IELTS Speaking Tips for Part One
1. Don’t be confused when the examiner asks you what they can call you (i.e. What shall I call you? What name do you go by? How should I address you? What can I call you?). You can just say, “Please call me [your first name].” or “You can call me [your first name].”
2. Do NOT memorize an introduction for yourself. The examiners will not grade memorized answers and may deduct points.
3. The examiner will usually start with some standard questions about your hometown, your work or studies, or your life in general. So be ready to talk about your hometown, your work, or your schooling. But don’t memorize your answers.
(e.g. Where is your village or town? Where did you grow up? Tell me about where you grew up. Are you working or studying now? Tell me about your job. etc.)
4. The examiner will then move on to questions about a familiar topic which can vary a lot. The topic might be about bicycles, sports, travel, zoos, etc. It’s a good idea to practice talking with someone about a variety of small talk topics.
5. Don’t give one sentence answers.
(Q: What kind of music do you listen to? I like pop music. (Keep talking! Tell them your favorite song or artist, tell them other types of music you like)
Don’t give yes or no answers without explanation.
(Q: Do you play any sports? Yes, I play soccer. (Keep talking! Tell them what position you play, how often you play, where you play, etc.)
6. Answer the questions fully and try to give extra details. But you don’t have keep talking and talking and talking about one question. Just answer completely with some extra details.
7. Practice expanding on questions to give more detailed answers. If the examiner asks what your favorite sport to watch is, tell them. But also tell them why you like it, how often you watch it, who you watch it with, etc. Remember to think of question words (who, what, when, where, why, how, etc.) to help expand your answers.