IELTS Speaking Sample # 1

IELTS Speaking Mock Test #1

Part 1 Topic: “Place where you live”.
Part 2 Topic: “Describe a problem that affects the environment in the area where you live”.
Part 3 Topic: “National problems” & “Solving problems”.

Part 1 – Introduction & Interview

[This part of the test begins with the examiner introducing himself or herself and checking the candidate’s identification. It then continues as an interview. In the interview, the examiner asks the candidate about his/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics.]

Topic: Place where you live

Q.  Good afternoon. My name is Kristina Pollock. Could I have your name, please?
A.  Good afternoon, Madam. My name is Joseph Mark, and my nickname is Mark. So you can call me “Mark”.

Q.  And your candidate number is…
A.  My candidate number is BR547.

Q. Thank you. Now, could you tell me a little about yourself and where you live?
A. Well, I’m Joseph Mark, and I live at … in the … district. My father’s name is… and he is a government service holder. My mother’s name is… and she is basically a housewife, but sometimes she works at our shop; we run a small gift shop that we have been owning for the last ten years. I’m 26, and I’ve graduated from the … University. My major in university was Mathematics. I’ve got 2 brothers and a younger sister. I work a part-time job at a local school. I’m planning to complete my M.Sc. from a reputed university in the UK. My future plan is to teach at a college. I spend my leisure time mostly browsing the internet and reading books. Sometimes I hang out with my friends on the lakeshore. I am maintaining a personal blog, and there I try to add a post every week. This is basically a technology and mathematics-related blog.

The place where I live is really charming, and I love living there as this is one of the best neighbourhoods in our town.

Q. What are some of the nicest things about where you live?
A. The town where I live is a calm place and is very neat and clean. You will find it naturally beautiful, and the majestic lakes, gardens, fountains, river, hill and the songs of birds will take your heart away. Whenever my friends from other cities come to visit my area, they become awestruck! Our area is indeed a stunning place to live in.

On top of that, people are very nice and friendly, and you would be very gratified with their charming behaviours if you ever visit there. The area is free of pollution as it is not an industrial area, and the fresh air would give a soothing feeling. The traffic on the road is good most of the time, and you won’t have to worry about public transportation as it is available around the clock. This area is famous for many historical sites and monuments like  (…say some names here…), and many tourists come to visit here every year.

Finally, there are many fabulous restaurants there, and you can pick one of your delicious menus from there, and I am sure you will never forget the taste!  The crime rate is pretty low, and as a small town, we know each other very well. I am sure if you visit our area, you will love it.

Q. What would be the best way for me to get there?
A. If you have a private car with you, you can drive along the roads for about an hour and reach my town. Alternatively, you can take a public bus or hire a car and reach there. The rent for public transportation is fixed, and you do not need to pay any extra charge.

Q. Should I go there at any special time of year?
A. Most of the tourists visit our town during the summer season, and I would recommend that you do so as well. There are lots of activities you can do during this time, and I’m sure you will find the area more beautiful then.

[Examiner: I see, this has all been very interesting.]

Part 2 – Cue Card/Candidate Task Card

Topic:

Describe a problem that affects the environment in the area where you live.

You should say:

• what the problem is
• what causes it
• what people feel about the problem

and explain what you think could be done to solve it.

[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]

[Examiner: All right? Remember, you have one to two minutes for this, so don’t worry if I stop you. I’ll tell you when the time is up. Can you start speaking now, please?]

Click here for the answer to this Cue Card Topic

Part 3 – Detailed Discussion

Topic: National problems

Q. Tell me, what do you think are the greatest problems your country is facing at present?
A. Slow economic development, political instability, unemployment and healthcare are the major issues that most of the people in my country are really tired of. In my opinion, these are the most burning issues and the greatest problems we have in our country.

Q. Do you think things are likely to get better or worse in the future?
A. We hope that the problem we have in our country will be resolved within the next few years. The government and other organisations are working hard to address these issues, and we are noticing some signs of progress. So we can definitely be positive and wait for the glorious days when we won’t have any of those issues. This was an optimistic idea, and I have positive impressions about my country. But the greatest obstacle is the hunger for power, and our political leaders often create haphazard situations for the sake of power and money. This is the single worst reason that can degrade the situation in the future if the mentality does not change.

Q. And what has been done so far to solve these problems?
A. The government has taken many initiatives for the economic growth of our country. According to the statistics, we are indeed progressing. But I am not convinced by the statistics alone. I want to see the result, and I want to feel it around me. The political instability seems like consuming most of our goodwill and energy. While major political parties should have worked together to help improve our economic conditions, sometimes their actions give me real doubts about whether they are the type of leaders we need for our country!

On the positive side, the government has emphasised the ICT sector, made the export process easier for businesses, established many training institutes to enhance the skills of the rural people, and these are all hopeful signs. Someday definitely we will definitely see the real progress that we want. Education, skill development, foreign investment, job security, etc., are also important areas where the government has invested a lot of money. This investment aims to create a skilled and educated generation who will lead the economy and the country. ‘Healthcare and treatment’ is still an expensive area for the masses, and the government’s initiatives for the establishment of new hospitals, enrolling more doctors and nurses, are in reality very little compared to the actual need.

Topics: Solving problems

Q. How successful would you say these measures have been?
A. These measures are successful to some extent, but if I present those in figures and numbers, it would be only a few percentages of the actual progress we expect. For instance, more than three thousand new hospitals are required right now throughout the country, whereas only 45 hospitals have been established in the last three years.

Q. Is what you are going to study likely to be of any use in solving these problems?
A. I am going to finish my graduation in the computer science major, and I am very positive that it would directly or indirectly help eradicate unemployment of many people, contribute to our economic progress, no matter how tiny it might seem, and help me contribute to the overall progress of our community and country from a broader perspective. After finishing my education, I will establish a small software company, and hopefully, one day it will grow to be a large company where hundreds of employees will work. The ICT sector also helps earn foreign remittance for a country, and I would also contribute to building some quality software for our local market.

Q. Should countries try to solve the climate change problems together or individually? Why?
A. I believe climate change and its negative consequences are global issues and therefore, the whole world should work together to solve them. Some parts of the world are indeed facing more problems due to global warming and other climate changes, but if the world leaders fail to work together, the world as a whole will suffer unforeseeable consequences. Rich nations contribute more to degrade nature and have more responsibility and power to bring the nations together to a common platform – to make the world inhabitable for us and for our future generations.

[Thank you very much. It’s been pleasant talking to you. I wish you success in your study program. Goodbye.]