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Advice/IELTS Speaking Part 3

IELTS Speaking Exam Part 3

Situation: Part 3 of the IELTS speaking test is a longer question and answer "discussion". Usually it will develop the topic raised in part 2, and of course the teacher will not expect to speak too much, except to ask questions.

Problem: Students are marked on grammar (accuracy), pronunciation, vocabulary and fluency. It's important to work on your fluency and obviously a wide vocabulary helps with this. Also........

Solution: You can learn to use a number of set expressions to express different "language functions", such as "giving opinions", or "expressing doubt". These are used in the exercise below. Some useful vocabulary is given too.

Note: Advice on the other sections of the IELTS tests will be added when time allows. Please notice that suggested models can be included and practised in your speaking on a daily basis, but you should not repeat them automatically or keep trying to put them into your answers in an artificial way. Correct pronunciation and intonation are obviously very important too. Sound files will be added later to help with this.

First of all, try to answer the questions that follow below these notes. In the second section language functions and vocabulary prompts will be given to help you, and finally suggested answers will be supplied.

Make full sentences and try to develop your ideas and arguments in three or four sentences at least. Speak out loud. Or maybe get a friend to question you and help you to practise.







Talking about school.




1) What factors do you think are important in a good school?




2) How does the education system in your own country compare with the education system in your host country? (the country where you're currently studying)



3) How have schools changed in the last one hundred years or so? ("or so" means "approximately")



4) What are the advantages of doing well at school?



5) In what ways does a bad teacher disadvantage children?



6) Explain how education might look in the future.




Now scroll down to read the advice section, then try to use some of the suggestions...................

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Hints and clues;
Note: The suggestions below are just a guide, and if you feel confident, you can change the structures.






1) What factors do you think are important in a good school?

Expressing opinions:

If you ask me...
I'd say that... (which means "I would say that..")
I'd've said that.... (Which means "I would have said that...")
(^ From more informal [top] to more formal [bottom])

Note: You can, of course, use the boring old "In my opinion...".

Suggestions for vocabulary and structure:

...it's necessary to...
...it's also of great importance that...
A good school should have... as well as... and... 






2) How does the education system in your own country compare with the education system in your host country?

Expressing ignorance:(Because you might not know much about the host country's education system) 

I'm sorry, but I haven't got a a clue what...
I'm afraid I haven't got much idea about... 

Suggestions for vocabulary and structure:

In comparison to English schools, I would say.... (or "I'd imagine...")
...are probably much more...compared to schools in...In contrast...
(or the opposite:)
Similarly... 






3) How have schools changed in the last one hundred years?

Asking for clarification:I'm sorry - did you want me* to talk about schools in my country or schools in general?
* more polite than "do you want...?" 

Suggestions for vocabulary and structure:Students used to...
Pupils would... (same meaning)
There wouldn't have been any...
...make use of various teaching aids, such as...
...find out for themselves, rather than...




 




4) What are the advantages of doing well at school?
Expressing certainty:

Quite clearly...
It goes without saying that...
Suggestions for vocabulary and structure:

On the plus side...
Another advantage is that...
What's more...

 




 5) In what ways does a bad teacher disadvantage students?

Expressing doubt or uncertainty:
I doubt whether...
I'm not really sure whether... 

Suggestions for vocabulary and structure:Well, naturally...
Practically speaking...
inspiration / motivation / stimulation
...can cause pupils to... (infinitive structure)
...might give rise to problems, in that... (+ subject + verb)
 





6) Explain how education might look in the future.
 
Asking for repetition: 

I'm sorry - I didn't quite catch what you said.
Would you mind repeating the question please?

Asking for time to think:

Er, if you'll just give me a second to think about that...
Well, let's see now... 

Suggestions for vocabulary and structure:

In the future there could be...
.............................may
............................might 
It's always possible that we could see...
In the short term... (or "near future")
In the long term... (or "distant future")



When you've answered (don't forget - out loud), check further down the page to compare them to the suggested answers..............

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Suggested answers:

(Useful words and expressions from above are highlighted in blue)






 
1) What factors do you think are important in a good school?

1) If you ask me a school should not be too big. It's necessary to give children a "sense of belonging", and they don't get that if a school's too big.

How big do you think it should be?

I'd say about 500 pupils should be the maximum.

Anything else?

It's also of great importance that you have well trained teachers. And I'd've said that it's also important that a good school should have have plenty of space for sports and outdoor activities as well as good buildings and facilities. (space or equipment needed to do something)

2) How does the education system in your own country compare with the education system in your host country?

2) I'm sorry, I haven't got a clue what it's like in English schools. I mean, I've studied in a language school, but that's as much as I know.

If an average class size in England is about twenty students, how does that compare to classes in your country?

In comparison to English schools, I would say schools in my country have much bigger classes. But students are probably much more polite compared to those in England. I've heard they're very disrespectful here. In contrast, we respect teachers in my country.

3) How have schools changed in the last one hundred years?

3) I'm sorry, did you want me to talk about schools in my country, or schools in general?

Whichever you prefer to talk about.

Well, in my country, I suppose students used to just learn things by heart (automatically) from the teacher, or from books. Pupils would probably have worked more hours in those days too. There wouldn't have been any libraries I suppose, but I'm not really sure about that.

And how about today?

Now of course we can make use of various teaching aids, such as computers, and there are school libraries so that students can find things out for themselves.

4) What are the advantages of doing well at school?

4) Quite clearly there are a lot of advantages to doing well at school. On the plus side it makes life more interesting when you know more about the world. Another advantage is that you can get a better job. It goes without saying that this means more money and an easier life in general. Though I guess that's not always true. The bit about the easier life, I mean.

5) In what ways does a bad teacher disadvantage students?

5) Well, naturally, a bad teacher won't hold your interest like a good teacher can, so you won't learn much. You need motivation and stimulation to take in information. I doubt whether a bad teacher can give you those things.

Can you think of any other problems bad teaching can cause for pupils?

It can cause pupils to lose interest, and that might give rise to problems, in that some students may behave badly and stop others from learning.

6) Explain how education might look in the future.

6) I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch what you said.

In what ways do you think education might change in the future?

Er, if you'll just give me a minute to think about that. Well , let's see now... in the future there could be online learning, where the teacher isn't even in the room. In the short term computers will become more important, I suppose.

And how about the longer term?

In the longer term there may even be robot teachers. Let's face it, they'd probably know a lot more than real ones!

Photo Album:






This photograph was taken on the banks of Lake Bled, in Slovenia. Before taking it I set the camera on 'shooting through glass', because the sun was reflecting from the surface of the water. After that I moved towards the edge of the lake, leaned forward and aimed the camera between two tree trunks. The picture shows a number of large fish (carp) swimming around in the water. There are a lot of smaller fish nearby, but these are more difficult to see in the photo here.

Grammar note: The words in blue are "prepositions". The passage shows their most common uses. They may show:

Position: ".... on the banks of Lake Bled,...."
Movement: ".... swimming around in the water."
Time: ".... Before taking it I...."

Sometimes their use is not so clear. For example, all of the following uses are possible: ".... I set the camera on 'shooting through glass'...."
".... I set the camera to 'shooting through glass'...."
".... I set the camera at 'shooting through glass'...."

For this reason, students often find prepositions difficult. Add to this the fact that they are often used in phrasal verbs ("look forward to") and in collocations with other verbs ("insure against"), adjectives ("afraid of") and nouns ("on holiday")...... and it's easy to see why students are confused!

Advice/IELTS Speaking Part 2

IELTS Speaking Exam Part 2

Situation: In part 2 of the IELTS speaking test you are given a topic to talk about - on your own - for approximately two minutes. It could be about any area of your experience related to work, travel, leisure or modern life.

Problem: In my experience, people find this the most difficult part of the test, maybe because it seems rather "artificial". But it's something you may well be expected to do in further study or at work, so it's a skill that needs to be developed.

Solution: You cannot expect to predict the exact topic, but you can get used to the format and the skill of talking in this way. As with most things, practice makes perfect. Or at least, if not perfect, it certainly makes for great improvement in confidence and skill when putting your ideas together.

Note: Advice on the other sections of the speaking test will be added when time allows. Please note that suggested models can be included and practised in your speaking on a daily basis, but you should not repeat them automatically or keep trying to put them into your answers in an artificial way. Correct pronunciation and intonation are obviously very important too. Sound files will be added later to help with this.

First of all, try to answer the questions that follow using the models for how to begin. You don't need to copy my examples exactly. Modify them for a film (movie) that you have seen yourself.

A Movie

Note 1 The general topic is split into four parts:

 
Where, when and why you went to see it.
 
Who were the main actors / actresses in the movie.

What happens in it.

Whether or not you enjoyed it, with reasons.
 

For the sake of practice, we'll ask the separate questions below:

1) Where and when did you see it?
A. I saw this film in... when I was....


2) Where was it set? (or "shot")
A. It was set in..... during the war.


3) Who were the main characters?
A. It's about a young girl who falls in love with a soldier, but...


4) Do you know any of the actors/actresses?
A. The main part was played by Nicolas Cage..... while Penelope Cruz was the.....

5) Do you know the name of the director?
A. It was directed by.....* ( See note 1 below)

6) Give a basic description of the plot ("story").
A. As I said, it was set during the war, and it involved.....


7) What did you enjoy (or dislike) about it?
A. It was very (exciting/enlightening/ inspiring, etc) and it made me feel that people.....






Note 1) If you don't know the name of the actor / actress / director / writer, etc, then just say so. In the next section is a suggested two minute talk based on the film in the example above. Does it ring any bells yet? (That means, do you recognise it yet?) See how I talk about the director in this short piece.


Now scroll down to read the suggested answer for the speaking test part 2 below, and notice the vocabulary and structure used...................

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Suggested answer;


I first saw this film in Spain about ten years ago when I was there on holiday. It was a rainy day, so we decided to go to the cinema. What's more, I'd just had an argument with my wife, so I thought if we went to see a romantic film it might make us both feel a bit more cheerful.

It was set in a small Greek island during the second world war. It's about a young girl who falls in love with a soldier of the Italian army that has invaded the island.

The main part was played by Nicolas Cage as the soldier, while Penelope Cruz, a Spanish actress, was the daughter of the local doctor. She's extremely beautiful, and this is another reason I had been looking forward to seeing the film.

As for the director, I'm afraid I can't actually remember his name. Unfortunately I'm not very good on director's names, and only know the "stars".

As I said before, it was set during the war, and it involved the doctor's daughter slowly falling in love with Nicolas Cage's character. And not only is he a member of the army of occupation, but she also happens to have a fiancee already: a local fisherman from her village. But she's educated and well-read and he's, well, let's just say he's not so well educated, and can't really talk to her on the same level. And it's when her fisherman boyfriend goes off to sea that love between the two begins to "blossom", so to speak.

Far from being cruel to the islanders or imposing military discipline, he is more interested in playing the mandolin and setting up a choir. But when the war is coming to an end, the Nazis come and take over the island, and there is conflict between all three groups of people. This forces the main characters to choose between the loyalty they feel for one another and that they feel towards their country.

It was a very inspiring film, which made me have faith in the goodness of human nature and a belief in the triumph of the spirit, even in the face of the most terrible circumstances. If there is anyone who still hasn't seen "Captain Corelli's Mandolin", then I would certainly recommend that they do so. It's well worth seeing!

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Now you try:



First of all we'll change the general topic, and ask you to write about a book, instead of a film. Try to use the ideas above to help you prepare for a short talk. In the real exam you'll have only a minute to prepare, but this sort of exercise helps you to learn how to "think on your feet", as well as teaching you some useful phrases. First try to answer the following questions:

1) Instead of "I saw it in...", you could say, "I...".

2) Instead of "It was directed by..." , you could say, "It was...".

3) Instead of "The main actress was...", you could say, "The main ...".

Scroll down to the bottom of this section for the answers.

Now we'll put the question into the same format you'll be given in the exam.

Talk about a book you have read.

You should include in your answer:

- where and when you read it

- anything you know about the writer

- some information about the plot and characters

... and what you particularly liked or disliked about the book.

Don't spend too much time in preparation, and try to do it using only very brief notes, of the sort that you could make in one minute. In other words, it would be a piece of paper with only six or seven "prompts" written on it, to help you remember how to organise your talk. Look back at the "film" example to help you.

Make sure you speak out loud. Maybe you can get a friend or family member to listen?

Answers:

1) Instead of "I saw it in...", you could say, "I read it in...".

2) Instead of "It was directed by..." , you could say, "It was written by...".

3) Instead of "The main actress was...", you could say, "The main character was...".

Photo Album:







 

This photo was taken from our bedroom window last December. The garden is buried beneath the snow, and the apple tree is also covered in it. After yet another icy winter, some believe the weather in England has become colder with so-called "global warming".

Questions

1. The first three verbs are in the passive voice. Could you say why?
2. "has become colder" is in the present perfect tense. Could you say why?
3. Why are the words "so-called" used here?
4. You can see many snow flakes reflected in the flash of the camera. There was also one very large one spoiling the effect, so I have (rather badly) "edited it out". Can you see where it was?









********************






Answers

1. Because we're talking about "the photo", as well as "the garden" and "the tree". Those responsible for the action (i.e. the photographer, the weather) don't really need to be mentioned here.
2. The action began in the past and is still continuing today.
3. Because the name is not really suitable. Here's another example: "My so-called best friend has run away with my husband!"
4. In the sky at the top, just to the right of the middle.

Advice/IELTS Speaking Part 1 (A)

Common Mistakes/Common Mistakes10

Academic English structures - common mistakes.

The following are examples from students' essays. Re-write them correctly. The number in brackets indicates how many mistakes there are.

 

1) Students choose if to do engineering course or computing course. (Three... or two)

Please write your answer here:[ANSWER]

2) The computing course offering is in three parts, such as; graphic design, web design and animation. (three) [ANSWER]

3) Weather is one of the factors effect British food styles. (three) [ANSWER]

4) It is necessary to analysis the results, and they are as showed below: [ANSWER]

5) This skirt appears feminine and elegant by most of the questionaire's respondants.  (three) [ANSWER]

Do you need some hints and clues (helpful pieces of information)?  Then scroll further down the page..............

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Hints and clues:

1) The students choose if to do engineering course or computing course. (three)

 

1) "If" + infinitive is not a suitable structure here. "If" is used more usually to describe a single condition ("I'll tell him if I see him"). Here you need to describe a choice between two alternatives. And there are two different words you can use to do so. Whether you choose to use the first, which is followed by a full infinitive, or the second, which is followed by a gerund, you do need to make a choice between using one or the other. If you need more help, well, I've just used both of them here!

Also:
 

You need to add one or (preferably) two articles (a, an, some, the) that are missing. [ANSWER]

.

2) The computing course offering is in three parts, such as; graphic design, web design and animation. (three)

2) "Offering" is a present participle which could replace an active verb structure such as "which is offering". Here a past participle is needed to replace "which is offered", which is a passive verb structure.

Also:

"Such as" is used to give examples from a wider range. Here all the available range is actually named, so another word must be used. There's a clue in that last sentence!
 

Also
 

There is a punctuation problem. Do you know which punctuation mark can be used to mean "as follows"? [ANSWER]

3) Weather is one of the factors effect the British food styles. (three)

3) "Effect" is not the right verb for "to cause change in". A very small change is needed here. (English people make this mistake too.)

Also:

This same verb needs a subject, namely "which". Alternatively you might use a present participle to replace "which + verb". See the first note for number 2) for more information. 

Also:

"Food styles" is not a very good collocation. ("Collocation" - words which are commonly used together.) [ANSWER]

4) It is necessary to analysis the results, and they are as showed below: (two)
 

4) A noun has been used as a verb.

Also:

A past participle is in the wrong form. [ANSWER]

5) This skirt appears feminine and elegant by most of the questionaire's respondants. (three)
 

5) Change the word "by" to another common (two word) expression, and it makes sense! These two words can be used to introduce quotations too, and mean "they said it". 

Also:

There are two spelling mistakes.[ANSWER]


 

When you've rewritten the sentences, check further down the page to see if they're the same as the suggested answers..............

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Answers:



1) The students choose if to do engineering course or computing course.

 
1) The students choose whether to do an engineering course or a computing course.
 

Or:

The students choose between doing an engineering course or a computing course.

2) The computing course offering is in three parts, such as; graphic design, web design and animation. (three).

2) The computing course offered is in three parts, namely: graphic design, web design and animation. 

 

3) Weather is one of the factors effect British food styles. (three) 

3) Weather is one of the factors affecting British food tastes.

Or (preferably): 

Weather is one of the factors affecting British tastes in food.

Or:

 
Weather is one of the factors which affects British tastes in food.

4) It is necessary to analysis the results, and they are as showed below: (two)

4) It is necessary to analyse the results, and they are as shown below:

5) This skirt appears feminine and elegant by most of the questionaire's respondants. (three)
 

5) This skirt appears feminine and elegant according to most of the questionnaire's respondents.

Note:

There is no rule for whether word endings are spelled "ent" or "ant". You can't tell from the spoken word, because suffixes (word endings) are unstressed, so they both sound the same. To find some common nouns and adjectives of this type, just search on the computer for "words ending in -ant or -ent".

Photo Album:






When taking pictures of a butterfly you must move towards it very slowly. If you move too fast, you will scare it. And, of course, if you scare it, it will fly away. But this magnificent specimen was a very cool customer.


Grammar note: These are examples of "first conditional" type sentences, which use the word "if" together with the present tense...

If you move too fast,
... in combination with the simple future tense:

you will scare it.
However, other combinations of present and future tense are possible:

If you are moving too fast, you are going to scare it.
"Modal" verbs might also be used, as in this example:

If you should scare it, it might fly away.



Vocabulary note : "Cool customer" - a colloquial (street English) term for someone who stays calm in a difficult situation.






Photos: Swallowtail butterfly, Menorca island, Spain.







Do you get it?

Vocabulary:

polar bear - a white bear found in the icy regions of the north

fur - the hairy coat of bears (and dogs, cats, lions, etc.)

paws - the feet of bears (and dogs, cats, lions, etc.)

claws - the sharp nails on the feet of bears (and dogs, cats, lions, etc.)

to wander - to walk, with no particular direction or destination
bloody (adjective) - a bad word (swear word) but not really a very strong one.



A little baby polar bear turns to his big sister and says, "Big sister - am I really a little baby polar bear?"

"Well," says his big sister, "you've got lots of white fur, a little black nose, little white paws and little black claws. So yes - of course you're a little baby polar bear. Why do you ask?"

"Oh nothing," says the little baby polar bear, and he wanders off into the snow. The next day, he goes to his father and says, "Dad - am I really a little baby polar bear?"
"Well son," says his father, "you've got lots of white fur, a little black nose, little white paws and little black claws. So yes - of course you're a little baby polar bear. Why do you ask?"
"Oh nothing," says the little baby polar bear, and he wanders off into the snow. The next day, he goes to his mother and says, "Mum - am I really a little baby polar bear?"
"Well son," says his mother, "you've got lots of white fur, a little black nose, little white paws and little black claws. So yes - of course you're a little baby polar bear. Why do you ask?"

"Because," says the little baby polar bear, "I'm bloody freezing."



Note

Have you noticed the structure of most English (and other) jokes yet? They generally have a three part build up (baby polar bear talks to sister, then father, then mother). The third section ends with the punch line (the joke).