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Simon 3 Speak

This document contains a summary of several blog posts from ielts-simon.com about preparing for the IELTS speaking test. The blog discusses strategies for the different parts of the test, including focusing on fluency in Part 1, vocabulary and ideas in Part 2, and answer structure in Part 3. It also provides sample questions and discusses preparing for topics that may not fit the typical categories. Overall, the blog offers advice to help test takers improve their speaking skills and feel more confident in the test.
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
188 views10 pages

Simon 3 Speak

This document contains a summary of several blog posts from ielts-simon.com about preparing for the IELTS speaking test. The blog discusses strategies for the different parts of the test, including focusing on fluency in Part 1, vocabulary and ideas in Part 2, and answer structure in Part 3. It also provides sample questions and discusses preparing for topics that may not fit the typical categories. Overall, the blog offers advice to help test takers improve their speaking skills and feel more confident in the test.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ielts-simon.com: IELTS Speaking http://ielts-simon.

com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/ielts-speaking/page/3/

ielts-simon.com
Daily Lessons with Simon, ex-IELTS examiner

Friday, May 27, 2016


IELTS Speaking Part 1: giving negative answers
It's completely acceptable to give negative answers in part 1 of the speaking test. To test whether you can do this, try giving
negative answers to the questions below. Keep your answers short and simple as usual. The first one is done as an example.

1) What type of photos do you like taking?


Well, I don't usually take photos to be honest. I prefer to enjoy whatever I'm doing, rather than stop to take a photograph.
2) What do you do with photos you take?
3) When you visit other places, do you take photos or buy postcards?

4) Do you like people taking photos of you?


(Questions taken from Cambridge IELTS book 11)

Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (17)

Friday, May 20, 2016


IELTS Speaking: main tip for 3 parts
In case you missed the advice at the end of the video lesson that I shared last week, here's my main tip for each of the 3
parts in the speaking test:
Part 1
Focus on fluency. You don't need to show off with great vocabulary or grammar in this part. Just try to answer quickly,
without hesitating. A short, simple answer is fine.
Part 2
Focus on ideas / vocabulary. This is your best chance to impress the examiner with some nice language, especially if
you've prepared for common topics in the way I suggest in my video lessons.
Part 3
Focus on your answer structure. Use the 3 or 4 steps that I explained in last week's video. This will force you to give
longer answers without repeating yourself. You don't really have time to think about good vocabulary or grammar; just
worry about answering the question by following the steps.
Note:
Notice that I don't recommend worrying about grammar or linking at any point in the speaking test. Finally, if you forget
every other exam tip, just remember one thing: answer the question!
Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (19)

Sunday, May 15, 2016


New video lesson (free)
I've just published my last video lesson for IELTS speaking. In the lesson I give you a method for part 3 of the speaking
test. I also summarise my advice for all three parts of the test.
To access the video lesson click here.

Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (16)

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Friday, May 13, 2016


IELTS Speaking: what's most important?
Here are some factors that might affect your speaking score:
fluency, not hesitating too much
linking
answer structure / organisation
ideas
vocabulary
grammar
pronunciation
But which of these factors are most important? I'll give you my answer in a free video lesson that I'll publish this weekend.
Tip: I'm going to suggest that you focus on a different factor (from the list above) in each of the 3 parts of the speaking
test.

Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (25)

Friday, May 06, 2016


IELTS Speaking Part 3: one last effort!
By the time they reach part 3 of the speaking test, many IELTS candidates just want to finish and go home. They've used up
all of their energy doing the other parts of the test, and they're happy to have finished the 2-minute talk in part 2. As a
result, not many people do really well in part 3.

Here's my tip: Save one last effort for part 3. It's your best chance to leave a good impression on the examiner and
perhaps push him / her to give you that extra half band that you need.
Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (23)

Friday, April 29, 2016


IELTS Speaking: new video lesson (free)
I've just finished my final video lesson for IELTS speaking part 2. In this lesson I talk about questions that don't seem to fit
into the six main topic areas.

To watch the video lesson click here.


Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (27)

Saturday, April 23, 2016


Online speaking practice
People sometimes ask whether I know anyone who offers online speaking practice through Skype.
One of my colleagues has set up a service that works in a similar way to Skype lessons. If you would like to try an online
speaking lesson with a one-to-one teacher, email me ([email protected]) and I will forward your message to my
colleague.
Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink

Friday, April 22, 2016


IELTS Speaking Part 2: adapting your prepared ideas

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If you've prepared the six main topics well, you should be able to adapt and use your prepared ideas for most questions.
Take the following question, for example:
Describe a beautiful sky that you watched

I would adapt my description of London (main topic: describe a place). I already have some good ideas: the spectacular
views, the skyline, the iconic buildings, the landmarks etc. I could simply add that I watched the sunset from a 'vantage
point' overlooking the city centre. This question now seems a lot easier!

Have another look through the topics that people shared in the comments below last week's lesson, and think about
whether you could adapt your ideas from one of the six main topics.

Note:
Not every question can be answered by adapting the main topics. I'll cover some possible solutions to this problem in my
next video lesson.
Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (12)

Saturday, April 16, 2016


Students' questions, and the wrong advice
Here are two questions that a student (Javier) asked in a 'comment' this week:

1. Is it correct to use personal examples to support my ideas? Some teachers told me I shouldn't, because these examples
are not objective or universal.
2. I used your "firstly, secondly, finally" structure in one of my body paragraphs, but I was told that I gave too many
ideas, which were not well-supported.

Javier was given the wrong advice by his teachers. Here are my answers:
1. Below every IELTS writing question it says: "Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from
your own knowledge or experience". The question tells us to use our own experiences, and there is nothing in
the examiners' marking system that mentions the need for 'objective' or 'universal' examples.
2. If the question asks for 'advantages', 'problems', 'reasons' etc., you need to give more than one. So it's fine to give three
and use a "firstly, secondly, finally" structure! People often forget that the topic sentence gives the main idea of the
paragraph, and the three points in a "firstly, secondly, finally" structure are supporting ideas.

Why do so many teachers give the wrong advice about IELTS writing?
I'll try to answer this tomorrow.

Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (11)

Friday, April 15, 2016


IELTS Speaking Part 2: outside the main topics
Recently I've made video lessons about the 6 main topic areas for IELTS speaking part 2:

1. Describe a person
2. Describe a place
3. Describe an object
4. Describe an event
5. Describe an activity
6. Describe your favourites
But what do you do if the task in your speaking test isn't related to one of these main topic areas?

This will be the subject of my next video lesson. Before I publish the lesson, can you remember seeing any questions that

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didn't seem to fit into one of the 6 main areas? Please share your examples in the 'comments' below this lesson.
Note: Please only share questions from a real test that you had, or from one of the official IELTS books. Don't use
questions that you've found on the Internet, or that a teacher or another student has invented. Let's stick to real, reliable
questions only.
Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (30)

Friday, April 08, 2016


IELTS Speaking Part 2: preparing vocabulary
My main tip for speaking part 2 is to prepare good vocabulary for common topics. This is what I've done in each of
my video lessons for this part of the test.
On the task card, the last bullet point always asks you to explain why. This is the best part of the question in terms of
vocabulary preparation. Let's take the "describe a family" question as an example:

Describe a family (not your own family) that you like. You should say
- how you know this family
- who the people in the family are
- what the members of the family are like
- and explain WHY you like this family.

Here are some ideas for the "why" part of this task:

friendly, kind, caring, big-hearted


supportive, always there when you need them
good role models, they set a good example
welcoming, great hosts, their door is always open

Can you think of any more words or phrases to add to this list?

Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (15)

Friday, April 01, 2016


IELTS Speaking Part 2: recent question
Here's a recent part 2 task that a student sent me:

Describe a family (not your own family) that you like. You should say
how you know this family
who the people in the family are
what the members of the family are like
and explain why you like this family.
For this task, you could choose your neighbours, a friend's family, or even a famous family. If you have already prepared a
description of a person, try to adapt and use some of the same ideas.

Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (13)

Thursday, March 31, 2016


New video lesson
I've just published a new video lesson at the bottom of this website.
In the lesson, I prepare vocabulary ideas for the topic area "Describe your favourite" in IELTS speaking part 2. I also give

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two full sample answers.


Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (18)

Friday, March 25, 2016


IELTS Speaking: review of tips
Here's a quick review of my main tips for each part of the speaking test:

Part 1
Keep it simple; there's no need to show off in this part. Give a short, direct answer and a reason for your answer. Then stop.
If necessary, smile at the examiner to show that you are ready for the next question; if you keep speaking, the examiner will
interrupt you. Answer using full sentences, and try not to hesitate; just say the first thing that comes into your head.
Part 2
Before the exam, prepare ideas for the six main topics. Focus on vocabulary, not grammar or linking. In the exam, try to
note down as many ideas as you can during the 1-minute preparation time - hopefully you'll be able to use ideas that you
have already prepared. You don't have to cover all of the points on the task card, but it helps you to structure your answer if
you do. Say as much as you can for each point, and use a real example or story at the end of your description if you need to
fill time. Keep going until the examiner stops you.
Part 3
Practise "3-step" answers: 1) answer the question 2) explain your answer 3) give an example. There's also a 4th step that
you can sometimes use. By following these steps, you ensure that your answer "moves forward" instead of becoming
repetitive - most people repeat the same ideas when they try to give a long answer, and the steps will help you to avoid this.
PS. I'll publish my next speaking video in the next few days.
Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (27)

Friday, March 18, 2016


New video lesson (free)
You can now watch my latest video lesson here. I hope you find it useful.
Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (9)

IELTS Speaking Part 2: describe your favourite


Have you prepared a description of your favourite film, book and website? I'm making a video lesson about these topics at
the moment, and I'm trying to think of some vocabulary themes.
For the favourite website topic, I think we can say a lot about the features and the website's usefulness. For the film or
book, we can describe the plot, but can you think of any other vocabulary themes for these topics?

By the way, my video lesson about the "describe an activity" topic will be ready later today. Because of the delay I'll make it
free.
Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (8)

Friday, March 11, 2016


IELTS Speaking Part 2: describe an activity
Today I'm working on a video lesson about the "describe an activity" topic. You might be asked to describe a hobby, sport
or game, so it's a good idea to be ready for this topic.

My approach is to prepare ideas for one sport (e.g. swimming) and one game (e.g. chess). I start with a simple idea, such as

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"swimming is healthy". Then I search for good words and phrases related to this theme. For example:
"Swimming is healthy" theme:
keep fit
get in better shape
a good cardiovascular workout
feel refreshed, rejuvenated, invigorated
gives me an energy boost
Can you think of any more words and phrases for this theme?

Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (22)

Friday, March 04, 2016


IELTS Speaking Part 2: describe an event
I've now published my latest video lesson (speaking lesson 6) at the bottom of this webpage. In the lesson, I look at 4 types
of event:
1. party
2. festival
3. sports event
4. concert or musical event
Which type of event would you find the most difficult to describe? Can you think of any vocabulary 'themes' that could be
used to describe any event?

Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (12)

Friday, February 26, 2016


IELTS Speaking: new video lesson
I've just published a video at the bottom of this webpage (speaking lesson 5). In the lesson, I prepare some good vocabulary
for the topic "Describe an object".
I decided that a "smartwatch" would be a good object to describe, but I also prepared a description of an old "inherited
watch" just in case the question asks you describe something old.

Here are some 'band 7-9' phrases that I used in my "smartwatch" answer:

functions and features


fashion accessory
synchronise it with your computer and phone
calendar notifications
check my appointments and work commitments
at a glance
track your exercise goals
the ultimate in portable devices
Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (13)

Saturday, February 20, 2016


New video lesson
I've just published my next video lesson at the bottom of this webpage. Look for 'speaking lesson 4'. In the lesson I give you

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some ideas and 2 full sample answers for the topic "describe a place".
Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (3)

Friday, February 19, 2016


IELTS Speaking Part 2: describe a place
Later today I'll publish a video lesson about the part 2 topic "Describe a place". One of my suggestions in the lesson is that
you prepare some vocabulary 'themes'.
For example, here are some ideas for a description of an interesting city:
lively, bustling, hectic, thriving
cosmopolitan, multicultural
fascinating, unique
a special atmosphere
sightseeing, entertainment
an unforgettable experience
enjoyed every minute
the time flew by
endless things to see and do
it was over too quickly
The lesson contains more examples of 'theme' language, and you'll hear me giving two full sample answers for two different
"Describe a place" questions.
Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (2)

Saturday, February 13, 2016


IELTS Speaking Part 2: vocabulary themes
If you didn't manage to watch the video lesson that I published yesterday, here's a quick summary of the key ideas.
In the video, I look at the topic "Describe a person", which is one of the six main topics in part 2 of the speaking test. Here
are some possible questions in this topic area:
Describe a teacher
Describe a famous person
Describe a friend
Describe a family member
Describe a child
Describe someone who helps people
Describe someone who does something well

I then suggest that we choose an easy 'theme' e.g. a hard-working and friendly person. We can prepare lots of good
vocabulary for this theme, and hopefully use it to describe any of the people in the list above.

Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (4)

Friday, February 12, 2016


IELTS Speaking Part 2: new video lesson
I've just published a new video lesson at the bottom of this webpage.

In the lesson, I give some tips for part 2 of the IELTS speaking test. I explain what to do in the exam, but more importantly
what you can do before the exam to prepare for the most common topics.

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Finally, the main aim of the lesson is to help you to prepare for the "describe a person" topic. You'll see the language that
I've prepared for this topic, and hear me give a sample 2-minute answer.
Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (6)

Monday, February 08, 2016


New video lesson for IELTS speaking
It's a bit later than I planned, but I've now published my latest video lesson. In the lesson, I give you some tips and example
answers for part 1 of the speaking test. There's also some interesting advice about 'strange' topics!

You can watch the lesson for free here.


Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (15)

Friday, February 05, 2016


IELTS Speaking Part 1: next video lesson
I'm in the middle of creating a video lesson about part 1 of the IELTS speaking test. Before I publish it (this weekend), let
me ask you four quick questions:

1. Do you know exactly what to expect in speaking part 1?


2. Do you know what the examiner expects from you?
3. Do you have a method for this part of the test?
4. Are you worried about any aspect of speaking part 1?

Feel free to share your answers in the comments below. Please think about part 1 only - I'll cover parts 2 and 3 in later
videos.
Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (18)

Friday, January 29, 2016


IELTS Speaking: video lesson
I've just published the first of my video lessons for IELTS speaking. You can watch it for free on this webpage.
I'll publish another speaking video next Friday.

Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (11)

Friday, January 22, 2016


IELTS Speaking Part 2: use and adapt main topics
I've written before about the six main topic areas that I think you should prepare:

1. Describe a person (family member, famous person...)


2. Describe a place (city, holiday...)
3. Describe an object (something you use, a gift...)
4. Describe an event (festival, celebration...)
5. Describe an activity (hobby, game, sport...)
6. Describe your favourite (book, film, website...)

You should also be prepared to talk about your job and/or your studies.
After preparing one main description for these seven or eight topics, you should then practise adapting your descriptions
to as many questions as you can.

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Example:
Let's take the "disagreement" question in this lesson as an example. Can we use one of the main topics above as our
answer? Perhaps we could say that we had a family disagreement about where to go on holiday, which gift to buy someone,
or which film to see at the cinema. Which topic would you use and adapt for the "disagreement" question?

Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (7)

Friday, January 15, 2016


IELTS Speaking Part 3: idea, explain, personal example
Let's look at a sample answer using the "idea, explain, example" structure. This time I'm using a personal example in the
last sentence.
What disagreements do teenagers often have with their parents? Why?
(Idea / basic answer) Teenagers disagree with their parents about all sorts of things, like the clothes they want to wear,
whether they can go out with their friends, doing homework, and how much help they give their parents around the house.
(Explain why) I think the teenage years are when we develop a sense of identity, and we want to make our own decisions
rather than follow other people's instructions. (Personal example) I remember having disagreements with my own
parents, usually about simple things like getting up early in the morning, tidying my room, or doing the washing up!
Task:
Can you answer the following question in the same way?

Do you think that it's important to be polite?


Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (23)

Friday, January 08, 2016


IELTS Speaking: 3 simple tips
Here are three simple tips that could make a difference to your score:
1. Be confident
Although you might be nervous, try to speak clearly and confidently. Smile and be friendly* with the examiner. As you go
into the exam, tell yourself that you have prepared well and that you're going to enjoy the challenge.

2. Know that you are prepared

You will feel much more confident if you know that you have prepared and practised for the test. You should know exactly
what to expect. For example, have you prepared some common topics (e.g. describe a place, a person, a hobby) for the
short presentation? Are you ready for a past and a future question in part 3?
3. Speak naturally

Try to enjoy a normal conversation with the examiner. Instead of worrying about your grammar, listen carefully to the
questions and try to give natural answers. Most of the questions are about you, your life and your opinions, so it's best to be
open. I used to be an examiner, and I always found the job more interesting when students spoke openly about their
opinions and experiences.
*Note: You are not marked on body language, but I'd still recommend that you try to act in a friendly, confident manner.

Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (9)

Friday, December 18, 2015


IELTS Speaking Parts 2 and 3: 'disagreement' topic

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Here are some exam questions that students have asked me about recently:
Part 2
Describe a disagreement that you had with another person. You should say

- who the other person was


- what the disagreement was about
- how you resolved it
- and what the result was.
Part 3
1. What disagreements do teenagers often have with their parents?
2. What do young children tend to argue about with each other?
3. Do you think that it's important to be polite?
Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (19)

Friday, December 11, 2015


IELTS Speaking Part 1: 'newspapers' topic
Try answering the following questions. Remember to give a direct answer, give a reason, then stop! If you say more than
this, the examiner will interrupt you.
1. How often do you read a newspaper?
2. Why do you think some people like reading newspapers?
3. Which other sources can people use to find out about the latest news?
4. Do you think that it's important to know about news from other countries? Why / why not?
Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink | Comments (26)

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