IELTS Speaking Topics
- Work
- Drawing
- Transport
- A place you like to study
- Studying
- Study techniques
- Online teaching vs classroom teaching
- Study groups
What are some of the best study techniques for IELTS? Find out here.
IELTS Speaking Part 1
Questions about work
Do you work or study?
I just started working about six months ago after graduating. I’m a research assistant at the university where I studied for my degree.
Is it a good place to work? Why? / Why not?
Yes, I love it. The people I work with are very friendly and the work I'm involved in is exactly what I want to be doing, so I’m very happy there.
What is one thing you want to change about your workplace?
Really, the only thing I would like to change is to make it a bit closer to where I live. I spend about an hour commuting each way, so that’s a couple of hours each day stuck in traffic.
But in the workplace, itself, there isn’t anything that I have seen so far that I would change, it all seems okay to me at the moment. Maybe once I’ve been there a little longer, I might have some ideas about things that need improving.
Questions about drawing
Have you ever learned to draw? If not, why?
When I was a child, I used to draw sometimes, but I never took classes apart from the art classes in school in the first year.
I draw things sometimes, like objects or maybe things from my imagination, just to relax and do something different, but I don’t do it seriously as a hobby or anything like that.
It’s just something I do to kill time sometimes, or if I feel like doing something different instead of watching TV or reading.
Do you like drawing?
Yes, I do, but I’m not really that passionate about it as I said. It’s just something I do now and again.
Which type of drawings do you like the most?
When I was at school, I learned in art class to draw still life, objects, figures, and other things.
Nowadays if I draw anything it’s usually just something I have in my mind, or maybe based on a character I saw in a movie, something like that.
Usually, it’s just a rough sketch, and most of the time I never actually finish it.
Do you like your room to be decorated with paintings? Why?
I’m not fussy. I don’t have any paintings in my room at the moment although my family has quite a few in our home.
I don’t like a lot of clutter in my room, and as I’m renting a small apartment at the moment, I haven’t really got around to buying anything other than the basics.
Maybe in the future, if I see some art I like, I’ll buy it to hang on the wall in the living room.
Questions about transport
Which mode of transport do you use the most?
It’s a toss-up between the train and Uber. I usually get a train and an Uber every day, although I spend more time on the train and just about 15 minutes in an Uber.
When was the last time you traveled?
It was last year during my vacation from university. I went with some friends on a camping trip in the mountains.
Well, it was sort of camping, we were living in a cabin, but we were in the mountains far away from the city and other amenities.
We cooked on an open fire and went hunting and fishing a couple of times. It was a great experience, and I had forgotten how much I like spending time in that part of the country.
Do you think everyone should learn to drive? Why/Why not?
Yes, absolutely. Driving is an essential skill to have because you never know when you might need it.
I learned to drive as soon as I could. I took lessons with a professional driving instructor and passed my test the first time.
Being able to drive gives you more opportunities sometimes. It makes you more independent of public transportation and gives you more freedom to explore and visit places.
When I went on that trip with my friends last year, we drove there in my car.
I would drive to work every day, but it takes too long for it to be practical, but I love driving at the weekend.
IELTS Speaking Part 2
You should say:
- where it is
- what it is like
- if other people study there
and explain why you like to study there.
Describe a place where you like to study
Okay, so I’m going to describe two places where I used to study.
One of them is inside, in the library at the university, and the other is outside, on the balcony of my parents’ house. They are both very different places and I used to divide my study time between them.
The university library was a huge place and lots of other people used to study there at the same time.
Personally, I used to go there when I needed to research something or do some serious studying because I found that I was less distracted while I was there.
I think it was because it’s such an academic environment and everyone there is doing the same – studying!
At home, on the other hand, I used to sit out on the balcony and do more general reading or plan out my assignments.
The atmosphere was much more relaxed, as I was at home. But I used to enjoy the fresh air and found I could spend hours there reading or thinking and making notes.
The only problem was that I got easily distracted by things going on in the street below. That’s why I did most of my ‘serious’ studying work in the library.
The good thing about the balcony is it is quite spacious with a table and chairs and my family used to leave me in peace when I sat out there to study.
So, it was less formal than the atmosphere in the library and a nice change of scenery.
I like spending time on my own when I’m reading or thinking, so it was an ideal place.
Overall, though, I did a lot of work and studying in both places and each place had a different feel to it, but I enjoyed studying in both places.
How would you describe the place where you work or study?
Similar cue cards
- Describe your ideal place to study
- Talk about your ideal place to study
- Describe a place where you like to study
- Describe a place you can go to learn
- Talk about a place where you like to study
- Describe a place which is easy for you to study
IELTS Speaking Part 3
Questions about studyingWhy do some people fail to study properly?
It might be for various reasons. Maybe they don’t have a lot of experience studying or haven’t learned the most effective techniques yet.
Also, they may go about it in a haphazard way rather than having an actual study plan to make sure they get everything done in time.
Then there are more general problems like not being able to concentrate or focus for long periods and also just not having enough time to necessary to study everything that they should.
Oh, of course, and time management. I know I used to be terrible at managing my time during my first year at university.
But after learning some essential techniques I eventually became more disciplined and now I do it without even thinking about it.
Do you think it is good to have a timetable for studying? Why?
Every person is different and what works for one person might not work for somebody else.
But, in general, a study plan or timetable is a good thing. It helps you organize what you have to do and then see when you can do it.
One of the most common problems when it comes to studying is that people always think they have more time than they really do.
So, they end up leaving things until the last minute and then have to try and cram it all in a very short time.
That can make your studying not only stressful but also super intense and you can end up overdoing things, becoming exhausted, stressed out and less efficient.
Why do you think girls are better able to concentrate than boys while studying?
I’m not sure that is true. I know some boys who are really good at concentrating and studying for hours.
But, having said that, boys do typically fool around more than girls and tend to do more silly things, and seem to have a shorter attention span.
Generally, girls tend to have a big picture view of life. They are more mature than boys of the same age.
Girls often know that they have to do more in less time if they want to be successful in life, so they tend to take things like studying and their career seriously.
Boys tend to have a habit of being distracted by other things which they think are more important at the time, like sports, gaming, and other things.
They can play and focus for hours on getting better and improving their performance. But when it comes to studying a lot of boys find it dull, boring, and unengaging.
Currently, there is a lot more pressure on girls and young women to do well at school and in the workforce than there is for boys and young men.
Why do you think some people fail to follow their study plan?
There could be lots of reasons: lack of time, other commitments, lack of discipline, financial problems, poor time management, lack of motivation or enthusiasm for the task, and many others.
Once you fail to follow your study plan, things become more difficult because then you need to revise it and create a new one.
Then there is more pressure to catch up with the things you’ve missed. It’s important to prioritize what to study; the absolute essentials, if you’re experiencing problems with time or motivation.
If you can’t do it all, at least do the fundamental parts or the parts you are least sure about.
Questions about study techniques
What are some good study techniques?
Personally, I always used to have a plan: what to study and when to study it. Then I would simply do it. I knew that if I slacked off, I would be in trouble later because I wouldn’t have enough time to do everything.
I used to make sure I had all the resources necessary, or at least I knew where to get them and when I could access them.
When it comes to time management, I always used to do the most challenging study tasks when I was feeling fresh and alert, normally early in the morning.
The easier tasks, general reading, etc. I would do it later in the day when I was feeling a bit tired or lazier.
One of the most useful study techniques I learned was to break each assignment or task into bite-sized chunks so that I could work on them for maybe half an hour or an hour at a time.
It’s so much easier to focus 100% for 30 minutes or 60 minutes without getting distracted or taking a break than sitting down to write an essay in 3 hours or something like that.
The smaller the task, the easier it is to get started, so you waste less time procrastinating.
Which is better, online or classroom teaching?
Both methods have advantages and disadvantages I suppose.
How effective each method is will depend on many factors: the subject being taught, number of students in the class, level of engagement or interaction required, and so on.
Some subjects are easy to teach online, for example, math and engineering principles. But others, like art, and social sciences usually require more debate and interaction between students and professors.
Classroom teaching has a social aspect to it; you sit in a room with other people, which can be good for some people because they like interacting with others.
Online classes offer convenience, and in some cases, you can study anytime you want if there is open access to online teaching resources.
Overall, you need to decide what is most important for you and then choose the method of delivery you prefer, if possible.
What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of study groups?
Okay, let’s start with the advantages: in a group, you can get help from others, or give help to others. Collaboration is common, and as they say, two heads are better than one!
You get to hear other people’s opinions and ideas and you may get a different perspective on something, which will help you improve your own ideas.
Being in a group can help you maintain discipline and motivation when studying because it’s more difficult to fall behind than if you do it all on your own.
As for the disadvantages: as soon as a group of people gets together there are group dynamics that come into play.
Some people try to dominate, others feel shy, and you might spend a lot of time arguing about things rather than collaborating.
The worst-case scenario might be a clash of personalities which makes the group incohesive and so you lose the benefit of collaborating with other people to study.
Ideally, if it’s a good study group, there are more benefits than drawbacks to participating in a study group.
What are some of the best study techniques for IELTS?
What you need to know to unlock your potential.
There is no one-size-fits-all formula for studying for IELTS, as everyone has their unique combination of strengths and weaknesses when it comes to academic success.
However, there are some general study techniques that are often cited as being effective for both the Academic and General Training modules of the test. Some of these strategies include:
- breaking large study tasks down into smaller, more manageable pieces
- focusing on understanding the material rather than memorizing it
- utilizing regular practice tests to identify areas of weakness
- enlisting a tutor or other knowledgeable individual to provide feedback and guidance along the way
Ultimately, the key to success on IELTS is finding a study routine that works well for you and following through consistently until your goals have been achieved.