Good afternoon. Can I have your full name, please?
Hasan Can Yuksel.

All right, and can I see your passport, please?
Yeah, sure.

Thank you. That’s fine. Uh, now, in the first part of the test, I’d like to ask you some questions about yourself. Um, let’s talk about what you do. Are you a student, or do you have a job?
Yeah, I am a student. I’m a student in English class.

And why did you decide to study English?
Er, before, because I want to study in Masters, at Masters program, er, that’s why I have to study English and I have to get a IELTS score. That’s why I study English.

1. Is it an interesting subject to study?
   Yeah. It’s, er, IT, my study, er …

Your Masters?
Yeah, my Masters, yeah.

Oh, OK. And why did you decide to study IT?
Er, because I like technology and, er, you know IT is, er, related about information and management people. That’s why.
OK. Um, now let’s go on to the topic of reading magazines. Um, what kinds of magazines are popular in your country?
Er, gossip, er, magazines popular in my country actually and, er, and also those post magazine.

1. So why do some people prefer to read magazines rather than books?
   Because magazines, er, has a hot topic and eh, eh, er, that’s the people interested in this gossip or sports program.” That’s why the people prefer to magazines.
2. And can you learn from magazines? Candidate: Uh, sorry?
   Can you learn from magazines? Candidate: No, I … I prefer to newspaper to read.

Why’s that? Why is that? Why do you prefer to read newspapers?
Er, because, er, my first degree is economy. I have to, er, learn to economy news and that’s why and I don’t interest gossip and sport activities.

So, do you often read magazines?
No.

OK.
No I don’t read often.

1. Um, now I’d like to talk to you, um, about drinks.
   Yeah.

What are some of the most popular drinks in your country?
In my country is mopular, eh, most popular drinks is special Turkish drinks is alcohol, eh, it’s, er, we call draku. It’s, er, has, er, high level of alcohol inside.

Uh-huh, OK.
And beer, also.

Right. Are there any drinks that people have at special times?
Um, yes, birthdays or some celebrates, er, New Year celebrates, people prefer to drink.

Mm. Right. OK. Um, are there any hot drinks that you like?
Yeah, we, er, drink a tea but hot. Er, we prefer to hot tea, not iced tea and coffee as well.

Mm. OK. And, um, what do you think are the healthiest drinks? What do you think are the healthiest drinks?
Er, I like healthiest drinks, especially milk, um, yeah, er, yeah, just milk I think.

1. All right. Well, now we have the second part of the Speaking Test. I’m going to give you a card about a topic, and I’d like you to talk about it for one to two minutes. Before you start, you can have one minute to think about what you are going to say, and if you want to, you can make some notes.
   Mm hm.

Do you understand?
Yeah, I understand.

All right. So here’s some paper and a pencil for making notes, and here’s your topic.
Thank you.

Part 2

I’d like you to describe a house or an apartment you have lived in and which you liked.
Er, I wanna …

All right, so remember, you can talk for one to two minutes, and I’ll tell you when the time is up. Right? Can you start speaking now, please?
OK. I will describe my, er, apartments in my country. Eh, it’s, ah, ooh, my apartments has a, er, eight level, eight floor, and we lived in, er, seventh floor, and I like, I like it because this apartments has, er, a lot of, er, er, some, er, we have a swimming pool and tennis courts, er, it has a lots of facility, er, for, er, social life and, er, I used to, er, I used to both of them. And, um, we, er, our apartments is, er, in Istanbul in Turkey, and, er, it’s, er, it has a, er, our home flat, er, has, er, three rooms and, er, has a huge, really huge kitchen and my mum actually, er, like it, like the huge kitchen and, um, it’s, er, very close to our shop and we can go by walking. It’s, er, and, er, this is, er, this house, this apartments, er, a little, er, suburb, little far to centre in Istanbul, but I like it, it’s not crowded. Our area’s so quiet and the people is, er, elite people and, er, our neighbours also is, er, kind peoples and we talking to neighbours, er, always and, er, we visit each other forgot my neigh … our neighbours and, er, we have a good relation in our apartments.

Part 3

So, is your home similar to most other places in the area?
Er, little different, not similar, little different, a little, er, high quality than the others.

And has that area changed since you first lived there?
Yeah, it’s changed because, er, this, er, building, this apartments, er, built, er, several years ago, maybe, er, seven years ago, and after the finished this apartments, it’s changed, this area is changed.

All right, thank you. You’ve been talking, um, about a house or an apartment you have lived in, and now I want to discuss a few more general questions connected to this. Um, firstly, let’s look at finding a place to live. Um, how do people usually find a place to live in your country?
Er, the people, er, find a quiet place to live in my country because the centre is so crowded and so noisy. The people prefer to quiet place.

And what other factors do you think determine where people choose to live?
Others, er, I think main factor is, er, their jobs, the people’s jobs because it’s, er, really big problem in the, er, metropol cities, er, the traffic you know, lots of cars and crowded. You must go early every time and this is other factor for choose their apartments.

Right. All right, and can you compare for me, say, in Istanbul, um, living, what it’s like to live in an apartment compared to living in a house?
Ah yeah. Er, my apartment has, I like my apartments, but, er, I, er, wants to live, er, er, good view, has a good view apartments and maybe he, er, I … when I look at the window I can see a ocean or river or like this or lake.

But, generally, what are the differences between living in an apartment and living in a house, say, in a city like Istanbul?
Ah, it’s too different, it’s too different. Er, in Istanbul the people generally live in the apartment, but if you live in the houses, er, you have, er, not good relationships for their neighbours. Because it’s different in Turkey. Er, if you live apartment you can get easily, er, a friend and yeah it’s advantage for make a good relationships.

1. Um, let’s now look at, um, home ownership. Um, do most people rent their homes or own their homes where you’re from?
   In Turkey, eh, most people, eh, buy a home, not rent because this, er, our home prices is not, er, high. Is quite cheap, and you can get easily a home.

OK.
Because the people prefer to buy, buying a home.

Right. So, what do you think the difference would be? What are the different attitudes between someone who’s renting a home and someone who owns their own home? What’s their attitude towards that home? Do you think there’s a difference between a renter and an owner?
Yes, er, there are lots of advantage or disadvantage, er, the rent or owner and if you rent a house, you can, eh, you must, er, moving, eh, you can be moved other places and always you must be ready to move, yes. But if you own the house, the, er, one disadvantages own the house, you can, you live, always you live the same place and you never change in your tirement, and all the same, all the people the same.

Right.
But if you’re a renter you can change and you can get new friends, you can see a new place.

Right. Right, well let’s now look at, um, residential areas. Um, why do you think it is that some areas, some residential areas, are more pleasant to live in than others?
More?

More pleasant to live in.
Er, because the er, residence, residential areas, is er, uh er, it’s not, er, really it’s not in Turkey, it’s not, er, maybe it’s, er, for, er, develop, developed countries, it’s not, er, for developing countries, ’cause it’s different. Um, actually we have no, er, we have no one centre, and we have no residence areas. All this you can go and see, you can stay.

Right, but I guess is one area nicer than another area?
Yeah.

So what makes that area nicer?
Ah nicer, er. It’s yeah, it’s, if it’s near the centre, it’s in, er, if it’s, er, you can, er, get easily, er, transport, transportation, it’s, er, and you can go everywhere. It’s the centre like, um, it’s the people prefer the like the safe areas.

So, convenience?
Yeah, convenience.

Right, OK. Well, thank you very much. That’s the end of the Speaking Test.
Yeah, thank you.

The post IELTS Speaking Practice Sample #7 appeared first on IELTS.CLOUD.

Good Afternoon. My name is Darrell. Could you tell me your full name please?
My name is Shi-in Lee.

And what should I call you?
You can call me Shi-in please.

Thank you. Do you work or are you a student?
I work. I do interpreting and translation.

Oh. Can you tell me about your job?
Well, there are different types of um interpreting. There is medical interpreting, and there’s legal interpreting, business interpreting, and conference interpreting etc. And they are all very different and you get to meet different types of people. Um, it’s very rewarding because you are helping people who doesn’t have much English and you get paid for you job as well. So you get to learn a lot about current issues, and at the same time, you get a lot of headaches too, because you get to hear a lot of problems from your clients. So it’s a very interesting job, and I’m enjoying it still, after seventeen years.

And err, when is the busiest time in your job?
I can’t say that um…my busiest you know at a certain time of the year, it’s very hard to predict so I really can’t say – say around, well Summer is the busiest time of the year, or winter is the busiest or, I really can’t say that a certain time of the year is the busiest.

And if you could change your job, what would you prefer to do?
Sometimes umm, although I’m working and I’m helping people and without an interpreter I guess nothing much can happen, because there won’t be any communication, proper communication between you know, two parties. But then again, interpreters are not supposed to give an opinion. So you are left with the feeling that you are not contributing at all towards the result of the session. So if I changed my job I think I would pick something which is completely different from interpreting and where I can actually contribute towards the result of the discussion. So that’s what I might do in the future, you never know.

What kind of music do you enjoy listening to?
Well actually, I like all sorts of music. My husband says I have Catholic tastes in music. So I like classical music, of course, because I played piano when I was a little girl. Actually, not just as a little girl, I still play. So I like classical music, and I like jazz, blues, you know, even heavy metal. Whatever is good I can appreciate it.

Do you play a musical instrument?
Yes I play piano and I play a little bit of violin as well.

And what musical instruments do most people play in your home country?
Um in Korea, I think most girls from a proper family would play at least one musical instrument and which is normally piano. So, a lot of girls would you know, start playing piano when they are five or say seven. And I started playing piano when I was six I think.

If you can play a musical instrument, does this help you to enjoy music more?
Yes and no. In some ways it makes you, I guess take more interest in music and when you listen to the music you know how to appreciate it properly.
But then again if you get to hear certain pieces of music on the radio which you’ve played before, straight away you find yourself sort of analysing the performer. So you really can’t relax, so it’s sort of- it’s not maybe enjoyable as much. It suddenly, it becomes a chore; your mind is at work, analysing and assessing the performance. So I guess yes and no.

Part 2

Thank you. Now I’d like you to speak for one or two minutes on a topic. You have one minute to plan your answer. Here is a pencil and paper to make notes.

Here is your topic: I’d like you to describe your favourite teacher.

Thank you. Can you start speaking now please? You have one to two minutes. I will tell you when the time is up.

My favourite teacher, um, his name is Kwan Sing Pak. He was my English teacher when I was in High school in Korea. You know in Korea, all the English teachers are basically Korean. Umm..he was my teacher um, for two years, um Year eleven and Year twelve. You know the girls of that age um they normally like teachers, you know good looking, with the looks, with good sense of humour and- and all. But this specific teacher was not physically attractive at all. He was rather, not terribly good looking. (I’m sorry to be saying this). But I really adored this teacher because um, I guess to start with I loved studying languages and he was teaching English and I really loved learning English from him. And he was very passionate about his job, teaching, and he was actually enjoying it, and I could tell he was enjoying it. He had good teaching skills. He encouraged and nearly coerced, you know, contribution from the students.
And you could actually be quite sure sitting in his class that when you give answers, how silly they might sound, you would never be laughed at or anything. So you were feeling quite free to have a conversational discussion with the teacher or other students in the class. And what was also quite special about him was that he had good sense of humour, much so much so that you only remember his jokes when actually you have the test paper in front of you and you look at all the questions and you couldn’t remember the answers but his jokes only!

Part 3

Thank you. And did other students also like this teacher?
Oh yes. Yep. Most of the students just loved this teacher. He was very popular.

So we’ve been talking about teaching. I’d like to ask you some questions about teaching and education. What are the qualities of a good teacher?
I should say a good teacher is one who always is well prepared for the class. And I guess if the person has a good sense of humour that would help because, you know, boring, ah, session, nobody would sit in the class, you know, hours after hours.

And what differences in teaching styles have you experienced with different teachers?
Some teachers can be very knowledgeable. I could tell that the person had a lot of knowledge and experience and everything. But the person just didn’t have the skills to convey all that to the students. And so the rendering was really boring and everybody was just falling asleep, whereas some teachers they knew how to pass that down to the teachers somehow and the session was completely enjoyable.

Should teachers use discipline in the classroom?
Coming from where I, um, am, I think yes, teachers should discipline students. In Korea, students would respect the teachers. My mum’s generation was more so, and my mum had to say one day, she thought teachers don’t eat, don’t go to the toilet, they are demi-Gods and wouldn’t even step on the shadow of the teacher, because you respect the teacher so much. But I don’t think same kind of respect is here and students sometimes misbehave during class hours and I just find it hard to understand. There is not enough respect for the teachers and also for the learning itself.

And can students learn from computers?
I guess yes and no. I see my children, they’re sitting in front of the computer sometimes writing their essays and getting information through the net. In that case, I guess comps can be educational and helpful. But sometimes I see my son sitting in front of the computer hours after hours doing you know, video games. I don’t think in that case computers are educational or healthy.

Can you describe the education system in your home country?
In some ways it is quite similar to the Australian education system. The only difference I can tell straightaway is that Kindergarten is not part of the primary school education in Korea whereas here, we start from kindergarten. And three years we call it junior high. And then three years high school, and then four years, normally four years, we call it university education, tertiary education. So I don’t think there is big difference between two systems.

When should children start formal schooling?
Formal schooling, I guess it starts in Australia from the age of five whereas in Korea, from six? I don’t know, sometimes when I see little K students looking a little bit tired, makes me wonder whether they’re a bit too young to be starting schooling at that age. But, I really have no idea.

Has education changed since your parents’ day? You know, in the last twenty-five years?
I think it’s changed a lot, although I can’t say that I understand what education was like when my mum and dad, when they were in school. But definitely, well I’m talking about the Korean situation, in Korea, you have to study many many more subjects than your father or your mother would have, you know, in the past. And you use like different equipment, like computer and things, all these audio-visual teaching material. I guess in that way education has changed a lot.

Ok thank you. That is the end of the speaking test.

The post IELTS Speaking Practice Sample #6 appeared first on IELTS.CLOUD.

Good afternoon. Could I have your full name please?

Good afternoon. My full name is Luo Xiaojing; that is my Chinese name.

All right. And can I see your passport, please?

OK. Here you are.

Thank you. That’s fine. Now, in the first part of the test, I’d like to ask you some questions about yourself. Ah, let’s talk about what you do. Are you a student or do you have a job?

Mm, I’m a student now I have the language course is in Macquarie and then I will going to have the Master of Commerce.

OK. And, er, why did you decide to do a Masters of Commerce?

Mm. Um, because I think, if I can gain the Master degree maybe I will give a good job in China. And I will have a more opportunity, uh, to get a good pay job which is more appealing.

All right. Um, later in life do you want to study something else?

Sorry?

Later in life do you want to study something else?

Yes, of course. Cause I think study is, uh, is better to me and, uh, I think, uh, I … I will continue my studies throughout my life.

OK. Ah, now let’s go on to the topic of reading magazines. Um, what kinds of magazines are popular in your country?

Maybe the magazine about the superstars such as movie star, uh, TV star and, uh, the singer, the famous singer. Um, a lot of younger people like to see the magazine about it.

Right. Um, why do some people prefer to read magazines rather than books?

Mm. I think one of the reason is that in magazines, um, the people can see a lot of pictures then colourful and I think it’s fantastic.

OK. Can you learn much from magazines?

Oh, something. You can gain some information about the magazine but I think, um, I will … I will not spend a lot of time to see the magazine.

OK. Do you often read magazines?

No, not often.

Right, um, now I’d like to talk to you about drinks. Um, what are the most popular drinks in your country?

Beer, yeah.

Yeah, OK.

And, uh, maybe Coca Cola, but I dislike it. I always drink the orangey water and, uh, just drink the water.

All right. Um, are there any drinks that people have at special times?

Mm, yeah, uh, I think maybe in the parties such as birthday party or any, uh, celebration kind of party, the people will drink a lot of such as, uh, beer and any alcohol, alcohol water. Yeah, alcohol drink, sorry.

Mm hm. All right. Um, are there any hot drinks you like?

No I don’t like.

OK and, uh, what do you think are the healthiest drinks?

Mm. In my country a lot of people believe that, um, a little drink is better to your health, but I’m not sure because I think the men is always drink a lot and they cannot control, so I think drink is lot to their body.

IELTS Tips to get 9 bands

Part 2: Individual long turn (3-4 minutes)

Right. Now we have the second part of the Speaking Test. I’m going to give you a card about a topic, and I’d like you to talk about it for one to two minutes.. Before you start, you can have one minute to think about what you are going to say, and if you want to, you can make some notes. Do you understand?

Yes.

All right. So here is some paper and a pencil for making notes, and here’s your topic. I’d like you to describe a house or an apartment you’ve lived in and which you liked.

Describe a house or an apartment you have lived in and which you liked.

You should say:

• when you lived there
• how it looked inside
• what kind of area it was in

and explain why you like living there.

All right? So remember, you can talk for one to two minutes. I’ll tell you when the time is up. Could you start speaking now, please?

Yeah, now I will describe a house to you. Um, once I have been to Sydney I live in a big, very big house. The house has in Willoughby. You know Willoughby is quite far from the Macquarie and I like … I like the house very much because it’s, it’s very beautiful. The house is very big. There are six bedroom and two toilets, hm, a kitchen, a living room, uh, and a, a very big parking room. I think it’s very big, um, because in, in China my apartment is quite small so I fe … I always fix stress when I live in it. Mm, ah, ah, after, after the courses I always go to, go to my house, I prefer to stay in my bedroom instead of go outside because, uh, I have a little friend and I think, uh, the house is quite comfortable. Mm, uh, of, of course I have three, three housemate. Most of them come from China. We always chat but, uh, one of the problem is that we always chat with Chinese. I think that is not good enough to me. Uh, in a word I like the house and I think it’s beautiful, clear, large and, uh, it’s very comfortable, so I think it’s better for me.

So is that home similar to other places in the area?

Sorry?

Is that home similar to other places in the area?

Mm, no, maybe not.

OK. All right. Well thank you very much.

Oh, thanks.

IELTS Tips

Part 3: Two-way discussion (4-5 minutes)

You’ve been talking about a house or an apartment you have lived in, and now I want to discuss a few more general questions connected to this. Firstly, let’s look at finding a place to live. Um, how do people usually find a place to live in your country?

In my country, always go to the, uh, look for the advertisement and to gain some information about the house. Ah, maybe you, maybe the people can use a computer, um, collect the information from the Internet or buy some new newspaper, they always have some information about it. Ah, of course there are agents about just, uh, work for the, the rent, so I think it’s quite easy for a person who want to have, who want to have, who want to have looking for a house.

All right. So what factors do you think determine where people choose to live?

Mm, I think most of, most of the important reason is comfortable and the price and the convenient. Yeah.

Right. And, um, how would you compare, then, living in an apartment and living in a house?

Mm, when I in China I live in the apartment, it’s quite small, mm, and, ah, I will feel, um, it’s not as comfortable as the house. However, uh, in my, in my a … , a sorry, apartment, I, I never find any insect because I live in the fifth floor of the building, the building quite high and, uh, higher world than when I lived in the house. Uh, sometime they can find the insect climbing to my house. I’m afraid of it.

All right. Well, now let’s look at home ownership. Um, do most people in your country rent their home or do they own their own home?

Mm, if they have house or apartment, uh, most of people prefer to live in his own house because the, the rent of the house is quite expensive, especially in Shanghai and Beijing and in other big cities. Mm, I think the people should not put some money to rent a house if he had his own house. That’s not economic.

So what do you think is the difference in attitudes towards a house if you are a renter or you are an owner of that house? Do you think their attitudes towards their homes are different?

Towards?

Um, no, do you think an attitude of a renter, um, of a house compared to the attitude of an owner of the house is different?

Oh, of course it’s different. If I have my own house, I lived in it and I feel, oh, that it, that belongs to me. And I think I have a family, um, but if I live in the house just rent from somebody, I think I’m always worried maybe I will have to move another house.

Right.

I think that it quite different.

So how does that affect how they treat the house?

Mm, treat?

Um, how, how they, um, how they treat that house. So, do you think that they think of the house in a better way or a worse way, if they are a renter?

Yeah, uh, I think the people can compare with others. If I have rent a house and I lived it for a, for a long time, maybe I think, oh, it’s OK to me, but when I look, um, with it to my friend, maybe I will find out that his house is better to me, so I will all think maybe I will have to looking for another house.

OK. Lastly, let’s look at residential areas. Um, do you think that it’s better to live in the city or that it’s better to live in a suburban area?

Mm. I think the both benefit and, uh, disadvantages to live in the city or the countryside. Uh, in the city the life will become very convenient and it’s, it’s very easy for you to go out for shopping and visit your friend and, uh, check bars to any place, but I think the, maybe the environment is not good enough and the traffic is bad too. If you want to go out or go to work, go to university, you’ll find that the traffic always block, it will waste a lot of time. Mm. However, if the person live in countryside, uh, and the life is very leisure, but I think you maybe you will feel lonely. Yeah, nobody can try to reach you, nobody can tell, can take care of you. You just live by yourself, and maybe you just stay at home and watch the TV and, uh, call your friend. I think, uh, it’s bad for the young people.

OK. Well, thank you very much. That’s the end of the Speaking Test.

Thanks.

The post IELTS Speaking Practice Sample #5 appeared first on IELTS.CLOUD.

Hello. My name is Katrina Martin. Could you tell me your full name, please?

Hello. My name is Elisabetta Bortolotti.

Thank you. Can you show me your identification, please? … All right. That’s fine. I’d now like to ask you some questions about yourself. Tell me about where you live.

I live in Venice, the capital city of Italy. It’s very famous for being a romantic city, the city of love.

What are the advantages of living there?

It’s lively and fun and you never get bored. You can find any kind of entertainment you can imagine, from pubs and clubs to museums and galleries.

What are the disadvantages of living there?

It’s very crowded and quite dirty in Venice. You have to know which areas to avoid too, as some areas have bad reputations, especially at night.

We’re now going to talk about animals, what is your favourite animal?

My favourite animal is the dog. I love dogs because they’re a lot of fun, very playful, but also seem to have bit of character. So, it’s always quite amusing to try to play with your dog.

Why do you think some people like keeping pets?

I would suspect it’s mainly for the company, so that they don’t feel alone when they come home in the evening and they have someone waiting for them. I don’t have any pets, though I used to when I was a kid.

Are there any animals you are scared of?

I have a phobia of Scorpions. I reckon it’s because of the way the creature looks and they can also be venomous. They’re aggressive so if they sting you, you can get very badly hurt. Cockroaches are another animal I’m terrified of. I am afraid they will crawl on me.

Are zoos popular in your country?

Yes, they are, especially with kids. Kids love discovering new things, including new animals, and a zoo is the best place to do that. They can observe a wide range of animals in a safe environment.

Let’s move on to talk about food. Do you think men or women make the best cooks?

It doesn’t depend on the sex of the person but on their enthusiasm. The men in my family are really good cooks, and they enjoy talking about food as well as cooking and eating it.

Is it important to teach children to cook from a young age?

The younger the better. Of course, you wouldn’t give a young child a knife, but they can mix ingredients together and things like that. The younger they start the better cooks they’ll be when they grow up.

What is a typical dish from your country or region?

Lots of people think we eat beef brains all the time. It’s a kind of national stereotype. But actually I’ve never eaten them! I would say a more typical dish is Pizza, and it’s one of my favourites.

Do people in your country or region eat traditional food or international food?

We eat both. I regard it as very important to keep culinary traditions alive, but I also love Chinese food and Japanese food and Indian food, and loads of other cuisines. I like having variety in my diet.

IELTS Tips to get 9 bands

Part 2: Individual long turn (3-4 minutes)

Now I’m going to give you a topic and I’d like you to talk about it for one to two minutes. You’ll have one minute to think about what you’re going to say before you begin talking. You can make some notes if you wish. Here is a pencil and some paper.

I’d like you to describe a personal achievement you are proud of.
All right. Remember, you have one to two minutes to talk on the topic. Don’t worry if I stop you, I’ll let you know when the time is up.

• Describe a personal achievement you are proud of.

  You should say:

  • what you achieved
  • when you achieved it
  • what was difficult about achieving it

  and explain why you are proud of this achievement.

Please start speaking now.

OK, so you asked me to talk about an achievement I’m particularly proud of, so I could have talked about when I passed my driver’s license test, or when I bought my first car, but in the end, I decided to talk about the only time I actually won a sports tournament.

Only once did I win my village chess tournament. It was when I was sixteen years old. It was particularly difficult because, to be honest, I’m not a great chess player and I always played mainly to have fun and not really to win. But that one year I decided. I made it my goal: I was going to win the village chess tournament. So I played many games, lots of them against older players, much older than me, who were members of the club, in their fifties, and it was very difficult. Playing older players is always tough. They have more experience, they do all these impressive tricks and they definitely know how to beat their opponent. And on top of that it’s very much a matter of pride for them – they don’t want to lose against one of the younger members of the club.

But anyway, I won a few games against older players and then I ended up playing the final against my best friend. And that was another difficulty. He was my best friend so I didn’t want to play it too mean with him but at the same time I wanted to win. At least the fact that he was my best friend meant that I knew exactly how to beat him, though, because I had played against him many times before. We had a very long game and it was nerve-wracking. It wasn’t very good game but in the end I won.

I’m very proud of my achievement because I managed to reach the goal I set for myself and it was something that I know neither the spectators nor the other players would have expected me to accomplish.

Thank you. Was your family proud that you won the tournament?

Yes, they were. We had a big meal to celebrate, and my dad cooked Pizza. He’s a great cook so that was a real treat for me. We’ve been talking about achievements.

IELTS Tips

Part 3: Two-way discussion (4-5 minutes)

I’d like to discuss with you some more questions related to this topic. First, let’s consider the role of achievements in the world of education.
Do you think that in your country academic success is more valued than other kinds of achievement, such as achievements in sport?

No, I don’t. I think in my country, successful sportspeople are looked up to more in society at large as well as at school.

Why do you think that is?

Well, I think people who are good students are often thought of as nerds and are teased by their classmates, whereas being good at sport is considered ‘cool’. Maybe this is due to the role of celebrity sportspeople, Francesco Totti being the most prominent among them in recent years. They are chased by the paparazzi, and given lucrative sponsorship deals and so on.

Yes, I see. In your opinion, is it recognition and prizes that motivate students to succeed, or is it a personal sense of achievement?

I would say they hanker after recognition from their teachers and perhaps envy from other students. I know that was the case with me, if I’m honest! It may be, though, that if someone is particularly timid, they would actually shy away from any special recognition of their efforts.

Right. And what do you think makes some students more successful than others?

Although, as I said, most students are motivated by recognition, I do think that those who are the most successful in the long run are those who have intrinsic motivation. And that is because you don’t always get congratulated publicly for everything you do, so someone who does things only for that would soon stop making an effort, you know?

Yes, that’s a good point. Now, we’re going to discuss motivation and achievement in the workplace.
Some people think that a successful person is someone who earns a lot of money. Do you agree?

No, I would define it as ‘someone who benefits others’?

Right. Can you explain what you mean?

Yes, I mean that working just for the money could be considered selfish. Most people do it, and I don’t judge people for having that as their primary objective. Nevertheless, those who work to help others are more inspirational: nurses, for example, who really don’t earn much, or youth workers, who often don’t get much appreciation for their hard work, or those who do volunteer work with the homeless or something like that.

Yes, so you would say that most workers in your country were motivated primarily by money?

I would, yes. It’s only normal. People have families to feed and, given the choice of a low-paid job that benefitted others and a higher-paid job that benefitted their own family, it’s only reasonable that most would choose the latter. It’s possible that those who choose the former kind of job are single or young, and so don’t have that many responsibilities.

OK, And what about how things in the workplace have changed? Do you think people in your country take the same pride in their work as they used to?

Hmm, that’s a tough question; I’m inclined to say ‘no’.

Why do you say that?

Because many people in my country now work for huge companies. They may never even have seen their managing director and certainly don’t know him very well. They don’t have any reason to take pride in doing the job to a high standard because feedback is limited. In the past, companies were not only smaller but tended to be family run, so everyone had something invested. I mean personally speaking, in the business, They cared about the success of the business.

Thank you. It’s been nice talking to you.

Thank you very much.

The post IELTS Speaking Practice Sample #4 appeared first on IELTS.CLOUD.

Part 1: Introduction and interview (4-5 minutes)
In Part 1 of the speaking test, the interviewer will introduce him/herself and ask you to introduce yourself and confirm your identity. The interviewer will then ask you general questions on three familiar topic areas. The first topic will be Studies, Work or Where you live.

Part 1 tests your ability to communicate opinions and information on everyday topics and common experiences.

Good morning. May I have a look at your passport?

Yeah.

And your name is?

My first name is Asano which means wild field or something like that. The reason my parents called me that is because my father just liked the sound of it. My family name is Tamaki. It’s not a very common name in Japan, but I think it’s easy to pronounce for English people.

All right Asano. In this first part I am going to ask you some questions about yourself. Where do you come from?

I’m from Japan, Yokohama which is a very very big city, close to Tokyo. I think the population is more than three million. But actually I was born in China, Beijing which is a huge city too. And my family moved to Yokohama when I was three years old. And I’ve recently applied for the citizenship in Australia because I don’t like the huge population and pollution in Yokohama.

So, tell me what you like about Yokohama.

Well, it’s exciting. For example, there are many shops, restaurants, and markets and people everywhere.

All right Asano. Now tell me: What are you doing at present?

Well, I am looking for work. Fortunately there are lots of vacancies for my profession. I am really looking forward to working so that I can be independent financially. My parents have spent a lot of money on me.

And what kind of work do you do?

In Japan I was working for the government as a nurse, but it was a very hard job. And I did that for three years. Then I went to New Zealand to study English. And I moved to Australia about a year ago to study for my PhD. And as I told you before I am looking for employment right now.

IELTS Tips to get 9 bands

Part 2: Individual long turn (3-4 minutes)
The interviewer will give you a task card that asks you to talk about a particular topic and includes points that you can cover in your talk. You do not have to cover all the points and you do not have to talk about them in order. You will be given one minute to prepare your talk, and you will be given a pencil and paper to make notes (do not write on the task card). You must talk for one to two minutes on the topic. The interviewer will then ask you one or two questions on the same topic.

Part 2 tests your ability to talk at length, organising your ideas coherently.

Ok Asano. Now we move on to Part two of the speaking test. Have a look at this. Read it carefully. You have about one minute to think about your answer. Then approximately one to two minutes to talk to me about what’s on the slip. You can use a pen and paper to make some notes.

Don’t worry if I stop you , I’ll let you know when the time is up.

• What kind of music do you like?
• What kind of music is popular in your country?
• Why is music important to us?
• When do you like to listen to music?

All right. Are you ready?

Yes. I like classical music, and also folk music. Classical music is very relaxing. And folk music is interesting because it tells us about people’s culture or history. But I don’t really listen to music much because I am very busy. I have to work because I’ve got a part time job and I have to shop and cook. And I like to read in my spare time.

I usually listen to music in my car because I’ve got a really good sound system in my car. When my mother was young, Japanese people were just beginning to listen to western music in Japan. But now western style music is actually very popular in Japan. And in fact a lot of the music that young people in Japan listen to today is in English.

IELTS Tips

Part 3: Two-way discussion (4-5 minutes)
The questions in Part 3 will be connected to the topic of Part 2. They allow you to discuss more abstract issues and ideas. Part 3 is a discussion between you and the interviewer.

Part 3 tests your ability to express and justify opinions, and to analyse, discuss and speculate.

All right Asano. We move on to Part three of the test now. What influence do you think music has on life?

Well, the effects of music can be good. It helps us to relax. And also to enjoy ourselves when we get together. But on the other hand, it can incite feelings of nationalism and some modern music encourages drug use or violence.

What part does music play in your culture?

Well, in the past Japanese music was quite nationalistic. It was used to encourage love for Japan or something like that. But today people listen to all types of music as they do in countries like America or the UK. And in future I hope music in Japan will improve because I don’t think it’s very good right now.

Ok. How would you define music?

Could you please repeat that question again?

How would you define music?

Well, it’s something that sounds beautiful and helps us to relax. And it’s a part of all cultures. All ages listen to it. And it can be used for both good and bad.

Thank you Asano. Your speaking test is over now. You can enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Thank you. I hope you have a good weekend too.

The post IELTS Speaking Practice Sample #3 appeared first on IELTS.CLOUD.

Part 1: Introduction and interview (4-5 minutes)

1) Give reasons for your answers.
2) Offer extra details.
3) Use your own words when possible.

Good morning. May I have a look at your passport?

Yeah.

Could you tell me your full name please?

My first name is Hanako, which means flower child or something like that. My family name is Hayashi, which is “woods” in English.

All right Hanako. In this first part I am going to ask you some questions about yourself. Let’s talk about where you live. What kind of place is it?

I live in the UK, in Canterbury. It’s most famous for its Cathedral. It’s quite a small town with lots of old buildings and green spaces.

What do you like best about Canterbury?

It’s very peaceful, and you can walk everywhere easily.

What kinds of jobs do people do in Canterbury?

A lot of people work for the university of course, and there are many new IT companies as well.

And would you say Canterbury is a good place to work in?

Yes, it is, because there are plenty of opportunities.

Now, let’s move on to sport. How much time do you spend playing or watching sports?

Not very much, maybe a couple of hours a week.

Which sports are the most popular in the UK?

Football, cricket and rugby. Actually, I’ve read that fishing is the most popular hobby in the UK. I’m not sure if that’s sport.

Which sports did you do when you were at school?

I played basketball at school, because I was a giraffe at a young age, six feet tall at the age of thirteen.

Do you think all children should do some sport?

Yes, I think it’s a good idea for children to learn to do some different physical activities. Through sports, they can learn about team working, achieving something through effort and skill.

Right, now let’s move on to food. Do you like cooking?

No, not much. But I do like food.

How often do you go to restaurants?

Quite often. About twice a week on average.

What kinds of restaurants do you enjoy eating in?

I like restaurants that aren’t too formal. I prefer the cosy kind. But it’s very important to me that the food is fresh and healthy.

What does a restaurant need to do to be successful?

I think a good restaurant should change its menu fairly frequently, and use food that is in season at the particular time of the year.

IELTS Tips to get 9 bands

Part 2: Individual long turn (3-4 minutes)

1) You must speak alone for between one and two minutes on a topic the examiner gives you.
2) You have one minute to write some notes before you speak.
3) The examiner tells you when to stop speaking.

Ok Hanako. Now we move on to Part two of the speaking test. Have a look at this. Read it carefully. You have about one minute to think about your answer. Then approximately one to two minutes to talk to me about what’s on the slip. You can use a pen and paper to make some notes.

Don’t worry if I stop you , I’ll let you know when the time is up.

Describe a shop that you enjoy going to.

You should say:

• where it is
• what it sells
• how often you go there

and explain why you enjoy visiting this shop.

All right. Are you ready?

Yes. I’m going to talk about a shop in Canterbury that I like going to. It’s in the centre of Canterbury and about ten minutes walk from my house. It’s “Hotel Chocolat”, and as you can imagine, it sells chocolate. It has a big range of chocolate related products. You can choose from a variety of dark and milk chocolate flavours, including dark chocolate with espresso, and milk chocolate with cherries, which are my favourites. The smell is delicious and the chocolate is too. The shop also sells lots of different teas and tea pots, coffee pots, cups and saucers as well as other nice things for your kitchen. It also sells a few very expensive and luxurious chocolate gifts. I tend to go there about once a week, normally on a Saturday and I buy enough chocolate to last me for the next week. I enjoy going there not just because of the nice chocolate, but also because the lady who works there is very friendly. So that’s my favourite shop.

Do your friends like the shop too?

Yes, they do. It’s a very popular place.

IELTS Tips

Part 3: Two-way discussion (4-5 minutes)

1) The questions in Part 3 will be connected to the topic of Part 2.
2) Part 3 is a discussion between you and the interviewer.

All right Hanako. We move on to Part three of the test now. We’ve been talking about a shop that you enjoy going to, and I’d like to discuss with you one or two more general questions related to this. Let’s consider first of all developments in shopping. Are there certain kinds of shops that are becoming more popular?

Well, I suppose shops that sell computers and computer games and also those that sell mobile phones. There seem to be more and more of them opening up. I suppose it’s not surprising. But I find these shops rather boring personally.

What disadvantages do you think there may be to an increase in consumerism?

For me, one of the main disadvantages is that increased consumerism seems to emphasise the difference between rich and poor people. Also another disadvantage is that many people already work too hard and with the increasing consumerism they drive themselves harder and harder just to make money to buy things they don’t actually need, or have time to enjoy.

In what ways do you think advertising affects people’s attitudes?

The more advertising there is, the more people seem to want. And they never satisfied with what they’ve got. I suppose it’s really depends what you mean by advertising. Some of it could be seen as socially useful. For example, anti-smoking advertising campaigns.

In what ways do you think shopping may change in the future?

Well, I’m sure there will be an increasing online shopping, because more and more people have access to home computers. I also think that many small shops in the centre of town will close down, and bigger and bigger supermarkets will open on the outskirts. In some ways it may be more convenient, but I don’t know if these changes will really improve our lives.

Thank you Hanako. Your speaking test is over now. You can enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Thank you. I hope you have a good weekend too.

The post IELTS Speaking Practice Sample #2 appeared first on IELTS.CLOUD.

In the IELTS Speaking module, you may need a few seconds to think before you speak.
Use phrases like: “Well, let me think about that for a moment” or “That’s an interesting question!” to give yourself time.
When you answer, give more than just one-word or very short answers. You have to show that you can communicate in English.

Good morning. May I have a look at your passport?

Yeah.

Could you tell me your full name please?

My first name is Sarah, which means Princess. My family name is Burton.

All right Sarah. In this first part I am going to ask you some questions about yourself. Let’s talk about your work. Where do you work?

I work part-time at a bookstore.

Do you enjoy your work?

Yes, very much.

Why?

It’s an interesting job, because I get to deal with the publics and they are often quite colourful characters, and I like my boss.

What kinds of tasks do you have to do at work?

Sometimes I have to open the store, I have a set of keys. I have to deal with the public and thousands of books and sometimes I have to place orders for books that we don’t have.

Have you ever been late for work?

Yes, not often, but I was once very late.

I’d like to move on now to talk about fashion. Tell me about the popular clothes and fashions in your country?

That’s quite difficult because people have different tastes, but younger people tend to wear a lot of denim, which you wouldn’t see on somebody who, say, is 60 or 70 years old.

What sort of fashion shops do you have in your country?

Again, quite a variety. Some big chain stores, and there’re also smaller and more independent shops.

Have fashions changed very much since you were younger?

I think they have changed quite a lot, but it is interesting to see how some fashions reappear maybe 20 years later.

Is it important for you to be in fashion?

Yes, not desperately so, but I do like to be quite fashionable.

Let’s move on to the topic of the internet. How often do you use the internet?

I use it almost every day but mainly just in the evenings.

Does everyone in your family use the internet?

Yes, well, everybody apart from my Dad, he doesn’t like it very much. But we are slowly persuading him to use it more.

What do you use the internet for?

I use it mainly to check my emails, I’ve got friends all around the world. So I like to keep in touch with them by email, and I also use the NET to look up information.

When did you last use the internet?

I used it last night, I needed some travel information, I’m thinking about flying to America next year, and I also have some work to do on my history project.

IELTS Tips

If you don’t know the word for something, you will need to express it in an indirect way. For example, if you don’t know the term brochure, instead of We looked in a travel brochure, you could say We looked in a magazine with information about all kinds of holidays.

When you are making your notes, try not to write too much. It is important to use this time to think and note down ideas or words, but you also need to be able to quickly look at your notes during your talk and easily find your next idea. Try to find a way that helps you do this (e.g. organise your ideas clockwise on your page, rather than in a random order).

Ok Sarah. I’m going to give you a topic and I’d like you to talk about it for one to two minutes. Before you talk, you’ll have one minute to think about what you’re going to say. You can make some notes if you wish. Here’s some paper and a pencil, for making notes, and here’s your topic.

Don’t worry if I stop you , I’ll let you know when the time is up.

Describe a place that you would like to visit.

You should say:

• where it is
• when you would like to go there
• who you would like to go with

and explain why you would like to visit this place.

All right. Can you start speaking now, please?

OK. I’ve always wanted to go to China ever since I was a little girl. I’ve never been and it is a long way, which might mean it is too expensive. But I’m going to look into it. I think the best time to go would be before Chinese New Year, with all the celebrations happening, which I believe is at the end of January. But thinking about it, it might be quite cold at that time of the year. I’ve heard that China can be very cold in the winter, and very crowded as well, because of people having the same idea. So actually, maybe I should go in the summer, although it might be too hot then. So maybe the autumn, yeah, I’d like to go China in the autumn. I really like to take my boyfriend, his family is from China, so that would be really good. He is always wanted to go as well. And when we get there, I think, it’s be a shame not to see the Great Wall. That’s something we do really like to do, and also, spend some time in rural areas in the country side, and try if we can to get talking to some people, because I really like languages. It would be great if we could learn some Mandarin, perhaps. We both like cycling, and I believe there are some great places to cycle out there.

Do you think that you’d go to China soon?

I hope so.

IELTS Tips

One way to put emphasis on something in English is by adding do/does/did to affirmative sentences in the present simple and past simple. Doing this expresses a contrast or a strong feeling.

– I do like visiting big cities but I also don’t mind spending some time in rural areas in the country side. (a contrast)
– I do think it is a great idea to learn something of the language of the country you’re going to. (a strong feeling)

We’ve been talking about a place you’d like to visit and I’d like to discuss with you one or two more general questions related to this.
So, let’s consider first of all the idea, as a student, of having a gap year.

How important do you think it is for young people to visit different places before they go to university or college?

I think it’s really important. I think it’s a really crucial time to get some life experience that is independence of home and family. Seeing things that your are not familiar with, may seem to be scary, but in the long run, I think would build your confidence. And also I think it’s always a good thing to get experience of different cultures.

What sort of challenges do you think you’d have, going on a gap year as a student?

I think there might be language challenges, and financial challenges as well, because obviously as a student, I don’t have much money. So, I would have to think about whether or not I would work, in order to fund that study.

Do you think it’s useful to work, for other reasons as well, besides money?

Besides money, yes, I think it’s another way of getting beneath the surface of the different countries’ culture. And I think by working, you more likely to coming to contact with people, which will help with your languages and also your understanding, not only of work ethos, but also the culture in general.

What sort of jobs do you think would be the best sort of jobs to do?

I think it would depend whether there were language barriers. If it was somewhere, where they needed you native language, you could be quite valuable to them, but if you didn’t speak their language, then you’d be fairly useless as, say, a translator or interpreter. And you might have to do more ground level work, like working in a restaurant or a bar.

What sort of preparation should a student make before they go on a gap year, do you think?

I think it depends where you’re going. If it’s an area, where you might need vaccinations, then you need to get proper medical preparations, like Malaria tablets or the vaccinations you might need. Also, if you need to work to fund the travelling, then it would be a good idea to write to potential employers in advance.

OK. Let’s move on to the topic of travelling to less familiar places. What sort of advantages are there to reading about a country before you visit it?

I think you can make more effective use of your time if you know where to go before you get there rather than wondering about and wasting time on places that won’t worth it.

Some people choose to have a guide, when they go to a very unfamiliar place. Do you think that improves the quality of a travel experience?

Yes. I think anybody with local knowledge is going to, quite literally guide you towards some real “don’t miss these areas” type places. So, if you can afford a guide, I think it would be a good idea.

How can you make sure you get the most from your travels?

I’ve always thought learning something of the language of the country you’re going to is the best possible way of benefitting fully from your holiday. That way, the local population aren’t so likely to see you as an outsider, but rather as someone who has made the effort of learning some words and expressions and so has an interest in their culture.

Thank you Sarah. Your speaking test is over now.

Thank you.

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