This is a recent IELTS speaking test. The IELTS speaking topics in this test include a Part 2 question about describe a place where you stayed away from home, and other questions about:
- Work
- Hospitality industry
- Hotels
- Careers
IELTS Speaking Test Part 1
What is your full name?
My name is…
Can I see your ID?
Yes, here’s my ID card
Where are you from?
I’m from Rome, in Italy.
Do you work or study?
I work. I’m a business administrator.
Where do you work?
I work for Banca d’Italia, Italy’s largest bank.
Can you describe your work and the company?
Yes, I am responsible for the administrative functions in the city of Rome branch. I work as part of a team which provides support for essential admin functions within the bank. The bank is the largest in Italy, it’s the central bank, and is part of the European central banking system.
Why did you choose this job?
Banca d’Italia is a large organization and they had a very good management training program which I wanted to participate in after attending business school and graduating with my degree in Economics.
I thought it would be a good first position and that I could learn a lot before specializing in the future.
IELTS Speaking Test Part 2
Candidate Task CardTalk about a place where you stayed away from home
You should say:
and explain how you felt staying away from home.
- where this place was
- why you went there
- how long you stayed there
IELTS Speaking Test Candidate Task Card Sample Answer
A place where you stayed away from homeI remember a few years ago when I was on vacation from university I went to stay with my grandmother in Livorno on the coast. I spent two months there, helping her with some work around the house and also writing my thesis for university.
She has a very old house near the coast and it has an amazing view of the sea. It was completely different from living in Rome, where I grew up as a child. The air is cleaner and the town is much smaller and quieter so it was a very nice change of pace to live there for the summer.
I had visited several times before when I was a child but had never stayed more than a day or so and I had always gone with my parents before – this time I went by myself – so it was quite different.
It was a really nice time and it’s also a really good place to live. It was very relaxing and refreshing to see something different and to meet some of the local people who are quite different from the people I usually hang out with in Rome.
If I wasn’t working in the bank and living in Rome I would maybe like to live in a place like that where life is slower and more relaxed, somewhere out of the city, but at the moment I’m concentrating on my career so the city has the best opportunities.
IELTS Speaking Test Part 3
Have you stayed at a hotel before?
Yes, I have several times when I’ve been travelling and also a couple of times for trips related to work.
Do you think people like to stay at hotels? Why?
It depends on the individual, and the reason for the trip I suppose. Some people don’t like being away from home so staying in a hotel maybe doesn’t appeal to them. Other people see it as a change to the normal – like a small adventure – something different and so they enjoy it.
My father used to travel a lot and lived half of the week in hotels, he always had some interesting stories about other people he met and I think he quite enjoyed the variety rather than staying in only one place all the time.
What are the most important things that a good hotel should have?
Well, again it depends, if it’s a business trip then it needs to be close to where you need to go and have all the facilities you need to get things done, maybe a business centre and things like that.
But if you’re on vacation then you probably think more about it being in a nice location, maybe with a nice view, a balcony and comfortable rooms. In all cases, it’s important that the staff are warm and friendly and the service is good – that’s important if you’re travelling on business or on vacation.
Do you think hospitality jobs are desirable?
I think the people who do them think they are. I mean, there are so many jobs and I suppose it can be very interesting too. I have a friend who works in hotel management and she loves it, so yes, I think such jobs are good and essential for those who need to stay in a hotel.
Really, hospitality is no different from any other commercial sector – there are many different aspects to it and many different kinds of jobs available. You can be a waiter or maid or develop a professional career as a manager in a large multinational hotel chain – so there are plenty of opportunities for everyone, just like in any other industry.
Do you think the hotel industry should be regulated? Why?
There should certainly be some sort of regulation which covers minimum standards. You know, in terms of food in restaurants, basic hygiene and cleanliness in rooms, the provision of services and such like.
But I don’t know what else needs to be regulated … ah yes, health and safety, for example, a hotel has to make sure that guests can escape in the event of a fire or emergency, it needs to have emergency lighting and medical services, I think.
That sort of regulation is necessary and good for the industry in order to maintain minimum standards for the public.
Related Topics