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IELTS Speaking - Part 1

The questions in Part 1 are on general topics about your life. Your answers are from your life

and experience. There is no right or wrong answer.

Mobile / Cellular Phones / Cell Phones

Reading newspapers and magazines

Arts

Mobile Phones/ Cellular Phones / Cell Phones

Do you have a mobile phone (= "a cell phone")?

Do you use a cell phone?

What do you use it for?

How often do you use it?

When did you get it?

When did you get your first mobile phone?

How did you feel when you got your first mobile phone?

What feature (or, function) of your cell phone do you like the best?

Is there anything you dislike about using cell phones?

Is your cellphone very important to you?

Are cellphones (or, mobile phones) very popular in your country? (Why?)

How often do you use a cellphone? When do you usually use your cellphone and for what

purposes?

Which do you prefer to use, a cellphone or a normal house phone (‘a fixed-line phone')?

(Why?)

What are the differences between cell phones and typical house phones?

Do you think cellphones are important for modern people?

What services does your cellphone have that fixed phones don't have?

How do you think cellphones will develop in the future?

How has advertising for cellphones developed in recent years?

Are there any differences between the cellphones (mobile phones) that men use and those that

women use?

Things you can say about mobile phones and cell phones

Good things about mobile / cellular / cell phones

They are the most popular type of gadget in the world today

The way we communicate has been revolutionized by cellular phones

We can stay in contact with everyone no matter where we are

They allow users to communicate by text messages, making calls, and sending emails


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Mobile phones provide easy access to the Internet and users can also take photos and listen to

music all on one gadget

Bad things about mobile / cellular phones

Mobile phones may cause some problems in certain public areas

When they ring in public places like cinemas and schools they create a disturbance

Some people seem not to be aware that other people can hear the conversation

Mobile or cellular phones can interfere with the operation of other electronic equipment

Excessive use of mobile phones can cause brain damage due to radiofrequency (RF) waves they

emit

Using a mobile or cellular phone can be a dangerous distraction when trying to certain other

activities

Talking or texting on a mobile or cell phone while driving is very dangerous

Mobile phones are easy targets for thieves in many places

Opinions about mobile / cellular / cell phones

The benefits of cell phones are greater than the drawbacks

Mobile phones have more advantages than disadvantages

If we use cellular phones with care, they cause very few problems

Mobile phones / cell phones are essential nowadays

Many mobile phones have become a fashion accessory for some people

Reading newspapers and magazines

Which magazines and newspapers do you read [Why?]

What kinds of articles are you most interested in? [Why?]

Have you ever read a newspaper or magazine in a foreign language? [When / Why?]

Do you think reading a newspaper or magazine in a foreign language is a good way to learn the language? [Why / Why not?]

Things you can say I only read magazines and newspapers if I’m waiting someplace and they are there, and there is no other alternative. I prefer to get my news from the internet. I tend to read the news online regarding whichever country I’m in at the moment, as I travel a lot, so it’s nice to keep up with what’s happening wherever I am. As for magazines, I used to subscribe to several in the past, but not anymore. It’s just so much easier to find the information online nowadays, not to mention how much paper it saves not having old newspapers and magazines lying around the apartment for months.

Really, it depends, as I said, if I’m travelling then I’ll try to get up on whatever are the latest events in whichever country I’m visiting – the latest news and articles of interest, that sort of thing. Other than that, I read what I need to for work, which covers many different areas and can be very diverse most of the time. For pleasure, I prefer to read either a good novel or maybe some of the alternative media coverage and their reports about world events. Most of my reading is for work though, background research and such like, so I would have to say that I read more factual articles than anything else typically.

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Yes, all the time. I lived in another country for several years, so reading in a foreign language was a normal activity for me, not just newspapers and magazines, but all kinds of documents and literature. I still do it to maintain my reading skills.

Yes, but it depends on your language level. If you are just beginning to learn the language then it can be

very difficult and frustrating – certainly not the best way to try and learn a foreign language – but as you

progress and develop your vocabulary it is a good way to learn expressions and phrases related to common

topics in the news and current affairs, or related to a specific topic in the case of magazines.

Arts

Do you like art? [Why? /Why not?]

How do you feel about art?

What form of art do you like the most?

What kind of art are you best at?

In your childhood, what experience of art did you have?

What experience of art did you have when you were younger?

Did you do any artistic activities when you were a child?

Did you learn any artistic activities when you were a child?

Did you ever do any artwork when you were a child?

Did you ever produce any artwork (or, works of art) when you were a child?

Do you ever buy (or, have you ever bought) a painting?

The Importance of Art

Do you think art is an important part of life? What benefits does (participating in) art bring to people? How important do you think art is in the lives of people? Why do you think people like to have a painting (or other artwork) in their homes?


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IELTS Speaking - Part 2 & 3

In the second section candidates are given a topic card and then have one minute to prepare

after which they must speak about the given topic. The third section involves a discussion

between the examiner and the candidate, generally on questions relating to the theme which

they have already spoken about in part 2.

IELTS Part 2 speaking test question about saving money

Describe something (special) that you saved money to buy. You should say:

what it was

how long it took you to save enough money to buy it

why you wanted to buy this thing

how you got (or, earned) the money

And explain how you felt when (or, after) you bought it.

IELTS Part 3 discussion questions about saving money

1) Do you think it's easy for (young) people to save money?

2) Do young people nowadays believe in saving money?

3) In your opinion, why do many people derive pleasure from spending money?

4) What do young people in your country save money for?

5) Who do you think places more importance on saving money, men or women?

6) Why do some people find it hard to save?

7) Which do you think is better for the economy of a country or area, people saving money or people

spending money?


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IELTS Part 2 questions sample answer

I’ll tell you about my first car. I bought it when I was 17 years old so it was very special for me because it

changed my life. I became more independent and went to all kinds of places I wouldn’t have gone without

it.

I had decided to buy a car about six months before I actually bought it. I wanted to have a car because

where I was studying was quite far away and getting the bus everyday was a bit of a hassle. At that time, I

was also working part-time in a local restaurant at nights and sometimes we used to finish working quite

late and getting a bus home was a problem. Quite often one of the other workers had to give me a lift or I

had to take a taxi, which was expensive. So I basically wanted to be more independent and not have to

worry about using public transport anymore.

Obviously, I couldn’t afford a new car, but I started to save as much money each week as I could. I even

took on an extra part-time job at the weekends which helped me to save even more money faster. I stopped

going out so much and was very careful with the money I spent on other things while I was saving. After

about six months, I realized I had enough to think about buying a second hand or used car. I spent some

time looking through the local paper to see what was available and went to a couple of local car dealers

with a friend to look at some cars for sale.

In the end, I finally bought a used car from a man who lived quite close to me. It was an old car, but it was

in good condition and he had looked after it well. He had been the only owner of the car since it was new,

so that made me feel confident that it would be a good buy.

Not surprisingly, I was very excited after buying it and spent all my spare time driving around visiting places

or taking my friends out for trips. It was great to be able to go anywhere, anytime without having to worry

about buses or taxis again. I kept that car for around two years and it never gave me any problems.

Eventually, I decided to exchange it for a newer and better model once

I had saved up some more money, but I’ll never forget my first car… it was a really important change in my

life.


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1) A lot depends on their circumstances; I mean if they aren’t working and only receive money from

their parents then it could be quite difficult for them to save money. On the other hand, if a young

person has a part-time job, they might find it quite easy to save some money each week or each

month.

It also depends on their outlook, whether they plan for the future or see everything in the short term.

There are a lot of things young people can spend their money on, but saving money is also

important to help purchase larger items or do things in the future. Parents can also have a great

influence over if their children develop a habit of saving money regularly or not. Once a person has

the habit, it’s quite easy to do, even if it’s only saving a little money regularly rather than spending

it all.

2) In general, there is a lot of pressure for people, not just young people, to spend all they have or

earn and then some more. That’s why credit cards are so popular and easy payment terms in

stores.

Many companies want you to buy their products now, not six months in the future when you have

saved up enough money. Some young people have seen the problems which people experienced

because of the financial recession in recent years, when many people had borrowed more than

they really should have and then found themselves in an impossible situation trying to pay back too

much debt. I think many young people now are a lot wiser about how easy it is to take on too much

credit and not save any money for emergencies or unforeseen circumstances.

I think most people believe that saving money is a good idea, but actually developing the discipline

to do it over a long period of time is what most people find difficult to do.

3) It makes us feel good when we can buy things, or maybe spend money on our friends. When we

buy something new, clothes or gadgets or whatever, we usually feel happy with what we’ve bought

for a short time. It’s a bit like eating your favorite food or something like that. You feel good for a

while, but then later you want to buy something else because that happy feeling has disappeared.

4) Some of them save for going to college, buying a car or maybe going traveling when they graduate

from school. My sister has started saving to buy an apartment, she’s been doing it for 5 years now

and hopefully next year she’ll have enough to think about buying one.

I’m saving for two things; for when I go to college and also for a vacation when I graduate. I plan to

travel with some of my friends for six months so we’re all saving as much as we can at the moment.


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5) I’m not sure. I have friends who save money and friends who just spend all their money. I don’t

think there are more men than women who save… or the other way round.

Maybe women are more impulsive when it comes to shopping and spending money. But, for

example, my girlfriends and I often spend money on clothes but my brother always seems to be

buying gadgets and computer stuff. He might save money for a few months and then spend it all,

but I save some of money every month and never spend it… so we have different habits.

It’s difficult to say if men or women think saving money is more important.

6) Well, first, you need to have some extra money. It’s almost impossible to save anything if you need

to spend everything you have just to cover the cost of living. So to be able to save, you need to

have a little extra, more than you need for the necessities of life.

Then you have to be disciplined and get into the habit of putting some money away each week or

month, either in a savings account in the bank or even just keeping it safe at home. The other

difficulty is that we are constantly tempted to spend money on things we see in the stores or on

television… so learning to control your buying impulses is important too.

Some people just can’t resist buying everything they see and want and so end up with no savings.

But if you get into the habit of regular saving, then it becomes a habit for life… something my

grandmother taught me.

7) I suppose it’s a good thing for the local economy if people are spending their money. It means that

they are buying things and that in turn means that people in stores and service companies have

work. The whole manufacturing and supply chain depends on consumers consuming.

When people save their money, and don’t spend it, then only the banks win really. In an ideal

economy, people would have enough money to spend on buying products and services and also

save money. That would be the best scenario. It’s important for people to do both activities.


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Cambridge IELTS 10 Speaking Test 1 Part 3

1) What skills and abilities do people most want to learn today? Why?

2) Which skills should children learn at school? Are there any skills they should learn at home? What

are they?

3) Which skills do you think will be important in the future? Why?

4) Which kinds of jobs have the highest salaries in your country? Why is this?

5) Are there any other jobs you think should have high salaries? Why do you think that?

6) Some people say that it would be better for society if everyone got the same salary. What do you

think about that? Why?


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Describe someone you know who does something well My best friend is a fitness nut – she’s always doing something related to fitness in her spare time. In fact some people might even say she’s obsessed with it. But, she’s also very good at it because she has won competitions for her physique and physical fitness. We’ve been best friends for many years, since elementary school when we first met. She was always good at sports and things like that at school and she played on the soccer team, she also did gymnastics and athletics as well. I remember thinking at the time that she would probably go on to do something fitness or sport related in her adult life – maybe even compete in the Olympics or something similar. When we were at university together she began to get interested in weight training and physique conditioning. It was actually something we did together for a while, but although I personally like to stay fit I’m not as disciplined or serious about it as she is. I still workout with her regularly – but she’s at a completely different level from me now of course. Last year she decided to compete in her first physique competition and spent a few months training and preparing for it really hard. She was so disciplined and dedicated to it I was quite amazed – but in the end she won first place in the competition against many other girls who entered – and they were all in great shape. Her ‘obsession’ and passion for what she does is what I think makes her really good at it. Clearly she had found something she excelled at – and most importantly – thoroughly enjoyed as well. Now that we’ve finished studying she’s talking about doing it professionally if she can find a sponsor and she now wants to become certified as a personal trainer and nutritionist rather than pursue a career in business administration, which is what we both majored in at university. I’m sure she’ll be successful at it because that’s the type of person she is – when she wants something she just goes out and gets it or does it – she is so determined it’s incredible. I’m extremely proud of what she’s achieved in the last couple of years because I know it hasn’t been easy and I think many people would’ve given up – but she didn’t, she never does.


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1) I suppose many young people are interested in technology skills because they seem to be almost

essential in most careers nowadays. A lot of my friends are interested in people-based skills as

well and are interested in pursuing careers in marketing and consulting so they are interested in

the psychological and social aspects of managing people among other things.

Another thing which is important is that many young people tend to be choosing a broader range

of career paths these days, which involve a greater blend of skills from more traditional professions.

Obviously there are still those who choose to become doctors or similar but there are newer careers

which didn’t exist some years ago, for example, forensic accounting and criminology which have

also become popular amongst people I know.

So I believe that high-tech skills and the ability to possibly move from one professional area into

another through transferable skills is becoming not only more desirable and sought after but almost

essential for those who wish to be professionally mobile and build a good career for themselves in

the long term.

2) Well, I think it’s important for children to learn all the basic and traditional academic skills at school,

you know, like math, language, science and so on. But it’s also important that they are encouraged

to develop their ability in critical and analytical thinking.

Then there are other skills, for example, creative skills and problem-solving abilities which should

be nurtured while at school. Certainly at the school I attended that was the case, with a lot of

emphasis on the development of creative and problem-solving skills.

With regard to skills which should be learned at home, I believe that parents do have a responsibility

to teach their children to be good citizens or responsible members of their community, and that is

usually best done through setting them a good example through their own behavior as parents.

It’s also popular to encourage children to be creative while at home through the use of creative

activities and in my own case my parents always encouraged me to read a lot as well to develop

my vocabulary skills and learn about many different things. I also think that parents can teach their

children about discipline, determination and setting goals and how to achieve them.

Some people might consider these as skills while others might consider them to be simply personal

qualities or attributes. Personally I think they are skills you can learn.

3) That’s difficult to say, but based on what we’ve seen happening in recent years, there’s definitely a

trend to automate as much as possible the manual and repetitive operations which were once done

by workers. These functions are, in great part, being carried out by computer systems, so as we’ve

seen the advent and development of the knowledge-based economy it would be safe to assume

that in the near future this will continue with knowledge becoming ever more important rather than

skills which can be automated or replaced by computer systems.

In the more distant future it’s incredibly difficult to even imagine some of the new technologies that

might be introduced and therefore the skills which will be in demand – but there will always be a

demand for creative skills, entrepreneurial skills and anything which can’t be easily replicated by

systems.

People skills will always be important so if you could combine all of these into a career – you’d be

on to a good thing – but I’ve no idea what that would be.

One thing is for sure, young people looking at careers now need to think in terms of skills flexibility

and possibly cross-functional or cross-discipline skills and not simply limit themselves to one area.

Professional mobility and agility will be highly valued in the future as the pace of change in the

business world is ever increasing.


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4) Traditionally, it’s been jobs or careers in areas like banking, accounting, legal and specializations

in medicine. But it’s been changing quite a bit in recent years – there are more and more young

entrepreneurs who are starting their own enterprises and if they have a good product or idea and

it becomes popular and the business is a success then they generally earn much more than the

examples I mentioned before.

It’s always been the case that a good remuneration package was offered for those positions which

required a high level of responsibility and/or a long time in training and extensive knowledge or

expertise. I suppose it was like a reward for all the effort and years of studying and training involved.

However, nowadays, quite a lot of young people are not so attracted by just high salaries – they

want to do something they believe in, something they are passionate about – and in many cases

that’s becoming the most important factor when thinking about the types of jobs you might like to

do.

5) Really, I don’t think you can just say that a particular job deserves to have a high salary. It’s more

based on supply and demand. You don’t necessarily have to be a doctor or lawyer to earn a good

salary.

If you have skills and experience in your field and there are not a lot of other people who have the

same then your value is much greater than if you can only offer the same skills and experience as

everyone else in your professional field.

Sometimes when there’s a shortage of a particular skill set or type of worker, they can receive

higher salaries than normal, but it may not be a permanent situation – it may only last for some

years until the skill shortage passes. What usually happens is that when young people realize, for

example, that lawyers are earning a lot because there aren’t enough lawyers to meet the current

demand, you’ll see an increase in students enrolling in law school to take advantage of this.

The problem is when there are so many young law graduates that law firms no longer have to offer

high salaries because young lawyers are just happy to get a job – so it’s a kind of constant balancing

act.

6) Well, it’s an interesting idea – but what would be the purpose of that? It has been proven that

humans are naturally competitive, although some people much more than others, but it doesn’t

really seem practical to propose paying everyone the same no matter what they do.

For example, if everyone received the same salary, a person working in a factory would receive

the same as a doctor, but the doctor has to spend around six years studying and training and has

much greater responsibility, why would any young person choose to become a doctor?

And if that was the case everyone would simply choose the easiest job to do – and we would end

up with no doctors or specialists – it would be ridiculous! It might be hypothetically fun to debate

the pros and cons – but we live in the real world – which in general is driven by market forces –

and so therefore value attached to jobs is dependent on the demand for those jobs and salaries

generally reflect the degree of training, experience and responsibility required to carry out those

jobs, among other factors.

I can’t really imagine such an ‘equality’ system actually functioning, for the simple reason I gave –

how would you get people to do the jobs nobody wanted or those that required a lot of qualification

and so on.


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