IELTS Speaking part 2 – Overview, topics and tips
1. Introduction to IELTS Speaking Part 2
Unlike the face-to-face interview in Part 1, IELTS Speaking Part 2 is more likely an individual talk on a given topic.
Let’s see what you will have to do in the IELTS Speaking part 2:
- In the first place, you will be given a cue card that contains the topic you are going to talk about with some available clues.
- Then, the examiner will assign you 1 minute to take note of your ideas on a piece of draft and get ready for your talk. In this stage, you can write down main points by making a list or drawing a mind map.
- After one minute, you are required to start your talk in 1 or 2 minutes without any interruptions from the examiner.
- There will possibly be one or two extra questions after your talk on the same topic to clarify more about what you have performed.
- Finally, you will go straight into IELTS Speaking Part 3.
Remember that to get a high band score in the IELTS Speaking test, you need to achieve four aspects:
- Lexical Resource: the use of a wide range of vocabulary in appropriate context
- Fluency and Coherence: the fluency during the speech and the connections among ideas
- Pronunciation: the clear pronunciation together with speech, intonation, connected speech, stress, etc.
- Grammar: the use of flexible grammatical structures
The IELTS Speaking part 2 plays a fundamental role in evaluating your English speaking skill for a long time within a given topic. This amount of time doesn’t matter with some candidates but if you don’t carefully prepare for it, it may seem forever.
2. Common topics for IELTS Speaking Part 2
The topics in the IELTS Speaking part 2 mostly relate to personal experience or daily life events. Here are some common topics with sample cue cards:
Education
| Describe an important skill which cannot be learned at school
You should say: – What the skill is – Why it cannot be learned at school – Why it is important – How we can learn it |
Work
| Describe a job that you consider highly important
You should say: what the job is what the job involves why it is important and explain if people who do this job are appreciated enough by society |
Internet
| Describe a website you like to visit
You should say: – When you found it – What it is about – How often you visit it – Why you like this website |
Clothes
| Describe a time that you wore a type of clothes for a special occasion
You should say: – Where you bought the clothes – And what other people at the occasion thought of your clothes |
Transport
| Describe a trip that you went on by public transportation
You should say – When and where you went – Why you took the trip – What you did and saw on the trip |
Travel
| Describe a beautiful place you once visited.
You should say: – when you went to this place – where it was – who you went with – and say why you liked it so much |
Hobbies
| Describe an interesting or unusual thing you do in your spare time
You should say: – Where do you do it? – When do you do it? – Who do you do it with? – and describe why it is unusual or interesting. |
Environment
| Describe environmental pollution in your city.
You should say: – What type of pollution is/are? – Why did it happen? – And explain how this pollution can be controlled? |
Music
| Describe a creative inventor or musician
You should say: – Who this person is – What this person does – How he knew this person – And explain why you think this person is creative |
Family
| Describe a member of your family you get on well with.
You should say: – who it is – what relationship you have to that person – what that person is like – what you do together – and explain why you get on so well. |
Newspapers / Magazines
| Describe a magazine you enjoy reading
You should say – where it can be bought – what information it contains – who you think reads this magazine – and explain why you think this magazine is interesting. |
News
| Describe some good news you recently received.
You should say: – what the news was – how you received the news – who gave it to you – and explain why this was good news. |
Photography
| Describe a photograph you like.
You should say: – what can be seen in the photo – when it was taken – who took it – and explain why you like it. |
Sport
| Describe a sport you would like to learn.
You should say: – what it is – what equipment is needed for it – how you would learn it – and explain why you would like to learn this sport. |
Daily Routines
| Describe a time of the day you like.
You should say: – what time of day it is – what you do at that time – who you are usually with – and explain why you like it. |
Books
| Describe a book you have recently read.
You should say: – what kind of book it is – what it is about – what sort of people would enjoy it – and explain why you liked it. |
Art
| Describe a piece of art you like.
You should say: – what the work of art is – when you first saw it – what you know about it – and explain why you like it. |
Shopping
| Describe your favourite shop.
You should say: where it is – how often you go there – what it sells and explain why you think it is a good shop. |
3. IELTS Speaking Part 2 Tips
3.1. Don’t need to cover all questions or clues in the cue cards
There is no requirement for the answer consisting of all questions mentioned on the card in IELTS Speaking part 2. Therefore, it will be better if you know how to base on the suggestions to organise your ideas reasonably instead of totally depending on the clues and suddenly running out of ideas. This is a speaking test so you just stick to the topic and talk comfortably about what you are thinking about it.
3.2. Make use of the preparation time
One minute at the beginning will be given to note down some ideas for your speech. During this piece of time, list keywords or main points you tend to talk about, or use a mindmap. Don’t think of your language or grammar because it will hinder your fluency. Instead, key points can help you follow the ideas logically.
3.3. Prepare an opening in advance
At home, try to have a couple of openings at your disposal and practice as much as possible so that you can create a good impression at the beginning of the talk.
Some suggestions for you:
“I’d like to talk about…”
““Well, there are many … I could talk about, but I suppose the ….. I’ve experienced/had is/was the best/most/favourite ….”
“Today I’m going to share with you about…”
3.4. Try to paraphrase the topic
A good way to both impress the examiner and boost your band score in IELTS Speaking part 2 is to use a different language when referring to the topic.
For instance, with the topic “Describe a beautiful place you once visited.”, you can say “The most stunning destination I’ve been to is…”
3.5. Watch out your speed
Don’t speak too quickly or too slowly, try to be at a steady pace. At the same time, pay attention to your pronunciation, intonation, etc.
>>> Read more: IELTS Speaking part 3
3.6. Make up a story if you occur to see a strange topic
Sometimes, you can face a difficult and unfamiliar topic in the IELTS Speaking part 2. Don’t panic and try to think of a story of another person, or a story you’ve read somewhere, or just a new story you’ve just invented. No one can blame you for making up a story, but appreciate your flexibility.
3.7. Don’t worry about time
Unless the examiner stop you, keep talking regardless of time
3.8. Ask the examiner for clarification
If you don’t discern any words, phrases or ideas of the question, just ask the examiner for more details by saying:
“Is it ok if I talk about…?”
” Can you clarify the question for me?”
“By…, do you mean…?”
“If I understand correctly, it means that….”
3.9. Apply the five headings to construct your talk
You can refer to this tip when noting down ideas during the preparation time and your talk will be more multidimensional.
- Introduction: start your talk by giving reasons to choose the topic
- Past: talk about the past of the event (using past tenses or “used to” structure)
- Description: describe the event in detail with supporting ideas and examples
- Opinion: give your view on the topic
- Future: give a future perspective on the topic (using future tenses)
>>> Practice now: IELTS Speaking Practice Test
IELTS Speaking Part 2 may be challenging but you can master it by practicing as much as possible and applying suitable tips for your learning habit. Also, consulting model samples can benefit your learning experience since you can learn a lot from those.
To get to know more tips and model samples for IELTS Speaking Part 2, install IELTS TEST PRO now!