IELTS Speaking Topic: Speaking Practice Questions With Answers & Sample Tasks

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a widely accepted test to assess the English language skills of non-native English speakers. Individuals wishing to migrate, study, or work in foreign countries can take the test. It consists of four sections – Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. In each section, candidates are allotted a score between 0 to 9. The average of all the scores obtained in all the sections is taken. 
There are two types of IELTS exams - IELTS Academic and General Training. Aspirants wishing to pursue their education abroad take the Academic test, whereas aspirants seeking job opportunities take the General Training test.

IELTS Speaking Section

The Speaking Section of IELTS lasts for 11 to 14 minutes, where the candidates participate in a face-to-face interview with a trained IELTS examiner. It follows the same format for both Academic and General Training tests. 

The examiner evaluates the candidate based on four assessment criteria

• Fluency and Coherence: This refers to maintaining a constant level of continuity while speaking. This is achieved by linking the language and ideas to form a coherent and connected speech.
• Lexical Resource: This refers to the range of vocabulary a candidate uses while answering questions. Using a wide range of vocabulary in your language can help the candidates get a good band score provided that they use uncommon words in the proper context. 
• Grammatical Content and Accuracy: Candidates are evaluated on their ability to use a combination of grammatical structures in the sentences.
• Pronunciation: Most candidates confuse pronunciation with the accent. However, they are not supposed to speak with any type of accent. Instead, their speech should be clear so that the examiner can easily understand every word they utter.

IELTS Speaking Section: Parts Wise

Part 1: IELTS speaking part 1 is a 4 to 5 minutes long face-to-face interaction that contains approximately 12 questions based on your introduction, your life, and your country. This section is easy as most of the questions are predictable.

Part 2: The second part of the speaking test is called ‘the talk’ and it lasts for 3-4 minutes. A topic card is given to applicants, and they get one minute to prepare the topic and then start speaking. Applicants need to start preparing as soon as they get the topic. The topics can be anything of general interest or from academic modules. Some of the very common topics are given in the table below:

Now that you know about the common topics of IELTS Speaking Part 1 and Part 2, let’s discuss the type of questions, you can get in each category. 

IELTS Speaking Questions With Answers

The questions in IELTS Speaking Part 2 are written on a cue card. Besides the questions mentioned above, some popular category-wise cue card topics are 

Important Resources to Read About IELTS:

IELTS Speaking Topics Part 3

In the third part of IELTS Speaking; the examiner asks cross-questions on the cue-card topic you spoke about in the second round. This is the last round of the speaking test that gives you a chance to build rapport with your examiner. It usually lasts for four to six minutes. Some of the general categories the examiner can ask questions are given below: 

Family

• Is family important in your country?
• How has the size of the family changed in the last few decades in your country?
• How do you think the family will change in the future?
• What role do grandparents play in the family in your country?
• Who do you think should be responsible for the care of the elderly, the family, or the government?
• Why is the number of joint families decreasing in modern times?

Sports 

• Why are some sports fans so passionate?
• Is there any violence at sporting events in your country?
• Should athletes be better role models?
• What benefits do international sporting events bring?

Parenting 

• What responsibilities do parents have towards their children?
• What responsibilities do children have towards their parents?

Shopping

• What can shops do to make shopping more pleasant for their customers?
• Do you think that people will do most of their shopping using the Internet in the future? Why/why not?

How to Score Well on the IELTS Speaking Test 

• Don’t memorize answers, especially in part 1. Memorized language doesn’t give the examiner an accurate idea of your English-language skills. The examiner will tell if you have memorized your answers, which may influence your final band score. 
• Don’t use long and complicated words just to impress. Keep it short and simple. You could pronounce them wrong, which can lead to a low band.
• Use a wide range of grammatical structures, with both complex and simple sentences while speaking. The sentences should be grammatically accurate.
• Be fluent. Fluency is essential to get a good speaking band score. Do not hesitate or stammer while speaking. Be fluent and start speaking immediately after getting the questions. Be expressive, do not pause to think, and then answer. Practice well before the test to speak fluently. 
• Speak confidently and avoid using filler words. Fillers are used when you don’t know what to say. You cannot use connectors and fillers to keep speaking. Whatever you speak should be relevant and must meet the purpose of the question. 
• Expand your vocabulary to speak some good but less frequently used words. Check the pronunciation as it’s an important part of speaking. A good score will depend upon how well you pronounce your English words. 
• Practice the common topics and questions of all three parts of IELTS speaking. It will help you speak confidently without any hesitation. 
• Avoid repetition. Do not repeat words, sentences as well as ideas. The more unique you are with your ideas and words, the better band you will get. Try not to rush and quickly finish off with the test. 

Conclusion

Preparation is the key to success in IELTS. The IELTS examination is conducted to check the ability of non-native English speakers to integrate and communicate in an English-speaking country during their stay. Speaking is an important part of the migration process. Applicants must prepare well for the speaking test to get a good band. For more tips and tricks on the IELTS speaking topics, consult the experts at upGrad Abroad.

Read More About IELTS:

How to score well in the IELTS speaking test? 

• Don’t memorize answers, especially in part 1. Memorized language doesn’t give the examiner an accurate idea of your English-language skills. The examiner will tell if you have memorized your answers, which may influence your final band score. 
• Don’t use long and complicated words just to impress. Keep it short and simple. You could pronounce them wrong and this can lead to a low band.
• Use a wide range of grammatical structures, with both complex and simple sentences while speaking. The sentences should be grammatically accurate.
• Be fluent. Fluency is important to get a good speaking band score. Do not hesitate or stammer while speaking. Be fluent and start speaking immediately after getting the questions. Be expressive, do not pause to think, and then answer. Practice well before the test to speak fluently. 
• Speak confidently and avoid using filler words. Fillers are used when you don’t know what to say. You cannot use connectors and fillers to keep speaking. Whatever you speak should be relevant and must meet the purpose of the question. 
• Expand your vocabulary so that you can speak some good but less frequently used words. Check the pronunciation as it’s an important part of speaking. A good score will depend upon how well you pronounce your English words. 
• Practice the common topics and questions of all three parts of IELTS speaking. It will help you speak confidently without any hesitation. 
• Avoid repetition. Do not repeat words, sentences as well as ideas. The more unique you are with your ideas and words, the better band you will get. Try not to rush and quickly finish off with the test. 

Conclusion

Preparation is the key to success in IELTS. The IELTS examination is conducted to check the ability of non-native English speakers to integrate and communicate in an English-speaking country during their stay. Speaking is an important part of the migration process. Applicants must prepare well for the speaking test to get a good band. For more tips and tricks on the IELTS speaking topics, consult the experts at upGrad Abroad.

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