Title: IELTS Speaking
1IELTS Speaking
2Are you afraid of IELTS speaking test?
3You dont have to be!!!
- Predictable
- Easy preparation
- Lots of tips to use
4On Entering the Test Room
- Waiting out at the door
- Do you have a mobile on you?
- Psychological suggestion
5So how do you say it?
- Ive taken the test for times. For my previous
tests, I always got X for my reading, X for my
listening, and X for my writing. But I havent
got enough for my speaking. So I have to take the
test over and over again until one day I can get
at least 6.5 for my speaking.
6Why you can say it?
- The four official marking criteria
- Pronunciation
- Vocabulary
- Grammar
- Fluency
- What you say doesnt really matter, but how and
how well you say it!!!
7General mistakes to avoid
- Vocabulary
- Overusing words like good, nice, beautiful,
interesting, delicious - Learn to paraphrase
- Can you list ten positive words (adj.) to
describe a person? - What about ten negative ones?
- Good and well, Clever and smart, Bored and boring
- Say no to Chinglish
8- Grammar
- Plurality, third person pronoun, past tense,
perfect tense, misusing gender-related nouns - Pronunciation
- Mispronunciation
- Be intelligible, so enunciate
- Fluency
- Speed is not fluency
- Join and expand ideas Avoid pauses Avoid
repetition Expand rather than listing things
9First things first
- Standard What is your full Chinese name?
- Variants What is your full name?/ How should I
call you?/ How should I address you? - Answer Long??? Or short???
- My name is ____. (even Name is___.)
- My full name is ____, and I also have an English
name, ____. You are welcome to call me ____. - Remember what matters?
10First runner-up
- Are you working or studying?
- Principle Dont make it too difficult.
- Eg. Im studying. And I study ____ in _____, one
of the top universities in China and I will be
graduating in 2 years time. - Im working for ____ as an administrative
staff/sales/secretarial staff. Ive been doing
this job for many years and I still like doing
it.
11Like it and not like it.
- Eg. Why did you choose this major? Do you like it
and why? Do you like your job? - Be prepared. You may stumble at the easiest
questions. - Dont talk big, talk small.
- Tell a story rather than giving empty, lifeless
reasons.
12A dose of panacea
- It is all because of my girlfriend. She is the
one and only woman I love the most on the earth.
In order to make her happy, I would like to do
anything for her, including. Because I just want
to be with her, to be where she is. - It is because when I was young, I had a teacher
and he always told me about , which has deeply
influenced me. So I
13East or west, home is the best.
- Where is your hometown and could you please tell
me something about your hometown? - Answers that may let people laugh their head off
- My hometown is Xin Jiang.
- My hometown is .... But Ive never been there
before. - My hometown is . It is a very beautiful place. I
love my hometown. - It is your homeTOWN in contrast to homePROVINCE,
homeCOUNTRY, homePLANET. - It is where you were born and grew up in contrast
to where your parents or grandparents came from.
14- Elaborate in four aspects
- Location, population, climate, and something
special.
15Let me show you how!
- My hometown Taizhou, is located in the middle
part of Jiangsu province along the Yangze
river,it has a population of 5 million people,
and the mostly temperate climate here offers an
excellent environment for various agricultural
activities and for tourism It has produced many
well-known scholars and intellectuals, one of
them is our Chairman Hujingtao, who has spent his
early years studying here.
16A bit about climate or seasons
- Climate
- Wet/warm/tropical, dry/arid/semiarid,
temperate/continental, etc. - Four distinct seasons spring, summer,
autumn/fall, winter - Beijing's climate is defined as "continental
monsoon." The four seasons are distinctly
recognizable. Spring and autumn is the best time
to be in Beijing, particularly in the months of
April, May, September and October.
17And if you choose to describe the seasons
- Spring
- Warm, windy, dusty, sand-storm, flowers start to
bloom - Make it poetic. Eg. When spring comes, everything
wakes up from their long and cold sleeps. Trees
turn green, and flowers also start to bloom it
seems like the world is, all of a sudden,
rejuvenated. - Season of new life/rebirth
18- Summer
- Hot, rainy, wet (lots of rain), stormy, humid,
sunny, stuffy, sweltering, sauna-like - Learn to use a variety of descriptives to say
very. - Quite, rather, pretty, fairly, really, so,
extremely, totally - One can even use analogy. Eg. It is like an oven
in summer time. - Activities holiday
- Holiday season
19- Autumn/Fall
- Cool, crisp, mild, cozy, clear sky, golden
season, azure sky - Golden season, season of harvest
- Winter
- Cold, freezing, snowy, icy, short days, long
nights - Silver season, Christmas season
20Id like to own my own house!
- Do you currently live in a house or an
apartment/flat? Where do you live? Can you
describe what is in your home? - Lets see a few pictures.
21(No Transcript)
22(No Transcript)
23To compare two or more things
- Always think in terms of
- Cost/price
- Features (what makes it really what it is)
- Effects (popular?)
24What are the differences between a house and an
apartment/flat?
House Flat
Price Expensive Cheap (affordable)
Space Spacious Cramped
Location Far from town Near town
25Im a traveholic.
- Do you love traveling? Do you often travel?
- To answer Yes and No
- Sure. You bet. Absolutely. Definitely.
- Not if I can help it. Not a chance.
- Is ice cold? Does bird fly?
26Shop till you drop, and sports stuff
- Do you play sports? What sports do you play?
- Do you often go shopping? What do you buy?
- Common answers I play soccer, basketball,
tennis, table-tennis (listing things) - Better answer I often buy lots of different
things from food to drinks, from clothes to
shoes. Anyway, I enjoy shopping, cause it brings
me great joy.
27Food, forever I like. Cooking, um, yet to be
answered.
- Avoiding overusing the word delicious
- Flavor spicy, hot, sweet, sour, bitter, salty,
savory, light - Vegetables and fruits
- Cooking methods boil, fry, steam, roast, bake,
grill, stir-fry, stew, braise, barbecue - Texture chewy, tender, crispy, flakey
28Other questions, but they are easy!
- What is your favorite kind of music/
book/movie/food? What kind of do you like? - What is your favorite time in a day/ month/season
in a year? - What is your favorite kind of music?
- Genres pop, jazz, blues, rock, classical,
instrumental, rap (urban), gospel - When it comes to music, I have to say
- Im very much into/ fond of/ fascinated by/about
is the greatest passion in my life - When I am listening to, I feel like
- For example, for instance, once
- Think outside of the box
29Lets give it a try!
- Well, I am not really into music. But sometimes I
do like listening to religious music, I mean,
Christian music. Christian music is always about
singing praises to God and reminding people of
their responsibility to live a pure and holy
life. It is music that purifies life. It helps me
a lot. Whenever Im listening, I feel like being
lifted up to heaven and drawn close to God. It
gives peace to my mind and joy to my soul.
30Lets get serious Topic/Cue Cards
- Four categories
- People
- Place
- Object
- Event
- And I dont care what category it is. I always
have my way.
31- Well, today I am going to talk about none other
than my uncle. My uncle is quite famous in his
place. People often call him Mr. Traveholic. And
just as this name suggests, he loves traveling
very much. And actually traveling is one of the
most important things in his life. And he has
been to many places throughout China, from Harbin
in the north to Guangzhou in the South, from
Shanghai in the east to Urumuqi in the west. And
he always says his favorite place of all is
Qingdao, because of its natural beauty, its food
and its unique local culture, which all drive him
to return to Qingdao to visit over and over
again. - First, Qingdao is famous for many of its
interesting places, its beautiful beaches, and
its clean streets. Hundreds of thousands of
visitors are attracted here from all over the
world by its enchanting natural beauty. - Second, the local food and snacks are also
something one can never miss when visiting
Qingdao. They come in various colors, shapes and
tastes, to suit different palates and wallets.
They are not only exotic and delicate to the
tongue, but also to the eye. - Last but not the least, Qingdao is also famous
for its unique cultural heritage represented in
local festivals and Qingdao beer. Especially,
Qingdao beer. It is quite a big name in China. It
is loved by millions of people, including me. - Anyway, that is my uncle, a traveholic, and
Qingdao, a great place to visit.
32People Cards
- Who the person is
- What the person looks like
- What the person is like (character and
personality) - What the person does/has done
- When and where you met this person
- Why you like/dislike/admire/choose to talk about
this person
33Who question
- Well, I am going to talk about
- When it comes to , I would like to talk about
- (Snow White) was a very good friend of mine.
34???
- A childhood friend
- I would really like to talk about Slobbery, a
childhood friend of mine. Slobbery is his
nickname, because he used to let saliva dribble
from his mouth while sleeping in class. His real
name is XXX. But anyway, he is a nice buddy
35Ones Looks
- General descriptors good/bad-looking, handsome,
beautiful, pretty, plain, homely, ugly, awful - Significant parts on the face eyes (eye
colorblack, green, blue, hazel), eyebrow,
nose(aquiline nose), mouth, teeth, cheek, chin - Other parts of the body torso, limbs
36Quotation from Gone with the Wind
- Scarlet OHara was not beautiful, but men seldom
realized it when caught by her charm as the
Tarleton twins were. In her face were too sharply
blended the delicate features of her mother, a
Coast aristocrat of French descent, and the heavy
ones of her florid Irish father. But it was an
arresting face, pointed of chin, square of jaw.
Her eyes were pale green without a touch of
hazel, starred with bristly black lashes and
slightly tilted at the ends. Above them, her
thick and black brows slanted upward, cutting a
startling oblique line in her magnolia-white
skinthat skin so prized by Southern women and so
carefully guarded with bonnets, veils and mittens
against hot Georgia suns.
37Character and Personality
- Kind, warm-hearted, easy-going, faithful, honest,
responsible, accountable, trustworthy, reliable,
compassionate, humble - A giving person, a man of his word, a me, me,
me person, an angel of mercy, double-crosser,
double talker
38What One Does
- Occupation
- Time, Location and Story
- Significance or meaning
- Eg. A friend looking after you when you are sick.
It shows that he has heart of gold.
39Why?
- Good character/personality impresses or touches
you - You have learned a life lesson from them
- Story
40A Childhood Friend
- Relating topics child, friend
- Tell me about a child that you know
- You should say
- How you know them
- What they look like
- cute, short, chubby, messy hair, dirty hands,
innocent and pure - Something about their personality
- And say whether or not they are similar to how
you were as a child
41- I would really like to talk about Slobbery, a
childhood friend of mine. Slobbery is his
nickname, because he used to let saliva dribble
from his mouth while sleeping in class. His real
name is XXX. But anyway, he is a nice buddy.
Round-faced with chubby cheeks, and usually
dressed in his baggy pants, he can hardly conceal
his over-weighted body. But you know kids. They
never worry about their body weight. Dont be
fooled by his looks. He isnt as tough as his may
look. He is the tenderest thing Ive ever seen.
Whenever other kids laugh at him or bully him, he
would run to a corner and cry like a girl. Well,
if you ask me whether Slobbery is similar to how
I was as a child, I would say no. But he surely
resembles that kind of people who are one person
on the outside, different on the other.
42- When it comes to a childhood friend, I cant help
thinking about Princess Fiona, my best playmate.
Her real name is Annie. Even now, I can still
recall her black curly but long hair, and her
favorite red dress with black strings tied around
the waist. She looked so beautiful and elegant,
just like a princess. So we all called her
Princess Fiona. Not like me, Princess Fiona was a
strong little girl. She never cried, even when
she stumbled over rock and hurt her knees. Now
shes become a big girl and even stronger, while
I am still who I am, never able to become like
her. And that is Princess Fiona, my best
playmate.
43Common People Cards
- A person youd like to spend time with
- Famous person
- A person who is good at cooking
- A person who has influenced you
- A person who helped you
- Old people
- Best friend
- Etc.
44Famous person
- Who he/she is
- How you got to know this person
- What this person is famous for
- Why you choose to talk about this person
45- Who my uncle
- How live in the same neighborhood
- Famous for traveling
- Why I also love traveling
46Place Cards
- What the place is
- When and with whom you visited that place
- What did you feel when you visited that place
- Why do you visit that place
47What Questions
- Name of that place
- Location
- be located/situated
- sits/lies
- Features
- Ten adj. to describe a place
48When and with whom
- Long time ago?
- Several years ago? Many years back?
- Just last year?
- A few months ago?
- A couple of days ago?
49Feeling High or Down?
- Feeling
- Sad, excited, thrilled, down, frustrated,
depressed, etc. - Feeling like
50Why?
- Reasons
- Tourist spot, beautiful
- Understand the local culture and customs
- Story
51Common Place Cards
- Hotel
- Shopping mall
- A place where there is water
- Tourist site
- Library
- Historical site
- A place you want to visit
- Etc.
52Object Cards
- Eg. A useful equipment, a gift, a toy
- Elements
- What it is
- What it looks like what functions it has
- Where/when you got it who gave it to you
- How/why
53Common Object Cards
- A piece of news
- A book
- A TV program
- An artistic statue
- A gift
- A piece of clothing
- A course
- A childhood game
- An advertisement
- Etc.
54A Useful Equipment
- What it is cell phone, mp3 player, computer
- What it looks
- in color/incolor, in shape/inshape
- Trendy, classy, hi-tech, in, fashionable
- Function
- Why it is special
55Sample Answer
- Well, I would love to talk about my little
girlfriendiPod, a trendy mp3 player, which I
would always take along with me wherever I go.
Though it is a mp3 player, I seldom use it to
listen to music, but something called Podcast,
which basically is a kind of radio program
broadcasted on the web. There are so many
different programs, about culture, news, politics
and even language learning. I am particularly
fascinated by the free educational resources it
provides. Now I have French, German and Japanese
learning programs on my iPod. Given me some time,
I am pretty sure I can speak some French, or
German, or Japanese, at least some daily phrases.
In a word, iPod is special to me not only because
it can accompany me wherever I go just like my
girlfriend, but also because it is a new
technology that I have greatly benefited in
language learning.
56Event Cards
- Topic questions
- What it is
- When and where it takes/took place
- Who (participants) and how (effects)
- Why
57Common Event Cards
- A journey
- A change in life
- Help/advice received
- A sport/traditional/public event
- An important/difficult decision
- A traffic jam
- A successful experience
- Etc.
58A Change in Life
- What it is
- Going to college, graduation, going to work,
getting married, divorced, becoming a
gay/lesbian??? - When and where it happened
- How it changes/has changed your life
- How you feel
- Why
59Sample Answer
- Honestly I havent thought about this much. The
one and only great change I can think of now is
leaving school. Look, after going to school for
more than 16 years, all of my life has been so
used to school, my daily schedule, my mindset, my
social life, etc. The world outside the school
seems so familiar and yet so strange. My feelings
are mixed with ambition, hope, expectation, as
well as uneasiness, insecurity and worries. It is
such a difficult time. I am like a person lost in
the no-mans land, not knowing where to turn.
Anyway, most people have to face this change once
they leave school. It is a total challenge. But
just as one great mind has once said, life is
always full of changes and uncertainties we just
do all that we can and hope for the best.
60Help/Advice Received
- What it was
- When and where you received it
- Who gave it to you
- Feeling
- Why
61Sample Answer
- When it comes to this topic, I cant help
thinking about last year when I was overwhelmed
by lots of works that I have to do. It was my
college graduation year. Besides all of the
lectures I had to attend, the graduation paper
alone was a heavy task there were tons of
reference books to read, a series of surveys to
be conducted and also the revision and editing
works. It was just too much for me. But thank
God, my professor XXX offered to give me a hand.
Basically he gave me some very good ideas and
challenged me to consider a slight modification
of my project structure. Then he introduced me to
someone who happened to have done the similar
kind of project. Woow, I was feeling just like
Oh, thank you dear God. I choose to talk about
this, because it means so much to me. Without his
help, I just cant imagine myself successfully
completing such a great project and finishing my
graduation paper.
62Stage III
- Two principles
- Take evasive action
- Relate it to yourself (dont talk big, talk small)
63Evasive Action
- Version 1 That is a good question. I never
thought about this question before. But if you
look at this question from different
perspectives, you may just have different
answers. Well, I am not really sure. Thank you.
64- Version 2 That is a very good question. I
remember reading about this before somewhere. I
have read about it on the Internet. But I dont
wear their colored glasses and remember exactly
what it said about this. There seem to be many
different views. Because people all have
different education backgrounds and experiences.
They tend to look at things through thus have
different ideas. Well, this is not my field. I am
not sure. Thank you.
65Relate to yourself
- Example
- What do you think the government should do to end
the economic crisis? - That is a good question (evasive action). But I
dont think it is very bad for everyone, both
poor and rich. So I sincerely hope the government
can do something about it.
66- Example
- Do you think primary school students should have
homework? - That is a very good question (evasive action).
But I do remember when I was young, I had too
much homework to do. I dont think I had very
happy childhood. So I think when I have children,
I would like them to have no homework or little
homework. I they can really have a good memory of
their childhood.