IELTS Speaking Teacher’s Handbook

Prepare your Students to Ace the IELTS Speaking Test

© 2015 by Nestor Kiourtzidis

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

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The aim of this book
This book is for English language teachers who are preparing or intend to
prepare students for the IELTS Speaking test. It is suitable for teachers of all
levels of experience and includes valuable information, practical tips and
useful activities to help prepare IELTS candidates for the various types of
tasks and questions that they are likely to encounter. The book can be used to
help identify problem areas and devise tailored preparation courses.

There are four main sections:

BASICS
This section covers the format of the IELTS Speaking test, how the band
scores are determined, what happens on the day of the test and other
important information that teachers and candidates need to know. There are
also special tips for online tutors as well as access to free sample tests on the
web.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS
This section covers a range of essential skills that can improve a candidate’s
performance for each of the Speaking test band criteria. These include
expanding answers, avoiding hesitation, giving grammatically accurate
responses, using an appropriate range of vocabulary, being able ask for
clarification if needed, expressing opinions coherently and connecting ideas
in a logical manner. Useful words and expressions are presented, together
with some practical ideas on how to train each skill with the aid of the sample
question lists in the final section of the book.

FOCUS ON PART 2
This part of the book looks at the specific skills required to do well in Part 2
of the Speaking test. The section includes useful phrases which students can
be encouraged to use as well as a model answer .

SAMPLE QUESTIONS
In the final section of the book, you can find sets of sample questions which
candidates might hear in Part 1 or 3 of the IELTS Speaking test. Each set of
questions is designed to train the various skills covered in the Essential
Skills section.
BASICS
What is the IELTS Speaking test?
The IELTS Speaking test is the final part of the IELTS (International English
Language Testing System) test, a popular exam for people who want to study
or work where English is the main language of communication. According to
the official IELTS website, IELTS is now accepted by over 8,000 institutions
and governments in 135 countries.
The Speaking test is a face-to-face interview with a certified IELTS
examiner. It is designed to test the candidate’s communication skills. The test
lasts about 11-14 minutes and consists of three parts:

Part 1
The examiner will ask the candidate some general questions on a variety of
everyday topics, such as the candidate’s home, family, work, studies and
interests. This part lasts between four and five minutes.

Part 2
The examiner will give the candidate a card with a topic on it. The candidate
will get one minute to prepare and then 1-2 minutes to talk about the topic.
The examiner will then ask one or two questions on the same topic to finish
this part of the test.

Part 3
The examiner will ask some questions related to the topic in Part 2. These
questions are designed to encourage a deeper discussion. This part of the test
lasts between four and five minutes.

Here is a sample IELTS Speaking test. Please note that at the beginning of
the test, the examiner will always ask the same standard introductory
questions to check the candidate's identity. The introductory questions will
look something like this :

Good morning/afternoon. My name's X. Can you tell me your full name?

What can I call you?
Can you tell me where you are from?
Can I see your identification, please?
Sample test
PART 1
Let's talk about what you do.
• Do you work or are you a student?
• Can you describe a typical working day? /Are you good at the subject you
are studying?
• How long have you been doing this work? / Is your subject interesting?
• What is your ideal job? / What do you hope to do after you graduate?

Let's talk about driving.

• Do you drive a car?
• Do you think it's necessary to learn how to drive?
• Is it necessary to drive a car in your hometown?
• Do you prefer to travel by car or use public transport?

Let's talk about languages.

• How long have you been studying English?
• Do you think that English is difficult to learn?
• Do you think it's important to know more than one language?
• What is the most effective way to learn a foreign language?

PART 2
Describe an important letter or email you wrote. You should say:
- When you wrote it
- Who you it wrote to
- What you wrote about
And explain why it was important.

Follow-up question: Do you often write letters and emails ?

PART 3
• Which are better, emails or letters?
• In what situations do you think people usually communicate by phone?
• How has the way we communicate changed in recent years?
• How do you think people will communicate in the future?
The scoring criteria
IELTS Speaking test scores range from Band 0 to 9 and they are based on
four criteria, each worth 25% of the candidate’s final band score. The criteria
are as follows:

Fluency and coherence (25%)

To get a high score for Fluency and Coherence, candidates need to:

• avoid unnatural hesitation and pauses

• avoid repeating the same words
• develop and expand their answers
• organise and connect their ideas in a logical way (e.g. by using appropriate
connecting words and phrases).

Lexical resource (25%)

To get a high score for Lexical Resource, candidates need to:

• use a good range of vocabulary

• make use of natural collocations (e.g. make a phone call , do a course )
• use some ‘less common’ vocabulary and synonyms (e.g. bitterly cold
instead of very very cold ).

Grammatical range and accuracy (25%)

To get a high score for Grammatical Range and Accuracy, candidates need
to:

• use appropriate tenses for past, present and future

• use appropriate structures when talking about hypothetical situations (e.g.
would + infinitive, conditional structures)
• use appropriate modal verbs when speculating about something (e.g. might
, could + infinitive)
• use appropriate structures when contrasting and comparing different things
• avoid mistakes with simple grammar.

Pronunciation (25%)
To get a high score for Pronunciation, candidates need to :
• pronounce individual sounds correctly
• stress the right syllables in words
• use natural intonation.
Expectations
Candidates need to be realistic about their goals. If their level of English is
around Band 5, they should not expect to achieve Band 7. If a candidate
recently took the test and achieved Band 5.5, then Band 6-6.5 would
generally be a realistic target to aim for next time.
Overambitious ‘weak’ students who try to learn very advanced idioms or
phrasal verbs might end up using them incorrectly. As a result, their English
will sound unnatural or, in the worst case, unintelligible. It is therefore
inadvisable to teach less confident students vocabulary and structures that
they are likely to use inappropriately. Students whose target band is 6.5 or
below should try to focus on developing clarity, coherency and fluency.

Band descriptors
Here are some simplified requirements for each main band level from Band 4
and upwards, according to the official IELTS website. The descriptors should
help you decide what level your students are and what they can hope to
achieve in the short term.

SPEAKING BAND 4
• The candidate cannot respond without pausing and hesitating, and may
speak very slowly.
• The candidate overuses very simple words (e.g. because , and , good ).
• The candidate does not possess enough vocabulary to talk about
unfamiliar topics.
• The candidate cannot easily use synonyms.
• The candidate can only use very short, simple sentences.
• The candidate makes a lot of grammatical errors, and this may cause
frequent misunderstandings.
• The candidate’s pronunciation is poor, which often makes it difficult to
understand what is being said .

SPEAKING BAND 5
• The candidate’s responses contain a lot of unnatural hesitation and pauses.
• The candidate often repeats the same simple words (e.g. because , and ,
 good , bad , nice , easy ).
• The candidate can sometimes use synonyms but in general has problems
saying things in different ways.
• The candidate can easily produce simple sentences (e.g. I live in Iraq ), but
has difficulty with more complex sentences (e.g. I moved to Singapore
when I finished my studies ).
• The candidate’s pronunciation and sentence stress sometimes make it
difficult for the listener to understand what is being said.

SPEAKING BAND 6
• The candidate can speak at length more easily but sometimes hesitates and
may frequently resort to self-correction.
• The candidate can use a range of connecting words and phrases (e.g.
however , but , yet , so , on the other hand ), but not always appropriately.
• The candidate's vocabulary is wide enough to talk about different topics at
length, and the meaning of what is being said is generally clear.
• The candidate can paraphrase and use synonyms, but not always
successfully.
• The candidate can use a mix of simple and complex grammatical
structures but makes mistakes with complex structures (e.g. conditionals
and perfect tenses).
• It is generally easy enough for the listener to understand what is being
said, but there are problems pronouncing some individual words.

SPEAKING BAND 7
• The candidate can generally speak at length with only occasional
hesitation and self-correction.
• The candidate can use a wide range of connecting words and phrases.
• The candidate is able to use some less common vocabulary (including
collocations and idiomatic phrases), although not always appropriately.
• The candidate can easily paraphrase and use synonyms.
• The candidate can use more complex grammatical structures (conditionals,
perfect tenses, etc.) but with occasional mistakes .
• The candidate's pronunciation is generally good enough.

SPEAKING BAND 8
• The candidate can speak fluently with only occasional self-correction.
• The candidate only hesitates when thinking about what to say, not how to
express it in English.
• The candidate can develop topics easily and appropriately.
• The candidate has a wide vocabulary and can express very precise
meaning.
• The candidate can use less common vocabulary, idiomatic phrases and
collocations, with only occasional inaccuracies.
• The candidate can use a wide range of complex grammatical structures
with only occasional errors.
• The candidate’s pronunciation is good, and this makes it very easy to
understand what he or she is saying.

SPEAKING BAND 9
• The candidate can speak fluently with very infrequent self-correction.
• The candidate only hesitates when thinking about what to say, not how to
express it.
• The candidate has a very wide vocabulary and can express very precise
meaning.
• The candidate is able to use less common vocabulary naturally and easily.
• The candidate can use a wide range of complex grammatical structures
with only the occasional ‘slips’ that a typical native speaker would make.
• The candidate’s pronunciation is very accurate and it is very easy to
understand what is being said.
IELTS scores compared with other examinations
If you are familiar with the Cambridge English examinations (PET, FCE,
CAE, CPE) or the Common European Framework of Reference, here’s how
the IELTS band scores compare:

http://www.britishcouncil.org/czechrepublic-exams-ielts.htm

If you are familiar with the TOEFL exam, this interactive tool allows you to
compare IELTS band scores with TOEFL scores:

http://www.ets.org/toefl/institutions/scores/compare/
The day of the test
It is helpful to know what happens on the day of the Speaking test, in case
students have any questions about procedure or regulations. The candidate’s
local IELTS test centre will provide the date and time of his or her test. In
some centres, it takes place before the main exam. In other centres, it takes
place after. Below is the standard test day procedure and some advice for
candidates.

When to arrive
The candidate should arrive early for the interview, preferably at least half an
hour early. Candidates who arrive late will not be allowed to take the test.
Some centres specify that test takers must arrive a certain period of time,
perhaps 15 minutes, before the test.

Registration
When candidates register at the reception, a member of the test centre staff
will check their ID cards or passports. Each candidate will then be informed
where to go for the test and will be assigned a desk.

What to take
Candidates must not forget to bring the same ID card or passport that was
used when they registered for the test. Baggage and mobile devices should be
left in the specially designated area for personal belongings. Electronic
equipment is not allowed in the examination room.

Waiting outside the examination room

While waiting outside the examination room, candidates should not knock on
the door or disturb examiner. This may cause the examiner to have a bad first
impression of them, which isn’t helpful. Instead, the candidate should wait
until invited in.

Beginning the interview

At the beginning of the interview, the candidate should greet the examiner
with a simple “Hello”, “Good morning” or “Good afternoon”. When the
examiner asks for the candidate’s name, his or her real full name should be
given. If students have adopted an English name, they can say something like
“My name is Chow Xin Xin, but you can call me Stephen”. The examiner
will also ask to see the candidate’s ID card or passport.

Ending the interview

At the end of the interview, the candidate should say something simple like
“Thank you, goodbye” and then leave the centre without talking to any of the
waiting candidates.
Typical concerns
Here are some typical questions that IELTS Speaking candidates might ask
you about the test, together with recommended responses.

What kind of topics will the examiner ask me about?

The IELTS Speaking test is an international, standardised test, so the
questions will generally be about familiar topics that everybody can relate to,
for example your hometown, your family, food and drink, travel, work,
studies, celebrations, nature, the internet, transportation, etc.

Do I need to use British English?

Although IELTS is a British/Australian test, all varieties of English are
acceptable, including American, Canadian, New Zealand, etc. However, it is
best to be consistent, so choose one variety and stick to it.

How can I use my free time to prepare for the test?

The following suggestions may help.
• Record yourself answering questions and write your answers down word
for word. That way, you can learn from your mistakes.
• Read a text and try to summarise what you read in your own words. This
will train you to paraphrase and use synonyms effectively, which is
important if you want to achieve a high band.
• Practise talking about your experiences -- the people you know, places you
have visited, events you have attended and objects you own.
• Think in English as much as possible -- this will make you feel more
comfortable speaking English and improve your fluency.
• Watch films -- the more you listen to native speakers, the more confident
you will become in speaking. Pay attention to the subtitles or look up
words in a dictionary.
• Listen to native speakers as much as possible. Sources of listening include
real people, audio books and podcasts, for example:
- www.podcastsinenglish.com
- www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish
- www.eslpod.com
- www.listen-to-english.com
What if I didn’t hear or understand a question?
Candidates are allowed to ask for clarification and examiners are allowed to
repeat a question or instruction twice. The examiner is also allowed to
provide a definition of a word if you ask for it. Therefore, it is better to ask
for clarification if needed than remain silent or risk answering the wrong
question.

Can I ask the examiner questions?

The examiner is not allowed to respond to candidates unless a question or
instruction needs to be repeated or clarified.

Are some examiners stricter than others?

The IELTS scoring system is standardised, and examiners are trained to be
reliable and fair in their assessment of candidates. IELTS Speaking tests are
also recorded, which allows the examiners’ bosses to ensure they are being
impartial.

I deserve a higher score. What can I do?

If you feel that your performance deserved a higher score, you are allowed to
request a re-mark by a different examiner. However, there is a fee (around
50% of the normal test fee), which is refunded if the result is revised
upwards. In general, a request for a re-mark should be considered if all of the
following conditions apply:
• You strongly feel that you deserve a higher score.
• The score given was within half a band of your target band for the
Speaking test. For example, you got Band 6.5 and needed Band 7.
• There is about 1-1.5 band difference between your Speaking test score and
the scores for the other papers (if there is a 2-band difference, the marks are
double-checked automatically, so a re-mark probably won’t help) .
• You are not in a hurry — it can take up to 2 months to get the test re-
marked, so if you need a result sooner, it might be advisable to retake the
exam.
Online teaching tips
Learning English online is growing in importance and popularity. This
phenomenon can be explained by a number of key trends:

• the continuous development of high bandwidth broadband internet

• the widespread availability of free VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
communication tools such as Skype
• the social shift towards virtual communication
• a shortage of English teachers in high-demand countries

Learning via Skype is particularly popular among IELTS Speaking

candidates from regions of the world where there is limited access to fluent or
native speaker teachers able to help them prepare for the test.
If you are a freelance English tutor, teaching online offers numerous
attractive incentives. It empowers and enables you to work from home, start
your own business with little or no capital, schedule lessons at convenient
times and reach countless students across multiple time zones.
If you are intending to teach IELTS candidates online (e.g. via Skype or
Google Hangouts), you may find the following tips useful:

• Create a blog, e.g. with WordPress or Blogger, and regularly publish your
personal tips for students — this will make it easier to gain exposure in
search engines such as Google.
• Promote your service in different ways — for example, blog regularly,
contribute to learning English forums, post online classified ads, create
videos for YouTube.
• Offer a free consultation or short trial lesson for $1-10 (but make sure
potential students are aware of your prices for regular courses).
• In the first lesson, do a mock test, ascertain the student’s level and discuss
band expectations.
• Use Google Docs and Sheets ( docs.google.com ) for keeping a record of
corrections and new vocabulary.
• Use a collaborative whiteboard tool such as twiddla.com if you need to
illustrate key grammatical concepts .
• Use an appointment scheduling tool such as appointlet.com with your
 Google Calendar ( www.google.com/calendar ) to easily schedule lessons
with students across multiple time zones.
• Send out payment requests, add payment buttons to your website and
collect money online with a PayPal business account (
www.paypal.com/sign-up ).

Setting up a blog
The most powerful and versatile free blogging platform on the market is
undoubtedly WordPress (WordPress.org ). To set up a WordPress blog, you
first need to purchase a domain name and a shared hosting package from a
reputable hosting company.
Popular hosts such as HostGator (www.hostgator.com ) offer unlimited
storage plans for a modest recurring fee. You will also need to ensure that the
hosting service provides a user-friendly admin panel such as cPanel, which
will allow you to install Wordpress with one click . This is what HostGator's
control panel looks like:

In my book Become an Online English Teacher ( onlineteacherbook.com )

published by Pavilion Publishing and Media 2015, I walk you through the
process of setting up, promoting and managing a successful online teaching
business.
Sample test s
You can access and print out complete IELTS Speaking tests for use in your
lessons using the online test generator tool designed to be used with this
handbook. Visit the link below:

www.ieltsgenerator.com

Click or tap the button ‘GENERATE NEW TEST’ to generate a sample test.
Click the print icon below the test to print out the paper or save as a pdf.
Useful websites
Here are a few other online sources of sample questions, cue cards and
complete tests that you can use in your lessons for speaking practice:

www.ielts-exam.net
This website presents around 90 typical questions for Part 1 of the Speaking
test as well as 8 common topics for Part 2 and 3.

www.ieltsbuddy.com
Here you can find around 50 Part 1 questions, 8 topic cards for Part 2 and
around 40 practice questions for Part 3.

www.goodluckielts.com
This website presents over 100 Part 1 questions as well as several Part 2
topics.
ESSENTIAL SKILLS
Introduction
Earlier in this book, we covered the four skills that IELTS candidates need to
achieve a high score in the Speaking test. In this section of the book, we will
look at these skills in more detail and how you can help improve your
students’ performances for each of the criteria.
The first part of this section will focus on improving lexical resource .
The information provided will help you correct learners’ spoken English,
taking into account the range and sophistication of vocabulary needed to
achieve their target bands.
The second part of this section will cover practical tips and activities
designed to improve fluency and coherence . This includes activities you
can use to help candidates connect their ideas better, avoid awkward pauses
and expand their answers sufficiently.
In the third part of this section, we will focus on grammatical range and
accuracy and how to prepare students to answer different types of questions
using appropriate grammar.
Finally, we will look at a few simple activities designed to improve your
students’ performance for pronunciation .
The activities in this section of the book can be used to devise a tailored
course for individual students as well as train weak areas that were identified
during mock tests.
Vocabulary for Band 6-6. 5
ESSENTIAL SKILL: LEXICAL RESOURCE

According to the IELTS band descriptors, candidates whose band is around

6-6.5 must demonstrate a wide enough vocabulary to be able to talk about
any topic at length, and they need to be fairly precise.
For example, if a candidate repeatedly describes the weather as ‘good’,
this shows the IELTS examiner that she has a limited vocabulary. To get
Band 6 or higher, students need to be more precise and avoid repeating the
same common words all the time. Look at the difference between ‘precise’
vocabulary and ‘imprecise’ vocabulary.

IMPRECISE PRECISE

I was very happy when my manager
gave me better position.
The weather in my country is good
in summer and not good in winter.
I live in very very big city.
In my town, there are many many
cars.
My uncle is a man who gives money My uncle is a very generous man.
for everybody.
The transport system in my country
is not good.
In my street the cars are very loud.
I finished university study in 2010.
There are many people in my
I was very happy when my manager
gave me a promotion .
The weather in my country is nice
and sunny in summer and very cold
in winter.
I live in a very large city.
There is a lot of traffic in my town.
The transport system in my country
is not very efficient .
My street is very noisy because of
the traffic.
I graduated from university in
2010.
There are many unemployed
 country who are without job.
In my free time, I walk in the
mountains.
My cousin drives very big cars.
In my town, there are many many
cars.
people in my country.
Unemployment is very high in my
country.
In my free time, I go hiking in the
mountains.
My cousin is a truck driver .
There is a lot of traffic in my town.

Note that if candidates do forget words, it’s fine to paraphrase using more
simple words. However, a Band 6-6.5 candidate should demonstrate a general
ability to express fairly precise meaning.
When correcting and providing feedback to students whose target band is
6-6.5, encourage them to focus on clarity and precision using common words
and structures. Avoid teaching them vocabulary that they are likely to misuse,
for example less common phrasal verbs, idioms and collocations.
Vocabulary for Band 7- 9
ESSENTIAL SKILL: LEXICAL RESOURCE

In order to achieve a very high band in the IELTS speaking test, students
need to demonstrate that they can use some ‘less common’ vocabulary,
including idioms and less common collocations. The sentences below are
examples of less common vocabulary. Note that the higher the target band,
the fewer mistakes the candidate should be making with advanced
vocabulary.

COMMON VOCABULARY LESS COMMON VOCABULARY

Korean people think that they are
good singers, so they enjoy karaoke.
I was very very happy when I got
my promotion.
Some people in my country are very
very poor.
People in my country are spending
less money because of the crisis.
I live in a rich part of the city.
In my country, if you are rich you
can do a lot of bad things and not get can get away with murder .
punished.
Korean people regard themselves
as being talented singers, so they
enjoy karaoke.
I was over the moon when I got my
promotion.
Some people in my country are very
impoverished .
People in my country are tightening
their belts because of the crisis.
I live in a fairly affluent part of the
city.
In my country, if you are rich, you
Correction tips
A helpful correction technique is paraphrasing what the student has just said
in correct and natural English suitable for the target band level that the
candidate is aiming for.

STUDENT: My boss gave me better position.

TEACHER: My boss gave me a promotion / Your boss gave you a
promotion.

If the student’s target band is very high, you should also listen for statements
that contain simple vocabulary and paraphrase them with less common
vocabulary.

STUDENT: London is a very, very big city.

TEACHER: Yes, London is a huge city.

You can also use this technique to teach idiomatic vocabulary to advanced
students:

STUDENT: I think each country should try to reduce the amount of

greenhouse gases that it produces.
TEACHER: Yes, each country should try to reduce its carbon footprint .

When practising Parts 2 and 3, it is a good idea to allow the student to speak
at length uninterrupted. Note down errors and when the student has finished,
go through the mistakes and provide more appropriate sentences, structures
and vocabulary for the target band level.
If the student is aiming for a very high band, you can make a note of very
simple or common structures that the student used and then provide less
common or more natural ways of expressing the same thing. During this
process, it is also important to value appropriate sentences or structures, as
this will boost the student’s confidence.
However, discourage students from showing off to the examiner by
overusing idioms and advanced structures. If they do this, they will sound
unnatural. Idioms and less common vocabulary should be used appropriately,
like spices in a cooking recipe.
Expanding answers
ESSENTIAL SKILL: FLUENCY AND COHERENCE
For Part 1 of the IELTS speaking test, students should be encouraged to give
full, relevant answers to the examiner’s questions, as in the model answers
below. About 2-4 sentences will do.
However, discourage them from memorising answers word for word, as
examiners are trained to notice pre-prepared answers and will penalise
candidates who sound unnatural.

EXAMINER: Where are you from?

CANDIDATE: I’m from St Petersburg in Russia. (DON’T STOP!) It’s the
second largest city in Russia and very popular with tourists because of its
historical sites.

EXAMINER: Have you ever been to an English speaking country?

CANDIDATE: No, I haven’t. (DON’T STOP!) But I’d really like visit
London. I’ve heard so much about the place.

EXAMINER: Do you do any sports?

CANDIDATE: Yes, I play football. (DON’T STOP!) I play with my friends
every Sunday. I’m not a fantastic player, but I really enjoy it, and that’s the
main thing.

EXAMINER: How many people are there in your family?

CANDIDATE: There are four of us. (DON’T STOP!) Myself, my sister and
my parents. Oh, and we have a dog, if that counts !

EXAMINER: Do you enjoy cooking?

CANDIDATE: Yes, I do. (DON’T STOP!) I especially like cooking pasta
because it’s quick and there are so many different recipes to experiment with.
When I was living in Italy I also learnt how to cook other Italian dishes.

EXAMINER: Do you prefer reading magazines or newspapers?

CANDIDATE: Definitely newspapers. (DON’T STOP!) I like to keep up-to-
date with the latest news and so daily newspapers are more informative for
me.
EXAMINER: Why are you taking the IELTS exam?
CANDIDATE: I need it for my studies. (DON’T STOP!) I’ve been offered a
place at Manchester University but only on the condition that I achieve a
band 7 or higher in the IELTS exam.

EXAMINER: Is there any job you would like to do in the future?

CANDIDATE: No. (DON’T STOP!) I’m quite happy with my current job.
I’ve always been a creative person so a job in marketing was the kind of job I
always wanted.

EXAMINER: Do you work or are you a student?

CANDIDATE: I’m a student. (DON’T STOP!) I’m studying accounting at
the University of Beijing.

EXAMINER: Do you enjoy reading?

CANDIDATE: Yes, I do. (DON’T STOP!) I especially enjoy reading about
historical events. I find history fascinating .

EXAMINER: Do you have a pet?

CANDIDATE: No. (DON’T STOP!) I’m not really keen on the idea of living
with animals, to be honest. I like watching them on television, though.

EXAMINER: What do you usually do when you travel by train?

CANDIDATE: Watch films. (DON’T STOP!) I recently bought an iPad and I
always take it with me when I travel. It’s really handy when I’m on the train
because I can watch my favourite films. The time just flies by.

EXAMINER: What languages do you speak?

CANDIDATE: Korean and English. (DON’T STOP!) Korean is my native
language, of course, and I’m learning English.

EXAMINER: Do you like music?

CANDIDATE: Yes, I do. (DON’T STOP!) I especially like classical music
because I play the piano. I don’t regard myself as an exceptional musician,
but I enjoy it and that’s the main thing.

EXAMINER: Where do you go shopping?

CANDIDATE: For things like electronic goods, I shop online. (DON’T
STOP!) I find it more convenient than and cheaper. But when it comes to
food, I usually shop at my local market.

Lesson activity
Ask closed questions from the list of Yes-No Questions in the Sample
Questions section at the end of this book. Encourage full answers (about 2-4
sentences). Questions which require an answer of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ will challenge
students to expand their answers. This activity can be done as a pair-work
exercise if you are teaching a class of students.
Conversation fillers
ESSENTIAL SKILL: FLUENCY AND COHERENCE

In the IELTS speaking test, candidates may need time to process the question
and think about what they are going to say. Remaining silent or hesitating too
much will result in a lower score for Fluency and Coherence.
In much the same way that proficient and native English speakers are not
completely silent when they are thinking, IELTS candidates should be
encouraged to use conversation fillers to fill these awkward silences and
avoid losing points. Here are some examples of fillers that you can encourage
your students to use.

EXAMINER: Who is your favourite family member?

CANDIDATE: Hmm, that’s a difficult question. Umm, I would say my
older brother.

EXAMINER: Is there any other work you would like to do in the future?
CANDIDATE: Hmm… well, I suppose consulting would be interesting .

EXAMINER: Are you ever late for appointments?

CANDIDATE: Umm, you know, let me think about that. Hmm, I’m
usually quite punctual, so I’d say pretty rarely.
EXAMINER: Is water pollution a problem in your country?
CANDIDATE: Well, I think it’s becoming a problem.

EXAMINER: How long have you been learning English?

CANDIDATE: Hmm….let’s see…umm…I’d say…basically …about 10
years.

Lesson activity
Select questions from the Difficult questions list in the Sample Questions
section at the end of this book. Students practise beginning each response
with a conversation filler. This can be done as a pair-work exercise if you are
teaching a class of students.
Remind students that in the actual test, they should use fillers only if they
really need time to think, otherwise their responses may sound unnatural.
Asking for clarification
ESSENTIAL SKILL: FLUENCY AND COHERENCE

If the examiner asks a question that the candidate did not hear or understand,
the candidate is allowed to ask for clarification without being penalised and
the examiner is allowed to repeat the instruction or question twice.
A failure to understand or hear a question could also be considered an
opportunity to demonstrate advanced communication skills by asking for
clarification in a coherent way. Study the situations below.

The candidate didn’t understand something

If the examiner uses a word or phrase that the candidate didn’t understand or
has forgotten (e.g. the word impact ), the candidate could say:

The candidate didn’t hear something

Candidates who simply didn’t hear what the examiner said or asked can be
encouraged say something like:
The candidate is not totally sure what the examiner means
Candidates who need to check that they understood something correctly can
ask:

EXAMINER: Who is your favourite family member?

CANDIDATE: When you say ‘family member’, do you mean my close
family, or can I talk about my relatives?

EXAMINER: What is your hometown like?

CANDIDATE: When you say ‘hometown’, do you mean the town where I
grew up?

EXAMINER: Do you find your work satisfying?

CANDIDATE: Are you asking if I like my job ?

EXAMINER: What is your favourite gadget?

CANDIDATE: By ‘gadget’, do you mean things like iPhones and digital
cameras?
EXAMINER: What typical problems do you have in your hometown?
CANDIDATE: When you say ‘typical problems’, are you including
pollution, traffic, and things like that?

Candidates should only ask for clarification if they really need the examiner
to repeat or rephrase something. They should not ask for clarification after
every question just to show off or use up time. This may negatively affect
their score.

Lesson activity 1
Select questions from the list of Questions that may need clarification in
the Sample Questions section at the end of this book. Each of the questions
may contain a difficult word or phrase. Ask the questions and have students
request clarification. This can be done as a pair-work exercise if you are
teaching a class of students .

Lesson activity 2
Read out some random questions either too quickly or too quietly. Students
should ask you to repeat using appropriate structures. This can be done as a
pair-work exercise if you are teaching a class of students.
Being spontaneous
ESSENTIAL SKILL: FLUENCY AND COHERENCE

While speaking, new ideas may pop into the candidate’s head. Introducing
these new ideas in a natural, spontaneous way can help students get a higher
score for Fluency and Coherence. Here are some examples of expressions
you can encourage for this purpose.

Here are some examples of how these expressions can be used in practice. In
the examples below, the candidate is talking about why he likes a particular
child (for Part 2 of the test).

What else? What else? Oh yes, he is very respectful.

I just remembered what I wanted to say -- he is also very respectful.
Another point I wanted to make is that he is very respectful
Another example just came to me -- he is very respectful.
One more thing I’d just like to add -- he is very respectful.
One more thing comes to mind -- he is very respectful. (ADVANCED)
One more thing springs to mind -- he is very respectful. (ADVANCED)
Lack of opinions
ESSENTIAL SKILL: FLUENCY AND COHERENCE
Candidates need not have great ideas or opinions. The examiner is only
evaluating their ability to communicate in English. However, they do have to
give a relevant response to every question. This shows that they have
understood the question correctly, and consequently they will avoid losing
points for Fluency and Coherence. So, what can students say if they lack the
ideas or opinions needed to discuss a particular topic?
Apart from inventing an opinion, which could be encouraged since the
examiner is not interested in the truth, students can express a lack of opinion
and wait for the next question. This is better than remaining silent or uttering
an incoherent response. Expressing a lack of opinion can also be used to gain
time so that the candidate can gather her thoughts.

A number of expressions can be suggested for this purpose, for example:

ADVANCED EXPRESSIONS
For more confident students aiming for a very high band, you can also
encourage:
Lesson activity
Select potentially tricky questions from the Difficult questions list in the
Sample Questions section at the end of this book. Have students express a
lack of opinion in their responses, followed by a weak opinion beginning
with I guess … or I suppose … like in the example below:

QUESTION: What do your friends think of you?

RESPONSE: Hmmm, I’ve never given that much thought. Erm, I suppose
they think I’m an honest person.

This can be done as a pair-work exercise if you are teaching a class of

students.
Buying time
ESSENTIAL SKILL: FLUENCY AND COHERENC E

Here are some more techniques that can help students gain all the time they
need to think about a response without remaining silent or hesitating
excessively, which can negatively affect their score for Fluency and
Coherence. These techniques may be especially useful for Part 3 of the test,
where the candidate needs to give more developed answers.

REPEATING THE QUESTION

Candidates can try to repeat the examiner’s question in their own words. This
can even be ‘disguised’ as a request for clarification.

EXAMINER: How popular is watching television in your country?

CANDIDATE: Hmm, how popular is TV in my country? Well, I’d say it’s
…..

EXAMINER: What are the advantages of playing sport?

CANDIDATE: Hmm, so just to be clear, you’re asking me about the benefits
of playing sport. Well, I think …

EXAMINER: How do people in your country travel long distances?

CANDIDATE: So, just to check I’ve understood, you are asking me which
forms of transport people use to travel long distances in my country?

EXAMINER: What leisure activities are popular in your country?

CANDIDATE: Okay, so basically you are asking me how people like to
spend their free time in my country.

EXAMINER: What leisure activities are popular in your country?

CANDIDATE: Okay, so basically you are asking me how people like to
spend their free time in my country .

Asking for time

Another way students can gain time to think is by simply asking for time.
This is a technique that everybody uses in normal conversation.

Confident students aiming for a very high band can consider using less
common expressions such as:

Using conversation fillers

If the student still needs a few extra seconds after using the above
expressions, a suitable conversation filler (see the Conversation fillers
section) can be used:

Well, I guess I would say that television is extremely popular.

Hmm….I suppose that train travel is the most common form of transport .
Well, umm, basically I think that sport can help us to live a much healthier
lifestyle.
 Combining techniques
Students can combine different approaches in order to gain more time. They
could theoretically gain the maximum amount of time if they combine
repeating the question and asking for time with conversation fillers and
expressing a lack of opinion.

EXAMINER: What different types of food do people eat in your country?

CANDIDATE: Hmm….so you would like to know the different types of
food that people eat in my country. Hmm…interesting question. Can I think
about it for a moment? Well, I guess traditional Polish cuisine is still very
popular.

Lesson activity
Select and ask questions from the list of Difficult questions in the Sample
Questions section at the end of this book. Have the students practise gaining
time to think using the expressions and techniques presented. This can be
done as a pair-work exercise if you are teaching a class of students.
Giving opinions
ESSENTIAL SKILLS: FLUENCY AND COHERENCE + LEXICAL
RESOURCE

In the IELTS Speaking test, the examiner will ask candidates for their
opinions on particular topics. They may need to express opinions in Part 1,
Part 2 or Part 3 of the test. It is a good idea for students aiming for higher
bands to demonstrate a broad vocabulary by using special phrases for
expressing an opinion, instead of repeating I think … all the time. Below are
some examples.

In my opinion , good exercise and a healthy diet are important for a long life.
I believe that many jobs are more suited to men.
Personally, I think that many jobs are still more suited to men.
I feel that the gap between rich and poor is growing.
I find Indian food a bit too spicy.

In order to give an opinion that something is not true with I think , I feel , I
believe , etc., encourage students to say I don’t feel , I don’t believe , etc.

I don’t believe (that) there is enough equality between men and women.
I don’t feel (that) the gap between rich and poor is getting smaller.

BAND 7-9
The expressions below are suitable for confident students aiming for a very
high band.

I reckon an increasing number of people will be working from home in the

future. (INFORMAL, BRITISH ENGLISH)
I’m utterly convinced that the government should do more to help the
unemployed. (EXPRESSES A STRONG OPINION)
I’m of the opinion that the government should do more to encourage
environmentally-friendly transport.
From my point of view as a student, the cost of living in my city is very
high .
The way I see it, my country has too many public holidays
As far as I’m concerned, French cuisine is among the best in the world.

Lesson activity
Ask questions from the Sample Questions section of this book. Have the
students practise expressing their opinions using the phrases presented. This
can be done as a pair-work exercise if you are teaching a class of students.
Connecting ideas
ESSENTIAL SKILLS: FLUENCY AND COHERENCE + LEXICAL
RESOURCE

In Parts 2 and 3 of the IELTS speaking test, candidates will need to speak at
length about a particular issue. In order to get a high band, it is important that
they develop their ideas using appropriate connecting words and phrases.
Below are some common connectors you can teach them.

well
Use well to introduce a remark or give yourself time to think.
Who is my favourite family member? Well, I need to think about that one.

so / therefore
Use so or therefore to introduce a logical result. So is more informal than
therefore, and it is used more often in speaking.
Living in a big city has lots of advantages. Therefore , I’d prefer to live
there.
Living in a big city has lots of advantages. So I’d prefer to live there.

basically
Use basically to introduce the most important aspect of something. It is very
common in spoken English and often used as a time filler.
Basically , there are three reasons why I’d like to live in a big city.

however / yet
Use however or yet to make a contrast.
I agree with that opinion. However , I don’t know if it will be true in the
future.
I agree with that opinion. Yet I don’t know if it will be true in the future.

Note that overusing the word however can make a learner’s spoken English
sound too formal and unnatural. In most cases, the word but is more natural.
Correct this at an early stage if your student has this habit .
though
Use though to make a contrast.
Living in a big city has lots of advantages. I’d still prefer to live in a small
town , though .

in other words
Use in other words to simplify or summarise what you just said before.
In bigger cities, there are more offices and shops. In other words , there is
more work.

If we’re talking …
Use If we’re talking … to introduce one aspect of a topic.
If we’re talking shopping and entertainment, I’d prefer to live in a big city.

as far as … is concerned
We use as far as something is concerned when we introduce an aspect of a
topic. It is a little more formal that If we’re talking …
As far as shopping is concerned , it is much better to live in a big city than a
small town.

eventually
Use eventually to say what happens after a long time and/or many problems.
The meaning is similar to in the end .
We drove for two hours trying to find the hotel. Eventually , we gave up and
decided to stay at a hostel.

on top of that / what’s more

Use on top of that or what’s more to introduce additional points.
The hotel was awful. On top of that , the weather was cold and wet.
The hotel was awful. What’s more , the weather was cold and wet.

These connectors are more informal than in addition , furthermore and

moreover , so students need to be aware not to use them in formal writing .

anyway / anyhow
Use anyway or anyhow to confirm or support a point or idea just mentioned
in a conversation.
When I was in Italy, I didn’t have time to go for a pizza. Anyway , I don’t
really like pizza.

Anyway or anyhow can also be used to return to the topic of a conversation

before the subject was changed.
Anyhow , we finally found a mechanic to fix our car.

actually
Use actually to give an unexpected or surprising response.
Q: What is your profession? A: Actually , I’m still a student.

in fact / actually
Use in fact or actually to modify a previous statement.
I used to get up at 7am. In fact , it was around 6.30.
I used to get up at 7am. Actually , it was around 6.30.

to cut a long story short

Use the idiom to cut a long story short (American English: to make a long
story short ) to stop telling someone all the details about something that
happened and just get to the main facts.
To cut a long story short , I arrived home after midnight.

on the whole / in general

Use on the whole or in general to make a general statement.
On the whole , I think the food in my country is healthy.
In general , I think the food in my country is healthy.

overall
Use overall to make a final concluding statement.
Overall , it was a fantastic holiday.
Other possible phrases: all in all , on the whole , all things considered .

for example / for instance

Use for example or for instance to give an example.
Big cities have more developed public transport. For instance , in my city
there are trams, metro systems, buses and trains.

alternatively
Use alternatively to provide an alternative idea.
In my town, you can get to the city centre by tram. Alternatively , you can
take the bus.

Lesson activity
Ask some discussion-type questions from the Sample Questions section of
this book (or from another resource). Have the student respond using at least
four connectors. When the student has used four connectors, move on to the
next question. This can be done as a pair-work exercise if you are teaching a
class of students.
Giving examples
ESSENTIAL SKILL: FLUENCY AND COHERENCE

For Parts 2 and 3 of the IELTS Speaking test, and for some of the questions
in Part 1, students can be encouraged to extend their answers and make them
more interesting by giving personal examples to support their points. They
should try to give real examples and stories whenever possible, and introduce
them with appropriate connecting phrases such as the expressions in bold
used in the answers below.

What are the benefits of watching television?

Well I think that watching the right kind of TV programmes can open your
mind and increase your general knowledge. Let me give you an example .
Last week, I watched an interesting documentary on Roman history. I learnt a
lot about the Roman way of life.

How have shopping habits changed in recent years?

I think shopping habits have changed considerably in recent years. Take my
hometown as an example . I remember ten years ago before the financial
crisis, the shops were always full of people. Nowadays, people are tightening
their belts and shopping less.

What are the benefits of travelling?

I think there are a lot of benefits. When you travel, you meet new people, you
learn about new cultures and you can develop yourself. For example, last
summer I went travelling in East Africa. I saw how cheerful and happy the
people were, despite their difficult situation. It made me a more open-minded
person .

Do you think languages are taught well in schools?

I think that the problem in schools is that teachers focus too much on
grammar. I remember when I was at school, I had a nice English teacher, but
unfortunately we had very little speaking practice.

How easy is it to get around your city by public transport?

Is it easy to get around my city? Hmm….well, we have a fairly efficient
metro system, but sometimes there are problems. For instance, last week I
was trying to get home from work. Normally the journey takes about 20
minutes, but there were some delays and I got back home 30 minutes later
than usual.

Lesson activity
Demonstrate how giving a personal example can be used to extend a
response. Ask questions from the Sample Questions section of the book (or
from another resource) have the students develop each answer with a
personal example. This can be done as a pair-work exercise if you are
teaching a class of students.
Listening to tenses
ESSENTIAL SKILL: GRAMMATICAL RANGE AND ACCURACY

To get a good score for Grammatical Range and Accuracy in the IELTS
Speaking test, students need to listen carefully to the questions and pay
special attention to the verb tenses that the examiner uses. They can answer
by reflecting the tense (i.e. using the same tense) or by using a different tense.

Reflecting the tense

Less confident students can be encouraged to reflect the tense in their
answers to ensure an accurate response. Look at this example:

What type of activities do you do in your spare time?

The examiner uses the present simple (do you do ). The candidate can
respond using the same tense, for example:

Well, I often play tennis in the summer. …

I don’t really have much spare time, but when I do , I like to …

Using a different tense

Students who are confident enough can try to use a more complex tense or
structure than that used in the question, e.g. the present perfect or a
conditional structure. This can affect their score positively if they are aiming
for a high band. Study these examples:

EXAMINER: Do you know the people who next door to you?

CANDIDATE: No, I’ve never met them personally, but my wife has chatted
to them a few times .

EXAMINER: Do you cook?

CANDIDATE: No, unfortunately not. I would if I had the time. But I’m just
too busy.
Lesson activity
Ask questions from the Sample Questions section of this book (or from
another resource). Have students practise reflecting the question structure or
using a different tense in their responses.
Talking about changes
ESSENTIAL SKILL: GRAMMATICAL RANGE AND ACCURACY

There are a few types of questions that appear again and again in Part 1 and
Part 3 of the IELTS Speaking test. Students should be made aware of each
type and be prepared to answer in a grammatically correct way. For example,
the examiner may ask questions about how something has changed:

Has transport changed much in your country over the last few decades?
How have shopping habits changed in recent years?

Such questions can be answered by comparing the present with the past, by
describing a change over time or by comparing a past habit with a present
situation. Encourage use the present continuous for talking about a current
trend:

People are shopping much more now than in the past.

To say how a situation has changed over time up to the present moment,
encourage use of the present perfect :

People’s shopping habits have changed dramatically in recent years.

To talk about something that people did regularly in the past, but not today,
encourage students to use the structure used to /didn’t use to + infinitive :

People didn’t use to shop very much in the past.

Lesson activity
Select questions from the Questions about a change list in the Sample
questions section at the end of this book. Students practise responding to
each question with the present continuous , present perfect or used to +
infinitive .
 Weaker students who have difficulty with the present perfect can be
encouraged to keep their responses simple by sticking to the present
continuous and comparing with the past. This can be done as a pair-work
exercise if you are teaching a class of students.
Talking about hypothetical situations
ESSENTIAL SKILL: GRAMMATICAL RANGE AND ACCURACY

In the IELTS Speaking test, the examiner may ask a question about a
hypothetical situation, for example:

Which countries would you like to visit in the future? Why?

How would you spend your time if you didn’t have to work?

When talking about imaginary situations in the present or future, encourage

students to use would /could + infinitive :

I think that Scotland would be a very interesting country to visit.

To talk about imaginary situations with if…. , encourage use of the second
conditional structure.

If I didn’t have to work, I would spend more time with my family.

Some questions may require candidates to speculate about the future, for
example:

How do you think mobiles (cellphones) will develop in the future?

When talking about possible future situations, encourage students to use

appropriate modal verbs such as will/could/may + infinitive :

I think mobiles will be able to talk to us in the future. They could become like
mini robots .

To talk about possible future situations with if.... , encourage use of the first
conditional structure:

If I have more free time in the future, I will spend it with my family.
Lesson activity
Select questions from the Hypothetical questions list in the Sample
Questions section at the end of this book. Have the students respond to
questions using appropriate hypothetical or conditional structures. This can
be done as a pair-work exercise if you are teaching a class of students. You
may want to pre-teach or review conditional structures.
Comparing and contrasting
ESSENTIAL SKILL: GRAMMATICAL RANGE AND ACCURACY

In the IELTS Speaking test, the examiner may ask the candidate to compare
and contrast two or more things, for example:

Do you prefer to live in the city or the countryside? Why?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of shopping online?

Students should try to use appropriate connecting words and comparative

structures in their answer.

To introduce a contrast, encourage the use of words and phrases like

however , but , on the other hand or though :

Shopping online is very convenient. You can do it from the comfort of your
home. But in my opinion it is not a good way to shop for things like clothes.

To compare two different things, encourage the use of while or whereas . For
example:

I prefer to live in the city than in the countryside. In the city you have more
shops and places of entertainment, whereas in the countryside there isn’t
much to do.

To express a comparison using adjectives, encourage the use of appropriate

comparative and superlative structures.

Lesson activity
Select questions from the Questions about a comparison list in the Sample
Questions section at the end of this book. Have the students respond to each
question with appropriate comparative structures. This can be done as a pair-
work exercise if you are teaching a class of students.
You may want to pre-teach or encourage appropriate comparative and
superlative structures. Make sure weaker students can form comparative and
superlative adjectives correctly.

ADJECTIVES WITH ONE SYLLABLE

Comparative form: Add -er (cheap —> cheaper)
Superlative form: Add -est (cheap —> the cheapest)

TWO-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES ENDING IN —Y

Comparative form: -y —> -ier (early —> earlier)
Superlative form: -y —> -iest (early —> the earliest)

TWO OR MORE SYLLABLES

Comparative form: Use more/less … (expensive —> more expensive)
Superlative form: Use the most /the least … (expensive —> the most
expensive)

IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMIND STUDENTS:

1. When comparing two things with a comparative adjective, use than :

The bus is cheaper than the train.

2. Before comparative forms, it often sounds more natural to use

qualifying expressions such as much , a lot / far (= a lot), a bit , a little ,
slightly : The plane is far more expensive than the train.

3. With some two-syllable adjectives, you can use -er/-est or more/most ,

for example: Joanna is friendlier / more friendly than usual.

4. We usually use the before superlative forms: The plane is the fastest
option. / He is one of the most interesting people I know .

5. These adjectives have irregular forms: good - better - best bad - worse -
worst far - further/farther - furthest
6. To say that one thing is ‘less’ than another thing, you can also say not as
… as: My hometown is not as big as London.

7. If you want to say that two things are the same, you can say as … as:
Spanish is as easy as Italian.

8. If you want to say that two things are same, you can also say the same
as: Prices in Moscow are nearly the same as in London.

9. If you want to say that two things are similar, you can say similar to:
The weather in Italy is similar to the weather in Greece.

10. If you want to say that two things are different, you can say different
than/to/from: The weather in Singapore is different than the weather in
Russia.
Expressing frequency
ESSENTIAL SKILL: GRAMMATICAL RANGE AND ACCURACY

Questions about how often the candidate does something are also common in
the IELTS Speaking test, especially in Part 1. Here are some examples:

How often do go shopping?

Do you cook very often?

In order to give a grammatically accurate response, candidates should

remember to use the present simple with an appropriate frequency
expression and/or adverb of frequency, for example:

Yes, I do. I usually go shopping about two or three times a week .

Yes, I do. I cook almost every day . I really enjoy it.

Students who are aiming for a high band (7 or higher) can be encouraged to
use less common frequency expressions such as:

once in a while
every two days/weeks/months or so
every once in a while
every now and then
every other day
once in a blue moon
practically never

The following answer would reflect the level of a candidate aiming for Band
9:

I tend to go shopping every other day , and sometimes more frequently. It

depends how much free time I have. To be honest, I’m not really enthusiastic
about shopping, but it has to be done .

Lesson activity
Select Questions about frequency from the Sample Questions section at
the end of this book. Have the students respond to each question with
appropriate frequency structures. This can be done as a pair-work exercise if
you are teaching a class of students. Consider reviewing or pre-teaching
frequency structures.
Typical mistakes
ESSENTIAL SKILLS: LEXICAL RESOURCE, FLUENCY AND
COHERENCE, GRAMMATICAL RANGE AND ACCURACY

Many IELTS candidates tend to make the same kinds of mistakes in their
speaking. Here are some common errors that you should try to discourage.

Using very formal vocabulary

The IELTS Speaking test assesses the candidate’s ability to use spoken
English. Many words are too formal for speaking and should be discouraged.
Here are some examples.

The weather in my country is very cold. Moreover, it snows a lot.

Words like moreover and furthermore are a little too formal for everyday
speech. Instead, encourage something like this:

The weather in my country is very cold. What's more, it snows a lot.

Here are some more examples of overly formal vocabulary:

TOO FORMAL FOR SPEAKING: and so forth

BETTER FOR SPEAKING: and so on

TOO FORMAL FOR SPEAKING: beverages

BETTER FOR SPEAKING: drinks

TOO FORMAL FOR SPEAKING: consequently, hence, thus

BETTER FOR SPEAKING: so

TOO FORMAL FOR SPEAKING: I possess …

BETTER FOR SPEAKING: I have …

TOO FORMAL FOR SPEAKING: I wish to …

BETTER FOR SPEAKING: I want to …

TOO FORMAL FOR SPEAKING: I purchased …

BETTER FOR SPEAKING: I bought …

TOO FORMAL FOR SPEAKING: I beg your pardon?

BETTER FOR SPEAKING: Sorry?

TOO FORMAL FOR SPEAKING: my residence

BETTER FOR SPEAKING: my home, my place

TOO FORMAL FOR SPEAKING: How does one say …?

BETTER FOR SPEAKING: How do you say …?

TOO FORMAL FOR SPEAKING: It is necessary for me to …

BETTER FOR SPEAKING: I need to …

TOO FORMAL FOR SPEAKING: I shall …

BETTER FOR SPEAKING: I will …

TOO FORMAL FOR SPEAKING: I have the intention of talking about

BETTER FOR SPEAKING: I’m going to talk about

TOO FORMAL FOR SPEAKING: whilst

BETTER FOR SPEAKING: while

TOO FORMAL FOR SPEAKING: I am engaged in different hobbies.

BETTER FOR SPEAKING: I’m into different hobbies.

‘Longer is better’
Many IELTS candidates believe that they always need to use long, complex
sentences to demonstrate a high level of fluency. This is not true. If your
students make this mistake, tell them that native speakers often prefer to
communicate with short idiomatic expressions or phrasal vocabulary. For the
Speaking test, these shorter, more ‘idiomatic’ structures would be considered
‘less common’ vocabulary, which can help candidates achieve a band score
above 7 if used correctly.

Look at this example:

A: At the moment, I’m studying in Poland. I’m going to stay here for three
more years.
B: At the moment, I’m studying in Poland. I’m here for another three years.

Although the phrase I’m here for another three years in the second version is
shorter and simpler, it is less common among learners and sounds more
natural to a native speaker.
Think about phrasal verbs. It is more natural to replace half a sentence
with a simple phrasal verb, for example “He got away with cheating” instead
of “He cheated and nobody punished him for doing that.”
If a student’s exam is very soon, however, you should not teach lots of
unfamiliar phrasal verbs because they will probably be used incorrectly.
And for candidates aiming for Band 6-6.5, it is best to keep things simple
and focus on tidying up their speaking rather than introduce new idiomatic
vocabulary.

Using connectors inappropriately

Another mistake that candidates make is using connectors incorrectly.
Realising that it helps to use connectors to get a high band, they might try to
overuse them or use them out of context, for example:

EXAMINER: What kinds of dishes do you enjoy cooking?

CANDIDATE: *As for cooking, I enjoy making pasta. *

In this response, the connector as for was used incorrectly. As for is like if
we’re talking and should be used to introduce one aspect or subtopic of a
wider topic .

EXAMINER: What’s the transport system like in your hometown?

CANDIDATE: Hmm…well I think public transport is quite efficient. As for
private transport, there are many problems, especially heavy traffic.

In this example, the connector was used correctly. The topic was transport.
The candidate first mentioned public transport. She then started talking about
private transport and introduced this subtopic in a natural way by saying ‘as
for private transport’.

Repeating every word in the examiner’s question

In the section on Buying time , I mentioned that it can be a good idea for
candidates to repeat the examiner’s question in order to gain time to think, for
example:

EXAMINER: How popular is watching television in your country?

CANDIDATE: Hmm….how popular is TV in my country? Well, I’d say it’s
pretty popular.

However, candidates should avoid beginning their answer by repeating the

words in the examiner’s question in an unnatural way:

EXAMINER: How have shopping habits changed in your country in recent

years?
CANDIDATE: How shopping habits have changed in my country in recent
years is…they have changed a lot.

It is better for them to begin in a simple, natural way. For example:

I think shopping habits have changed a lot in my country.

Pronunciation — weak sounds
ESSENTIAL SKILL: PRONUNCIATION

In order to get a high score for Pronunciation , which is 25% of the final
result, candidates do not need to speak with a British, American or Australian
accent. However, they must be easily understood. Here is one tip on how to
make your students’ English ‘easier on the examiner’s ears’.

The schwa /ə/

The schwa is an unstressed vowel sound that is found in many English words.
It is the most common vowel sound in the English language and it can be
spelled in many different ways, for example:

'a' in about [əˈbaʊt]

'e' in taken [ˈteɪkən]
'i' in pencil [ˈpɛnsəl]
'u' in supply [səˈplaɪ]
'o' in provide [prəˈvaɪd]
unwritten as in rhythm [ˈrɪðəm]

The schwa sound is made with the jaws slightly open, lips relaxed and tongue
motionless.

It is contained in unstressed suffixes , for example -er, -ar, -or, -um, -an,
-al, -ous, -ough, -our, -and, -ent and -ion. Go through and practise these
words with your students.

-er /ə/: bigger, trainer, cater, meter, better

-ar /ə/: familiar, popular, vinegar, sugar, singular
-um /əm/: medium, maximum, quantum, premium, museu m
-an /ən/: barman, doorman, organ, hooligan, human
-al /əl/: hospital, normal, cathedral, artificial, actual
-ous /əs/: dangerous, tedious, spacious, nervous, precious
-ough /ə/: thorough, borough
-our /ə/: armour, behaviour, flour, harbour, humour
-and /ənd/: England, thousand, husband, island, highland
-ent /ənt/: ancient, current, basement, competent, silent
-ion /ən/: operation, television, nation, action, region

The schwa is also represented by unstressed prefixes , for example su-, pro-,
to-, a-, sur- and con-.

su- /sə/: suppose, suffice, success, suspect (vb.), subtract

pro- /prə/: protect, provide, professional, pronounce
to- /tə/: together, tomorrow, today, tonight
sur- /sə/: surprise, survive, survivor, surround, surreal
con- /kən/: control, connect, convert, conclude, condition

Activity for advanced students

When native speakers of English speak at a natural speed, the pronunciation
of many words changes and the schwa becomes even more common. In the
examples below, the schwa sound is underlined and the stressed sounds are
indicated in bold in the natural speech version of the sentence:

SLOW SPEECH: I went to a town where there were a lot of tourists.

NATURAL SPEED: I went to a town where there were a lot o f tour ists.

The pronunciation of unstressed grammatical words such as prepositions,

pronouns and auxiliary verbs often changes in natural fast speech. These
words include ‘to’, ‘where’, ‘there’, ‘I’, ‘you’, ‘were’, ‘from’, ‘for’, ‘are’,
‘of’, etc .

Read the sentences below first slowly and then quickly. Have students repeat
and draw attention to the sound changes.

1. How are you?

2. How are they arriving?
3. Where are you going?
4. I’ve just got a present from my brother.
5. Have you ever been to Italy?
6. Do you know where the children are hiding?
7. I’m going to town for an hour or two.
8. I’ve just got back from America.
9. There are lots of interesting cafes in my town.
10. She’s meeting an old friend for lunch.
11. I’m off to the beach. See you later!

Just doing exercises alone will not necessarily improve your students’ ability
to incorporate the schwa sound in their speaking. They need to be encouraged
to frequently observe the weak vowel when listening to native speakers, and
this will help them to passively assimilate the sound into their speaking.
Specific pronunciation difficulties
ESSENTIAL SKILL: PRONUNCIATION

The following first languages are very common among IELTS test takers —
Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Arabic, Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean
and Japanese. If you are teaching online, many of your students are likely to
come from these backgrounds. Each group has its own particular
pronunciation challenges, including those covered below:

Portuguese speakers
In Portuguese, /r/ is pronounced /h/ at the beginning of words, so Portuguese
speakers might confuse head with red , height with right , etc.

Have students practise pronouncing pairs of words such as: head/red,

height/right, rat/hat, root/hoot, role/hole.

Spanish speakers
Spanish words hardly ever start with an 's+consonant' sound. Words that have
's+consonant' near the beginning usually all start with an 'e' as the first letter,
for example ‘escuela’ (school). This results in pronunciation mistakes like 'I
am from Espain’.

Have students practise pronouncing words such as: Spain, Spanish, school,
special, speak, square, sport.

Arabic speakers
In Arabic, there is no /p/ sound and many learners pronounce the letter 'p' as
/b/. This causes pronunciation mistakes like 'Baris' instead of ‘Paris'.

Have students practise pronouncing pairs of words such as: pace/base,

peas/bees, pat/bat, prick/brick, pit/bit, pouring/boring .
Cantonese, Mandarin and Korean speakers
There is no /v/ sound in Cantonese, standard Mandarin and Korean. This
causes pronunciation mistakes like 'wery' instead of ‘very'.

Have students practise pronouncing pairs of words such as: veil/whale,

vile/while, vent/went, vine/wine, vary/wary, veal/wheel.

Japanese speakers
The sounds /l/ and /r/ are problematic for Japanese speakers. This is because
the Japanese 'r' sounds like something between the English /r/ and /l/. This
causes pronunciation mistakes like 'lice' instead of ‘rice'.

Have students practise pronouncing pairs of words such as: light/right,

long/wrong, wrist/list, lips/rips, reach/leech, royal/loyal.

Hindi speakers
Hindi speakers need to be careful with the sounds /t/ and /d/. In Hindi, the
tongue is curled back, which produces a heavy sound. In English, the sound
is much lighter.

Have students practise pronouncing words such as: but, cut, too, total, taste,
said, dead, Madrid, bedroom, ladder.

Russian speakers
There is no /w/ sound in Russian, so Russian speakers tend to confuse /w/ and
/v/ in English. This causes mistakes like 'vell' instead of ‘well’.

Have students practise pronouncing pairs of words such as: veil/whale,

vile/while, vent/went, vine/wine, vary/wary, veal/wheel.
FOCUS ON PART 2
Using preparation time
In Part 2 of the IELTS speaking test, the candidate is handed a cue card and is
asked to talk about it. He or she has one minute to prepare and 1-2 minutes to
talk. The examiner will provide the candidate with a pencil and some paper
for making notes during the preparation time.
Students should be encouraged to make notes that they find useful in
English or in their native language.

Here are some note-taking and preparation tips for students:

- Read the task card carefully – if you don’t understand any part of it, ask
for clarification.
- Think of something to describe as quickly as you can.
- Write down all the vocabulary related to the topic that you can think of.
- Make notes for each part of the task.
- Think of 2-3 things to say for each prompt and jot down words that will
remind you of what to say.
- Just write down keywords that you can use to talk about the topic (you
don’t have time to write full sentences).
- Write down any ‘less common’ synonyms you can use to talk about the
topic (for candidates aiming for Band 7 or higher).
- Don’t write on the task card itself.
Beginning the response
When the preparation time is over, the candidate must be ready to begin
talking. It helps to already have an idea how to begin. You can encourage use
of the expressions below.

I’m going to talk about …

I’m going to describe …
I’ve decided to talk about …
The person/place/object I’m going to describe is …

Look at the cue card below.

The candidate could begin his answer with:

I’m going to talk about my university professor.

I’m going to describe my university professor.
I’ve decided to talk about my university professor.
The person I’m going to describe is my university professor .
Alternatively, the candidate could start talking without using a fixed
expression. In the above cue card task, he can simply begin by reflecting the
grammar used in the instruction:
My university professor has had a very important influence on my life.

Recall that students who are aiming for a very high band need to show that
they can paraphrase and use synonyms effectively. If they are confident, they
can try to paraphrase the cue card instruction:

My university professor has influenced me in a major way .

My university professor has really shaped my outlook on life .
A key influence on my life has been my university professor.
Time management
For Part 2 of the IELTS speaking test, there are four points that the candidate
needs to talk about. There are three short points (who, where, why, how long,
what, etc.) and one longer part which asks them to explain something. Once
the task has been completed, the examiner will ask a short follow-up
question.

There are no hard-and-fast rules, but for some students it may be helpful to
set a time limit for each part, for example:

20 seconds
20 seconds
20 seconds
1 minute

Here are some more time management tips for students:

- Have the first sentence ready when the examiner asks you to speak.
- Follow the order on the prompt card.
- Try to say one or two sentences for each of the first three parts.
- Give quick examples where relevant.
- Don’t forget the last part of the task.
- If you feel you are going to finish in less than one minute and you have
nothing else to say, try to use conversation fillers to keep going or give
some personal examples if appropriate.
Phrases for Part 2
Using the expressions presented in this section may help candidates in a
number of specific situations in Part 2 of the IELTS Speaking test. You can
teach these expressions while providing feedback on your students’
performances during mock tests or you may decide to teach them separately.

As I said before, …
USE: if the candidate needs to repeat something (sometimes the points on the
cue card are very similar).
As I said before, I went there by plane.

I can’t think of anything else to say.

USE: when the candidate has nothing more to say, has spoken for at least a
minute and wants to let the examiner know that the answer is finished
(sometimes it isn’t too obvious).

I’m going to describe …

USE: when the candidate wants to begin talking without hesitating.
I’m going to describe a restaurant I like.

I’m going to talk about …

USE: when the candidate wants to begin talking without hesitating.
I’m going to talk about a restaurant I like.

Like I said, … Like I said before, …

USE: if the candidate needs to repeat something (sometimes the points on the
cue card are very similar).

Like I said before, I went there by plane .

Overall, …
USE: when the candidate wants to make a general statement or summarise
everything that has been said, e.g. at the end of the answer.
Overall, it was a fantastic holiday.

Right, that’s a tough one.

USE: when the candidate gets a difficult cue card and needs to gain a little
more time to think at the beginning of the response and sound natural at the
same time.

That’s all I have to say.

USE: when the candidate has nothing more to say and wants to let the
examiner know that the answer is finished.

What else? What else can I say?

USE: If the candidate is stuck in the middle of the answer, it’s better to keep
talking than be silent, e.g. by saying What else? What else? while thinking
of what to say next.
Model answe r
Below is an actual cue card together with a sample answer deserving of a
high band. Instances of the candidate hesitating have been included in the
transcription, but these are a result of her being unable to finish her thoughts
rather than being unable to express them in English. According to the official
IELTS band descriptors, presented at the beginning of this book, this type of
natural hesitation will not be penalised.
Some ‘less common’ vocabulary has been highlighted in bold. Recall that
using a few less common words, collocations and structures in an appropriate
manner can help candidates achieve a high score for lexical resource .
However, also recall that candidates who only need Band 6 or 6.5 should
focus on coherence and clarity rather than lexical sophistication.

Cue card

Answer
Okay, I’m going to tell you about my favourite book – or books -- Harry
Potter, because it’s a series. This book tells us about the adventures of a
young wizard called Harry Potter – and his friends, Hermoine and Ron. I’ve
read all the novels in the series, more than twice I assure you, and I guess it
took me a few weeks to read each one from cover to cover .
The reason why I like these books is because, well, I’ve always been a great
fan of fantasies. The author writes is a very vivid way. She describes
everything so well, it gets my imagination going – I really can imagine the
fantasy world that the main characters live in.
I think that there are also some deeper themes that run through these
books, like, you know, death, survival, love, oppression.

And every person I know has interpreted them in totally different ways. I
really enjoy the adventures in each series – in each book. I love the fact that
each book connects to the next one, and after you’ve read all seven, you can
really see that the whole story was just well thought through .

Obviously, I’ve seen all the films as well as, which were quite enjoyable,
especially that you could just … what you had in your imagination, you could
finally see on the screen. And I’m very disappointed that the whole adventure
is all over. That’s all I have to say.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
Introduction
In this section of the book, you can find sample questions that candidates
might hear in Part 1 or 3 of the IELTS Speaking test. The questions are
divided into separate categories.

- Yes-no questions

- Hypothetical questions

- Difficult questions

- Questions that may need clarification

- Questions about a comparison

- Questions about a change

- Questions about the past

- Questions about frequency

Each set of questions is designed to train a particular skill covered in the

Essential Skills section of this book. For example, if your students have
problems developing their answers, practise the Yes-no questions.
If you are teaching online, you may find it more convenient to access the
questions on the internet. Visit the link below:

www.ieltsspeakingtips.com/sample-questions
Yes-no questions
As explained earlier in this book, simple one-word answers will result in a
very low score for Fluency and Coherence. Students who practise giving full
answers to simple, closed-ended questions (such as the ones below) will
improve their ability to expand their answers. While most of the questions are
more likely to appear in Part 1, some could appear in Part 3 of the test.

WORK
Do you work or are you a student?
Do you enjoy your job?
Is this a popular job in your country?
Do you plan to continue doing this work in the future?
Do you prefer to work in a quiet environment or a place where there is some
noise?
Has your work changed in recent years?

STUDIES
Are you good at the subject you are studying?
Is it interesting?
Was it an easy choice?
Did you like your first day at secondary school?
Do you have a favourite teacher?

HOMETOWN
Do you still visit your hometown?
Does your family still live there?
Do you know much about the history of your hometown?
Is it a good place to live?
Is it a good place for children to grow up?
Do many people visit your hometown?
Are there any tourist attractions in your hometown?
How do you visit your hometown ?

HOME
Is your neighbourhood a good place for families to live?
Would you like to change the place where you live?
Is there anything about your home that you would like to improve?
Do you know your neighbours?

TRANSPORTATION AND TRAVEL

Do you often use public transportation?
Do you think people should use public transport more?
Is train travel very common in your country?
Do you often travel by train?
Do you enjoy travelling by train?
Do you like to travel?
Do you like long trips?
Do you think holidays are important?

FREE TIME
Do you have any hobbies or interests?
Do you have enough time for your hobbies or interests?
Do you ever spend your free time with your colleagues/classmates?
Do you prefer to spend your free time alone or with other people?
Do you think it's important to have free time?
Do you think it's easy for people to relax nowadays?

FOOD
Is there any food you dislike?
Do you have a favourite food?
Do you ever eat 'junk food'?
Do you always eat the same food everyday?
Do you think it's important for people to eat with their families?
Do you know how to cook?
Do you like cooking?
Are you good at cooking?
Do you think you will learn to cook in the future ?

DAILY ROUTINE
Do you do the same things every day?
Has your routine changed much in recent years?
Do you like to plan your daily routine?

FAMILY
Do you all live in the same house?
Do you get along with all your family?
Is family very important to you?
Do you think family is more important than friends?

FRIENDS
Do you have many close friends?
Do you have a best friend?
Do you have any friends who you work with?
Is it important to have friends?
Do you like meeting new people?
Do you like talking to strangers?
Do you think you can make friends on the Internet?
Have you made any new friends recently?
Can you remember your first best friend?

CLOTHES
Do you think you'll be wearing the same kind of clothes when you are older?
Do your friends wear the same kind of clothes as you?
Are clothes expensive in your country?
Are young people in your country interested in fashion?
Has your taste in clothes changed in recent years?
Do you have a dress code at work?
Do you think the clothes a person wears leaves an impression on others ?

TELEVISION
Do you like watching television?
Do you have a favourite TV programme?
Have your television watching habits changed much in recent years?
Do you watch foreign TV programmes?
Do people in your country have the opportunity to watch English language
TV programmes?
WEATHER
Does the weather affect your mood?
Do you often talk about the weather?
Is the weather in your country the same everywhere?
Do you like extreme climate?
Do you often check the weather forecast?

SPORT AND EXERCISE

Do you like sport?
Do you do any sports?
Do children in your country do much sport?
Do you think children should be encouraged to do more exercise?
Do you think physical activity is important?
Do you like to do exercise every day?

SHOPPING
Do you enjoy shopping?
Do you like shopping on the Internet?
Do you have a favourite shop?
Do you like street markets?
Are street markets very common in your country?
Do you like to go window-shopping?
Are there many shops near your home?
Do you prefer shopping in small shops or in large shopping centres (malls)?
Do people in your country spend a lot of money on shopping ?

INTERNET
Have you ever bought anything online?
Do you often shop online?
Do you think the internet is a good thing?

COMPUTERS
Do you use a computer very often?
Do you think computers help society?
Have computers improved our lives?
Do you play computer games?

FILMS/MOVIES
Do you like watching films?
Do you have a favourite actor?
Are there any types of films that you dislike?
Do you watch foreign films?

MUSIC
Do you often listen to music?
Is music important to you?
Have you ever learned to play a musical instrument?
Do you or your friends play any musical instruments?

THE NEWS
Do you often follow the news?
Do you think it's important to keep up with the latest news?
Do you often read newspapers?

DRIVING
Do you drive a car?
Do you have a driving license?
Was it easy to get your driving license?
Do you think it's necessary to learn how to drive?
Is it necessary to drive a car in your hometown ?

LANGUAGES
Do you think that English is difficult to learn?
Do you think it's important to know more than one language?
Is there any other language you would like to learn?

PUNCTUALITY
Do you wear a watch?
Is it important to be on time in your country?
Are you ever late for meetings?
ANIMALS
Do you like animals?
Do you have a pet?

CELEBRATING
Do you think festivals are important?
Do you like parties?
Are there any parties that you dislike?
Do you think it's important to celebrate your birthday?
Do you like to dance?
Do young people like dancing in your country?

MUSEUMS
Do you like visiting museums?
Are there any museums in your hometown?

GIFTS
Do you like giving gifts to people?
Do you like receiving gifts?
Do you like flowers?

HEALTH
Is it easy to keep fit where you live?
Do you have a good public health system in your country ?

ART
Do you like art?
Have you ever bought a painting?
Do you have a favourite artist?
Have you been to an art gallery?
Were you good at art at school?

READING
Do you enjoy reading?
Do you have a favourite book?
Is there anything you dislike reading?

HOUSEWORK
Do you like to do housework?

ADVERTISING
Is there a lot of advertising in your country?
Do you like advertisements?
Do you think there is too much advertising?
Do advertisements influence your choice about what to buy?
Do you like TV commercials?

EMAILS AND LETTERS

Do you ever write letters?

PHOTOS
Do you like to take photographs?
Do you usually share your photos with other people on the internet?
Is taking photos a popular activity in your country?

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

COLOUR
Do you have a favourite colour?
Are there any colours that have a special meaning in your country?
Are there any colours that you dislike?

COLLECTING
Did you collect anything when you were a child?
Do you collect anything?
Do people in your country like collecting things?
Is there anything you have always wanted to collect?
Would you like to collect something if you had a lot of money?
Hypothetical questions
If your students need to practise conditional structures and speculating about
the future, select questions from the following list.

Is there some other work you would prefer to do?

If you could change your job or profession, what would you do?
In the future, what changes do you think will take place in your industry
Where else would you like to live?
Do you think transport will change in your hometown in the future?
How do you think it could be improved?
Which place would you really like to visit?
What kind of place would you like to travel to in the future?
If you could take a holiday anywhere in the world, where would you go?
What would you do if you had more free time?
Is there a sport or hobby you would like to try?
If you could change something in your daily routine, what would it be?
If you were married, how many children would you choose to have?
If you had more free time, would you spend it with your friends?
Do you think you'll be wearing the same kind of clothes when you are
older?
How much TV would you like your children to watch?
If you could play a musical instrument, which instrument would you choose
to learn?
What would you do if you were late for an important meeting?
If you were a parent, would you let your children raise a pet?
How do you think mobiles/cellphones will develop in the future?
If you had to repaint the walls of your home, which colour would you
choose?
Would you like to collect something if you had a lot of money?
Difficult questions
As explained earlier in this book, students don’t need to have great opinions
or ideas in order to do well in the IELTS Speaking test. They can either
invent opinions or express a lack of opinion followed by a weak opinion
preceded by I guess … or I suppose … Select challenging questions from the
list below so that students can practise handling difficult questions.

WORK
Is there some other work you would prefer to do?
If you could change your job or profession, what would you do?
What is your ideal job?
Has your work changed in recent years?
In the future, what changes do you think will take place in your industry?

STUDIES
Why did you choose the subject you are studying?
How do you feel about your studies?
What do you dislike about the subject you are studying?
What was your first day at university like?
What is your secondary school like?
What is the best thing about your school?
What do you dislike about your school?

HOMETOWN
Do you know much about the history of your hometown?
How could your hometown attract more visitors?
How do you think your hometown could be improved in the future?

TRANSPORTATION AND TRAVEL

Has the transport situation in your hometown changed in recent years?
Do you think transport will change in your hometown in the future?
How do you think it could be improved?
What do you think are the benefits of travel?
How important are holidays to you?
FREE TIME
Do you think it's important to have free time?
Do you think it's easy for people to relax nowadays?
What can people do to find more time to relax?

SPORT AND EXERCISE

Do you think sport/exercise is a good way to relax?
How has the way people spend their free time changed in recent years?

EATING
Do you think it's important for people to eat with their families?
What do you think are the benefits of eating at home?

FAMILY AND FRIENDS

In what situations are friends more important than family?
What do your friends think of you?

CLOTHES
Are clothes important to you?
Do you think the clothes a person wears leaves an impression on others?

TELEVISION
Do you think people can improve their English by watching English language
TV programmes?
How much TV would you like your children to watch?
What are the most popular television shows in your country?
Why do you think they are popular?
How do you think TV broadcasts in your country could be improved?

WEATHER
Do you like extreme climate?
How does bad weather affect your mood ?

SPORTS AND EXERCISE

Do you think children should be encouraged to do more exercise?
Do you think physical activity is important?
What are the benefits of doing sports?
What are the advantages of shopping online?
What are the disadvantages of shopping online?

INTERNET
How can you judge the quality of a product that is sold online?
Do you think the internet is a good thing?
What are the bad points about the internet?
How did you learn to use the internet?
How has the internet had an impact on people's lives?
How can people learn things on the internet?

COMPUTERS
What are the drawbacks of using computers?
Have computers improved our lives?
How important are computers in every day life?

MUSIC
Is music important to you?
Do you think parents should encourage their children to learn a musical
instrument?
How do you feel when you listen to music?
Why do older people dislike pop music?

THE NEWS
How important is the news for you?
Do you think it's important to keep up with the latest news?

DRIVING
What do you think is the minimum age for a young person to get a driving
license?
Do you think it's necessary to learn how to drive ?
LEARNING LANGUAGES
What do you think is the most difficult aspect of learning English?
What do you think is the most difficult part about learning foreign languages?
What do you think is the most effective way to learn a foreign language?
How would you compare learning English to learning other languages?
What is the value of knowing a foreign language?

PUNCTUALITY
Do you think it's important to be on time?
How do you feel when other people are late?
Do you feel that time moves fast or slowly?

ANIMALS
If you were a parent, would you let your children raise a pet?

CELEBRATING
Are there any parties that you dislike?
Do you think it's important to celebrate your birthday?

MUSEUMS
What have you learned from visiting museums?
What can people learn from visiting museums?

FLOWERS
When do people give each other flowers in your country?

HEALTH
Is it easy to keep fit where you live?
What is more important, eating healthily or doing exercise?
Do you have a good public health system in your country?

ART
What is your favourite kind of art ?
What are the benefits of art?

READING
Why do people sometimes dislike reading?
Do you think reading is important?
HOME
Do you think children should lend a hand around the home?
Do advertisements influence your choice about what to buy?

ADVERTISING
How do you feel about advertisements?

EMAIL
How important are emails in your life?
How do you feel about spam emails?

MOBILES/CELLPHONES
How did you feel when you got your first mobile/cellphone?
How do you think mobiles/cellphones will develop in the future?
How important is your mobile/cellphone in your daily life?
What are the disadvantages of mobiles/cellphones?

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

COLOUR
Are there any colours that have a special meaning in your country?

COLLECTING
What are some things that people in your country like collecting?
Why do you think people like collecting things?
Questions that may need clarification
As explained earlier in this book, the examiner is allowed to repeat a question
or instruction if requested. The examiner is also permitted to give a definition
or synonym of a word that the candidate didn’t understand. The questions
below can be used to give students practice in asking for repetition or
clarification.

What are your responsibilities?

Has your work changed in recent years?
How do you feel about your studies?
Do you have any recreational activities at your school?
Whereabouts did you grow up?
Where else would you like to live?
Do you get on well with your neighbours?
Do you get together with your work colleagues after work?
Do you get together with your fellow students after classes?
Do you have a dress code at work?
Do you think the clothes a person wears leaves an impression on others?
How do you think TV broadcasts in your country could be improved?
How does bad weather affect your mood?
How can you judge the quality of a product that is sold online?
Do you like to go window-shopping?
How has the internet had an impact on people's lives?
Should parents encourage their children to learn a musical instrument?
Do you think it's important to keep up with the latest news?
What is the value of knowing a foreign language?
If you were a parent, would you let your children raise a pet?
Do you think children should lend a hand around the home?
Do advertisements influence your choice about what to buy?
Do you like TV commercials?
What do you think is the purpose of advertising?
Questions about a comparison
If students need practice using comparative structures in their speaking, ask
questions from the following list.

Do you work better in the mornings or the evenings?

Do you prefer to study in the mornings or evenings?
Do you prefer studying or working?
Which place do you prefer, the city where you are working/studying now or
your hometown?
How does your current place of living compare to your hometown?
Do you prefer to travel alone or with friends/family?
Do you prefer to spend your free time alone or with other people?
Do you prefer to eat out or eat at home?
Do you prefer to eat alone or with other people?
Do you prefer casual clothes or formal clothes?
Do you prefer to read a newspaper or watch TV?
Do you prefer to watch TV or listen to the radio?
Do you prefer team sports or individual sports?
Do you prefer shopping alone or with other people?
Do you prefer to shop at a street market or a normal shop?
Do you prefer shopping in small shops or in large shopping centres (malls)?
What are some differences between men and women shopping?
Do you prefer to watch films alone or with other people?
Do you prefer to watch films in a cinema or at home?
What are the differences in the tastes of music of young people and older
people?
Which is more important for you, domestic news or international news?
Do you prefer to travel by car or use public transport?
How would you compare learning English to learning other languages?
What is more important, eating healthily or doing exercise?
Do you prefer to read or go to the cinema ?
How do you prefer to contact people, by email or by phone?
How do you prefer to communicate with people at work, by email or by
phone?
Questions about a change
If your students need to practise structures for talking about changes (present
perfect, present continuous, used to + infinitive, etc.), use the following list of
questions.

Has your work changed in recent years?

Has your hometown changed much in recent years?
Has your home changed in recent years?
Has the transport situation in your hometown changed in recent years?
Has the type of holidays you enjoy changed in the past 10 years?
How has the way people spend their free time changed in recent years?
Have your eating habits changed in recent years?
Have people's eating habits changed in your country since you were a child?
Has your routine changed much in recent years?
Has your family life changed in recent years?
Has your taste in clothes changed in recent years?
Have your television watching habits changed much in recent years?
Have there been any weather changes in your country in recent years?
Have shopping habits changed in your country in recent years?
How has the internet had an impact on people's lives?
Have computers improved our lives?
Has your taste in films changed since you were younger?
Has your taste in music changed since you were younger?
Has advertising changed in recent years?
Questions about the past
If your students need to practise talking about the past, use the following list
of questions.

Do you often use public transportation?

Do you often travel by train?
How often do you travel?
How often do you meet your friends?
Do you often talk about the weather?
Do you often check the weather forecast?
How often do you play sports?
How often do you go shopping?
How often do you use the internet?
Do you often shop online?
Do you use a computer very often?
How often do you go to the cinema?
How often do you watch a film?
Do you often listen to music?
Do you often follow the news?
Do you often read newspapers?
How often do you do housework?
How often do you write emails?
How often do you use your mobile/cellphone?
How often do you take photos?
Do you often play games?
Questions about frequency
Ask these questions to practise frequency adverbs and structures.

Do you often use public transportation?

Do you often travel by train?
How often do you travel?
How often do you meet your friends?
Do you often talk about the weather?
Do you often check the weather forecast?
How often do you play sports?
How often do you go shopping?
How often do you use the internet?
Do you often shop online?
Do you use a computer very often?
How often do you go to the cinema?
How often do you watch a film?
Do you often listen to music ?
Do you often follow the news?
Do you often read newspapers?
How often do you do housework?
How often do you write emails?
How often do you use your mobile/cellphone?
How often do you take photos?
Do you often play games?