
 GENERAL STRUCTURE
Q: What kind of books do you often read?
DIRECT ANSWER
Answer style 1:
Honestly, I don't read as much as I'd like to,
but when I do, I tend to choose biographies.
Discourse marker I find it interesting to know more about
someone else's life, especially those who've
made significant contributions to society.

DETAILED EXPANSION
 practice
Q: Where do you live now?

Q: What kind of books do you often read?

Q: When do you have to stay up late?

Q: Who do you talk to when you need help?

 04

SPEAKING PART 2
 General structure
In IELTS Speaking Part 2, you'll be given a task
card with a particular topic to discuss. The format
of the question is usually as follows: Sample question:
➔ A one-sentence introduction to the topic; Describe a person you know who is
➔ 3-4 bullet points that guide what specific good at his/her job.
aspects you should talk about;
➔ A final general question or instruction, You should say:
typically something like "Explain why you
● who the person is
like/dislike this" or "Describe your feelings
● where this person works
about this";
● what sort of job he/she does
→ You're free to include any other relevant ● and explain why you think this
information that helps you provide a fuller person is good at his/her job.
answer. However, you should aim to cover all
the points on the card during your response.
 TYPES OF QUESTION

1 Describe a person 2 Describe a place

3 Describe an event 4 Describe an object

 Answer structure
INTRODUCTION
(10 - 15 seconds)
Briefly introduce the topic.
For example, "I would like
to talk about a historical
figure that I really admire
- Mahatma Gandhi."
MAIN point
(1 - 1.5 minutes)
Elaborate on each point on
the task card, giving
detailed descriptions,
explanations, or stories as
appropriate.
Feelings /
reflection
(10 - 15 seconds - optional)
Summarize or reflect on what
you have spoken about.
For example, "So, that's why
Gandhi is someone I deeply
admire, his dedication and
peaceful methods left a
profound impact on the
world."
 Describe a person

Describe an interesting old person

This could be someone you know, a you have met
historical figure, or a celebrity. You should say:
Who this person is
You should talk about who they are,
How you know this person
what they do, why they are important or
why you admire them. What you do together
And explain why you think this person is
interesting.
 INTRODUCTION
Start by clearly introducing who the person is. Here are some ways to introduce:

• "I'd like to talk about a person who ________________, my

mother/father/teacher/friend."
• "The person I want to describe is a _____________ who ___________, and that is
[name of famous person]."
• "The person I would like to talk about is a ________________ who
____________________, namely [name of person]."
 Main point
Depending on the task card, you should discuss the following points:

● Relationship: Explain how you know this person or who they

are in relation to you. For a famous person, you can describe
when or how you first learned about them.
● Appearance: Describe what this person looks like. This could
include physical features, their style, or typical expressions.
(Avoid talking too much about physical features) IMPACT
● Personality: Talk about this person's character. You could
mention their demeanor, values, attitudes, or specific qualities
that stand out to you. Link this with the experiences below.
● Experiences: Share specific moments, accomplishments, or
experiences related to this person.
● Impact: Discuss why this person is important to you or why
you admire them.
 CONCLUSION
(OPTIONAL)

Conclude your talk by summarizing the main points or sharing a personal reflection or
insight. Here are a few ways to conclude:

"In conclusion, [name] is a person who has greatly influenced my life, and I have
immense respect for him/her."
• "So, that's why [name] is a person I admire/respect/look up to. His/her [mention a key
quality or accomplishment] continues to inspire me."
• "All in all, [name] is truly an extraordinary person in my eyes, and I consider myself
lucky to know him/her."

Describe an interesting old
person you have met
You should say:
Who this person is
How you know this person
What you do together
And explain why you think this
person is interesting.
Sample answer
Background:
For this topic, the first person who springs to my mind is an ice
cream vendor whom I met at a park near my house on a
sweltering day. He is actually a retired veteran who fought in the
Vietnam War and he is now selling ice cream for a living. I crossed
paths with him when I was trying to find something to cool me
down.
Main point:
While I was enjoying a lemon ice cream, I had a chance to start a
conversation with him. To my surprise, he was very open to share
his experiences when he was serving in the military during the
war. As I can remember, he talked a lot about the struggles he had
faced as a veteran, which was such an eye-opening experience
for me because I had never had any conversation with a person
who had directly fought in the war.

Describe an interesting old
person you have met
You should say:
Who this person is
How you know this person
What you do together
And explain why you think this
person is interesting.
Sample answer
Main point (2):
What made me think he is such an interesting person is his
optimism. I mean, even though he had fought fiercely in the war
and also received some financial assistance from the government
after it, he still struggled to make ends meet. That’s why he took
up the job of selling ice cream. But he never fails to see the silver
lining in difficult situations. He was smiling all the time when talking
to me and, trust me, his smile was contagious.
Feelings / Reflection:
After meeting him, I felt so grateful to have such wonderful people
sacrificing for the nation and suddenly I was brimming with a
sense of national pride and patriotism. The whole conversation
really left an indelible mark on me and to be honest, I really want
to see him again.
 05

SPEAKING PART 3
 General structure
The IELTS Speaking Part 3 is the final
part of the IELTS speaking exam and is
Sample question:
designed to test your ability to
Popular films
● speak at length on a topic
- types of films that are popular with young people in
● explain and justify your opinions your country
● analyze, discuss, and speculate
- watching films is always a good way to relax
about issues.
- whether watching films in the cinema is becoming
This part lasts for about 4 to 5 minutes, more or less popular
and the examiner will ask you a series of
questions based on the topic from Part
2 of the speaking test.
 Answer technique
What are the qualities that a good school
teacher needs?

Well, for me, a good school teacher needs to

possess certain qualities. First of all, they have
to be at least good at their job, which means
that they should have the knack to break
LISTING down complex subjects into understandable
parts. Secondly, a quality educator should go
the extra mile and be able to show their
empathy, passion, and adaptability. For
example, if a student were to fall behind, the
teacher must pick up on this quickly and
provide the necessary support.
 Answer technique
What are the qualities that a good school General answer
teacher needs?

Well, for me, a good school teacher needs to

possess certain qualities. First of all, they have
to be at least good at their job, which means Idea 1 + Explanation
that they should have the knack to break down
complex subjects into understandable parts.
Secondly, a quality educator should go the
extra mile and be able to show their empathy,
passion, and adaptability. For example, if a Idea 2 + Explanation
student were to fall behind, the teacher must
pick up on this quickly and provide the
necessary support.
 Answer technique
Why don't some children like wearing a
school uniform?

Well, the reasons why many children take

issue with wearing a school uniform are
manifold. Some children might feel it stifles
their ability to express individuality. I
HYPOTHETICALS mean, uniforms often lay down a strict line,
and this lack of freedom to choose one's
clothing can be at odds with a child's desire
to establish a personal identity. Others
might also look down on uniforms if they
perceive them as unattractive or outdated.
 Answer technique
What are the qualities that a good school General answer
teacher needs?

Well, the reasons why many children take

issue with wearing a school uniform are
manifold. Some children might feel it stifles Idea 1 + Explanation
their ability to express individuality. I mean,
uniforms often lay down a strict line, and this
lack of freedom to choose one's clothing can
be at odds with a child's desire to establish a
personal identity. Others might also look Idea 2 + Explanation
down on uniforms if they perceive them as
unattractive or outdated.
 06

PRACTICE