Tips for the IELTS Speaking Section One

If you are going to take the IELTS, you will need to prepare for the speaking section. Here are some things you can do to help improve your score on the first part of the speaking section.

The first speaking section contains questions about your personal life. These questions cover a variety of topic such as school, work, hobbies, family, friends and so on. Find a list of sample questions for each topic and write down your answers. Your answers should be short, but not too short. Consider the following example.

Q: Do you play sports?

A: Yes.

Although this is not necessarily a bad answer, it is best to explain yourself if possible. Try to make your answers at least 1-2 sentences long.

Q: Do you play sports?

A: Yes, I like to play sports.

It also helps to be as specific as possible. Once you have your answer, read it again and ask yourself some basic questions to help you develop a more detailed response: who, where, when, what, why or how.

A: Yes, I like to play (what) basketball (when) on the weekend (with whom) with my friends.

Another useful way to improve your answers is by including slang or other common expressions. However, don’t do this for every answer. Using too many slang expressions will make your answers sound unnatural.

A: Yeah, I like to play basketball on the weekend with my friends. But we’re not pros or anything like that. We just like to fool around.

pros - professionals

anything like - at all like

fool around - act in a joking way, not serious

Also, try adding idioms to some of your answers. This is also helpful, but as with slang expressions, it is important not to overdo it.

A: Yeah, I like to play basketball on the week with my friends. But we’re not pros or anything like that. In fact, I’m all thumbs on the court. But we have fun.

all thumbs - clumsy

on the court - on the basketball court

Finally, use a thesaurus to see if there are any better vocabulary terms you might be able to use. For example, instead of saying that the mountains near your hometown are “beautiful,” you might say that they are “stunning” or “exquisite.”

Once you have detailed answers to a variety of questions, using good vocabulary and expressions, the next step is to learn them. When you deliver your answers on the day of the test, it is important not to sound as if you are simply reciting what you wrote, so don’t focus too much on the exact wording of your answers. Memorize the important facts and the relevant vocabulary and phrases, but don’t try to repeat them in the same order.

Watch television programs or listen to podcasts in order to expose yourself to the accents and rhythms of native speakers. As you watch or listen, repeat what the speakers say. Try to say it in the same way that they say it, and at the same speed. Experiment with different regional accents and speeds as well. In time, you will be able to produce a more fluent sound.

Good luck!