The main reason for people to score a lower band in IELTS speaking task is when they don’t follow the methodology that needs to be adhered too. This methodology will be covered in this segment. You also need to understand that vocabulary, grammar and coherence play an important role in evaluation.
To practice better, there are only a handful of topics that you need to go through for preparing for IELTS speaking task.
What is expected from you?
In IELTS, your speaking skills is graded as they need to know if you can communicate and understand what is asked of you in English especially when you go to a native English speaking country.
UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION:
You are supposed to understand the question and answer it without going off topic. So even if you speak fluently and you talk about something other than the question then you will end up scoring less.
For example: The question asked is, “where do you live?” in reply some would say “ I am from Hyderabad.”
The above answer is grammatically correct but it didn’t answer the question. You could be from Hyderabad but you could be living in Australia.
Do say “I reside in Hyderabad.”
Notice the change of words that was used in the question “live” was changed to “reside”. This is yet another example of using better vocabulary.
USE OF VOCABULARY.
In non native English speaking countries, people are more likely to use simple English when they communicate but this custom has to be avoided when giving the speaking test. You have to use better words to describe the question.
For example: For “I mean to say…” say “I intend to say…”
COHERENCE (COMMON THREAD IN THE SPEECH):
Your speech has to be linked via connectives that enable you to keep the listener engaged.
As you have to use connectors, to have that continuity maintained throughout you speech, so that even you don’t switch from topic to topic.
GRAMMAR: GRAMMATICAL ERRORS ARE AT ALL COSTS TO BE AVOIDED.
For instance: “I slept at 6” could be said as “I was sleeping at six…” or “I went to sleep at 6.”
The list of the topics:
In IELTS speaking task, various cues are created based on handful of IELTS speaking topics. Let’s take a look at the different topics on which questions are frequently asked in all the three IELTS speaking tasks.
IELTS SPEAKING TASK 1
The topics that are dealt with in this section are general in nature. Topics that you are likely to encounter in your day to day life like newspapers, and magazines.
- Hobbies
- Studies
- Hometown
- Work
- Food
- Magazine & Newspapers
IELTS SPEAKING TASK 2:
The cue card given in IELTS speaking task 2 is divided into the most common types of topic. These IELTS speaking topics are:
- People: your favourite person, your role model etc
- Places: your favourite restaurant, favourite city, etc
- Experiences: favourite childhood memory, etc
- Feelings: memorable experience, etc
- habits and likes: hobbies and interests, etc
- Objects: money, finances, favourite item, etc
IELTS SPEAKING TASK 3:
There are seven common question types that appear in IELTS speaking part 3 are:
- Opinion: Give your opinion on a certain topic. Remember to give examples.
- Evaluate: Evaluate opinion of someone else.
- Future: Your opinion about what will happen in the future?
- Past: How have times changed?
- Cause and Effect: What is the cause of a reaction/action?
- Hypothetical: Your take on imaginary situations
- Compare and Contrast: Talk about the difference and/or similarities between two things.
A Memory Palace is an imaginary location in your mind where you can store mnemonic images. The most common type of memory palace involves making a journey through a place you know well, like a building or town. Along that journey there are specific locations that you always visit in the same order.
A Memory Palace is an imaginary location in your mind where you can store mnemonic images. The most common type of memory palace involves making a journey through a place you know well, like a building or town. Along that journey there are specific locations that you always visit in the same order. The location are called loci, which is Latin for locations.
How to Create a Memory Palace
- Step 1: For your first memory palace, try choosing a place that you know well, like your home or office.
- Step 2: Plan out the whole route -- for example: front door, shoe rack, bathroom, kitchen, living room, etc. Some people find that going clockwise is helpful, but it isn't necessary. Eventually, you will have many memory palaces. You will also be able to revise the memory palace after you test it a few times, so don't worry if it's perfect on the first try.
- Step 3: Now take a list of something that you want to memorize -- a shopping list of 20 items is a good place to start: carrots, bread, milk, tea, oats, apples, etc.
- Step 4: Take one or two items at a time and place a mental image of them in each locus of your memory palace. Try to exaggerate the images of the items and have them interact with the location. For example, if the first item is "carrots" and the first locus in your memory palace is the front door, picture some giant carrots opening up your front door.
- Step 5: Make the mnemonic images come alive with your senses. Exaggeration of the images and humor can help.
- Step 6: See the instructions below.
For example:
Create the Memory Palace
We will create our memory palace in this location:
Once you have a location for your memory palace, find a sequence of locations to store memories. These locations will never change. You will always review them in the same order. If you don't already have a preference, it may be better to arrange your locations in a clockwise direction, top to bottom, or left to right. Don't worry about that for now though. In this example, the locations are chosen for you.
Notice how they follow a coherent journey around the location:
You aren't limited to just a narrow area. You can use the same technique by walking around your town or a building, and choosing locations along the way.
In this example, the locations are:
- The top of the stairs
- The ledge next to the stairs
- The stairs next to the ledge
- The slanted part of the wall
- The bottom step
- On top of the wall
- On the bench
- In the hole above the door
- Peeking through one of the windows
- In front of the door
- Hanging from the bars over the window
- Inside of the doorway
- Among the red flowers
- Hiding in the bushes
- On the step
It is helpful to mentally walk through the journey several times until you can do it with your eyes closed. Also try mentally walking through the journey backwards to be sure that you can do it in both directions.
Placing the Memories
Basically, you'll make visual representations (mnemonic images) for each of the things that you want to remember.
In this tutorial, we'll use our example mind palace to memorize the first 15 elements in the periodic table of elements.
Let's create and place images!
First Location
Here is a reference image for the first few locations:
The first location in our memory palace is at the top of the stairs on the left.
The first element in the periodic table is hydrogen. We need a mnemonic image to represent hydrogen. It could be the Sun (which is mostly hydrogen), or maybe water (H20).
The process of creating mnemonic images becomes much easier with practice, so don't be discouraged if it takes you a little effort in the beginning to think of something memorable.
I would imagine a picture of the Sun at location #1.
Second Location
The second location is the ledge next to the stairs. The second element is helium. Imagine a helium balloon tied to the stone at position #2.
Third Location
The third location is on the stairs next to the ledge. The third element is lithium. An image for lithium could be a lithium battery.
You could picture a battery rolling down the stairs.
Fourth Location
The fourth location is on the sloping base of the wall. In this place, we will store a memory that represents beryllium.
The word "beryllium" reminds me of a berry. I would picture a berry being smashed against the wall.
Fifth Location
At the fifth location (the step), we will place an image to represent boron.
"Boron" sounds like "boar", so place an image of a boar there.
Sixth Location
The sixth element is carbon. A good mnemonic image for "carbon" is "car". Imagine a car racing along the ledge.
Seventh Location
The seventh element is nitrogen. An image that sounds like "nitrogen" is "knight". Imagine a jousting knight racing across the step on a horse.
Eighth Location
The eighth element is oxygen. When I think of oxygen, I imagine a space suit. I would picture an astronaut with an oxygen tank floating at position #8.
Ninth Location
Element #9 is fluorine. "Fluorine" sounds like "fluoride". I would imagine cleaning the windows with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
Tenth Location
The tenth element is neon. Picture a neon sign at the foot of the door. Maybe you are smashing a neon sign on the stones there.
Eleventh Location
The eleventh element is sodium. You could picture a salt shaker embedded in the wall or being pushed out of the window.
Twelfth Location
The twelfth element is magnesium. I would imagine a magnesium fire starter in the darkened doorway.
Thirteenth Location
The thirteenth element is aluminium. Imagine aluminium foil wrapped around the plant.
Fourteenth Location
The fourteenth element is silicon. Picture silicon computer chips at position #14.
Fifteenth Location
The fifteenth element is phosphorous. All that a mnemonic image needs to do is get you past the tip of the tongue effect. "Phosphorous" has a similar beginning as "Fozzie Bear". Picturing Fozzie Bear should be enough to help you recall phosphorous, at least after mentally walking through the memory palace a few times.
Connectors help in improving the quality of sentence structure while creating complex sentences.Also, it helps connect one thought to the other. Thus, giving the conversation a logical sequence.
IELTS Speaking Sample Part 1
Useful vocabulary for expressing your opinion
a. For stating a direct opinion
- In my opinion …
- From my point of view …
- As far as I’m concerned…
- I believe that…
For Example,
- Is science a popular subject at your university?
Answer. Very Popular, I believe that there are about 400 students studying science at King’s and in addition, many parents want that their children should study science as it carries a lot of job assurance after finishing the course.
- Do you enjoy studying it?
Answer. Science is vast. In my opinion, it is interesting because you can relate it with you and your daily life. The section of Biology interests me the most.
b. Vocabulary for expressing agreement:
- I quite agree that….
- I could not agree more…..
- You’re absolutely right
- I am in agreement…..
- I completely agree that…..
- Yes, I agree….
- I strongly agree that…..
- I totally agree with the given idea that…..
- Exactly….
- I am quite inclined to the opinion that…..
- I agree with the opinion that…
- So do I….
- I concur with the group who believe that…..
- I accept that…..
- That’s true…
- I accept the fact that…..
- I consent that…..
- Neither do I…..
- I approve the idea of…..
For Example,
- Do many people visit your hometown?
Answer. Tourists visit to see some of the old monuments but not much. The main reason behind this is the lack of development and in fact, very less number of people knows about the place. I quite agree that it’s not one of the famous places but still worth visiting as it unfolds the beauty of history.
- How has your hometown changed over the years?
Answer. Since I was a child the town has almost doubled in size and population but I accept that the people’s attitude towards life has not changed which has lead to the lack of improvement in the city.
c. Vocabulary for expressing disagreement:
- I strongly disagree that…..
- I disagree with the opinion that….
- My own opinion contradicts with…..
- I disagree with the statement of…..
- I totally disagree with the given idea that…..
- However, my opinion is different from…..
- I quite oppose the opinion of…..
- I completely disagree with…..
- It’s unjustifiable to say that……
- I disagree with the group of people who believe that…..
- I disapprove that…..
- On the contrary……
- I totally do not accept the fact that…..
For example,
- Have you ever bought clothes online?
Answer. No because I don’t trust these websites and I quite oppose the opinion of the society that online shopping can replace the traditional way of purchasing.
- Do people from your country think fashion is important?
Answer. Yes and more now. I have noticed that people follow trends blindly and don’t even care whether a particular outfit is looking good on them or not. But I strongly disagree that fashion is more important than comfort.
d. Vocabulary for expressing partial agreement:
- To some extent…..
- More or less…..
- In a way…..
- So to speak…..
- Up to a point I agree…..
- I agree to the given statement to some extent…..
For example,
- How important is internet to you?
Answer. Not much important as I am not working. In a way, I use it to do some search for my children’s homework.
- Do you use apps?
Answer. Not actually, But it becomes very difficult to avoid it as life is moving towards digital world. So to speak, I use it sometimes for booking a taxi or ordering grocery.
e. Vocabulary for presenting time or sequence:
- Last/ Lastly…..
- First/ Firstly…..
- Second/ Secondly…..
- Third/ Thirdly…..
- At the same time…..
- Meanwhile…..
- Then…..
- Since…..
- As soon as…..
- After this / that…..
- When……
- Before…..
- After…..
- Afterwards …..
- During…..
- While…..
- Following this…..
- Simultaneously…..
For example,
- Do you like watching television?
Answer. Yes, I love watching movies on television and during breaks I try to finish my home chores.
- What was your favourite show when you were a child?
Answer. Since I was a child, I was attracted to cartoons and loved watching Tom and Jerry.
Useful vocabulary for each part
a. For introduction
- Certainly…..
- Definitely…..
- Doubtlessly…..
- Undoubtedly…..
- Without any doubt…..
- No doubt…..
- Of course….
For example
- Do you like playing sports?
Answer. Of course, I love playing cricket.
- Do you have a healthy diet?
Answer. Yes, I am very conscious of what am I eating. Without any doubt, I follow my diet plan made by my dietician.
b. For body paragraphs when adding more information to support your opinion
- And…..
- However…
- Moreover…..
- Furthermore…..
- In addition…..
- Also…..
- Similarly…..
- In a similar fashion…..
- Likewise…..
- Though…
- Although..
- As long as…
- Even…..
- Too….
- Besides…..
- As well as….
- What’s more…..
- Again….
For example,
- How many hours do you spend reading?
Answer. I usually read before sleeping in the night. Besides this, I like reading while travelling.
- Do you think it’s important to be punctual?
Answer. Yes, it’s very important to be on time in life as it is one of the basic manners. Moreover, I don’t like to keep people waiting.
c. For conclusion
- All in all
- Last/ Lastly…..
- In the end
- To sum up
- To conclude
- In conclusion
- To summarize
- In summary
- Summarizing it
- We can end it by
- We can conclude by…
For example,
- Is there anything you would like to change about your flat?
Answer. I would love to have a big balcony where I can put some chairs and sit in the evening while having tea. Lastly, I would like to decorate it with plants.
- Is it important for children to play sports?
Answer. Definitely, sports not only keep them healthy but also inculcate discipline in life. It makes their mind constructive and gives them a routine in their day to day activities. In the end, I would also say that sports build up confidence and make them hard working.
IELTS Speaking sample part 2
Question:
Describe a holiday you enjoyed. You should say
When and where you went
Who you went with
What you did on the holiday
And explain why you found this particularly holiday enjoyable.
Model Answer:
During the month of April 2014, I visited Phuket in Thailand with my family. It was a planned holiday and I was very excited about the trip. The flight was of around 5 hours and my son enjoyed a lot as it was his first flight. Moreover, Thailand was always one of my dream destination. The capital city of Thailand is Bangkok and it is located in the centre of the country. We took another flight from Bangkok and finallyreached Phuket.
Phuket is full of beaches and they are extremely beautiful. The sand is white and the water is clear. Next day we went to Phi Phi island where we took a motorboat on rent and after reaching in the middle of the sea, we did snorkelling. It was a memorable experience and it is difficult for me to put it into words. It seemed like there is another world that exits under water. I would love to go again and enjoy the waves of sea. In my opinion, Thailand is undoubtedly a worth visiting destination.
IELTS Speaking sample part 3
The examiner will now discuss one or two more general questions related to the same topic.
Question1. Why do people go on holiday?
Answer. I believe that people go on holidays to energize themselves.
Question2. How important is it for families to go on holiday together?
Answer. In my opinion, it is very significant as it strengthens the bond.
Question3. Is it better to take a holiday in your own country or in a foreign country? Why?
Answer. Firstly, I would say that enjoying a trip is more important than the location. Although, I would also say that location preference may differ according to the group of people you are going with. Like if you are going with your friends then you may want to explore the place to the fullest so a foreign country may be better but if you are going with your family then having fun is the ultimate motive of your vacation. All in all, location hardly matters.
How to write a Task 2 introduction
Write 2 sentences only. Don’t try too hard to paraphrase the keywords.
SUMMARY:
- Write 2 sentences only.
- Don’t try too hard to paraphrase the keywords.
- Express your opinion in the introduction if you are required to do so.
Now, here comes the guide.
- Why only 2?
Most of the IELTS Task 2 essay introduction will have only two sentences:
- One for a general statement relating to the topic. Most of the time, you just have to paraphrase the fact provided in the topic question.
- One for answering the topic question. Either by expressing your opinion (if you are writing an opinion essay) or explaining the causes and the solutions of the problems (if you are writing a cause & solution essay).
Example: More houses are needed in many countries to cope with increasing populations. Would it be better to build houses in existing towns and cities, or to develop new towns in rural areas?
Answer from Simon: It is true that the populations of many countries are growing, and that new housing is therefore needed. In my opinion, it would be better to increase the provision of housing by creating new towns, rather than by further developing existing towns and cities.
As you can see, the vocabulary and grammatical structure used by Simon are very simple, mostly just some recycling from the topic question. His answer retains most of the keywords (population, develop, new towns, existing town and cities), and even a common phrase (it would be better).
While the above strategy seems to be boring, it is actually effective, especially if you don’t aim higher than the 7.0 score. Remember, your essay usually has 14 sentences, but only 2 of them are in your introduction. Spending too much time for the introduction, while leave your body paragraphs underdeveloped will hamper your test result.
Therefore, it’s better to write a short and simple introduction, without trying too hard to paraphrase the question.
2. The template
Regarding the two popular types of IELTS essay (opinion versus cause/solution), there are two simple templates used by Simon:
For an opinion essay:
People have different views about…(insert the general statement). In my opinion…(insert your opinion)
Remember to give your opinion if you are asked to do so! If the examiner has to read more than 100 words to figure out which side of the argument you are on, there are chances that he will lower your score in Task Response criterion.
For a cause/solution essay:
It is true that…(insert the general statement). There are various reasons for this, and to improve the situation, ….(insert the solutions)
There are various templates like this, using weasel words such as “nowadays”, “while some people argue that”, etc etc.
Please don’t memorising too many templates, because you won’t earn any extra point in Lexical Resource by using a different synonym of “nowadays” (for example, “in recent times”). The IELTS examiners are savvy enough to know that you just copied some phrases on the Internet. Why bother learning 10 templates if it doesn’t make any difference from just learning one?
3. Do you need the 3rd sentence? (Hint: No)
Some websites & teachers advise students to write an extra sentence at the end of the introduction, with the purpose of giving an essay overview, for example:
“These days, many local governments spend large portions of their budget not only on public services, but also on the visual arts. Although I agree that it is important to invest in local amenities, I do not think spending on the visual arts is a waste of money. This essay will discuss this issue using examples to support arguments and demonstrate points”.
While a summarizing phrase like that is important in a graduate thesis, in an IELTS essay, it is unnecessary. You will demonstrate your evidences in the body paragraphs anyway; if you also do that in the introduction, then your writing will be repetitive. And too much repetition will result in a 5.0-6.0 score, as can be seen in the Official Band Descriptor. Not to mention the whole thing “This essay will discuss…” is so overused, to the point that it no longer gives you any extra score in Lexical Resource.
Another way to write a 3-sentences introduction is to add another general statement at the beginning of your introduction, like this (written by Mat Clark):
“The world in the 21st century is marked by high population mobility. When an increasing number of people have chosen to leave their motherlands and resettle in a new country, they are at crossroads whether to blend in with the local culture or to cherish their own cultural heritages by establishing a minority community. In my opinion, the convergence of different cultures does not require a culture to yield to another; instead, it can be achieved by building minority communities.”
In the above paragraph, the first sentence presents a fact, which aims to grab the attention of the readers. However, the best hook sentences are usually interesting facts. Simply using a well-known information won’t raise your Task Response score, so just avoid doing that. Even Mat Clark is not exactly good at this.
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