IELTS Speaking Topics: Part 1 InSync 9/5 Montieth Road (beside Nilgiris), Egmore, Chennai-600008 Landline: 044-48540045 Cell: 9176301533, 8939374953 Email: [email protected]Website: www.learninsync.org Page1 WORK Your job in general What job do you do? Have you always done this job? What do you do in a typical day at work? What responsibilities do you have? How you feel about work Do you like your job? Would you say it’s an easy job? Is there anything that makes your job difficult? How important is your job to you? What types of jobs are most popular among young people in your country? Education and work Did you prefer your life as a student or your life now? Did your education prepare you well for the work you are doing now? Teamwork and colleagues Do you need to work with other people at work? Do you prefer working alone or with others How well do you get on with your colleagues? Do you do anything with your colleagues after work? The future What are your plans for the future? Are you planning to change your job? Would you ever consider changing your job? How might your industry change in the future? Why are you taking the IELTS test?
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What job do you do? Have you always done this job? What do you do in a typical day at work? What responsibilities do you have?
How you feel about work
Do you like your job? Would you say it’s an easy job? Is there anything that makes your job difficult? How important is your job to you? What types of jobs are most popular among young people in your country?
Education and work
Did you prefer your life as a student or your life now? Did your education prepare you well for the work you are doing now?
Teamwork and colleagues
Do you need to work with other people at work? Do you prefer working alone or with others How well do you get on with your colleagues? Do you do anything with your colleagues after work?
The future
What are your plans for the future? Are you planning to change your job? Would you ever consider changing your job? How might your industry change in the future? Why are you taking the IELTS test?
What subject are you studying? Why did you choose to study that? Do you like your subject? (Why) Is it a difficult subject to study?
Your schooldays (the past)
What kind of school did you go to? What was your favourite subject at school? Who was your favourite teacher?
Place of study
Where do you study? Why did you choose that school/university? What do you think of your school/university? What is the best thing about your university/school?
Your course and method of study
When did you start this course and when will you finish it? Which part of the course do you enjoy most? What is the most difficult/easiest part of the course? How do you study this subject? What skills have you learned in your studies? /What skills are needed to study your subject?
Student life
Do you like life at school/university? What part of university life do you like best? How have you benefited from being at school/university apart from gaining knowledge? What facilities are there at your school/university to help you in your studies?
Educational system
What is the educational system like in your country? How do you think the system might change in the future?
The future
What are your future study plans? How do you think your studies in school/university will prepare you for your job in the future? What is your career plan after you graduate? Do you think you will prefer having a job to being a student? Why are you taking the IELTS test?
Do you live in a house or a flat? How long have you lived there? Where did you live before [if you have only lived there a short time] Who do you live with? Can you describe your home a little? Do you like your flat/house?
Houses and flats
Do you prefer living in a house or a flat? What are the advantages of living in a flat/house?
The rooms What’s your favourite room in your home? How is this room decorated? What do you do in this room?
The area you live in
What can you see through the windows of your home? What is the environment like around your home? What facilities are there near your home? Is it easy to travel to and from your home? Do you think it’s a good area to live in? Would you recommend that as a good place to live?
Change
Would you consider moving to live somewhere else? Is there anything about your home you would like to improve?
Where do you live? Have you always lived there? How long have you been living there? Where do you come from?
The place
Do you live in the city or the countryside? What kind of a place is it? Is it a large city or a small town? Has it changed much in the past few years?
Feeling about hometown
Do you like living there? Is there anything you dislike about living there? Would you recommend it as somewhere to live?
Places and people
What’s your favourite place in your hometown? What do people do in your hometown? Is it easy to travel around in your hometown?
The future
Do you plan to stay there all your life? Would you ever consider living somewhere else? How long do you think you will continue to live there? How do you think it might change in the future?
Is the weather the same in all parts of your country?
Does the weather ever affect the way you feel?
Does the weather in your country ever affect transportation? FESTIVALS
Which is your favorite festival? Why?
Which festivals do people in your country enjoy celebrating?
Do you think it is good to celebrate festivals?
How have people’s attitude to festivals changed over the years?
Which festivals do you think will remain popular in future? Why? YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD Can you describe the house where you live to me? What is there to do in the area where you live? What do you like about the area where you live? How do you think it could be improved? Do you think it is better to live in the centre of town or outside in the country? Why? ANIMALS
Do you like animals? Why/Why not?
Which is your favourite animal? Why?
How are people treating nowadays as compared to when you were a child? HOLIDAYS What do you do when you have a holiday? Who do you usually spend holiday with? Where do you like to spend your holidays? Why? Can you describe a typical day in your holidays? Why are holidays and important to you? If you could take a holiday anywhere in the world, where would you go? Why? What do people usually do during holidays and in your town?
How did you come here today? What is public transport like in your town? How do you think it could be improved? Do you think people should use public transport more? Why (not)?
SHOPPING
How much time do you spend shopping every week? Do you enjoy going shopping? Why (not)? What is your favourite shop and why do you like it? What problems are there with shopping in your area?
READING
Do you enjoy reading? Why? What sort of things do you read? Tell me something about your favourite book. What are the advantages of reading instead of watching television or going to the
cinema? SPORTS AND GAMES
What sports are most popular in your country? What sports and games did you most enjoy playing when you were a child? Do people take as much exercise as in the past? Why is exercise good for you? Are there any games / sports that you watch but don't play / do? / What games / sports
do you play / do? What games / sports are you good at? Are there any activities that you hate? Why? What games are not played much in your country? Which sport is the most popular in your country? Which sport is the most dangerous in your opinion? Which game or sport requires the most strength? Which sport has the biggest crowds in your country?
COOKING
Do you cook? Why/Why not?
Which do you prefer: eating in restaurants or eating at home?
Which are the best places to eat out?
Do you think people in future will prefer eating out more often as compared to eating at home?
What traffic problems are there in your area? (Why?)
How do traffic problems affect you?
How would you reduce the traffic problems in your area?
EXTENSIVE LIST OF QUESTIONS FOR MOST COMMON TOPICS About you
What is your (full) name? Can I have your name please? Could you tell me your full name please? What shall I call you? How can I address you? Does your name have any special meaning? Is your name important to you? Do Indian people like changing their name? Why/ Why not? Have you ever changed your name? Why or why not? Why do so many people change their name? Do you work or study?
Study Questions
What are you studying? Do you have higher education? What do you like about your studies? How often do you use English? What languages can you speak? What subject would you like to study at university? When does the academic year begin? Have you ever done a research? What was your research on? What's your field of study? What do you find difficult about your field of study? What do you like about it? What subjects will you take when you go to university? Which courses are you doing this term? How do you find them? How's your course going? How many modules does the course consist of? Do you think you're going to do them successfully? Which exams do you usually find difficult? Do you need to do well in your assignments during the course?
Do they count towards your final degree? Have you started writing your thesis? What's it about? Do you have to give a seminar paper during the term? When have you got to hand in your essays? What marks did you use to get at university? Have you ever won a university scholarship? What are your future plans after graduation? Have you got any other diplomas or degrees? Which subject did you study at university? Are there many people with expertise in your field in the country? Can you tell me about the education system in your country? What types of school are there in your country? What different exams must students take in your country? What's the reason you're taking this exam? Are you studying now? Describe the course you are studying? What do you most dislike about your study / course? What are the best things about where you study?
Family Questions
Do you live by yourself or with your family? Do you live in a big or small family? / Would you like to live in a big family? Can you tell me about your family? What do your family members do? / What do your parents do for a living? Do you live with your parents? / What family members do you live with? Would you like to spend more time with your family? Do you often see your family at weekends? What does your family usually do at weekends? Do you like going out with your family? Why? Who would you most like to go on holiday with? Who's the breadwinner in your family? Do you have strict parents? Are your grandparents still alive? Can you tell me about them? Who do you like in your family more? Why? Can you get along with your parents / brothers and sisters? Who does your brother / sister take after? / What's your brother/sister like? Is the generation gap between you and your parents a big problem for you? Are you married? What does your husband / wife do? How would you describe your lifestyle? Do you have any English speaking friends?
Work/ Job Questions
What do you do? / What's your job? / What do you do for a living? / Do you work at the moment? Tell me about the work you do.
What are your main responsibilities? / What do you do every day? / What are your duties? / What is your daily routine? / What does your job involve?
How many people does your firm employ at present? Can you have some time off whenever you want? How much holiday do you get / How many weeks holiday do you get? What are your working hours? What are normal working hours for most office jobs in your country? What kind of jobs get very high salaries in your country? Do you do / work any overtime? When were you last promoted? Did you do / go on any training courses for this job? Have you been promoted since you started in the company? Do you normally get a good pay rise at the end of each year? How do you feel about your future prospects in the company? Are you happy in the job or do you feel it’s time for a fresh challenge in another
company? What do you find difficult about working there? Can you describe your place of work? What do you like about your job? / What things do you enjoy about your work? Why? Do you usually cover for a colleague when he is on leave? What kind of jobs are you good at? Can you tell me about your boss? What kind of a person is he / she? Have you ever had any serious problems at work? Have you ever had any other jobs? Would you like to do the same job as your mother / father? Why did you choose to do this job? What is your ideal job? Do you want to change your current job? Why or why not? Are you willing to keep your job permanently? What are your plans for the future?
Your town
Where do you live? / Where are you from? / Where is your hometown? / Where do you come from? / What part of your country do you come from? / What town or city do you come from?
How long have you lived here? / When did you settle in this town? Can you describe your town or village to me? / Tell me something about your hometown. What is the name of the street you live on? / Is the place you live a nice place? What's it
like? What kind of street do you live on? Can you describe where you live? What type of restaurants are there in your city / town / village? Do you like shopping? How are the shopping centres in your home town?
What do the majority of people do to make a living in your home town? / What jobs do people in your town do?
What do you like about where you live? / What do you like about your town? How are the people in your home town? What do you find difficult about living in your home town? What is the weather like in your town? What building is considered famous in your town? How has your town changed over the last twenty years? / What changes have taken place
in your city in recent years? Do you think it is better to live in the center of town or outside in the country? Why? What other countries have you visited? Would you like to move house to a bigger area? Can you get along with your neighbours? What are some of the problems of urban life? Would you like to be inhabitant of a small village? Which part of town do you live in? Have you ever lived in the suburbs? Do you like living in the centre of a big city? What social problems do you think we have in your society? How do you define a good society? Do you consider your home town as a cultural spot? What are the cultural values of your country? Do you like living in a multicultural society? How do you define a traditional society? What makes an advanced industrial society? Do you belong to a very close community who would find it difficult to accept too many
newcomers? Are there many different social classes of people in your country? Do most people in your country own their house? Why (not)? Is it easy to find accommodation in your home town? Who do you live with and why? Are there any advantages of living where you are at present? What are they?