IELTS Speaking Preparation (Part 1)

IELTS Speaking Test: Things you should know:

The Speaking Sub-test takes between 11 and 14 minutes. The Sub-test consists of an interview with a trained examiner and is recorded on a tape recorder. However, this recording is made to assess the examiner and not the candidate.

There are 3 parts to the Speaking Sub-test:

Part 1: You answer questions about your home life or family life, work or study, your interests and other familiar topics of a general nature to reveal your background. (4-5 minutes).

Part 2: You are given exactly 1 minute to prepare yourself to talk about a particular topic. The instructions to guide your talk are written on a card given to you by the examiner. Your talk should last for 1 -2 minutes. The examiner will ask one or two questions at the end. (3-4 minutes – including preparation time of 1 minute).

Part 3: You have a discussion with the examiner based on themes connected to the topic given in Part 2. This part of the test requires discussion of more abstract ideas. (4-5 minutes) The interview is then closed and the Speaking Sub-test is completed. Most of the questions asked in the Sub-test are scripted; they come from a bank of questions prepared by the test authorities. These questions are being continually added to and updated.

The Speaking Sub-test Band Score is calculated from a comprehensive checklist of speaking skills in 4 distinct areas of ability:

» Fluency and Coherence
» Lexical Resource
» Grammatical Range and Accuracy
» Pronunciation

IELTS Speaking Questions:

1. What is your name? What is the meaning of your name?
2. Do you like your name? Would you want to change your name? [Why?/ Why not?]
3. Could you please introduce yourself?
4. Where are you from?
5. Please tell me something about your family.
6. Describe your hometown. What is special about it?
7. Compare your hometown with another town where one of your friends lives.
8. What do you do?

9. Describe your country’s education system. What is your attitude toward this system? Do you think it’s effective?
10. Where do you study? What is your major? Do you like it? [Why?]
11. Is Science a popular major in your country? [Why?/ Why not?]

12. Describe the company/organisation you work for. Where is it? What does it do?
13. What are your job responsibilities?
14. How easy or difficult is it in your country to get a decent job?
15. Describe the process of taking a job in your country.
16. Do you think it is easy or difficult? Can you suggest some ways to make it better?
17. Which do you consider more important while taking a job – the salary or career growth opportunity?
18. Why do some people not enjoy doing their job?

19. Compare the role of men and women in your country. What do you think about gender equality?
20. Do you think the traditional gender-based roles are changing in your country?

21. Do young people want to work in your country after their education, or do they want to work abroad? [Why?]
22. What do you know about ‘brain drain’? What are the causes and effects of it? Is it common in your country?
23. How can your country prevent brain drain? What initiatives have been taken so far?

24. Discuss why you would like to visit a particular country. When are you going to visit it and why?
25. How can travelling help us? Is there any negative aspect of travelling? What are they?
26. How frequently do you travel? What type of places do you like to visit? [Why?]
27. Where do you want to visit in the future? [Why?]
28. Has travelling become cheaper and more convenient these days than in the past? [How?]

29. Is the population in your country increasing or decreasing? Why is it so?
30. Discuss the factors affecting people to have more or fewer children in your country.
31. Do you think the global population will decrease after 50 years? [Why/ Why not?]
32. How can overpopulation be a problem for many developing countries?
33. Why is the population in some countries declining over time?

34. Describe a traditional dish in your country. Do you like it?
35. What are some special occasions when people in your country prepare traditional dishes?
36. Do you enjoy eating out with friends and family? [Why? Why not?]
37. What are some popular food items among young people in your country?
38. How important is it for a country to become self-sufficient in food production? [Why?]

39. Describe the traditional architecture of your country. Is there something special about it?
40. Compare traditional houses with modern houses in your country.
41. Would you prefer to live in a house or an apartment? Why?
42. How easy is it to buy a house in your country? [Why?]

43. What do you usually do on weekends? [Why?]
44. Do you enjoy reading books? What types of books do you enjoy reading?
45. Do you think you read more often these days than when you were younger? [Why?]
46. Discuss why you like a special kind of book, music, sports, or film.
47. Have you ever tried to learn to sing? [Why? / Why not?]
48. What leisure activities are popular among young people in your country? Why is it so?

49. Why do you think many young people do not want to get married and start a family these days?
50. What, in your opinion, is the best time to get married and start a family? [Why?]
51. Do you think the divorce rate in many countries is increasing? [Why?]
52. Give reasons why the divorce rate has or has not increased in your country.

53. Describe an important festival in your country.
54. When is it? What do people do during this festival?
55. What types of festivals are most popular in your country? Why?
56. How do people usually enjoy major festivals in your country?
57. Are festivals important in our lives? [Why? / Why not?]

58. Describe a traditional clothing item or dress item in your country.
59. What type of dresses do you like to wear? [Why?]
60. Do you think we can tell a lot about a person from the dresses he or she wears? [Why? Why not?]
61. Do you think it is important for people to dress well? [Why? / Why not?]
62. What are some types of dresses you do not like? [Why?]

63. What is your favourite colour? [Why?]
64. Is there any relationship between the colour of clothes and the personality of people? [How?]
65. Is there any relationship between the colour and mood of people? [How?]
66. Does the choice of colour change over time in our lives? Why?
67. Is there any significance of different colours in your culture? What are they?

68. Describe a historical place in your country. Where is it?
69. What is special about it?
70. Do you like to visit museums? [Why?/Why not?]
71. How are museums important in preserving our history, culture and tradition?

72. What is your favourite source of news? [Why?]
73. Do you read news from social media? [Why?/ Why not?]
74. Do you think all news sources are reliable? [Why?/ Why not?]
75. Talk about mass media, newspapers and their attractions for you.
76. How often do you read a printed newspaper? [Why?]

77. Do you like to play games and sports? What are your favourites? [Why?]
78. What sort of games and sports do young people play these days? Are they different from the past? [Why?]
79. Describe a traditional game or sport in your country. Do you play it? [Why?/ Why not?]
80. Do you watch sports channels? [Why? / Why not?]
81. How popular are outdoor sports among young children in your country?

82. What is something you want to learn in the future? Why?
82. How can you learn a new skill?
83. How easy or difficult is it to learn a new skill?
84. What types of skills are valued by employers in your country? Why?

85. Do you have a hobby or interest? What is it?
86. Why do some people collect things?
87. Do you collect anything? [Why?/ Why not?]
88. What are some common hobbies that people enjoy in your country?
89. When was the last time you started a new hobby or interest? Why?

90. Describe an invention that you think has had a huge positive impact on human history.
91. What are some of the latest inventions that you know about?
92. Should governments support inventors and scientists?
93. Why do you think inventors invent new things?
94. How are the inventors and scientists, in your opinion, different from ordinary people?

95. What is your opinion on fashion?
96. Do you follow trendy fashion? [Why? / Why not?]
97. Why do many people follow the latest fashion even if they are expensive?
98. How do people in your country feel about fashion? Do they follow trendy fashion?
99. Why could it be difficult to follow all the latest trends and fashion these days?

100. Do you have a driving licence? [Why? / Why not?]
101 What is the process of obtaining a driving licence in your country? Is it easy or difficult? [Why?]
102. Are roads and highways in your country generally safe? [Why?/ Why not?]
103. What could be done to improve road safety in your town?

104. Do you like to take photographs? [Why?/ Why not?]
105. How often do you take photographs? [Why?/ Why not?]
106. Describe one of your photos. Where, when and with whom did you take it?
107. Why do some people like to share their photographs on social media all the time?

108. How popular is your country as a tourist destination among international tourists?
109. What are some popular tourist destinations in your country?
110. How can tourism help a country?
111. Is there any negative aspect of tourism?
112. Do you think your country will attract more international tourists in the future? [Why?/ Why not?]

113. Do you know how to cook? What items can you cook?
114. Who generally does the cooking at your home? [Why?]
115. Why do some people believe that women should cook and take care of the home while men should work outside?
116. Who do you think is a better cook: a man or a woman? Why?

117. Do you celebrate your birthday? [Why?/ Why not?]
118. Do you receive gifts on your birthday? What types of gifts do you like to receive on your birthday?
118. Talk about the best present you have ever had in your life. When, why and who gave it to you?
119. On what occasions do people usually give presents in your country?
120. How do you usually choose a gift for a friend?

121. Describe a competition you have entered. What was your stand?
122. Do you often take part in competitions? [Why? / Why not?]
123. Do you think schools should encourage learners to compete with each other? [Why? / Why not?]
124. Which do you think brings more favourable results: competition or cooperation? Why?

125. How old are you? Do you like the age you are now? [Why?/ Why not?]
126. What was the most interesting period of time in your life? [Why?]
127. Do you think people generally think more favourably about their past? [Why?/ Why not?]
128. What is something important you plan to do in the future? [Why?]

129. What do you think is the right age for children to start school? [Why?]
130. Do young learners in your country generally enjoy going to school? [Why?/ Why not?]
131. What could the school do to make learning more interesting for young children?
132. At what time are children considered to be adults in your country?

 

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