In this article we’ll be talking about Part 3 of the IELTS Speaking section, we’ll be giving you candidate cue cards and common topics, questions as well as sample answers so that you can prepare for the IELTS Speaking test!
IELTS Speaking Practice Tests, Topics & Answers
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IELTS Speaking Part 1: Topics, Questions & Answers
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IELTS Speaking Part 3 Practice Test: Candidate Cue Card #1
Question 1: Do you think children should be taught music at an early age?
Explanation
It is a good idea to use words and expressions of agreement and disagreement. In this case, providing several reasons to support opinion makes your answer stronger. If you are going to talk about possibilities or speculations, do not forget to use modals such as ‘may’ and conditional tenses.
Suggestion
Absolutely! I am totally in favour of teaching all kinds of arts to children. I believe that everybody is born creative or with creative skills and that as we grow we gradually lose those skills. In my opinion, it is the educational system that makes us less and less creative as we grow up. The system gives more importance to the sciences and language. The arts have become an extracurricular discipline.
You see, if you teach music from an early age you teach a child to be disciplined, patient, and the fact that goals must be achieved through effort. I think that these achievements build confidence and character. It teaches teamwork and helps develop social skills. The benefits are countless and there are no negative effects at all. Some say that it accelerates brain development in young children.
Question 2: What is the difference between the music that young people listen to now and the music people listened to 20 or 30 years ago?
Explanation
The question establishes a contrast between two periods of time so we will have to resort to the Past Simple and adverbial clauses of time. Do not forget the adjectives and adverbs of comparison.
Suggestion
That’s an interesting question. We talk about it quite often with my friends.
Well, to begin with, I think that when we were younger it was harder to access to music than it is today. You had to buy a record or a cassette or a CD. Maybe if a friend had the record you could ask him or her to record it on a cassette which, by the way, got damaged with use.
To discover new artists, you had to listen to the radio or know people who knew a lot about music. Nowadays you carry your music on your phone or keep it on the computer. You can listen for free with services such as Spotify or YouTube and discover artists you didn’t know about.
Question 3: What are the advantages and disadvantages of music streaming services?
Explanation
Use expressions of agreement and disagreement. Give more than one reason to support your opinion. It is also a good idea to use sequencers to organize your speaking.
Suggestion
I am completely in favor of these services! They are a miracle for those of us who love music and like to discover new things. Perhaps they aren’t very profitable for the artists. But the fact that we can access almost every musician or band, new ones and old ones as well is priceless. If someone says: “Do you know so-and-so from the 60s?”, I can go to YouTube or Spotify and check them out. I can make a playlist with their best songs and I can do all that from my phone and from my computer.
Some say that the quality of the audio file is not quite good. But frankly, I can’t tell the difference. In short, I think there are only pros and almost no cons.
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Topics, Questions and Exercises
Before we look at how to prepare for Part 3 of the test, let’s have a look at some typical topics and sample questions!
Childhood and How Things Have Changed
- Let’s consider how the past can affect people later on in life.
- Is it important to have a good childhood in order to be successful in life?
News
If Part 2 asked about a recent news story which surprised you, this could be the type of question which comes up in Part 3. By using vocabulary like ‘fake news’ and giving specific examples, you’re showing that you can express yourself about more complicated subjects. Don’t worry if you make a mistake – the examiner is listening for what you know, so a small mistake with a complicated tense is better than playing it safe!
Typically, the next question after this could be: “Do people still read the news in the same way as they did in the past?”
Holidays and Tourism
Let’s say for Part 2 you spoke about where you typically go on holiday, one way of opening up the subject is to expand the question to people in your country.
For example:
- Let’s discuss popular tourist destinations. Where do people in your country often go on holiday?
It allows you to speak about general trends and use expressions such as “In my opinion” and “From personal experience” and so on. You should learn several of these expressions so you can speak in a structured and coherent way.
Working Habits
IELTS tests how well you can cope in English in everyday life. As work is a key part of everyday life, it’s a subject which often comes up in all parts of the test.
Again, for this question you need to think about the modern workplace, but also compare it with how the workplace has evolved: Where did your grandparents work? Did they work for several companies or stay with one company for their working life?
Dealing with Problems
Part 2 may ask you to speak about a specific problem you solved. Part 3 could open this question to problems people may face in general.
Another follow-up question could be:
- Do you think people should get help with difficult tasks or problems or learn how to do it themselves?
If you’re asked this type of question, you can always first answer with: “That’s an interesting question” before answering. It’s a natural response and it gives you a few extra seconds to organise your thoughts!
Music
Music is a great subject to speak about and an easy one to prepare for. Learn words like band, group, singer, concert… Remember you need variety in your vocabulary! Do not simply respond that a song is good. Explain what it makes you think of and how it makes you feel.
For this subject, let’s look at three possible questions:
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