Aims

1. Students leave the lesson, knowing what to expect in the Speaking sub-test
2. Students learn about the test in an interesting way, rather than just reading literature on it.
3. To get a new class of students to break the ice and start talking to each other.
Time
One hour. This can be extended (see teachers notes).
Teachers Notes
A good lesson to start your IELTS course with as it is not taxing and will get a new class talking
to each other. The lesson begins with individual work in sections A, B, and C, where students do
tasks to find out about parts 1,2 and 3 of the Speaking Test. Section D focuses on topic types for
each part of the exam and E introduces possible questions in Part One of the Speaking Test. You
can have a change of tempo with moving about in D and finish with a role-play in E.
Steps
1. Optional - Use the Exam Tips (see below) as a warm-up exercise for the lesson
2. Explain aims. i.e. to relax; find out about the Speaking Test and talk to each other.
3. Hand out sections A, B, and C and monitor and help while students work through them
individually.
4. Check the answers in pairs and/or briefly in open class.
5. If appropriate, change the tempo for D by cutting up the topics, distributing them to pairs,
having students decide which part of the Speaking Test they belong to and then all coming up
to blue tack them onto the board under the right part, (divide board into part 1,2 and 3)
6. Check the topics are in the right place as a whole class, discussing what some mean if you
want.
7. For E students work individually to catagories possible part one questions and then pair up
for a role play between candidate and examiner, asking each other the questions they have
just catagorised.
8. For homework students can prepare for the next class by reading a photocopy of what the
reading, listening or writing test is about, making notes and sharing information at the start of
the next class. (Reading test notes for a reading lesson etc.)

onestopenglish 2002
Taken from the exams section in www.onestopenglish.com

Exam Tips
Copy the following good things to do in the speaking test and things not to do in the speaking
test onto the board and write the mixed up list underneath. Have the students discuss which are
good and bad. You can do this as a warmer for the What to Expect lesson. You can also print
out the list, cut it up and hand round the strips.

Good things to do in the Speaking Test

Things not to do in the Speaking Test.
Give only short answers
Keep to the topic
Go silent if you dont understand something the examiner said
Say that youve never thought about a topic so you cant say
anything
Digress a lot
Give extra information to a short answer to keep the conversation
going
Let the examiner talk for 80% of the time
Talk for about 80% of the time
Make a guess at the meaning of a word or phrase you dont
understand and ask the examiner if you were right
Avoid looking directly into the examiner s eyes
Ask the examiner questions
Talk around a difficult topic by using maybe and perhaps
Wait for the examiner to prompt you before speaking
Worry a lot
Ask the examiner to repeat the word or phrase you dont
understand
onestopenglish 2002
Taken from the exams section in www.onestopenglish.com

WHAT TO EXPECT IELTS SPEAKING SUB-TEST

A. Unscramble these sentences about the Speaking Sub-test Part One:
1.
2.
3.
4.

lasts one four for part about minutes five to.

between it a s conversation the and examiner candidate.
asks about questions examiner the candidate.
expresses candidate gives the and reasons opinions their for attitudes and
preferences.

B. Match the two halves of the following sentences about Part Two of the Speaking Sub-test:
1.Part two lasts
2.Its a monologue. The candidate gives
3.First the candidate has one minute
4.The examiner will ask the candidate
a.
b.
c.
d.

to prepare a short talk.

a short talk of one or two minutes.
for about three to four minutes.
to talk about his personal experience of a place, object or topic.

Finish the sentence by matching the most likely pairs of words.

5.The candidate will.
compare
express
explain

facts
and contrast
feelings

C. To find out about Part Three of the Speaking Test write a paragraph to read to your
partner, using all the word prompts below.
Discussion / examiner and candidate / four to five minutes / academic topics / for example /
speculate on / give reasons for / hypothetical situations / 80% of the time / 20% of the time.
Compare your answers from A, B, and C with your partner.

onestopenglish 2002
Taken from the exams section in www.onestopenglish.com

D.
Decide which part of the speaking exam
the following topics might belong to
Your home
The school you went to
The role of sport today
Public transport in your city
A favourite object
Your hobbies
How would you improve the education
system in your country?
The importance of leisure activities in
our lives today A culture comparison
between your country and England
The media as an invasion of privacy
A holiday you have been on
A place youd like to visit
Where you are living

A special place you have been to

Your studies
What you do in your spare time
The future of communication systems
Environmental problems of the third
millennium.
Travel nowadays compared with travel
in my grandparents day
A book you have read
How you got here today
Public transport versus private transport
Your best friend
The importance of friends

E. Finally, look at the following questions for part one of the Speaking Sub Test. Put
them into one of four possible topic catagories in the table below:

What plans have you got for the future?

What do you normally get up to at the weekends?
Did you find it okay today?
What sort of place are you living in at the moment?
I hope your journey was okay?
What do you do to relax during the week?
Who do you live with?
Have you had to come far this morning?
What do you do in your time off?
Where are you studying?
Do you get on with them?
Are you enjoying learning English?
What are they like?

onestopenglish 2002
Taken from the exams section in www.onestopenglish.com

Your home/host family

Your journey to the test centre

What you do in your spare time

Your studies

Spend five minutes taking it in turns to ask and answer these questions as if you were at
the beginning of your speaking exam.

onestopenglish 2002
Taken from the exams section in www.onestopenglish.com

WHAT TO EXPECT - answer key

A. Part One of the Speaking Test
1. Part One lasts for about four to five minutes.
2. Its a conversation between the candidate and the examiner.
3. The examiner asks questions about the candidate.
4. The candidate expresses opinions and gives reasons for their attitudes and
preferences.
B.Part Two of the Speaking Test
1. Part Two lasts / c. for about three to four minutes.
2. Its a monologue. The candidate gives / b. a short talk for one or two
minutes.
3. First the candidate has one minute / a. to prepare a short talk
4. The examiner will ask the candidate / d. to talk about his personal
experience of a place, object or topic
5. The candidate will
Compare and contrast
Express feelings
Explain facts
C. Part Three of the Speaking Test
The following are examples of possible sentences
Its a discussion between the candidate and the examiner
The candidate has to describe his/her ideas on an academic subject.
The candidate needs to speculate about possible situations and outcomes.
It lasts four to five minutes.
The candidate has to assess the value of ideas.
The candidate has to give reasons for his/her opinions.
D. Decide which part of the speaking sub-test the following topics might belong to
A sport you do (2)
Your studies (1)
Your home or host family (1)
What you do in your spare time (1)
The school you went to (2)
The future of communication systems
The role of sport today (3)
(3)
Public transport in your city (4)
Environmental problems of the third
A favorite object (2)
millennium (3)
How would you improve the education
Travel nowadays compared with travel
system in your country (3)
in my grandparents day (3)
The importance of leisure activities in
A book you have read (2)
our lives today (3)
How you got here today (1)
A culture comparison between your
Public transport versus private transport
country and an English speaking country
(3)
(2)
Your best friend (2)
The media as an invasion of privacy (3)
The importance of friends (3)
A special place you have been to (2)
onestopenglish 2002
Taken from the exams section in www.onestopenglish.com

E. Finally, look at the following questions for part one of the Speaking Sub Test. Put
them into one of these four possible topic categories:
1. your home
2. your journey to the test center
3. your spare time activities
4. your studies
Your home
Who do you live with?
What are they like?
Do you get on with them?
Your journey to the test centre
Did you find it okay today?
I hope your journey was okay?
Have you had to come far this morning?
Your studies
Where are you studying?
Are you enjoying learning English?
What plans have you got for the future?
Your spare time activities
What do you normally get up to at the weekends?
What do you do to relax during the week?
What do you do in your time off?

onestopenglish 2002
Taken from the exams section in www.onestopenglish.com