Learn English with Our Excellent Tutors!

Jan. 2024 IELTS Speaking TL 1 (25mins)

Warm up
Student’s basic information
Student Name
Is this your first time to What is your target
take IELTS Test? score?
Why are you taking the
When is your exam?
test?

Topic Practice- Part 1

Part 1: Introduction and General Questions

Part 1 lasts for 4 to 5 minutes. In this part, the examiner will introduce him/herself and check your
identity, and then ask several questions about familiar topics such as your studies, work, hobbies,
interests, etc.

Teacher’s Note-Taking and Feedback Tips

 Teachers are required to record and note down parts of students’ answers that require
improvement during the practice for all parts.
 Remember to use the sandwich method when giving feedback: start with a positive comment,
follow with the constructive feedback, and end with another positive comment. This approach
ensures that feedback is balanced and encourages students to improve.

Part 1 Instruction Guidelines

 Instruct students to give comprehensive and precise responses. Ideally, their answers should be
2-3 sentences long.
 Encourage students to diversify their language use by incorporating a variety of words and
synonyms.
 Remind students to keep a conversational tone in their responses. There’s no need for them to be
overly formal.
 Guide students to use the PREC strategy (Point, Reason, Example/Explanation, Conclusion) to
expand their ideas.

Remember, the ultimate aim is to help students improve their IELTS speaking skills. As a teacher, your
role is to guide them, provide constructive feedback, and foster a supportive learning environment.

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 2
 Learn English with Our Excellent Tutors!

Part 1 Topic- Singing Notes and Corrections

Student Responds:

Correct:

 What do you study?

Suggestion:

I’m studying.. / I’m into it because it broadens

my horizons and...

Like: into/ a big fan of/be keen on/ be

interested in/ enjoy/ be fond of/
Student Responds:

Correct:

Suggestion:
 What do you usually do when you are at
school? Yes./ Absolutely, definitely.

I do engage in school activities quite

frequently. Ever since I was a child, I’ve been
actively participating in various school events.

Pay attention to the frequency adverbs in

the response, such as ‘frequently’,
‘regularly’, ‘often’, etc."
 What technology (electronic devices) do you Student Responds:
use when you study?

Correct:

Suggestion:

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 2

 What subjects do you like studying the most?
Vocabulary for reference
Synonyms for YES&NO
Yes
 Certainly
 Definitely
 Absolutely
 For sure/ Of course
 Without a doubt
No
 No way
 Certainly not
 Not likely
 Unfortunately not
 It’s not my thing
 I wish I could but….
 I'm not interested
 If only I could
 I’m afraid I can’t
Topic Practice- Part 2
Total time: 3-4 minutes
- The examiner will give you a cue card with a topic written on it.
Learn English with Our Excellent Tutors!
I usually use electronic devices that are rich
in educational resources and applications,
like a tablet or a laptop…
Student Responds:
Correct:
Suggestion:
See below:
Synonyms for LIKE Idioms for LIKE
 Fancy  Crazy about: liking something
 Admire or someone a lot
 Appreciate  Have a soft spot for: liking
 Enjoy someone or something
 Relish  Take a shine to: start to like
someone or something
 Have a thing for: liking
something or someone a lot
Synonyms for STUDYING Idioms for STUDYING
 Researching  Burn the midnight oil: study
 Learning late into the night
 Reviewing  Crack a book: open up a book to
 Analyzing study
 Investigating  Pass with flying colors: to pass
something with a high score
Part 2: Long Turn
PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 2
 Learn English with Our Excellent Tutors!

- It will also have 3-5 bullet points telling you what to include in your talk.
- You will be given 1 minute for preparation during which you are allowed to make notes.
- You will be asked to speak on this topic for up to 2 minutes.
- The examiner will probably ask you one or two questions about your topic.

Tips

- Write down key words ONLY in the one-minute preparation time

- Use personal experience. Tell a story

- Organize your answer
- Remember to do an introduction.
- Follow the bullet points. + Answer the bullet points with details (At least 2 sentences for each).

Part 2 Cue Card

Describe a time you had to finish something quickly?

You should say:
 What it was
 When it happened
 How you finished it
 Why you had to finish it quickly
 And explain how you felt about it

Student Responds:

Correct:

Suggestion:

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 2
 Learn English with Our Excellent Tutors!

Notes and Corrections

The activity happened during…

I was with my... …. … We decided to pull an all-nighter….

…. The reason we had to finish it quickly was because.….. It was the most…

It was a challenging experience, but it taught me …

Tip 1: Don’t worry too much about your grammar or vocabulary. Your fluency and coherence will
be affected if you try to sound “smart” by using some big yet unfamiliar words or sentence
patterns.

Tip 2: Provide details.

This is your main chance in the test to show your fluency. Use this opportunity and give lots of
description and information.
For example, to talk about “what you did”, you can add what you did, where you did it, why you
did it, how you did it and how you felt.

Vocabulary for reference ONLY

Synonyms for
Related Expressions Idioms for QUICK
QUICK
 Rapid What the activity involved:  Burn the midnight oil: work late
 Swift  Engage in a rapid task into the night.
 Prompt  Participate in a swift  Race against the clock: to hurry to
 Expeditious project do something.
 Hasty  Experience a prompt  Down to the wire: until the last
assignment possible moment.
 In the nick of time: just in time.
How you felt:
 Adrenaline fueled by the
urgency
 Pulse racing with
anticipation
 A whirlwind of emotions
 A roller-coaster of highs
and lows

How you shared the activity:

 Shared the urgency with

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 2
 Learn English with Our Excellent Tutors!

someone else
 Worked on the task in
good company/ with a
friend

Topic Practice- Part 3

Part 3 Discussion

-Total time: 4-5 minutes

-The questions in Part 3 will be connected to the topic of Part 2.
-They allow you to discuss more abstract and deeper issues.
-Part 3 is a discussion between you and the examiner. (Unlike part 1 and 2, the examiner asks
questions from a script.)

Tips
 Give longer answers and support it. (3-5 sentences)
 Elaborate (详细阐述) your opinions with reasons, examples or even data.
 Use some fillers if you need time to think.
 I haven’t really thought about it but I reckon….
 It is not something I have considered; however, I think…
 To be honest, I don’t really know but I would say…
 I don’t know much about the issue; however, I would say that….
 That’s a tough question …well I reckon that….
 Well, that’s an interesting question, let me see…. I think….

Strategies

PREC: PREC •Point-Reason- Example (or Explanation)- Conclusion

It depends
When you are not 100% sure
•Summary- First opinion - Second opinion- (Third opinion)
Listing
It’s useful when you want
answer more than one idea.
Comparison
Part 3 questions may ask you
to compare or contract two
things.
•It depends (on...)- Situation 1- However- Situation 2
Linking words for sequencing.
-To begin with/ Firstly/ Primarily
-Besides/What's more /In addition/ on top of that/ Plus
-Last but not least/ Above all/ To sum up / In conclusion
Be careful of Comparative or Superlative form of
adjectives& adverbs
Make use of connecting words: however / on the other
hand/ on the contrary/while/ whereas/ meanwhile

Part 3 Questions Notes and Corrections

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 2
 Learn English with Our Excellent Tutors!

(Listing /Enumeration)
Student Responds:

Correct:

Suggestion:
 On what occasions do people
have to do things in a hurry?
Possible ideas
- Rushing to meet friends for a social event
- Hurrying to finish a workout or sports activity before a
scheduled commitment
- Speeding up to complete an arts and crafts project
before a deadline
- Quickly learning new technologies or video games to
keep up with trends

(Listing /Enumeration)
Student Responds:

Correct:

 How does doing things in a Suggestion:

hurry affect the quality of the
work?
Possible ideas
Effects
- boost productivity and lead to innovative solutions
- can test one’s ability to deliver under pressure, which
can be fulfilling once the task is accomplished
- force one to focus on the essential parts of the work,
leading to a more streamlined and efficient process

 What are some strategies (It Depends)

people can use to manage their Student Responds:
time effectively when they
have to do something in a
hurry?

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 2
 Learn English with Our Excellent Tutors!

Correct:

Suggestion:

Possible ideas
- The strategies one uses can depend on their personality
and openness to new experiences.
- It depends on their current lifestyle and physical
capabilities. For instance, someone who is used to a fast-
paced lifestyle might be better at multitasking and
prioritizing tasks.

(PREC)
Student Responds:

Correct:

Suggestion:

Possible ideas
Point
 Do you think it’s better to take
- In today’s fast-paced world, speed often becomes a
your time to ensure quality, or
priority.
is speed more important in
today’s fast-paced world?
Why?
Reason
- This is because quick turnaround times can lead to
increased productivity and efficiency. However, it’s
important to balance speed with quality.

Example
- For instance, when working on a project, rushing
through it might lead to quicker completion, but the
quality of the work could suffer.

Conclusion
- Thus, while speed is important in our fast-paced world,
it should not compromise the quality of work. It’s about

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 2
 Learn English with Our Excellent Tutors!

finding the right balance between speed and quality.

Overall Comment
Criteria Understand the criteria Comments
1. Able to be understood throughout the test（发音听者  Occasional
能够理解） mispronounc
2. Able to use intonation（使用语调等语音规则） ed words
 Intonation
3. Accent does not affect understanding（口音不影响听
generally
者理解）
good
4. Accurate word and sound pronunciation（音标和单词
的发音正确）
Pronunciation
>> easily mispronounced words
发音
USUALLY
CLOTHES
Verb of Past Tense: asked, walked, worked, looked,
dropped, helped, typed, watched, washed
(If the verb ends in a voiceless sound, such as /p/, /f/,
/s/, /ʃ/, /ʧ/ or /k/, the past simple ending is pronounced /t/)
>> Make sure you enunciate each word clearly
Lexical 1. Use a range of words and paraphrasing（使用不同的  Repeat words
Resource 词汇和同义词替换） frequently
>> paraphrase the question.  Limited range
of vocabulary
Q: Why do some people dislike parties?
A: Many of us are not exactly crazy about socializing...

Q: Why do many people refuse to eat meat?

A: Vegetarianism is incredibly trendy these days.
Millions choose not to consume animal products...

2. Use collocation and idioms（使用搭配/谚语）

Collocation:
>> interest: musical interests/ deeply interested in/
out of interest/ lost interest/ share many interests
idiom:
>> green with envy= to be jealous/envious
>> on the mend= recovering, getting better

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 2
 Learn English with Our Excellent Tutors!

>> day and night=continually working without

stopping
>> run in the family=qualities that are similar in
family members

3. Use less common vocabulary(使用非常见的词汇)

>>like= fond of/ into/ a big fan of/ keen on/
interested in
4. Avoiding errors(避免词汇错误)

!!Remember!!
The examiners are NOT looking for big, complicated
words or academic words. Instead, they are checking if
candidates can use the type of vocabulary in the same
way that native speakers use.

1. Talking at length（表达详尽充分） Pause a lot. Emm,

2. Talking without pauses or hesitations （没有长时间的停 er…
顿和犹豫） Do self-correction
which influence the
>> avoid long and frequent pauses. Try to use some
fluency.
natural fillers like well, you know, actually
Ideas are not
3. Talking without self-correction（没有频繁的自我纠
connected well.
正）
Fluency and >> Sorry, I mean.../ what I mean is...
Coherence 4. Able to be understood（能够被听者理解）
5. Using cohesive devices（使用衔接手段如连接词、语
篇标记）
>> and= besides= in addition= plus= on top of that
>> Some linking words are too formal: moreover,
nevertheless, furthermore, additionally (only used when
discussing some serious topics)

Grammar 1. Using a range of sentence structures （ 句 型 使 用 多 样 Many sentences

化） fragment/
>> If I remember it correctly, it was.... incomplete sentence
structure.
>> If I’m not mistaken,
Misuse of tenses,
2. Using a range of grammatical tenses （ 使 用 不 同 的 时
clauses.
态）

>> Present Perfect Continuous (unfinished past
activity)

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 2
 Learn English with Our Excellent Tutors!

I have been living here for 10 years

>> 3rd Conditional (unreal past situation)
If I had known, I would have gone
3. Avoiding errors（避免语法错误）

Final Tips

Final Tips

Tip 1 Practice, practice, and practice.

The best way to improve Spoken English is to speak it. Only with constant practice will your speaking
skill be improved.

Tip 2 When necessary, buy some time to think

When you don't know how to answer a question, you can do the following to buy some time.
1. Ask the examiner to repeat the question.
Example: “I want to make sure I understood the question. Could you please repeat it?”

2. Comment on the question.

Example: “That’s an interesting question. I would say that….

3. Introduce your idea.

Examples:
“Well, the first thing I would say is….”
“I haven’t considered that before, but one thing that comes to mind is…”
“People have many opinions about that in my country. I believe…”
4. Ask about the meaning of a word. (Note: Only ask about the meaning of a word if you truly don’t
understand.)
Example: “I didn’t understand the meaning of _____________. Could you please explain what that
word means?
No matter what, you must attempt an answer to each question. Don’t give up!
Note: You should only use these when truly necessary. Try your best not to use any of these tips more
than once.

Tip 3 Use more descriptive adjectives

Example
-Describe your home.
-Answer 1: I live in an apartment in a big building. My apartment has four rooms. There is a bedroom, a
living room, and a kitchen. The fourth room is a … Um… I forgot the world in English.

-Answer 2: I live in a mid-sized apartment in a tower block. It has four rooms in total, with a tiny
bedroom, an open-plan living room with a dining area, and a kitchen. Then there’s a… What’s the word?

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 2
 Learn English with Our Excellent Tutors!

Like an office, where I do some work or studying sometimes.

Tip 4- Don't memorize answers.

The examiner will be able to tell if you have memorized your answers and this may influence your final
band score. The best way to improve speaking is to SPEAK. Try to just jot down key words only and
organize your answers.

Tip 5 - Don't use big and unfamiliar words

To be safe, avoid using words which you are not familiar with. There is a higher chance of making
mistakes. Mistakes can affect your final band score.

Tip 6- Don’t be afraid of making mistakes

Many students pause a lot or pause for a long time to think about the accurate words or phrases to use,
which influences fluency. Fluency is an important factor that prevent Chinese candidates from getting a
higher score. Try to paraphrase or describe the things if you don’t know the accurate word for it. Stop
worrying about making mistakes.

Tip 7- Be confident!!
When you practice your speaking, don’t give up if you can’t find the right word. Keep trying to explain
what you mean – that’s a valuable skill.
This is the most important. Believe in yourself! Don’t give up! You can make it!

Example: It’s something you use to heat up food quickly when you have little time. [microwave]
Use these phrases like these:
 It’s something you use to ...
 It’s a way of ...
 It’s a kind of ...

Homework
1) Common fillers that we can use when we need to think or pause for a moment.
Word How to use Sample
Well... You can use it in different Well, I would say my favorite trip was the one I
You know.... situations. took with my family to the Philippines for the
first time.

actually used to state a fact or Actually, I think it was the first time for my
reality, or to oppose on an parents to go back to their home country after 20
idea, or say something years

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 2
 Learn English with Our Excellent Tutors!

unexpected.
as for used in the same sense as As for the food, I found it to be really fresh and
“regarding” or “in regard sumptuous.
to” which can be more
formal.
basically when you want to simplify Basically, we went there to visit our relative we
or summarize a haven’t seen them for a long time already
complicated or lengthy
story/idea.
I mean used to clarify what was It wasn’t at all what I expected. I mean, I thought
just said or say it in I knew a lot about the culture and the food, but I
different way was wrong.
I guess.../ used to express opinion I guess/suppose that’s why people move from
I suppose... other than I think... small towns to big cities.

anyway to move on to another point The Scotsman sees the fly in his glass, stares at it
or close the conversation for a few seconds, and drinks his beer anyway.

the thing is to raise an important point The thing is, I think the trip was just as
memorable for my parents as it was for me.

2) Linking words and phrases for speaking

ADDITION
and, both... and, too, besides, plus, what is more, in addition to, also, as well as, on top of that
Example: I am going to the movies AND after that I think I will go for a meal.

CONTRAST
but, although, in spite of, despite, while, whereas, even though, on the other hand, however, yet
Example: Ireland is usually wet and cold WHEREAS Spain has plenty of sunshine most days.

GIVINGEXAMPLES
such as, like, for example, for instance, namely, especially, in particular
Example: I would like to write an essay, FOR EXAMPLE you could tell me about your family and
siblings.

CAUSE/ REASON
as, because, because of, since, for this reason, due to, so, as a result
Example: We unfortunately had to leave early AS our child was ill and we had to rush home.

EFFECT/RESULT

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 2
 Learn English with Our Excellent Tutors!

therefore, so, consequently, as a result, for this reason

Example: My team lost the last game of the season; AS A RESULT, they didn't win the title this
year.

PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 2