These IELTS speaking test questions were asked this week, they include questions about:
- travel to work, improving at work
- weather, seasons, climate change
- outdoor sports/activities
- sports: men & women, benefits, learning opportunities
- holidays: too few or too many? Normal holiday activities
IELTS Speaking Test Part 1
WorkDo you work or study?
I’m working on a research project at the moment at the university. It’s an international collaboration investigating various Artificial Intelligence applications within the business sector.
What do you like most about your job?
It’s exciting, researching and developing neural networks, interfaces and other aspects of AI. It’s also what I wanted to do ever since I can remember, so I’m happy to be able to work in this field. There are many challenges, but it’s very satisfying to be able to help shape the future.
How many hours do you normally work in a week?
Well, it can vary quite a lot, but I would say it’s between 35 and 40 hours per week normally. Some of the work I do in the lab at the university and other work I can do at home using my computer.
How do you normally travel to work?
I usually take the bus because it’s not a long journey and it’s easy. There’s a bus stop right outside where I live and the bus goes right past the university, so it’s really convenient.
Is there any other transportation system other than this?
Nothing that would be as convenient. I could always call a taxi or an Uber if I wanted. And if I want to go further, there are plenty of trains which go to other places. But the bus is the most convenient on a daily basis.
What could you do to improve or be better at your work?
There’s nothing in particular that I can think of, other than learning more about the topics I’m researching. It’s sometimes difficult to measure things like performance in research activities because it can take a long time before you see any concrete results.
I think my planning and setting of goals and objectives is good. My supervisor has commented positively on these aspects of my work, saying that I’m very detailed and concise in what I want or need to achieve.
It would be nice to maybe improve some other skills, like public speaking, but it’s not really a big part of my current work, so it’s not really a priority at the moment.
Weather & SeasonsHow many seasons do you have in your country? What are they?
We have four seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter. Each is approximately three months in duration although the exact time of the changing of the seasons can be a bit hard to notice sometimes.
Which is your favorite season? Why?
Personally, I like the summer best because it’s a lot more comfortable and there is less rain. The winter is really cold with a lot of rain and snow at times and it can be extremely depressing when the rain goes on for week after week.
In the summer, people are generally happier and spend more time outside which is healthier – a lot better than being cooped up indoors all the time in winter.
Have the seasons been affected by climate change?
It’s hard to say for certain, because there is so much controversy about the causes of climate change and their impact. In recent years the summers have been hotter and the winters colder. That’s a fact that can be shown in the historical temperature records.
What’s debatable is the cause of these changes. Clearly, the climate has changed, but there seems to be some debate as to whether it’s a natural phenomenon or caused by humans.
IELTS Speaking Test Part 2
Outdoor Activity | Part 2 IELTS Speaking | Candidate Task CardDescribe an outdoor sport or activity that you do or did
You should say:- what it is
- where you do/did this activity
- if it is easy to learn this activity
Describe an outdoor sport cue card sample answer
My favorite outdoor activity is cycling. I used to cycle everywhere when I was a young child and always had a bike.
I stopped doing it for a while when I was at university because honestly, I was so busy, and living in the city, and I just didn’t have time to do it, and I left my bike at home.
But about eighteen months ago I bought a new lightweight bike with a carbon frame and joined a cycling group that I found through Facebook.
It’s a great bunch of people, men and women of all ages, and the group usually organizes a run at the weekends.
Sometimes we do around 150 kilometers or more which is a good ride. I like it because I’m relatively new to this area and most of them know lots of places which I’ve never been to.
So, it’s really interesting to see all these new places and get some good exercise at the same time. The group has a really good vibe and some of us go out and socialize sometimes too.
As far as learning how to cycle, there’s a big difference from simply riding a bike and cycling as a sport. You need a lot more endurance and stamina for cycling because the rides are typically a lot longer than when you’re riding a bike for fun.
Since I started, I’ve improved my stamina, speed and endurance through training and practice. I track all my stats for each ride using Strava which is an app for cyclists and runners.
I like to look back and see how I’ve improved over time and also see how many kilometers I’ve cycled each week, month and year.
Cycling is something I love, especially since I started taking it seriously when I joined this group. I love going to new places, being outside, and doing exercise. It’s a nice change from sitting down working.
Similar Candidate Task Cards
- Describe an outdoor activity that you enjoy doing
- Describe your favourite outdoor activity
- Describe an outdoor sport that you often do
- Describe an occasion when you played an outdoor game with others
IELTS Speaking Test Part 3
Sports & Outdoor ActivitiesWhich outdoor sports or activities are popular in your country?
There are many - probably the most popular is football, then there’s baseball, basketball, and others like cycling and tennis, swimming, sailing, skiing, and snowboarding in some parts of the country.
Sports like football, soccer, basketball, etc. are popular for people to watch more than play, although a lot of young people play them. But there are a lot more older people who love to watch their favorite team play but they don’t play the sport anymore themselves.
Other activities like cycling, snowboarding, and sailing are popular in their niche. There are enough people who are interested in them to support various organizations and businesses dedicated to such activities.
But they don’t get the same media attention or the number of spectators as sports like football.
Are there any benefits of participating in outdoor sports or activities? What are they?
Yes, lots of benefits. First, the fact that you’re outdoors breathing fresh air and moving around. That’s healthy!
A lot of sports and outdoor activities are team based so you get to meet and participate with others, so it’s kind of social as well as just getting some exercise.
Then there’s the fact that for most sports and activities you need to learn the basic skills required, which keeps your mid alert, and you can always improve and get better at whatever you choose to do.
Sports or outdoor activities can be excellent team building activities, whether you do it with colleagues from work, classmates, friends or just as a group of individuals. Learning to work together as a team is a skill which is directly transferable to other situations in life.
Finally, there’s the chance to get a change of scenery, to get outside and see something different. Personally, I spend a lot of my time during the week sitting down in the lab or the office, so being able to get outside at the weekends and move around is good on so many levels. It keeps me healthy, active, and I feel energized after doing it.
What can people learn from doing outdoor sports or activities?
It depends on the actual sport or activity. For example, if you go cycling, like me, you can learn how to pace yourself, breathe efficiently and how to gauge your energy levels, as well as control the bike and balance well.
I guess if you go sailing you would need to learn how to control the boat, navigate, understand maps and GPS readings, do safety drills, survive in an accident, and how to look after and maintain the boat.
Then there are some skills like teamwork, collaboration, which you will learn especially of you play a team sport or do a team activity. You learn the strengths and weaknesses of your teammates and how to pull together to win.
And if you go hiking or climbing, for example, you might learn something about the place you go to, some of its history maybe.
Do both men and women play outdoor sports in your country, are there any differences between what or how they play?
Yes, they both do. Nowadays, it’s pretty much the same for men and women. I know women who play soccer, go cycling, kayaking, skiing, and many other outdoor sports.
A generation or so ago, there might have been more of a difference, but now people tend to just do whatever they want to do. There are no stereotypes of which sports or activities are targeted at males or females.
As I said before, my cycling group has young and older people, men and women, we all just enjoy the activity and there’s no difference how we do it.
The only difference in how they play would be, like, the soccer leagues are divided into male and female leagues, but they play to the same rules just not against each other. Although I once played in a mixed soccer game for charity which was a lot of fun.
HolidaysDo you think there are a lot of holidays in your country? What are some of the main ones?
There are a lot of holidays in my country. The main ones are Christmas, Easter, New Year's, and the 4th of July. There are also a lot of state and local holidays that vary depending on where you live. I'm not sure what the official count is, but it seems like there's one almost every month!
In your opinion, should there be more holidays than currently? Why? Why not?
There's no simple answer to this question, as it's really up to each individual to decide what they believe. However, here are a few points to consider:
- Holidays can be a great way for families and friends to come together and celebrate.
- They can also be a fun way to escape from the everyday grind and enjoy some time off work or school.
- On the other hand, too many holidays can lead to overspending and/or partying too hard.
- They can also be disruptive if people have to take time off from work or school.
- Ultimately, it's up to each individual to decide how many holidays they want/need in their life.
What do you normally do on holidays? Do you do any special activities?
I usually spend time with my family and friends, either at home or out somewhere. We might go for a walk, have a picnic, visit a park or museum, or go out to eat. Sometimes we'll get together for a special meal or do some kind of craft project. Generally, we just try to enjoy each other's company and relax.