These are some tips for Part 2 of the Speaking test.
Part 2 of the IELTS Speaking test is the individual long turn where you have to speak on your own for up to two minutes. This part of the test lasts for between three and four minutes. The examiner will give you a card which asks you to talk about a particular topic. It will include the key points you should cover in your talk. You are given one minute to prepare your talk, and also a pencil and paper to make short notes. You then have to talk for one to two minutes on the topic, after which the examiner will ask you one or two questions on the topic.
Look at these tips:
- Always use your one minute preparation time – make notes of the points you’d like to talk about, ideally three points for each question on the task card. Practice making notes quickly with example questions, until you can do this easily.
- Use the task card to structure what you want to say. It will provide you with a simple beginning, middle and end structure.
- Begin by telling the examiner what you’re going to talk about, so that they know what to expect.
e.g. If the task card asks you to talk about a special place you might begin: “I’m going to talk about a place that is special for me. This place is where my family come from…”
- Try to imagine the topic of your talk in your head when you’re preparing. Always try to talk about a real experience, as this is much easier than trying to invent something.
- Don’t forget to give the examiner some detail about your topic. This will also help you to have enough to talk about for two minutes.
- The last point on the task card often asks you to express your opinion. Make sure you answer this question as it’ll help you to talk for the full two minutes.
- This is a chance for you to talk about something that is familiar to you. Make sure you show off your vocabulary!
- Practise. Prepare by practising speaking with a friend or by recording yourself. Do this a few times until you’re happy you can speak easily for two minutes.
In Part 2 of the Speaking test you have one minute to make some notes about the topic you have to speak about.
Look at the two example topic cards below and make some notes about what you would say:
Describe a wild animal that can be found in your country.
You should say:
- what it looks like
- where it lives
- what you like/don’t like about it
Explain how people in your country generally feel about it.
Describe a family celebration you have been to.
You should say:
- what the celebration was for
- where it took place
- who was there with you
Explain what you enjoyed about the event.
How did you get on? Use the comments below to share your notes.
There is no ‘correct’ way to make notes – everybody has their own preferences.
Look at this list of topics that could come up in Part 2:
- Describe a restaurant you enjoyed visiting.
- Describe a meal you remember.
- Describe a teacher who had an influence on you.
- Describe a film you have seen which left a strong impression on you.
- Describe a friend you have had for a long time.
- Describe an event from your childhood that you remember well.
In the comments below, say which of these topics you would find it easy to talk about and which would be more difficult to talk about? Why? What would you do if you were given a topic you thought was very difficult to talk about?
