Phần 7: Bài thi Nói

Trong bài này, chúng ta sẽ tìm hiểu ba nội dung chính trong bài thi Nói trong kỳ thi IELTS và hãy cùng xem một số thí sinh trả lời các câu hỏi. Hãy nhớ tải các phần ‘Ghi chú’ của bìa này để biết thêm một số típ và những đề tài mẫu.

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1) Clip 1: The Speaking Test

2) Clip 2: Vocabulary Exercise

3) Printable Documents

     a) Notes for Study

IELTS Tip

Listen carefully to the questions being asked so that you respond appropriately. Try to use a wide range of grammatical structures and vocabulary. Speak clearly, evenly and at a natural pace.

Be positive and trust in your ability!

THE SPEAKING TEST

The purpose of the speaking test is to determine your ability to communicate socially and whether you have the kinds of speaking skills needed for work or study. So, you will be required to speak on a variety of topics ranging from the general and personal to the more abstract, using both formal and informal language.

Procedure

At the beginning of the interview an examiner will greet you and invite you into the examination room. You will be seated facing the examiner with a desk between you. The examiner will then begin recording the one-to-one interview. The purpose of the recording is to ensure the test is to standard, and conducted fairly for all candidates around the world. The interview will last between 11 and 14 minutes. The examiner times each section.

The Three Parts of the Interview

There are three parts to the test. Each part has a particular purpose and covers particular question types and communication patterns.

Part One – Introduction

(approximately 4-5 minutes)

 

Procedure

The examiner will introduce him/herself and then check your identification.

In the first part of the test you will be required to answer some general questions about yourself. These will be personal in nature and cover 2-3 familiar topic areas.

Simple questions on familiar topics should be easy to answer, and so will help you to relax into the interview.

Topic areas

The topic areas covered may include:

• hometown

• studies

• work

• travel

• sports

• family

• hobbies/interests/leisure

• food

• entertainment

• shopping

• the Internet

• films

The questions are of a general nature such as:

Travel

1. When was the first time you travelled abroad?

2. Which countries have you visited?

3. Which one was your favourite? Why?

4. Did you like the local food?

5. Where would you like to go next?

Sport

1. What sports are popular in your country?

2. Which do you play?

3. How often do you play?

4. Where do you play?

5. Who do you play with?

These are wh-type questions: who, what, when, why, which, where, how.

In response to these types of questions you would be required to provide simple details. You are not expected to give in-depth answers at this stage of the interview but you should extend your answer with one to two compound/complex sentences with explanations and examples.

Skills

In asking these questions the examiner is assessing a variety of skills or language functions, including:

• describing (eg. your flat, room)

• identifying (eg. music)

• expressing likes, dislikes and preferences (eg. foods)

• comparing or contrasting (eg. city vs. the countryside)

• expressing your opinion (eg. weather)

• speculating (eg. future plans)

• giving a reason (eg. studying a second language)

• explaining changes (eg. clothing)

For example, the set of questions below tests the following skills:

Skills/Language functions	Topic
	Music
identifying	What kinds of music do young people like in your country?
expressing a preference	What kind do you like?
giving a reason	Why do people listen to music?
expressing an opinion	Is it important to know how to play a musical instrument?

 

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Language Structures

A range of verb tenses is tested in Part One. There are certain language structures used for particular skills. It is helpful to practise using a variety of these structures.

Here are some examples:

Skill/ Language functions	Grammatical Structure	Example
describing	simple present tense	It is a small unit overlooking a park.
talking about a habit	present tense	I usually go out with my friends.
speculating about the future	future tense	I will enrol in an MBA. I am planning to study engineering
comparing	comparative	Studying abroad is far better than learning English at home.

 

Tips

Part One is not only the beginning of the test but also the stage where you are creating a first impression. Show that you are confident. It is helpful to maintain eye contact with the examiner. Try to relax.

Here are some strategies to use:

• develop vocabulary around the topic areas

• know how to describe, compare, contrast, give a reason, explain changes

• practise expressing your opinion on a variety of different topics

• practise delivering answers confidently, fluently, clearly and accurately

• use every opportunity to practise

 

Part Two – Individual Long Turn

(3-4 minutes including 1 minute preparation)

Procedure

The examiner will introduce Part Two of the interview by saying that you’ll be given a topic and will need to talk about it for one to two minutes. S/he will give you some paper and a pencil, and one minute to make some notes. After one minute you will be asked to start speaking. The examiner will follow up your short talk with a question.

The Individual Long Turn

In part two of the interview you will be speaking on your own without any prompting.

This part requires you to:

• speak at length on a given topic

• organise your ideas coherently

• use appropriate language

Skills

This part of the interview mainly focuses on your communication skills:

• fluency – speaking without too many pauses

• coherence – linking your ideas logically and using language appropriately

Topics

The topics you may be asked to talk about are of a general nature and should be familiar to you.

Here are some sample topics:

• Describe a subject you enjoyed at school.

• Describe your favourite teacher.

• Talk about an object that is very important to you.

• Describe a celebration you attended.

• Talk about a film you enjoyed.

• Describe your favourite restaurant.

• Talk about a television program you like.

• Describe an interesting building.

• Describe an important festival in your country.

It is important to use the one minute for preparation effectively and plan an answer.

Here is a sample prompt card and some strategies to use in preparing.

Describe a holiday you took in your country. You should say: • where you went • who you travelled with • what you did • and explain why you enjoyed your vacation.

 

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Preparing notes

Read through the prompt card carefully. Make sure you understand the topic and the points you need to talk about.

Think of 2 or 3 things to say about each prompt and write down key words that will help remind you of what to say. Don’t try to write full sentences or worry about grammar. Your notes need to be clear and brief.

On the following page is a plan for the sample verbal prompt. It is detailed. You, of course, will not have time to write such detailed notes in the interview but it is helpful when practising to think of several possible answers. The other choices may be useful for other questions.

Bullet	Describe a holiday you took in your country.
Bullet 1	where you went	Pacific Ocean, countryside, mountains • popular spot • 5 hour drive north of city
Bullet 2	who you travelled with	friends, family • engineering friends from university • celebrating the end of exams • school holiday with parents
Bullet 3	what you did	outdoor activities • water sports: swimming, scuba diving, fishing • volleyball, bush walking, hiking in the mountains
Explain	explain why you enjoyed your vacation	quality time • enjoying each others company • relaxing • beautiful scenery • new experiences

 

You should begin your talk by introducing your topic, for example

• I’m going to talk about my holiday ….

• The person I’m going to talk about is ….

• I’d like to describe my …

Following the order of the prompts will help with the logical organisation of your talk.

There would usually be more to say about the third and fourth prompts so leave enough time to cover those points. Remember to link your ideas.

Tips

• practise talking on a range of topics

• practise timing yourself

• practise organising your ideas logically

• practise linking your ideas

• practise speaking for 2 minutes

Do not memorise an answer. You will loose marks for a memorised answer.

 

Part Three – Two-way Discussion

(approximately 4-5 minutes)

In the final part of the interview you will need to engage in a discussion on more abstract issues that are linked thematically to the topic in Part Two.

The examiner will be assessing your ability to develop and expand on your ideas in some depth. You are also expected to take the initiative in the discussion, so try to develop the topic as far as you possibly can.

Topics

The topics are of general interest and focus on current issues in society, such as:

• challenges facing young people

• problems affecting the environment

• the impact of technology

• issues affecting the family and family relationships

• influence of the media

• transportation issues in the future

• primary, secondary and tertiary education

Skills/Language functions

In the course of the discussion the examiner will ask questions to elicit language structures relating to a variety of skills or language functions, including:

• describing

• explaining

• evaluating

• speculating and predicting

• giving an opinion

• making suggestions

• comparing or contrasting

• identifying

Language functions and questions

Here are some sample questions and the skill or language function tested.

It is helpful to listen out for the question key word so that you respond appropriately and accurately.

Skill/Language function	Question
comparing	What is the benefit of travelling abroad compared with travelling in your home country?
describing	What is the best way to travel?
giving an opinion	Do you think it is important to travel?
speculating	How will people travel in the future?

 

Tips

• acquaint yourself with current issues in society by watching programs on current affairs, listening to talk back radio

• practise discussing topics that are current and of general interest

• practise giving your opinion, offering suggestions, giving explanations

• focus on the key words in the question so that you answer the question accurately and appropriately

• be prepared to develop and expand on your ideas

• record yourself and listen to yourself

• listen for how often you stop and start

Take time to practise!

Remember:

The more you practise, the more confident you will be.

The more confident you are, the better you’ll do in the Speaking Test!

 

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     b) Learning Activities

Practise and consolidate your learning about the IELTS Speaking Test by completing our activities. The answers for all activities are on the last 2 pages.

ACTIVITY 1

Match the language function in the left-hand column with the appropriate question in the right-hand column.

	Language function			Question
1	identifying		A	Should schools be allowed to sell fast foods in their canteens?
2	describing		B	Is it important to conserve water in your country? Why/ Why not?
3	comparing		C	What measures should be taken to reduce traffic jams?
4	evaluating		D	What can we do to educate children about eating healthily?
5	describing changes		E	Why is it important to exercise?
6	giving an opinion		F	What are the benefits of studying abroad?
7	explaining		G	How has the environment changed in the last 20 years in your country?
8	making suggestions		H	What kind of developments will your country undergo in the future?
9	giving reasons		I	How has technology changed your life?
10	speculating		J	What is the difference between the family unit today compared to the past?

 

ACTIVITY 2

Tick (√) the information that is most relevant to the questions

Question 1

What are the benefits of studying English in an English-speaking country?
	• native English speaking teachers
	• learn the language more quickly
	• get a taste of English cuisine
	• forced to communicate in English

 

Question 2

What qualities would be desirable for a teacher?
	• likes giving orders
	• a good speaker
	• creative
	• patient

 

Question 3

What is the importance of playing sports?
	• earn a lot of money
	• builds character
	• good for health
	• reduce stress

 

Question 4

What can be done to reduce traffic jams?
	• restrict the number of cars entering the city
	• government should increase the tax on petrol
	• improve public transport
	• improve the efficiency of cars

 

Question 5

What advice would you give someone learning another language?
	• model your pronunciation on that of native speakers
	• use a monolingual dictionary
	• learn at least five new words every day
	• translate everything you don’t know

 

Question 6

What might the negative effects of the Internet be?
	• exposes children to inappropriate material
	• addictive
	• no censorship of hate literature
	• wealth of information

 

Question 7

Would you agree that dieting is a good thing?
	• no, you may lose weight but then gain all the weight and more once you stop
	• yes, it helps keep your weight under control
	• yes, being overweight is unattractive
	• no, it can be very stressful monitoring your weight

 

Question 8

What effect has tourism had on your country?
	• increase in pollution
	• provide jobs reducing unemployment
	• enhance understanding of the country
	• decrease in global warming

 

Question 9

Should children have to wear school uniforms? Why/Why not?
	• yes, one less expense for parents
	• yes, brings discipline to the classroom
	• yes, helps them focus on their studies
	• yes, children are equal

 

Question 10

What are the advantages of having a part time job while studying?
	• ease the financial burden on parents
	• good experience for the future
	• gives a sense of competition
	• make a lot of money

 

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ACTIVITY 1 ANSWERS

1. D                             6. A

2. I                               7. F

3. J                              8. C

4. B                             9. E

5. G                             10. H

 

ACTIVITY 2 ANSWERS

Tick (√) the information that is most relevant to the questions

Question 1

What are the benefits of studying English in an English-speaking country?
√	• native English speaking teachers
√	• learn the language more quickly
	• get a taste of English cuisine
√	• forced to communicate in English

 

Question 2

What qualities would be desirable for a teacher?
	• likes giving orders
√	• a good speaker
√	• creative
√	• patient

 

Question 3

What is the importance of playing sports?
	• earn a lot of money
√	• builds character
√	• good for health
√	• reduce stress

 

Question 4

What can be done to reduce traffic jams?
√	• restrict the number of cars entering the city
√	• government should increase the tax on petrol
√	• improve public transport
	• improve the efficiency of cars

 

Question 5

What advice would you give someone learning another language?
√	• model your pronunciation on that of native speakers
√	• use a monolingual dictionary
√	• learn at least five new words every day
	• translate everything you don’t know

 

Question 6

What might the negative effects of the Internet be?
√	• exposes children to inappropriate material
√	• addictive
√	• no censorship of hate literature
	• wealth of information

 

Question 7

Would you agree that dieting is a good thing?
√	• no, you may lose weight but then gain all the weight and more once you stop
√	• yes, it helps keep your weight under control
	• yes, being overweight is unattractive
√	• no, it can be very stressful monitoring your weight

 

Question 8

What effect has tourism had on your country?
√	• increase in pollution
√	• provide jobs reducing unemployment
√	• enhance understanding of the country
	• decrease in global warming

 

Question 9

Should children have to wear school uniforms? Why/Why not?
√	• yes, one less expense for parents
	• yes, brings discipline to the classroom
√	• yes, helps them focus on their studies
√	• yes, children are equal

 

Question 10

What are the advantages of having a part time job while studying?
√	• ease the financial burden on parents
√	• good experience for the future
√	• gives a sense of competition
	• make a lot of money

 

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     c) Transcript

Hello, and welcome to Study English, IELTS Preparation. I’m Margot Politis.

Today we’ll look at the IELTS Speaking Test.

There are three parts to the test. Each part has a particular purpose.

The examiner will record the interview to ensure the test is to standard and conducted fairly for all candidates.

Let’s watch someone begin their interview. [Part One]

Interviewer:              Good morning, my name is Maria. What’s your name?

Interviewee:             My name’s Sanjay.

Interviewer:              Thankyou. Can I just check your ID please Sanjay. Thank you, that’s fine. What are you doing at the moment? Are you a student, or do you work?

Interviewee:             I’m currently a student.

Interviewer:              And what are you studying?

Interviewee:             I’m studying a Diploma in Business.

The purpose of Part One is to settle you down and get you used to the test situation. So you will only be required to answer some general questions about yourself on some familiar topics such as: studies … travel … sports … family … food and exercise.

Let’s see how another candidate answers questions about exercise. The first question is designed to test her skills at identifying:

Interviewer:              What kind of exercise do you enjoy?

Interviewee:             I enjoy running, because I think it’s easy, and I think you should need, er, good shoes and you can run and I can run at morning, it’s really good …I think.

The next question is to see how well she expresses an opinion:

Interviewer:              Is it important to exercise regularly?

Interviewee:             Yes, I think it’s really important, because you can, um, keep your body healthy and you can keep fit, especially for girls’ health, keep fit. And it’s good for your health as well.

This question tests comparing:

Interviewer:              Do you think people are exercising more these days, compared to 50 years ago?

Interviewee:             No, I don’t think so. Because, you see, like me, they don’t have enough time. I think it’s, a lot of people don’t have enough time as well, so they don’t have enough regular exercise.

Other skills that are assessed include:

• describing;

• expressing preferences; and

• giving reasons

You are not expected to give in-depth answers at this stage of the interview but you can extend your answer with a longer sentence.

To help prepare for this section you can develop vocabulary around the topic areas and make sure you know the verb tense that is appropriate for answering the question.

For example the question ‘What kind of exercise do you enjoy?’ is in the simple present tense, so she replies with the same tense: I enjoy running. Listen again:

Interviewer:              What kind of exercise do you enjoy?

Interviewee:             I enjoy running.

In Part Two the examiner will give you a topic on a prompt card to talk about for one to two minutes. You will be allowed one minute to make some notes. After your talk, the examiner will ask you a follow up question.

The topics are of a general nature. You could be asked to talk about an object that is important to you or a major festival in your country or to describe an interesting building.

Let’s see how the interviewer introduces the second part of the interview and how the candidate prepares for the talk.

Interviewer:              Now, I’d like you to talk for one to two minutes on a topic that I’ll give you.

Interviewee:             Sure.

Interviewer:              You have one minute to prepare, and make some notes to help you.

                                     Do you understand?

Interviewee:             Yes.

Interviewer:              Okay. Well, here’s a pencil and a paper for making notes, and here is your topic. I’d like you to describe a holiday or vacation you took recently.

Interviewee:             Sure.

This is what was written on the prompt card she gave him:

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Describe a holiday or a vacation you took recently.

You should say:

• where you went

• who you travelled with

• what you did, and

• explain why you enjoyed your vacation

Think of 2 or 3 things to say about each prompt and write down words that will help remind you of what to say. Let’s look at what he wrote.

Where:           Bangkok last minute short

Who:               Mum, sister, brother

What:              Shopping mall, weekend market, stalls, humungous place

Why:               Wonderful experience; sights

Do the notes help him? Let’s listen to his talk.

Er, the holiday which I went on recently was in Thailand, Bangkok, Thailand. Um, we, we planned this, I guess, two weeks, two weeks in advance, it was kind of a last minute planning with, with my family, we decided to just go for a short holiday down to Bangkok. So, er, we called, we called my travel agent, and, er, we got, we got tickets booked for me, my Mum, my brother and my sister.

It is important to begin your talk by introducing the topic.

He is following the notes he made. For 'who' he tells us “we got tickets booked for me, my Mum, my brother and my sister”.

For 'what' he talks about shopping:

We went to two shopping malls. It was, one of the malls called Big C, Big C, yeah, that was the mall. So, er, the mall was very clean and, er, I was surprised, it was very clean, very big, very, very big, very clean and all. So that was just a normal shopping centre. Then over the weekend we decided to go and visit this big weekend market in, Bangkok itself. So it’s called a big, a weekend market, er, it had like thousand over stalls, it was this big, humungous place. So what we did, we spent our whole time there, shopping.

For 'why' he tells us what a wonderful experience it was:

But it was a wonderful experience, going to Bangkok, and, er, visiting the sights.

Your talk will be well organised if you follow the same order as the prompts on the card.

The interviewer ends this section with a follow up question. Let’s listen to what the interviewer asks him.

Interviewer:              Do you think you’ll go back there again?

Interviewee:             Er, yeah, definitely, I mean, for shopping is one thing, prices are really cheap and all but, er, it’s just the place. The people, they’re all friendly and down to earth, and, um, it was a memorable experience.

He responds appropriately with two sentences. That’s all that is required.

To help you prepare for this part, practise talking about a range of topics.

The final part of the interview is a discussion on issues related to the topic in Part Two.

The examiner will be assessing your ability to develop ideas in some depth.

Let’s see what kind of questions he was asked and how the discussion is introduced.

Interviewer:              Okay then. Well, you’ve described a holiday you’ve been on, and I’d like to ask you a few more questions related to this.

Interviewee:             Sure.

Interviewer:              Is it important to travel and take holidays in different places?

Interviewee:             Yeah, I feel, I feel it is important, er, reason being you, you’re exposed to different cultures, you’re exposed to different kind of people, how, how do they behave, and, er, you get to see a lot of things. If you just take a holiday in your own country, or somewhere nearby, er, you won’t really get to see, er, the world I guess, see how people behave and all.

By asking him "Is it important to travel?" she is testing whether he can express an opinion. Next, she sees if he can speculate:

Interviewer:              Are people travelling more these days, do you think?

Interviewee:             Er, yes, definitely. Er, as you can see nowadays there’s budget airlines where airline prices all become so cheap so that they can visit more places and go to other countries.

Then she asks a question designed to see how well he can compare:

Interviewer:              Is it better to travel alone, or in a group?

Interviewee:             I believe it’s better to travel in a group, where you have a companion. Maybe not, not in such a big group, but, I guess, maybe two to three people … where it’s nice to have someone along to share your experiences with and, you know, to visit places and, you know, have someone there for companionship and all.

And finally she tests how well he can identify:

Interviewer:              What kind of problems is travel and tourism causing?

Interviewee:             Um, sometimes people don’t know other people’s culture, and they might offend them in a rude way, they might not know its offensive, but, you know, not knowing the culture, and not reading up about it, sometimes when you go to a foreign land, and you might do something to maybe insult the host or insult someone there.

To answer questions well in this section you should watch programs on current affairs and practise discussing topics and using a variety of language functions such as comparing, explaining and describing.

That’s all for today

Good Luck with your studies.

 

(Nguồn UTS: Insearch and Australia Network)

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