Speaking
Part 1 (Introduction and interview)
4-5 minutes (introduction, checking passports and others)
Familiar and everyday topics will be asked
It’s more like a question-answer session
It tests my ability to communicate opinions and information on everyday topics (ability to
convey ideas and views on daily topics, circumstances or common experiences.)
You will be asked 4-5 questions and there will be 3 topics (work, education and topics like my
childhood, neighborhood, family and friends, going out or shopping or sports). In this part, avoid
short answers. Provide details, but not that much. Try to develop your answers with more relevant
information and avoid speaking too fast. Keep the rate natural to make your answers clear. Try not
to speak fast to impress the examiner. Try to use accurate vocabulary which are appropriate for
your answers. And pay attention to the verb tenses. As for pronunciation, speak clearly and
correctly.
To improve responses there are some strategies which are:
predicting possible topics and questions,
identifying question functions, and
developing your answers effectively.
Types of Topics and Questions
As you learnt earlier, the topics in Part 1 of the IELTS speaking test are questions about general
day to day life and your personal background, and they should be familiar to you. These may
include questions about your:
family,
friends,
relationships,
daily routine,
studies,
home life,
hometown,
country,
likes and dislikes.
The examiner will introduce the topic before asking you the questions. For example, he or she will
say ‘Now, let’s talk about your hometown’, or 'Let's move on to the topic of hobbies'.
Below is a complete set of questions for the sample topic of hobbies:
, Topic: Hobbies
1. Do you have any hobbies?
2. Do you prefer to do your hobby with other people or alone? Why?
3. Are there any hobbies that you would like to have in the future? Why?
4. What are some advantages of having hobbies?
5. Why do you think so many people have hobbies?
As you can see, there are two types of questions:
Closed-ended questions (questions 1-3 above): These are questions that can be answered
with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’, or with a one-word answer. However, in this part of the test,
you should avoid short responses like these. Notice how questions 2 and 3 include the
question word ‘Why?’ which can help you expand your answer.
Open-ended questions (questions 4-5 above): These are questions that require more
thought and therefore longer answers. They start with Wh questions words such as What,
Why, Where, etc.
There are many different questions the examiner may ask you in this first part of the IELTS
speaking test, which means that it is not possible to predict the exact questions you will be asked.
However, you can prepare by thinking about possible everyday life topics and different aspects of
these topics.
Activity
Below are three topics for Part 1 of the IELTS speaking test. For each, do the following:
1. Think of 4-5 possible questions that the examiner may ask you. Include both closed-ended
and open-ended questions.
2. Look at the suggested possible questions next to each topic.
3. Try answering the suggested possible questions yourself. Record your answers so that later
you can check how you did.
The examiner says:
‘Let’s first talk about your studies‘
Some possible questions are:
o What are you studying at the moment?
o How long have you been studying?
o What would you like to study in the future?
o What qualifications will you get?
Part 1 (Introduction and interview)
4-5 minutes (introduction, checking passports and others)
Familiar and everyday topics will be asked
It’s more like a question-answer session
It tests my ability to communicate opinions and information on everyday topics (ability to
convey ideas and views on daily topics, circumstances or common experiences.)
You will be asked 4-5 questions and there will be 3 topics (work, education and topics like my
childhood, neighborhood, family and friends, going out or shopping or sports). In this part, avoid
short answers. Provide details, but not that much. Try to develop your answers with more relevant
information and avoid speaking too fast. Keep the rate natural to make your answers clear. Try not
to speak fast to impress the examiner. Try to use accurate vocabulary which are appropriate for
your answers. And pay attention to the verb tenses. As for pronunciation, speak clearly and
correctly.
To improve responses there are some strategies which are:
predicting possible topics and questions,
identifying question functions, and
developing your answers effectively.
Types of Topics and Questions
As you learnt earlier, the topics in Part 1 of the IELTS speaking test are questions about general
day to day life and your personal background, and they should be familiar to you. These may
include questions about your:
family,
friends,
relationships,
daily routine,
studies,
home life,
hometown,
country,
likes and dislikes.
The examiner will introduce the topic before asking you the questions. For example, he or she will
say ‘Now, let’s talk about your hometown’, or 'Let's move on to the topic of hobbies'.
Below is a complete set of questions for the sample topic of hobbies:
, Topic: Hobbies
1. Do you have any hobbies?
2. Do you prefer to do your hobby with other people or alone? Why?
3. Are there any hobbies that you would like to have in the future? Why?
4. What are some advantages of having hobbies?
5. Why do you think so many people have hobbies?
As you can see, there are two types of questions:
Closed-ended questions (questions 1-3 above): These are questions that can be answered
with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’, or with a one-word answer. However, in this part of the test,
you should avoid short responses like these. Notice how questions 2 and 3 include the
question word ‘Why?’ which can help you expand your answer.
Open-ended questions (questions 4-5 above): These are questions that require more
thought and therefore longer answers. They start with Wh questions words such as What,
Why, Where, etc.
There are many different questions the examiner may ask you in this first part of the IELTS
speaking test, which means that it is not possible to predict the exact questions you will be asked.
However, you can prepare by thinking about possible everyday life topics and different aspects of
these topics.
Activity
Below are three topics for Part 1 of the IELTS speaking test. For each, do the following:
1. Think of 4-5 possible questions that the examiner may ask you. Include both closed-ended
and open-ended questions.
2. Look at the suggested possible questions next to each topic.
3. Try answering the suggested possible questions yourself. Record your answers so that later
you can check how you did.
The examiner says:
‘Let’s first talk about your studies‘
Some possible questions are:
o What are you studying at the moment?
o How long have you been studying?
o What would you like to study in the future?
o What qualifications will you get?
