Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab 1. Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab 1. Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab 1. Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab 1. Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab 1. Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab 1. Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab 1. Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab 1. Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab 1. Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab 1. Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab 1. Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab 1. Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab 1. Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab 1.
Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab Speaking Lab Part 1: Q1 Can we talk about your country? Tell me about the kinds of sports that are popular in your country A1 Yes, I come from New Zealand In terms of sports there are two distinct seasons – summer and winter In the winter, Rugby Union is the most popular sport People are especially interested in their beloved ‘All Blacks’ – our country’s champion rugby team In the summer, there’s cricket Not as many people are as interested in the cricket…because our national team – the ‘black caps’ – are not as successful on the world cricketing stage Q2 Are there any sports that are only played by either men or women in your country? A2 Do you mean exclusively men or women? [Examiner: Yes] Well…of course, rugby is played only by men I’m not sure if we have any women’s rugby teams…I don’t think we Rugby’s definitely dominated by men…the same is true for cricket – although we have a national ladies team There is one sport that we are internationally famous for and it’s Netball Have you ever played netball? It’s a bit like basketball except you can’t bounce the ball and the ball is a little bit smaller than a basketball To score a point in netball, a player has to throw the ball through a hoop – as in basketball except the goal has no backboard, it’s just a hoop at the end of a pole Netball is played only by women…our national team is called ‘The Ferns’ and I believe we are the best in the world, the world champions Everyone is really proud of our women’s netball team! It seems no one can beat us well, for the moment, anyway! Q3 Are there any sports in your country that are becoming more popular than they were in the past? A3 I’d definitely say that Ruby League - one of our winter sports - is becoming more popular in New Zealand I don’t think it’ll ever become more popular than Rugby Union…but since we started participation in the national Australian Rugby League competition, New Zealanders have become more interested in this version of rugby I’d say that our New Zealand team, the Auckland Warriors, has brought more popularity to the rugby league code in New Zealand Q4 OK Let’s talk about housework Do you much housework where you are currently living? Texas Academy Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab A4 Ha! Housework what’s that? At the moment, I’m sharing an apartment with other guys…messy fellows they are! Our apartment looks like a disaster zone most of the time! Dishes in the sink, rubbish on the floor, beds unmade the place looks terrible! I need to more housework…you know, be responsible for my own living area One thing I’ve learned from living away from home…I really appreciate all the work my mother did to keep our house clean in the past Q5 Good What you think is the most important household job? Why? A5 Most important? Umm, well, that would involve keeping things hygienic, particularly with food Keeping food well looked after – things like chicken and other meats…but chicken in particular…can become very dangerous if it’s not kept refrigerated A friend of mine had food poisoning and it was a terrible thing to witness – it made me realise that good hygiene in relation to food is absolutely essential! Q6 How did you share household tasks when you were growing up? A6 That’s easy! My sister and I were responsible for doing the dishes – she washed and I dried I was always responsible for drying the dishes I got sick of this job…but now I still it! There’s no escaping the dishes! Umm, let’s see…household tasks…well, Mum expected us to make our beds every day – especially as we got older In fact as we got older, we were given more and more jobs to – that’s how it seemed anyway I ended up being responsible for folding all the clean washing in my house As the years passed, I gradually ‘branched out’ – no pun intended - into the garden! I was the household’s chief gardener…and I must say I enjoyed it Q7 What about changes in housework in the future? Can you talk about why or why not housework will change in the future? A7 Changes in housework…well…I can’t see it getting much more different than it is today I mean the electric dishwasher and the washing machine they’re pretty modern machines I guess if someone invented self-cleaning plates and utensils that would be pretty amazing…maybe a dishwasher built into the table where you eat…now that would be amazing But someone would still have to put them away once they are cleaned and dried! I’m not too sure about how household jobs will change in the future, but I guess they will Texas Academy Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab Speaking Lab Part 2: Transcript Q1 Ok that’s good I’m now going to give you a topic that you will need to speak about for 1-2 minutes You can take notes if you want You have minute to prepare what you want to say I want you to describe a company or organisation where a relative or friend works Ok You have a maximum of minutes to speak so if you go over minutes, I will ask you to stop Can you please begin speaking now? A1 Well, what I’m going to talk about is the organisation my Dad works for He’s a school teacher and the name of the school he works for is Wellington High School Of course, as its name suggests, it’s located in Wellington, in the southern part of New Zealand Ever since I was a boy, Dad worked at Wellington…he started back…um well I think it was in the early 1980s…yes, in 1981…because they recently him a special watch celebrating 25 years of service at the school Anyway, Dad really enjoys his job he teaches Mathematics and Science and I’ve often wondered how a person can stay in a job for so many years but Dad says he’ll never leave – he loves being a high school teacher One of the things that I often hear him talk about is that ‘teachers can make a difference in the lives of others’ When he says this it’s usually after a student has called or written to thank him for helping them to get into university or to achieve some other goal This really makes him happy I guess there are a lot of advantages to being a teacher Teachers in New Zealand, get quite a lot of holidays and the hours aren’t too long…and the pay is quite good too I guess a disadvantage in teaching is when the students don’t really want to learn the subject and they can tend to be badly behaved Anyway, Dad really likes his job and that’s great Perhaps one day I’ll follow in his footsteps… Texas Academy Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab Speaking Lab Part 3: Transcript Q1 We’ve been talking about a company in which a relative or friend works and I’d like to discuss one or two more questions that are related to this Firstly, let’s consider what makes a job attractive or unattractive to people Can you suggest some of the most important things people look for in their jobs? A1 Yes, well I’d have to say pay is one of the main things people look for in their jobs People want to be well paid for the work they I think ‘working conditions’ is another area that people carefully consider when they begin working If the place has no basic facilities, people get upset In my country, workers must get access to a refrigerator; they must have a lunch room or a place to eat in peace and quiet They must have a safe working environment and our government has laws to ensure this is the case I think holidays are also a big thing people look for when it comes to work Everyone needs to take a break from work so holidays are a big consideration for many people Umm, some people look for after-hours employee activities You know, staff parties, sports days, that kind of thing I guess the most important thing is job satisfaction If a person is satisfied with his or her job, then usually, the other things naturally follow on Q2 Ok Let’s talk some more about working conditions Tell me about any changes in staff working conditions that have occurred in recent years in your country A2 Well…I’m not too sure about this one Working conditions…well, the government is responsible for making sure that the working conditions are fair for workers Um… come to think of it, there was a change that happened recently I’m not sure about all the details but it gave employers…you know, bosses, more power to terminate Texas Academy Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab employees if they weren’t doing their jobs satisfactorily Of course, many people were angry that more power was being put in the hands of the bosses but, in my opinion, I think it’s fair I mean, if a person is not doing their job well enough and is given enough warning about how they should change, and they don’t…well, then they should be asked to leave…the job should be given to one who will it well Q3 OK Good Could you please comment on any jobs which are no longer done in your country A3 Jobs no longer done Umm, (I’ve) never really thought about that before…jobs no longer done You mean, jobs that were done in the past but are no longer done today? [Examiner: YES] Well, I guess farming has changed You know, the old-style farming with the ox and the plough Now we use machinery to the job When I was a boy, we used to use horses and carts to deliver milk to homes in the morning Now, of course we use trucks I guess new technologies have changed industries The record manufacturers needed to change to CDs so that job has changed too! Q4 To what extent is the Internet and the computer a part of people’s jobs these days? A4 Um, well the Internet and computer is very much a part of most jobs today I guess some occupations like a chef or a builder might not rely too much on the Internet however, I bet they use a computer when it comes to placing an order for new supplies Actually, I can’t think of a single job right now that wouldn’t make use of a computer I guess Internet usage would be less than computer use It probably depends on the job you as to whether or not you’d use the Internet I mean, if you were a teacher, you’d probably use the internet to read up on the latest teaching methods or things like that If you were a banker, you’d use the internet for information about your job too I think both the Internet and the computer play a really big part in most people’s jobs these days Q5 Ok Globally, which industries you think will employ the most people in the future? A5 Well I’m interested in communications and I think that the communications industry will employ the most people in the future I mean look at the number of people who use a mobile phone these days Everyone, it seems throughout Asia, Europe, Australia the USA…they’re everywhere! The Internet also comes under this category The Internet will continue to be used more and more all over the world It’s a cheap way to communicate and it’s great! It’s fast and it’s effective Regular telephones in people’s homes are also part of the communications industry It’s so Texas Academy Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab huge I heard a few months ago that a big telephone company invested, I think it was or billion dollars in the UK It made me think that communications are going to be very important in the future Q6 One final question Work takes up a lot of people’s time Can you suggest ways people can find a balance between work and leisure activities? A balance between work and leisure is very important Some people spend too much A6 time at work When they’re old and about to die, most people regret all the time they spent at work and wish they’d spent more time on other things…particularly their family One suggestion that comes to mind is for people to take the time to actually schedule and plan their time Too many people let life happen to them, they tend to be reactive instead of being considered and well-planned To achieve a balance between work and leisure, we’ve got to plan to be balanced or we won’t be…and time will pass by and we’ll end up spending more time on one or the other Texas Academy ... household jobs will change in the future, but I guess they will Texas Academy Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab Speaking Lab Part 2: Transcript Q1 Ok that’s good I’m now going to give you a topic that... that’s great Perhaps one day I’ll follow in his footsteps… Texas Academy Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab Speaking Lab Part 3: Transcript Q1 We’ve been talking about a company in which a relative...Sample Speaking Test Speaking Lab A4 Ha! Housework what’s that? At the moment, I’m sharing an apartment with other