Unit 2 Speaking 1
I – IELTS Speaking Test Format
Total duration: 11- 14 minutes
Parts Topic Length Notes
Arrive early
Name Ask for your full name Relax and smile as you walk into
and ID Ask what you want them to call you the room
check Ask to see your ID or passport Have your ID ready
Use spoken language (idiom)
3 or 4 questions on 3 familiar/ general topics 60% of the questions are about
Default topics: WORK/STUDIES, you, so talk about you and your
Part 1 HOMETOWN, AND ACCOMMODATION 4-5 min own life and experience
Other topics: color, flower, sports, reading, 20-25 seconds/question
social network… make a good first impression
1 min prep: outline
Examiner cannot interfere in your
Individual long turn
talk
You will be given a topic and you will have to
Part 2 3-4 min Penalty for speaking under 1
talk about it for 2 minutes
minute
Before that, you have 1 minute to prepare
4 topics: person, place, object,
event
Two-way discussion
You need to generalize your ideas
You will be asked 4 – 6 in-depth, abstract
Do not talk about your personal
Part 3 questions related to the topic in Part 2 4-5 min
experience
Topics: money, health, happiness, education,
Use topical vocabulary
food, travel, films…
II – Marking Criterias
1. Fluency & Coherence
Speak at length
Use a range of connectives and do not overuse certain connectives
Less repetition, self correction and hesitation
Complex structures cause less fluency problems
Ex1. Identify the filler words
Ex2. Listen to the answers to this Part 1 question. Find examples for each of the categories below.
Adding information
Introducing a contrasting idea
Giving a reason
Giving an example
Introducing an opinion
Ex2. Complete the table below with the correct usage of discourse markers. Discuss with your partner on
how to use them.
__________________________________
01
and, also, additionally, besides, furthermore, moreover, another, on top of that
__________________________________
02 because, since, as, due to, so, therefore, as a result, consequently, thus, for this reason, the thing
is
__________________________________
03
for example, for instance, like, namely, such as, to be specific, in particular
__________________________________
04 however, but, nevertheless, yet, on the other hand, on the contrary, or, in spite of this, actually,
that said
__________________________________
05
to be honest, frankly, of course, I think, I suppose, admittedly, I must say
Ex4. Brainstorms your answers for the following Part 1 questions. Use the suggested methods to expand
your answers.
1. Are you a student or do you have a job?
Main idea:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Add extra information:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2. What subject do you like most?
Main idea:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Give reasons:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Is there anything that you dislike about your school?
Main idea:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Give examples:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. What will you do after graduation?
Main idea:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Contrasting idea:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Lexical resource
vocabulary wide enough: general + topical
convey clear meaning
successfully paraphrase
Ex1. Paraphrase the underlined words
1. Where is your hometown?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Do you like your hometown?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Is there anything you dislike about it?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Do you think you will continue living there for a long time?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Ex2. Fill in the blanks to complete the sample answers
fast pace of life rich in history and novelties born and raised
sense of community culture densely populated hospitable
a wide variety of chaotic
vibrant social life
1. I was ……………………………………. in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. It's a city ……………………………………., with
beautiful lakes and bustling streets. It is also known for such a ……………………………………. that
……………………………………. can happen everyday.
2. Yes, I really love my hometown. One of the best things about Hanoi is its …………………………………….. Everyone
is so helpful and …………………………………….. Another aspect that I enjoy is the street food with
……………………………………. delicious dishes like pho, bun cha, and banh mi.
3. One thing I absolutely despise about Hanoi is the traffic. Being a ……………………………………. city, it can get very
……………………………………. during rush hour. The air quality can also be an issue due to the pollution.
4. I think I will continue to live here for the foreseeable future. Despite its challenges, Hanoi offers many
education and career opportunities and has a …………………………………….. It's hard to imagine living anywhere
else.
3. Grammatical Range and Accuracy
basic mistakes are okay!
make full, longer sentences to showcase a range of grammatical knowledge
use diverse tenses and complex structures (relative clause, conditionals, subordinators & Sentence
linkers)
4. Pronunciation
pronunciation features: word stress, sentence stress, intonation, ending sounds, connected speech
