Simon‘s speaking

Lesson 01 - An introduction

What does this course give you

• 3 parts of the test (timing, basiclly what happened in this three parts)
• scoring system
• some overall advice (how you should approch)

Timing, 3 parts of the test

• 11 to 14 minutes overall
• timing is very strict
  • part 1: 4 to 5 minutes
  • part 2: 3 to 4 minutes
  • part 3: 4 to 5 minutes

Scoring system

4 scores, 25% each

1. Fluency and coherence
2. Vocabulary
3. Grammar
4. Pronunciation
   • clearly, not accent

Some tips

• be ready
• know what to expect
• know what the examiner expects from you
  • eg. part 1: short fast answer
• natural language, not difficult language
  • not use difficult word
• answer as quickly as you can
  • can think a little bit, but not too much, because that would be a hesitation that could affect your fluency score.
  • the examiner don’t judge the quality of your answers, they are looking at the languages that you use and the fluency of those answers.
  • It’s much better just say the first thing that come to your head and try to keep going about that, than is to stop and think and worry about grammatical constructions.

Don’t worry about

• body language
• eye contact
• the quality of your ideas
• whether the examiner agrees with you
• presentation skills
• the examiner’s behaviour

Aims of this course

1. give you a method

If I can give you a method, an approach for the three parts of the test in a different types question. Then you will be really know what you to do in each part.

2. prepare topics and common questions

The good news in IELTS speaking, they often repeat the same question or the same topic areas in all the three parts. So I can help you prepare for that with some good ideas, good vocalubaries. So we can have a fluent answer with good language and not too many mistakes and that will cover most of the requirements of the system.

Lesson 02 - Part 1 of the speaking test

Speaking Part 1:

• 4 to 5 minutes
  examiner should control this strickly, so don’t worry about examiner watches his / her watch, that is nomal.

• 10 or 11 questions

  • quite short, fast, easy questions

• 3 topic areas

  • start 2 or 3 questions about Your works or Your studies or Way you live
  • move on to 4 questions about one short topic
  • another 4 quetions about a second mini topic

• easy!

Remember

• try to show fluenc****y

  • That is the key in speaking part 1.

• don’t stop and think too much

  • that will be called a hesitation, hesitation is when your fluency stops (ummm, emmm, etc)

• don’t worry about vocabulary or grammar

  • don’t try to show off your best language, you don’t need difficult vocabulary or complex grammer in this part of the test, it won’t help you
  • Try to foucs on fluency
  • Say the first thing that come to your head
  • Answer the question as quickly as you can
  • Don’t worry about the quality of you ideas
  • Just say something

• It’s an easy warm-up

• give short, simple answers
  Youcan’tget a high score from part 1

• worry about lanuages when we start part 2 & 3

What’s the best technique?

• Answer the quesion

• then give a reason
  So it’s one maybe two sentences. That’s all.

• give short, simple answers

• but use full sentences

  • never just give one word answer or a short phrase, try to answer with full sentences

• stop with confidence when you finished (important, don’t try to fill the silence with more answer, you will only make mistakes and you won’t have anything to say, that is a mistake that people othen make. If examiner leaves any silence, don’t worry)

• don’t keep talking

• smile at the examiner if necessary! (that is to show I have already finished this answer and ready for the next question)

• stopping with confidence is always a skill to practice

Topics: often seem childish

E.g. What’s your favourite coluor?

• don’t be worried or don’t be panic
• just follow the technique, give an answer and reason, then you will be fine.
• maybe answer like this:
  My favourite colour is blue because it’s the colour of the sky on a nice day.

A good way to practise?

Do you like . . . ?

games**,walking,gardens,flowers,**dancing

Full example of speaking park 1

• 10 to 11 questions**,**3 topics

1. 2 or 3 introduction questions
   Do you work or are you a student ?

I’m a qualified doctor, but at the moment I’m studying English.

Do you enjoy your job/studies?

Yes, I love working as a doctor because I like helping people. But I’m not enjoying studying English so much.

Would you like to get a diferent job in the future?

No, I’m really happy with the career that I’ ve chosen, so l have no plans to change jobs.

2. 4 questions about one topic
   For example:

Let’s talk about sport. . .

Do you like sport?

Do you think it’s better to watch sports or play them yourself?

Why do you think some sports are so popular?

Do you think children should all have to do sports at school?

3. 4 questions about a second topic
   For example:

Let’s talk about colours. .

What’s your favourite colour? Why?

Do different colours have different meanings in your country?

Do you think that colours can affect the way people feel?

Do you wear different coloured clothes now compared to when you were a child?

Notice again

1. short simple answer
2. don’t worry about vocabulary or grammar
3. try not to hesitate
4. try to work on your fluency

Lesson 03 - Part 2

Introduction

• 3 to 4 minutes
• 1 minutes to prepare
• speak for 2 minutes
  • speak alone and examiner listening, seems like a presentation
• task card
• describe . . .

This is important part of the test, because this is a good opportunity for the examiner to listen to you very carefully and see how good your languages.

Make notes

Quickly decide what you’re going to talk about.

Technique

Follow the points on the task card. They help your sturcture and give you something to say. Say as much as you can for each point.

Before the exam

• Prepare for common topic areas.
• Vocabulary and ideas are the key.
• content is more important than grammar, stucture and linking.

Topics, techniques, vocabulary, example question

6 main topic areas

Describe a person

a place

an object

an event

an activity

your favourites

Techniques

1. Prepare ideas and vocabulary

2. not grammar or linking
   you should focus on answering the question well.

3. Speak naturally**,**explain in detail
   content, not structure

Describe a person

• teacher
• famous person
• friend
• family member
• child
• someone who helps people
• someone who does something well

Question

• who (appearance, personality)
• what he / she does
• when / how / where you met
• how you know about this person
• why you like this person

Preparation tip

• think of a ‘theme’ for any person (friend, family, famous, child etc. )
• start with easy adjectives
• search for better words and phrases

‘hard-working’

theme: hard-working

adjectives: busy, active

better words: conscientious, someone you can count on, enthusiastic, energetic, studious, persistent, motivated, determined to succeed, someone who sees things through (<- always finish things) , a good team player, likes to challenge himself / herself

‘friendly’

theme: friendly

better words: kind, caring, generous, unselfish, big-hearted, supportive, down-to-earth, easy-going, always there when you need him / her, someone who cheers me up, a big / magnetic personality, lights up the room

Final step in preparation

1. Think ofexamples or storiesto demonstrate each theme
   My brother is hard-working：

I remember when he used to get up at 5 am to do some extra work before school . . .

Themes:

• hard-working -> Examples / stories
• friendly

2. You can’t prepare for everything
   you will need to adapt your ideas and improvise in the test

3. Three steps to improve

• Practise (lots of practise using tests, use the theme word you prepared)
• record (see if you use the languages you prepared)
• imporve

Example

Question

Describe someone you know who does something well.

You should say

who this person is

how you know this person

what they do well

and explain why you think this person is so good at doing this.

A****nswer

I’m going to describe a friend of mine called James. James is an actor by profession, he’s in his thirties. I think he’s tall. he’s about my height with dark hair and a friendly face is always smiling, and he cheers me up whenever I see him. I met James in university, he was my next door neighbour in my hall of residence in the first year of university. on that first day when we were moving into our rooms, James introduced himself to me, and we struck up a conversation and got to know each other, then we became good friends. James, as I said, is an actor, and I think he is really good at that. he studied at drama university, where I met him. and since then, he’s been working in theatre. he’s done some small, independent films, and he’s trying to get his break in television, or in a more popular mainstream films. and I think he’ll do it, because for me, seems so when I’ve been to see him in theatre. productions are have seen the short films that he’s been in. he seems to be a really good actor to me why I think he’s good. well, I think it comes from his work ethic. he’s a really hard worker, he’s really persistent. he always said he wanted to be a successful actor, it’s not. it’s not an easy profession to become successful in, but he’s persisted. he’s really intense. he studies each role very carefully, gets into character. I remember, for example, not being able to talk to him for about a week before one of his acting jobs because he was in character. he didn’t want to lose focus, so he’s really intense. and that’s what I think makes him a great actor, and I think he’ll be successful.

Lesson 04 - Describe a place

Attention again

• Work on good ideas and vocabulary for the most common topic areas…
• Prepare ideas and vocabulary
• NOT grammar or linking
• respond to the question well and give a really good description -> that is what we really impress the examiner.

6 main topic areas:

Describe a person

a place

an object

an event

an activity

your favourites

Describe a place

main

• a city (you’ve visited)

• a city (you would like to visit)

• somewhere you went on holiday

• a historic place

• a river, lake or sea

• a journey (where you went)
  later

• a shop

• a restaurant

• a street market
  prepare themes and examples

Question

• which place (the name of the place)
• where
• what you did / can do there
• why you like it

Preparation tip

• think of a theme for any place
• start with easy adjectives
• search for better words and phrases

‘an interesting place’

theme: an interesting place

adjectives: fun, lively

better words: fascinating, unforgettable, the time flew by

interesting / funcity’theme’:

• lively, bustling, hectic, thriving
• cosmopolitan, multicultural
• fascinating, unique
• a special atmosphere
• sightseeing, entertainment
• an unforgettable experience
• enjoyed every minute
• the time flew by
• endless things to see and do
• it was cover too quickly

‘historic’

theme: historic (some place old)

better words:

• old buildings, palaces, statues
• ancient
• monuments
• landmarks (<- important place in that city)
• where great events took place
• connection to the past
• reminders of the past
• everywhere you look
• full of history
• a rich cultural heritage (遗产)

‘friendly’(e. g. restaurant )

theme: friendly

better words:

• welcoming, inviting
• warm, approachable
• polite
• thoughtful, attentive
• great atmosphere
• make you feel at home
• the service was excellent
• nothing was too much to ask
• an unforgettable evening

Final step in preparation

Think of examples or stories to demonstrate each theme

1. The city was interesting：
   We visited famous landmarks and attractions, such as. . .

We lost track of time because. . .

2. The restaurant was friendly：
   The waiters really made us feel special. They even surprised us with a birthday cake. . .

3. You can’t prepare for everything
   you will need to adapt your ideas and improvise in the test

Three steps to improve

• Practise (lots of practise using tests, use the theme word you prepared)
• record (check and see if you use the languages you prepared, don’t prepare words but no use)
• imporve

Example

Question 1

Describe a river*,*lake or sea which you like.

You should say

what the river*,*lake or sea is called

where it is

what the land near it is like

and explain why you like this river*,*lake or sea.

Answer

I’m going to describe the best known river in England at the river thames, the river thames is in the south of England and its famous because it flows right through the centre of London. and he goes winding through all of the most iconic famous tourist attractions and landmarks of the city. for example, it goes past the London eye, the houses of parliament with big ben, and it goes under tower bridge, probably the most famous bridge in London, so the land around this river or on either side of this river is hectic, thriving city centre London, it’s right in the heart of the city. and of course, its cosmopolitan mix of cultures, business, tourism all round, and it’s where everyone goes to do sightseeing in the centre of the capital and it’s got a lot of the history and heritage of London. based around the area in close proximity to the river itself, the reason I liked this river, the river thames is because it’s such an iconic location. It’s a great backdrop to these great landmarks of the city, the historic buildings and famous tourist sites in the city. and I’ve got good memories of being there on a new year’s eve one year recently. In London, new year’s eve celebrations are all focused on the river with the river and some of the landmarks as the backdrop to a big fireworks show and said the rivers all lit up. and there’s a spectacular fireworks display put on, and lots of tourists and local people all watch it there together. and it was really an unforgettable experience, and the river was central to it.

Use and adapt the same ideas

Question 2

Describe a restaurant that you enjoyed going to.

You should say

where the restaurant was

why you chose this restaurant

what type of food you ate and explain why you enjoyed eating in this restaurant.

Answer

I’m going to describe a restaurant that I went to quite recently for the birthday party of a friend of mine, the restaurant that we went to was right in the. out of London overlooking the river thames, it was quite near to tower bridge, the famous bridge in London. and we had a great view from our vantage point above the river. we had a great view of all the famous London landmarks in that area. My friend chose the restaurant because of this location because of the great backdrop out of the window of the restaurant. we could see all of these iconic places in London, and he thought it was would be a good place to have a celebration, a place that would be memorable for everybody. but also we’d heard that the food in this restaurant was delicious, and that the staff were warm and welcoming, and the service and the quality was all round really good. The type of food that we ate there. well, it was a fusion restaurant. I think they called it, which meant that there was a variety of food choices from all over the world. there were. mexican food choices, mediterranean persian, but also hamburgers and pizzas. that kind of thing, I think I actually had a pizza with various toppings on it myself. and it was really nice, it was a fantastic meal. the reason I enjoyed eating in this restaurant, firstly, was a great chance to get together with friends and chat about what we’d been up to and catch up with some of my good friends, but also the restaurant itself really did make the night special. The service was fantastic, the waiters and the staff really made us feel at home. there were thoughtful and attentive to all of our needs, and we’re really surprised at the end when they bought us a cake to celebrate my friend’s birthday.

Lesson 05 - Describe a Object

Attention again

• Work on good ideas andvocabulary for the mostcommon topic areas…
• Prepare ideas and vocabulary
• NOT grammar or linking
• respond to the question well and give a really good description -> that is what we really impress the examiner.

6 main topic areas:

Describe a person

a place

an object

an event

an activity

your favourites

Describe an object

• something you own
• something you would like to own
• something you use every day
• a piece of electronic equipment
• a gift you received
• a gift you gave
• something old that you own

Question

• what? what the object is?
• where? where you got from?
• who? who gave it to you?
• how? How long you have this object?
• why? why do you like this object? why it is special? why do you want it?

Preparation tip

Choose an object that could be used for any of the topics above.

• think of a theme for any place
• start with easy adjectives
• search for better words and phrases

electronic watch feature ‘theme’

theme: electronic watch feature theme

better words:

• smartwatch
• synchronise with phone/ computer
• contacts, photos, emails
• store music
• receive notifications
• search the web
• it responds to voice commands
• make ‘contactless’ purchases
• track exercise goals
• fashion accessory-it looks stunning (describe the design)

electronic watch useful theme

theme: electronic watch useful theme

better words:

• various features and functions
• organise my life
• work, appointments, social life
• check calendar at a glance
• set reminders and notifications
• practical, functional, convenient
• the ultimate in portable devices
• instant access to…
• couldn’t live without it.

old watch inherited ‘theme’

theme: old watch inherited ‘theme’

better words:

• an inheritance (<- it was passed down to me by father / mother / grandparents)
• passed down to me by
• a family heirloom (<- an important thins passed down on your family)
• in the family for several generations
• an antique
• it has sentimental value
• I’m emotionally attached to it
• it reminds me of
• it brings back happy memories
• I’lI hand it down to my children

old watch appearance:

theme: old watch appearance

better words:

• parts: the face, the strap
• traditional clock dial and hands
• made of (leather, gold, silver)
• colours
• inscription / engraving on the back (<- writing? peoples’ name? )
• grandfather’s name engraved
• simple, minimalistic design
• timeless, classic
• elegant, stylish
• well-made, durable, resilient

Final step in preparation

Think of examples or stories to demonstrate each theme

1. My watch is useful:
   If my watch hadn’t notified me, I would have forgotten that I had a dentist’s appointment.

2. It has sentimental value:
   I remember that when I was a child, my grandfather taught me how to tell the time…

Three steps to improve

• Practise (lots of practise using tests, use the theme word you prepared)
• record (check and see if you use the languages you prepared, don’t prepare words but no use)
• imporve

Example

Question 1

Describe something that you would like to own.

You should say

what it is

where you have seen it

what you would use it for

and explain why you would like to own this object.

Answer

I’m going to talk about a watch that would like to own. it’s one of these new smart watches, the new type of watch that has all the functions and features of a smartphone of a mobile phone. but of course, you wear it on your wrists. what’s even more portable. And this is a new fashion accessory these days of a new gadget that I’ve seen advertised everywhere on billboards in the city centre on tv adverts. and I’ve seen these watches in person in real life, in various department stores that I’ve been to when out shopping, and I’m not sure which brand I would buy, but I’ve seen the various brands. and maybe the most famous one at the moment is. the apple watch, the reason i’d like one of these watches is because you can synchronize it with your computer and phone. and so you’ve got all your contact, your photos and especially calendar and notifications right there on your wrist, and you’re carrying it around with you. so I think it would be particularly convenient for me to be able to organize, organize my life using one of these watches and check my appointments and work commitments. at a glance, just looking at my wrist, I think it would even be good, maybe for for health reasons, because apparently you can track your exercise goals and your even things like the number of steps you’re taking every day so that might be quite interesting. so the reason that I’d like one of these watches, as I said, would be the features and functions that I’ve just mentioned. I think these watches are really practical, it’s just as good as a phone in terms of the technology. but you’ve, it’s even more portable, really, there, the ultimate portable devices. and i’m a fan of gadgets, and this one looks really stunning too. so those are the reasons why I think it would be nice to have one.

Use and adapt the same ideas

Question 2

Describe something old that you own which is special to you.

You should say

what this possession is

how long you have had it

where it came from

and explain why this possession is special to you.

Answer

I’m going to describe an old wristwatch that I inherited from my grandfather, so it’s a family heirloom, its an antique watch. and it’s really a simple, classic old watch with a leather strap and a white face and a gold edge around it. and I’ve had it for the last ten. years, I think it is, since my grandfather gave it to me, but it’s been in the family for several generations before that. In fact, I think it came originally from my great grandfather, because his name is engraved on the back of the watch face. so perhaps it was a gift that he received from an employer, or a friend or another family member. we’re not really sure, but he had it originally and then passed it down to my grandfather. and. now it’s obviously mine, and the reason it’s special than is because of this sentimental value that this watch houses, as I said, it’s a family heirloom. it’s probably the only antique, really old possession that I’ve got. that reminds me of my grandfather, and it brings back happy memories. for example, I remember when my grandfather was helping me to learn to tell the time when I was a child. and because. his watch had such a simple, clear clock face, and it was very easy for me to understand what he was talking about when he showed me the how the big hand was for the minutes. and the shorter, small hand on the waters for the hours. as I remember him teaching me to tell the time and testing me with different times to see if I understood, I also like the the watches, stylish, elegant design. It’s very simple, it’s just a classic, timeless at look, and it’s really durable and resilient. I think it’s so well made that I’ll be able to hand it down to the next generation when I am older.

Lesson 06 - Describe a Event

Attention again

• Work on good ideas andvocabulary for the mostcommon topic areas…
• Prepare ideas and vocabulary
• NOT grammar or linking
• respond to the question well and give a really good description -> that is what we really impress the examiner.

6 main topic areas:

Describe a person

a place

an object

an event

an activity

     your favourites

Descibe an event

Question

• what? (what type of event it was? )
• where? (where it was? )
• who? (who was? who went to the event? who was in the event? )
• why? (why did you like it? why did you join the event? why do people enjoy / go to this event? )

Descibe an event

• an important event in your life
• a festival in your country (wedding, birthday)
• a party
• a celebration

we could probably prepare a description of a festival and use that for any of them. We could also prepare very common events like a wedding or birthday. They can’t be used to describe a festival because that’s not really the same. But a wedding or birthday can be used to describe an important event, a party or a celebration.

• a sports event that you watched
• a concert or music event

Even though we’ve got a few different types of event here, festival**,wedding,sports,event,**concert are very different. But we can use a lot of the same vocabulary to describe any of them.

Preparation tip

Prepare vocabulary ‘themes’ for any event.

Choose an object that could be used for any of the topics above.

• think of a theme for any place
• start with easy adjectives
• search for better words and phrases

a ‘special’ event

theme: electronic watch feature theme

better words:

• memorable
• unforgettable, spectacular
• fantastic, amazing, wonderful
• a day to remember
• it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience
• I had a great time
• I enjoyed every minute
• I was blown away (<- really impressed)
• I couldn’t have asked for more
• it exceeded my expectations

where the event was

theme: where the event was

better words:

• the venue (<- a place)
• a perfect / prime location
• beautifully decorated
• the decoration / lighting was…
• spectacular, romantic
• a lovely setting
• a fantastic atmosphere
• the atmosphere was electric
• we were impressed by…
• service, staff, attention to detail

specific vocabulary

wedding

bride, groom, guests, ceremony, marriage vows, speech, wedding reception (party), flowers, clothing (dress), cake

festival

what it commemorates (<- reason), religious significance, gifts, decorations, customs, special meal, public holiday

sports event

athletes, players, crowd, spectators, stadium, field / pitch (for football) / track (for running), commentators (<- the people who are talking about this event), the contest, the score, the winner

concert

band, group, orchestra, lighting, sound, stage, crowd, audience, instruments, voice, song, piece of music

Final step in preparation

Think of examples or stories to demonstrate each theme

My sister’s wedding was special

I enjoyed the occasion because it was great to see my sister so happy on her big day.

The concert was spectacular

Suddenly the venue lit up, and the crowd cheered as the musicians came onto the stage.

A few more tips

• search on the Internet for ideas about the particular events that you would choose
• use my theme vocabulary, but also add your own themes and vocabulary ideas
• describe what happened step by step, from the beginning to the end of the event

Three steps to improve

• Practise (lots of practise using tests, use the theme word you prepared)
• record (check and see if you use the languages you prepared, don’t prepare words but no use)
• imporve

Example

Festival and wedding - see attached worksheet.

Question 1

Describe a sports event that you enjoyed watching.

You should say

what event you watched

where you were

who you watched it with

and explain why you enjoyed watching it.

Answer

I’m going to describe what I think was the most memorable. and then in recent years, the I remember, which was the London twenty twelve. of Olympic games, this was a spectacular festival of sport over the course of several weeks here in in england. and I think it was a once in a lifetime experience for us to have the Olympic games in our own country. and I was, unfortunately, at home watching most of the Olympics on television, I didn’t manage to go down to London to see any of the events in person, but I enjoyed them all on TV, at home, in my in my own house, or sometimes with friends or family at their houses, and I do remember the events themselves, though, were in all different places across London, mainly at the Olympic park area in the main stadium, or the various other smallest stadiums for the different events. like the swimming, the basketball, et cetera. and I watched various of these different events when they were on television. as I said, I was watching at home, usually on my own, or with family, or occasionally with friends. I remember, for example, watching the hundred meters sprint race, which is probably considered to be there. the most important are the most famous event in the Olympic games. we often call it the blue riband event, and there was a lot of hype and anticipation surrounding the hundred metres at in the Olympics, because everyone wanted to see whether usain bolt would win again, or whether anyone will be able to beat him. so I enjoyed this event, the London Olympic games, because i think it was an unforgettable experience to see it in my own country. there were some great performances and victories by the athletes, and I enjoyed every minute.

Use and adapt the same ideas

Question 2

Describe a concert or musical event in your country.

You should say

who the musicians are

where the concert is held

what type of music is played

and explain why people attend this musical event.

Answer

I’m going to describe a concert that I’ve actually been to. that takes place here in manchester, where I live, the musicians who perform this concert are classical musicians. it’s an orchestra called the halle orchestra, which is obviously made up of the conductor. the string instruments like violins, the percussion, the woodwind instruments, the brass instruments, et cetera. and these musicians play in a concert hall, a venue called the bridge water hall here in manchester. which is a purpose built concert hall, and by which, I mean that it was designed specifically for music, the sound acoustics are really good in there in the concert room and the lighting, the stage, et cetera, was all they were all built specifically for music and the type of music that you would expect from an orchestra would normally be classical music. but this particular concert that i think they put on once a year. is a bit more popular or mainstream because the orchestra plays theme music from famous films, the soundtracks from films, and most of them are very popular, well known hollywood films like et indiana jones, jurassic park, the james bond films that kind of thing. and this is why people attend, because we all know most of us know the music from those from those films. and it’s amazing. to hear a full orchestra playing these these songs, these pieces of music, in a live venue, the the sound qualities fantastic and hear these pieces of music loud and live is really wonderful. I would, for example, was particularly blown away by the ET soundtrack, which is in a really, really emotional piece of music. when you hear it, especially in a live venue like that.

Lesson 07 - Describe an Activity

Descibe an activity

Question

• what? (what the activity is?)
• where? (where you do it?)
• who? (who you do it with?)
• why? (why you like it?)
• a hobby
• a sport -> (swimming, chess)
• a game
• something healthy that you do
• something new that you have done recently

Preparation tip

Prepare vocabulary 'themes’

Choose an object that could be used for any of the topics above.

• think of a theme for any place
• start with easy adjectives
• search for better words and phrases

a healthy sport(swimming):

theme: a healthy sport(swimming):

better words:

• keep fit, stay in good condition
• get in better shape
• feel refreshed
• rejuvenated, invigorated
• gives me an energy boost
• a good cardiovascular workout
• build strength and endurance
• a low-impact sport
• helps to relieve stress
• relaxing, helps to clear my mind

an enjoyable game(chess)

theme: an enjoyable game(chess)

better words:

• board game, a chess set
• pieces e. g. king / queen / bishop
• taking the opponent’s pieces
• checkmate
• hone my skills
• thinking ahead
• out-think / outwit the opponent
• concentration, mental workout
• problem solving, strategy
• learn from mistakes / losses

Final step in preparation

Think of examples or stories to demonstrate each theme

1. Swimming is relaxing
   Yesterday I had a lot on my mind, but as soon as I hit the water, all of my troubles disappeared.

2. I learned from my losses
   I had one friend who always beat me, but I copied his strategies when playing other people.

3. Search on the Internet for ideas about the hobbies or activities thatyouwould choose

4. Use my theme vocabulary, but also add your own themes and ideas

Three steps to improve

• Practise (lots of practise using tests, use the theme word you prepared)
• record (check and see if you use the languages you prepared, don’t prepare words but no use)
• imporve

Example

Question

Describe something healthy you enjoy doing.

You should say

what you do

where you do it

who you do it with

and explain why you think doing this is healthy.

Answer

I’m going to describe a really healthy activity that I do currently, which is swimming. I used to swim a lot when I was younger, but I’ve recently taken it up again. and I go a couple of times a week, now I go swimming in a gym that I joined, which has a nice swimming pool. I tried going to my local public pool, but it was too busy and you couldn’t really swim up and down in lanes there. so I found a gym that has a pool, and it’s usually quite empty, and I can have a lane to myself and swim up and down. as I said, I do this hobby or activity alone. I don’t go there with any one. it. solitary sport really, and I’m doing it for my own health reasons. obviously. of course, there are other people in the pool when I’m there, sometimes you have to share a lane with another person or a couple of people. but basically, I mean, there focused on my own, concentrating on my own swimming, stroke and technique, and trying to improve my endurance and stamina as well. and the reason I think this is a healthy sport, well, I think it’s. widely accepted that swimming is really healthy, it’s a good all over body workout. it’s great cardiovascular exercise. it’s a low impact sport, so you are not expected to get any injuries as he might do if you’re running weather impact on the joints with swimming, you don’t have that. so I think it’s really good for the body, but it’s also good for the mind when I get into the swimming pool. as soon as I hit the water around it. is my mind and focused only on one thing, which is my stroke, my technique, the breathing it makes you think about your breathing as well, which is good. and I think it rejuvenates and reinvigorates you to be in the water. it’s a really relaxing experience.

Lesson 08 - Describe your favourite

Describe your favourite …

• film or TV programme
• song /piece of music
• book
• website
• advertisement
  Prepare vocabulary

Use ideas from other topics

Question

• what?
  • film / TV / book: the story
  • song: artist, style, instruments
  • website: features
  • advertisement: product, ‘story’
• when?
• where?
• who?
• how?
• why?
  • film/TV/ book: your feelings
  • song: feelings, emotions
  • website: how you use it
  • advertisement: opinions / effect

‘what’ and ‘why’ are the two easiest areas to prepare.

Preparation tip

1. Prepare vocabulary
2. Use ideas from other topics
3. Choose an object that could be used for any of the topics above.

• think of a theme for any place
• start with easy adjectives
• search for better words and phrases

advertisement: use ideas from the ‘watch’ description (lesson 5)

theme: advertisement

better words:

• smartwatch e.g. Apple Watch
• synchronise with phone / computer
• contacts, photos, emails
• store music
• receive notifications
• search the web
• it responds to voice commands
• track exercise goals
• fashion accessory - it looks stunning

song: use ideas from the ‘concert’ description(lesson 6)

theme: an enjoyable game(chess)

better words:

• film soundtrack (e.g. James Bond)
• theme music
• orchestra
• instruments
• popular, well-known
• immediately recognisable
• creates expectation
• adventure, mystery, suspense
• exciting, dramatic, powerful

film: James Bond

theme: film

better words:

• the film is / was released
• the plot (story)
• the genre (<- type) e.g. action/drama
• the cast: actors / roles / characters
• scenes, locations, special effects
• I thoroughly enjoyed it
• spectacular, entertaining
• great performances
• I was on the edge of my seat (<- excited)
• I was enthralled (<- excited)

website: Facebook

theme: film

better words:

• social networking website
• keep in contact with friends
• find people you’ve lost touch with
• post messages
• write status updates
• upload photos and videos
• post links to other websites
• check your news feed
• find people with shared interests
• connect with like-minded people

book: novel or non-fiction

novel

better words:

• storyline, plot, genre
• the author, the characters
• entertaining, enthralling
• I couldn’t put it down

non-fiction book / textbook

better words:

• topic, field, subject
• informative, fascinating, inspiring
• I learnt about / I found out about
• it opened my mind to…
  Search on the Internet for ideas about the ideas aboutyourfavourites

Use my theme vocabulary, but also add your own themes and ideas

Three steps to improve

• Practise (lots of practise using tests, use the theme word you prepared)
• record (check and see if you use the languages you prepared, don’t prepare words but no use)
• imporve

Final step in preparation

Think of examples or stories to demonstrate each theme

Swimming is relaxing

Yesterday I had a lot on my mind, but as soon as I hit the water, all of my troubles disappeared.

I learned from my losses

I had one friend who always beat me, but I copied his strategies when playing other people.

Example

Question 1

Describe a song or piece of music that you like.

You should say

what type of music it is

where you first heard it

who performs it and explain

why you like this song or piece of music.

Answer

I’m going to describe one of my favourite pieces of music, which is the theme music from the james bond films. and this is the soundtrack that begins every one of these james bond films, and you, you hear the instrument straight away is an instrumental piece of music. there are no, there’s no singing. there are no lyrics, it’s just orchestra with electric guitar. and it begins every one of the james bond films. so the first time I heard this soundtrack was probably when I was a child, and I watched my first ever james bond film on television, and I was immediately struck by the music, how impressive it it was and how it it gets you excited before the films even begun. the spectacular opening sequences that always begin any james bond film, matched with this iconic music. um a really exciting and memorable, this is performed obviously by an orchestra, but as I said, it incorporates electric guitar and some drums as well. so it’s a mix of popular and classical. I’d say I’m not sure who composed it, but I imagine any orchestra can play it. the reason I like this music then is because of the expectation it creates at the beginning of a james bond. film, you know that you’re about to watch something special when you hear the first few notes of of this soundtrack of the theme music, it creates an expectation of adventure, mystery, excitement. I think it’s really dramatic and powerful to hear this music at the beginning of the film, and they always match it with a spectacular opening sequence. and I think you’re already on the edge of your seat before the films even begun. because. it’s a really special beginning to hear this music before the film gets going.

Use and adapt the same ideas

Question 2

Describe a book that you enjoyed reading.

You should say

what the book was about

how you found out about it

why you chose to read it

and explain why you enjoyed reading this book.

Answer

I’m going to describe a book that I really enjoyed reading recently, the name of the book was mindset. it’s a nonfiction book, and the author is called carol dweck, or that I’m not sure how to pronounce her surname properly, but she’s a psychology professor. and so the topic of this book was related. to personality and development and motivation, in particular, she was writing about people’s put own personal views regarding ability. some people, according to this author, believe that ability is innate. you’re born with it, you have a talent that you can’t change other people. on the other hand, believe that abilities can be improved through gradual, hard work. and this is the the area of a personality that she’s looking at. so though she divides them, the two types of people into people with a fixed mindset and other people with a growth mindset, that’s why the the name of the book is mindset. so these two mindsets are about whether you believe that our traits are fixed, or whether, on the other hand, you think that we can grow and develop. talents through hard work. I found out about the book from a friend of mine who read it, who recommended it, said it was really interesting, and I chose to read it because I thought, well, this could help me with my job with my own aims or goals in life. and I’m interested in that kind of area psychology anyway, and I really enjoyed reading the book because it did open my eyes to motivation and peoples. growth and development, I found it really informative, fascinating and even inspiring to see how we can improve ourselves.

Lesson 09 - Other topic

6 main topic areas

Describe a person

a place

an object

an event

an activity

    your favourites

Questions that don’t fit into these 6 main topic areas

Example

1. Describe an important choice that you had to make
2. Describe an idea you had for improving something at work or college
3. Describe a competition that you took part in
4. Describe a meeting that you went to at work, college or school
5. Describe a time when you were asked for your opinion in a survey
6. Describe a journey that you remember well
7. Describe an open-air or street market that you enjoyed visiting
8. Describe a shop near where you live that you sometimes use
9. Describe a conflict that you had, or a time when you became angry
10. Describe a beautiful sky that you enjoyed looking at
11. Describe an interesting story that someone told you
12. Describe a law in your country that you think is good
13. Describe a local news story that people in your area found interesting
14. Describe a time when you were stuck in traffic or delayed when travelling
15. Describe a time when you helped someone

Advice

3 things that you can do:

1. Adapt your ideas from a main topic
2. Talk about your job or studies
3. Look through the lessons on my blog

Adapt your ideas from a main topic

• competition - sport (activity topic)
• journey - place you visited
• shop - object or favourite
• beautiful sky - place
• story - event or person
• local news story - place, concert
• in traffic or delayed - place
• when you helped - place, object

Talk about your job or studies

• important choice (choice of course, choice of work)
• idea at work or college
• competition (maybe an acdemic competition or work competition, sometimes target of work maybe)
• meeting
• survey
• conflict, a time you became angry (work at teams, someone didn’t contribute -> person topic)
• in traffic or delayed
• when you helped someone
  Prepare some good ideas and vocabulary about vour job or studies

Look through the lessons on my blog

• open-air or street market
• law in your country
• an environment problem
• a business
• a prize that you’d like to win
• etc…
  **lf none of this advice works… ->**do your best, tell the truth

Lesson 10 - Part 3

Tips

• Between 3 and 6 questions
• Give long**,**detailed answers
  • show how good your English language
• This is your final chance to impress the examiner!

Methods

Follow 3 steps (or sometimes 4)

• Force yourself to follow these steps
• Otherwise your answers won’t have ‘direction’.
  • Many people just give one answer and one idea, and they are keeping round and round the same idea, they don’t say anything new, they repeat themselves too much.
  • If you follow the step by step structure in your answer, your answer will move forward, and it won’t go round and round repeating, so you will have direction in your answer what we want.

Steps

1. Answer the question directly
   1. try to use a full sentence, instead of just one-word answer
2. Explain your answer (reasons**/ details****)**
   1. ask yourself why in your head, keep thinking why, why, why… and give more details by answering that questions why.
3. Give an example
   1. personally example
   2. real life example
   3. your country, your family, you and yourself
   4. any type of example
   5. force yourself to use those key words – 'for example’

as soon as you say those two words ‘for example’, your mind has to think quickly and any example that came into your head, you don’t have time to plan, just say these two words and do your best to give an example.

4. Explain the opposite / alternative (what would happen if…)

Example

Do you think that it’s better to have clear aims for the future*,*or is it best to take each day as it comes?

Answer

I think it’s best to have a good idea of what you want to do with your life, especially in terms of studies and career.

Why

Having aims allows you to plan what you need to do today and tomorrow in order to achieve longer-term objectives.

Example

For example, if you want to become a doctor, you need to choose the right subjects at school, get the right exam results, and work hard at university.

Opposite (not necessary if you don’t have)

Without a clear aim, it would be impossible to take the necessary steps towards a career in medicine or any other profession.

Note

My main focus is to answer the question well and focus on my answer structure(following the steps, especially the first three), to give a long answer that has good direction that moves forward, not on grammar or vocabulary.

Why?

Because my priority is to give a long, detailed answer. We don’t have time to think of good words or grammar.

More examples - Google search:

speaking part 3 site:ielts-simon.com

Attention: no spacea between ‘site’ and ‘ielts’

Summary

Part 1

Focus on fluency: try not to hesitate, answer quickly, short and simple

Part 2

Focus on good vocabulary ideas: prepare for 6 main topic areas

Part 3

Focus on structure: answer, explain, example, (alternative)

The only part of this test that we can stop and think and prepare some ideas, some good vocabulary is part 2, in the other two part you don’t have time to think and prepare, so it’s best to focus quick answer in part 1 and on the step-by-step structure in part 3.