IELTS SPEAKING TIPS AND SAMPLES

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GENERAL TIPS
IELTS Speaking: Basic Information
The test lasts between 11 and 14 minutes.
There are 3 parts to the Speaking Test:
1.Introduction/ interview: around 10 questions in 4 to 5 minutes.
2.Short presentation: talk for 2 minutes with 1 minute to prepare.
3.Discussion: around 5 questions in 4 to 5 minutes.
IELTS Speaking: avoid these phrases
In the speaking test, examiners don't like it when students use phrases like:
- That's a very interesting question...
- It is my personal opinion that...
- Personally, I would have to say that...
- I am of the opinion that it depends on...
- To be honest, I personally believe that...
These phrases sound unnatural, and it is obvious to the examiner that the student has memorized
them.
IELTS Speaking: if you don't know the answer
How do you answer a question when you don't know anything about the topic?
There are 2 things you can do:
1.Be honest and explain why you don't know
2.Guess, and tell the examiner that you are guessing

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Example question:

How has technology affected the kinds of music that young people listen to?
Answer:
(1) To be honest I don't really know the answer to that because I'm completely out of touch
with what young people are listening to, and I'm not a fan of pop music.
(2) However, I suppose that technology must have affected music. Maybe young people are
listening to music that has been made using computer software instead of real musical
instruments like the piano or guitar.
IELTS Speaking: a preparation technique
A good way to prepare for IELTS speaking is to take one topic area and practice possible
questions for all 3 parts. Here are some examples:
'Home' topic
Part 1 - give short answers
1. Do you live in a house or a flat? (house)
- House

2. What's your favourite room in your home? Why? (bedroom. Comfortable and convenient)
- Bedroom
- Feel comfortable, privacy, you can do everything you want there

3. What would you like to change about your home? Why? (bigger bedroom and kitchen, more
bookshelf)
- Have a pool.
- I like swimming to improve my health.

4. Would you like to move house in the future? (yes. I wanna move to HCM)
- Yes
- To HCM city
- Have more places to entertain and to go shopping

Part 2 - speak for 2 minutes

Describe an interesting home that you have visited.
Not very interested but
An old friend’s house.
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Big fish tank with colorful and beautiful fishes. I remembered that like the blue one
Have a personal office which belong to her father. Full of white, looks elegant. I wasn’t allowed to go
in but I thought I wanna have a room like that to study and reading.
Backyard big enough to make a party. We celebrate her birthday there. It not very common to have
big back yard like that in Vietnam. Usually, a Vietnamese backyard only small enough for a little
garden, not big enough to host a BBQ party.
- My friend house, it’s a clinic which has many rooms to ward and sell medicines.
- Have 5 floors and elevator
- Pool
- Home cinema
Part 3 - give longer answers
1. What factors do you think are important when choosing where to live?
- Price
- Spacious
- Security
- Good looking house
- Price
- Convenient (near shops, restaurants, café)
- security
2. Compare life in a city with life in the countryside.
- Convenient
- Noisy
- Beautiful
- Animated

- Convenient
- Modern
3. How do you think the design of homes will change in the future?
- Everything can be control by voices
- Robots will take on more of the housework
Most of the housework would be done by robot
Use password instead of lock and key
Higher security

IELTS SPEAKING PART 1
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IELTS Speaking Part 1: short, simple answers
Here are five simple rules for Speaking Part 1:
1.Keep your answers short, then stop with
confidence. 2.Answer the questions using full
sentences.
3.Use words from the examiner's question in your answer.
4.If possible, give a reason for your answer.
5.Don't forget to say "yes" or "no" when necessary
Example:
Do you prefer home-cooked food or food from restaurants?
I prefer home-cooked food because I think it's healthier and you know exactly what you're eating.
I also enjoy cooking for family and friends.

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Topics

 Strange questions
1.Do you like parks?
- No
- Crowded and noisy
No because I’m asocial. I feel more comfortable when I at home and I think parks are pretty boring for
me
2.Do you think different colors can change our moods?
- Yes
- When I see blue, I feel happy; when I see red, I feel passionate; when I see white, I feel relaxed
Yes because people have symbolize colors with different meaning. For example, blue is hope and
calm. A experiment show when people have lunch in a blue and dark room, they will be more likely
to eat less and slower, instead they gonna relax and talk more
3.When do people give flowers in your country?

- On the occasion of International Women Day, Mothers Day, Teachers Day, anniversary like Wedding,
birthday
We give flowers on many occasion such as women day, anniversary or even funeral. We give
different type of flower base on the occasion and its meaning

 Work or study
1.Do you work or are you a student?
- Student
Im a student and I have no working experiment before
2.Do you like your job / course? Why / why not?
- No.
- Because the teaching method in VietNam is out of date and its makes us bored.

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No. Because teaching method is outdated and it lack of practice used
 'Walking' topic
1. Do you like walking?
- Yes. Because it’s good for health

To be honest. I don’t really into working-out but prefer a short run once in a while rather than walking
2. Do you think walking is important?
- Yes. Walking brings lots of benefits like have stronger bones and improved balance, increased muscle

strength and endurance.
Yes I do. Walking is a simple exercise but it bring many benefits such as stronger bones, balance
improvement, increased muscle strength, reduced body fat.
3. Do you think walking in the countryside is better than walking in the city?
- Yes. Because the air is fresher in the countryside.

Yes I do. The air in the countryside is more fresh and it’s more safe to have a walk there rather than in
a busy city
4. What could be done to improve the experience of walking in cities?
In Vietnam, there are not many walking street so I think we have to make more place for walking.
 Study
1. Do you like studying? Why / why not?
I actually enjoy learn things that interesting me like languages or drawing as a hobby
2. Do you prefer to study alone or with others? Why?
I feel more comfortable when I’m studying alone but studying with someone else might help
me more focus on what I am doing
3. Where do you prefer to go when you need to study? Why?
Stay at home is comfortable but going to café once in a while is not a bad idea.

4. How do you feel if someone disturbs you when you are studying?


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 Cooking topic
1. Do you like cooking? Why / why not?
- No, I don’t.
- Because I’m lazy and my cooking skill are bad.
Yes I do enjoy cooking. I’m considered picky so cook what I’d like to eat is really fun

2. Who did the cooking in your family when you were a child?
- My mother did. I love her food so much.
My mom did all the cooking. Everyone else rarely use the kitchen

3. Do you think that it's important to know how to cook well?
- No, I don’t.
- Because we can buy food from restaurant, order it online.

Yes I do. It’s a basic skill everyone should know.
4. Do you think that children should be taught cookery at school?
- Yes, I do. Because cooking help us save money and food made by ourself are healthier than food

from restaurant.
Yes I do. That would make them get use to kitchen soon.
 'Collecting' answers
1) Have you ever collected anything as a hobby? (What?)
- No, I have not. In my opinion, collecting not only waste my time but also waste my money and it

bring no benefit.
Yes I used to collect many comic books when I younger.
2) What kinds of thing do people often like collecting?

- People usually collect stamps, cards, money such as coin and cash.

It base on their hobbies. Some like collecting books, some like collecting cartoon figure, others like
collecting stamps
3) Why do you think people collect certain objects?
- Maybe they want to remember past experiences or like the feeling of presenting what they have
Like I said, it base on their hobby. The things somehow connect to them
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4) Is there anything that you would like to collect in the future?
- As far as I concerned, I’m not a person who like collecting so I don’t think that I would like to collect

anything.
I’d like to collect everything from my series like books copies, character figure, soundtrack CD and so
on.

 'Maps' answers
1. Do you ever use maps?
- Yes, I’ve tried it once. I used it to show other people the way to the place they want to go.

I rarely use it because I only follow my friends or family when go somewhere far and strange.
2. When do people usually need to use a map?
- When people traveling and want to know where they are or a place they want to go.

When they are new to that place and don’t know the location of the destination
3. Do you prefer electronic or paper maps?
- I prefer ask people around there.
I prefer electronic maps. It’s more convenience


4. Do you ever ask people for directions instead of using a map?
- Yes, I do it that all the time.

Yes but only once, because I was lost alone at the time without any maps
 'Parks' answers
1. Do you like parks? Why / why not?
- Yes, I do. Because it bring fresh air and make me feel relax. I usually go to park with my family.

No because I’m asocial. I feel more comfortable when I at home and I think parks are pretty boring
for me
2. How often do you visit parks?
- This year I’m kind of busy with study so I don’t have much time to go park. So I’m only visit park
twice a month.
I rarely go to a park. I don’t think I have visited one this year

3. Why are parks an important part of many towns and cities?
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- In many town and cities, it’s hard to find an airy place so having a park help clearing the air,

promoting public health, connecting people, encouraging activity in kids.
- In many town and cities, park is the place that plants the most trees which help the cities are

fresher
4. What do you think could be done to make parks better?
-

It really hot and sunny in Vietnam so I think it’s the best to add more trees or covers
 House

1. Do you live in a house or an apartment?
I lived in a small house with my family

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2. Which is your favorite room in your home? Why?
my bedroom of couse. I spend the most of my time in there

3. Would you change anything about your home? Why / why not?
.my house have a window on the celling so the light and air could go through. But most of the
time, specially in the afternoon it just really hot and suffocating

4. Would you like to move to a different home in the future?

yes I want to move out to live alone in Ho Chi Minh City
 Games
1.

What games are popular in your country?

2.

Do you play any games?

3.

How do people learn to play games in your country?

4.


Do you think it's important for people to play games?

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 'Reading' topic
1.

Do you like reading?

Yes it’s one of my hobbies

2.

Do you usually read for leisure or for work purposes?

I usually just read as hobby, it’s more ẹnoyable

3.

What was your favorite book or story when you were a child?

Harry Potter have a great impact on my reading hobby
4.

Do you think it's important that children read regularly?

Yes I do. As for me, I learn language from readings-8


 Home town
1.

Where are you from?

2.

Do you like your home town? (Why?)

3.

Would you prefer to live somewhere else? (Why?)

4.

Do you think your home town is a good place for young people? (Why?)


 Sports
1.

What sports or physical activities do you regularly do?

2.

Which sport or game would you like to be good at?

3.

Do you prefer watching or playing sports?


4.

Do you think children should be encouraged to do more sport?

 'Shopping' topic
1)

Who does most of the shopping in your household?

2)

What kind of shopping do you like doing?

3)

Is shopping a popular activity in your country?

4)

What types of shops do teenagers like best in your country?


 ‘Toys' topic
1)

Did you play with toys when you were a child?

2)


What kinds of toys did you like?

3)

In your country, do boys and girls play with the same types of toys?

4)

Do you think that toys help children to learn?

 'Telephoning' topic
1.

How often do you make telephone calls?

2.

Who do you spend most time talking to on the telephone?

3.

When do you think you'll next make a telephone call?

4.

Do you sometimes prefer to send a text message instead of telephoning?


 'Friends' topic
1.


Are your friends mostly your age or different ages?

2.

Do you usually see your friends during the week or at weekends?

3.

The last time you saw your friends, what did you do together?

4.

In what ways are your friends important to you?

 Musical instruments
1.

Which musical instrument do you like listening to most? (Why?)

2.

Have you ever learned to play a musical instrument?

3.

Do you think children should learn to play an instrument at school?


4.


How easy would it be to learn to play an instrument without a teacher?

 Clothes
1.

2.

Are clothes and clothing fashions important to you? (Why/Why not?)

What different clothes do you wear for different situations?

3.

Do you wear different styles of clothes now compared to 10 years ago?

4.

Do you think the clothes we wear say something about who we are?

 'Communication' topic
1.

How do you usually keep in touch with members of your family?

2.

Do you prefer to speak to people by phone or by writing emails?

3.


Do you ever write letters by hand? (Why / Why not?)


4.

Is there anything you dislike about mobile phones?

 Negative answers
1. Do you like dancing?

2. Has anyone ever taught you to dance?

3. Do you think that traditional dancing will be popular in the future?

 'Work' topic
1. Do you work or are you a student?

2. Do you enjoy your job?

3. What's the best thing about your job?

4. Do you prefer working alone or with others? Why?


 'Accommodation' topic
1.

Tell me about the kind of accommodation you live in.


2.

How long have you lived there?

3.

What do you like about living there?

4.

What sort of accommodation would you most like to live in?

 Emails and handwriting
1.

At work or in your studies, do you often write things?

2.

How often do you send e-mails?

3.

Do you prefer to write by hand or on a computer?

4.

Do you think computers might one day replace handwriting?



 Laughing
1.

What kinds of thing make you laugh?

2.

Do you like making other people laugh?

3.

Do you think it's important for people to laugh?

4.

Is laughing the same as feeling happy?

 Travel habits
1.

2.

How much time do you spend travelling on a normal day?

3.

4.

What form of transport do you prefer to use? Why?


What do you do while you are travelling?

Do you ever have problems with transport?


 'Numbers' topic
1) Do you have a favorite number or a number that is special to you?

2) Do any numbers have special importance in your country?

3) Are you good at remembering numbers? Why / why not?

4) What numbers do people often have to memorize?

 'Neighbors' topic
1. How well do you know your next-door neighbors?

2. How often do you see them?

3. What problems do people sometimes have with their neighbors?


IELTS SPEAKING PART 2
IELTS Speaking Part 2: essential preparation
List of essentials:
1.Favourites: Don't go into the test without knowing what your favourites are. Prepare to
talk about your favourite book, film, music, and website.
2.People: Be ready to talk about a famous person and a member of your family.
3.Activities: Have you prepared some ideas about a hobby? Can you describe a typical day
in your life? Try to remember some special moments in your life, such as birthdays,

festivals and weddings.
4.Places: You need to be able to talk about where you live. Also, think about the places you
have visited, what you did there, and why you liked or didn't like them.
5.Things: Can you talk about the things you use every day, something you would like to
buy, or a present that you received?
Remember that in part 2 you are always asked to "describe". Make sure you prepare some good
adjectives for each topic, make sure you can talk about your opinions and feelings, and think
about some examples or stories to make your descriptions more interesting.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: three tips
Here are three quick tips for IELTS speaking part 2 (the short speech):
1. Use the 1 minute preparation time well
Think about how you would answer the question in your own language, then write down as many
ideas as possible in English.

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2. Give real examples

Say what you really think, talk about your real life, and give real examples. Examples are really
important; whenever you don't know what to say, give an example from your own experience.
1. Don't worry about grammar
You haven't got time to think about passives or conditionals. Focus on answering the question ideas and vocabulary.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: band 9 answer
Here's why the description would get a band 9 (according to the IELTS criteria):
1. Fluency and coherence
2. Lexical resource (vocabulary)
3. Grammatical range and accuracy

4. Pronunciation

IELTS Speaking Part 2: main topics
For part 2 of IELTS speaking, prepare ideas for 6 main topic areas:
1.Describe an object (a gift, something you use etc.)
2.Describe a person (someone you admire, a family member
etc.) 3.Describe an event (a festival, celebration etc.)
4.Describe an activity (e.g. a hobby)
5.Describe a place (somewhere you visited, a holiday etc.)
6.Describe your favourite (book/film/advertisement/website)
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IELTS Speaking Part 2: Key points

1. Don't focus on linking
2. Tense
3. Forget about eye contact
4. Filling the 2 minutes
5. 1-minute preparation: example

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Topics
 'Local area' answer
Describe a change that you would like to see in your local area. You should say
- what the change would be
- who would be involved in making the change?
- how it would be done

- and why you would like to see the change happen.
 'Film' answer


 'Prize' answer
Describe a prize that you would like to win. You should explain
- what the prize is for
- how you know about it
- what you would have to do to win it
- and why you would like to win this prize.