speaking ielts for learner

….Family Tradition Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples You should then speak for between one and two minutes Describe your favourite family tradition You should say: • what the tradition is • when it occurs • what you and explain why it is your favourite tradition My favourite family tradition is most certainly Thanksgiving, which is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday Actually, everyday should be a day of Thanksgiving My family loves to celebrate this holiday It is a yearly tradition for our family to gather at my grandma’s house for Thanksgiving I always look forward to this event My cousins and other family members that I not get to see often are there My grandma and other family members prepare a big meal There is always plenty for everyone The main thing is of course the turkey I like turkey, especially the legs My uncle never eats turkey He says it is an ugly bird, and he doesn’t want to eat it When I was younger, I would always want to get the wishbone and break it We also have sides to go along with the turkey Everyone loves my grandma’s mashed potatoes We also have rolls, dressing, cranberry sauce, and yams Then, for dessert we have fresh pumpkin pie with whipped cream Before we eat everyone always gathers around the table and someone says the blessing Thanksgiving is always a good time of fellowship and bonding for my family We usually watch some of the parade on television or a football game Sometimes after everyone is done eating, we play card games like Rook You can see why this is a favorite tradition for me and my family I wish we could it more often …Childhood Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples You should then speak for between one and two minutes Describe a happy childhood memory You should say: • when and where the incident you remember happened • who you were with • what happened exactly and explain why it is a happy memory I grew up very far from most of my family so I only saw them once a year Every summer I would go to stay with them, while my parents continued working Although I missed my parents, I used to really enjoy spending time with my grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles I spent all summer there, nearly two whole months, so from time to time my cousins and I would get bored We would ask my grandparents if they had any ideas for interesting things we could Sometimes they suggested going for a bike ride, sometimes into town to some shopping At other times, they showed us a new game to play Then we were happy again One day - it must be about 30 years ago (doesn't time fly!) - all of us got really, really bored and we kept complaining to my grandparents They were tearing their hair out, trying to think up ideas of where we could go and what we could Suddenly, my granddad came up with the idea of going to a new water park that had opened that summer I hadn't heard about it but my cousins had, and they told me all about it It was a park with vast numbers of different pools, some inside, some outside There were water slides as well And, on top of there was not one, but two playgrounds with swings, a merry-go-round, see-saws We were so excited We set off and on the way we were all singing songs and laughing We couldn't wait to get there When we arrived, my cousins and I ran into the park and changed into our swimming costumes Then we went looking for the most exciting-looking pool, and we found it, one with brightly coloured tiles and slides, we jumped straight in We played all day in the park and had a lovely lunch, sat on some benches in the sunshine My granddad loved a pool that was filled with spa water It was dark brown and stank of rotten eggs I didn't want to go in but he eventually convinced me I'm pleased he did because the water was really warm I'd never swam in water that warm I didn't want to get out, despite the terrible smell I consider it such a happy memory because we enjoyed ourselves so much and I remember so vividly how I felt that day But there's more to it than just that When I look back now, I understand how caring my grandparents were and how much they wanted us all to be happy They would have done anything to help us have a good time I appreciate that more now that I'm older and have children of my own I hope we thanked them; I can't remember But, anyway, they were content, I'm sure, to just watch us have an amazing time, playing and laughing in the water So, as you can see, it was a wonderful day and is one of my favourite childhood memories What other activity did you use to enjoy when you were staying with your family? I loved going for walks in the local park There were people selling all kinds of delicious foods from carts, so my grandparents would invariably buy us some treat, like homemade ice-cream or cakes Successful Family Member 1) The format of the test is as follows: In the first part of the interview you will be asked questions about yourself and familiar topics In the second part you will be given a card with a topic and some prompts You will have one minute to prepare this topic and then you will talk about it for one to two minutes In the last part the examiner will develop this topic into a more abstract discussion You will be asked for your opinions and ideas on related issues 2) Try to talk as much and as fluently as possible In the actual test, not let concern about accuracy obstruct fluency 3) Do not prepare specific answers: they will not be useful and they will make it more difficult for you to a good interview 4) Relax, be confident and enjoy using your English Part Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples You should then speak for between one and two minutes Describe the member of your family who is the most successful You should say: • who this person is • how often you see each other • what this person does and explain why he/she is successful I think that the person who is the most successful in my family would be my father I think also that the answer to the question ‘Who is the most successful person in your family?’ basically depends on what you think ‘success’ means, so, my answer is in the context of working life, rather than personal life And that's why I've chosen my dad He has a job that is rewarding He feels like he's accomplishing something, that is obviously personally and professionally satisfying, but he also feels like he's contributing to society in a positive way, which is a quality that a lot of jobs these days seem to lack and is something that I gauge success on It's a bit hard to explain exactly what he does, but basically he works for a charitable organisation that runs retirement homes for old people, especially old people who haven't got much money It's a management job, but working in a context which is really worthwhile His success is due to a lot of different things basically finding the right job for him, one that suited him and his personality as well as his qualifications, and the goals that he wants to reach in his working life But he's also just worked hard over a lot of years, which means that it's more likely that he'll be successful, I guess, if success comes from hard work, which it often does I see my dad very regularly, about once a week We often eat breakfast together before we go to our respective workplaces, so, yes, I think that I'd have to say he was the most successful because he enjoys what he does, as well as making a decent living out of it and I admire that in him I think that in a work context this is what success means Describe a museum you have visited and liked IELTS Cue Card Question 91 With Model Answer: Topic :Describe a museum you have visited and liked You should say: • what kind of museum it was • when you first went there • what you saw and did there and explain why you liked this museum Museum is an exciting place to learn about the past and histories of numerous issues A few weeks ago, I went to the War Remnants Museum with some of my friends The War Remnants Museum is located in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam This museum is a place of wonderful collections of Vietnam War The museum also contains relics and collection of the first Indochina war where the participation of the French Colonialists was a notable issue The museum is currently operated by the state The museum exhibits mostly the relics of the war associated with the Americans and the French In the 1970s, the relics were exhibited on the temporary basis and were termed in a different name Such exhibitions were also held in different parts of Vietnam to let people know about the war crimes which Vietnam has suffered The exhibition name was changed in the 1990s When I was a teen, I went to the museum with my high school mates It was an educational trip for us and we visited the museum from our school The school authority organised for the tour and all the students of the high school had to participate in the trip I learnt a lot of information during the trip but it was not that much popular as it in the current days Around one million visitors come to see the war relics in this museum and it has turned into one of the most attracting places both for the natives and global travellers But the foreign visitors are more in number than the local visitors and the opinions are different among the travellers Some of them cannot bear the horrors of the Vietnam wars during the visit Reading Do you like reading books? Why or why not? What (kinds of) books you like to read? Did you read much when you were a child? What (kinds of) books did you like reading when you were a child? Do (young) children like reading books? For children, what you think are the benefits of reading? What you think are the benefits of reading to children? Yes, I’m really into reading because I believe that reading can be both entertaining and educational Reading broadens my knowledge by opening up the whole world to me While I’m reading, I can be visiting another country or a different time period, or traveling through space I can find out how people solve problems or think up new ideas Oh, it’s a tough question, or it should be more of what books I don’t read I have a really open mind to books and what genre they are Classic literature, novel, autobiography, historical story…whatever Yes, I remember when I was a kid, I’d like to take some historical books from my father’s bookshelf, and read the historical stories, which were really entertaining and educational to me As a result, I’m very familiar with our Chinese ancient history It’s kind of hard to say but young children that I know around me tend to read fairy tales to cultivate their mental development, but maybe for others, they just want to watch TV and play toys I believe if you want your children to be smart, they have to acquire a love for reading, which has numerous benefits Reading opens the door to child’s early academic success, imparts a love of learning and leads to higher grades in every subject Besides, reading can help children Improve linguistic skills in the form of a richer vocabulary, correct grammar, and more articulate oral communication On top of that, books teach child about relationships, situations, personalities, and what is good and what is bad in the world he lives in Music Do you often like to listen to music? When you listen to music? How much time you spend listening to music every day? What kinds of music you like to listen to? What’s your favourite kind of music? How often you listen to that type of music? When did you start listening to this type of music? Where you listen to it? How you feel when you listen to this music? Yes, I am a big fan of music all these years I sometimes listen to music before sleeping at night for one hour and when I am driving, which will both help me relax I am very fond of pop music from Taiwan and Hong Kong, and I also frequently listen to some American pop singers, like the Backstreet Boys I can feel the energy when I hear the tune Personally, I am interested in the traditional instrumental music, like erhu, mixed with pianos and guitars I always get time to listen to these music during the weekends It is an impressive combination that can give you a both nostalgic and modern feelings I firstly encountered this type of music when I was driving and listening to the radio five years ago, I forgot the name, but the tune sounded really amazing Oh, yes, I saw a pop singer performance several years ago It was a really memorable night as the live performances were very exciting I remembered that after the song, when the singer talked to the audience, everyone cheered and clapped crazily It made me feel so cool being there Unfortunately, I had not learned to play any type of musical instrument when I was a little boy I remembered that in schools, teachers always told us to put all energy into studying and preparing exams The music lessons, along with physical exercises and paintings, were not so important as the schools claimed to be I really felt pity when I grew up I didn’t get enough time to listen to music because I had to give all time to study That was my biggest pity during my childhood, so when I got to the university, what I firstly did was to buy me a new mp3 player I believe currently in China, the most popular music is pop music There are many famous pop singers now, releasing numerous albums every year, and they are always trendy for a period of time …Describe a newspaper or a magazine You should say: • What it is and why you read it • What are the benefits of reading a newspaper or a magazine • How often you read it and what are the contents of it and explain why you like reading this newspaper or magazine Follow-up Questions: • What you think are the important qualities for a news reporter? • What's the main difference between newspaper and magazine? • What’s the function of a report to the society? • What kinds of books/newspapers/magazines adolescents read in your country? • With the popularity of Internet, you think newspapers and magazines will disappear? Possible Answer: I read the newspaper almost every day and sometimes I purchase or borrow magazines to read as well I'd like to describe a magazine that I usually buy each month and enjoy reading a lot The name of this magazine is PC World which is a global computer magazine published monthly by IDG in the USA It offers advice on various aspects of PCs and related items, the Internet, and other personaltechnology products and services In each publication, PC World reviews and tests hardware and software products from a variety of manufacturers, as well as other technology related devices such as still and video cameras, audio devices and televisions I have been reading this magazine for the last 6-7 years or so It is specifically useful for people who love computers, other technology devices; software and ITrelated news and updates I am doing my graduation in Computer Science and Engineering and love to learn about new hardware and software This is a magazine that offers great hardware & software reviews, tips on advanced computing and many other useful articles Reading a newspaper or a magazine is always helpful for learning new information Newspapers provide contemporary local news, international news, editorials, entertainment, news, sports news and so on Without reading newspapers or magazines one can't keep himself / herself updated with the latest news and views of the world I purchase the PC World magazine every month and read it for about days Sometimes I read older versions as well to find out any particular reviews or articles This magazine is helpful for basic, moderate and advanced computer users and techno lovers Someone who has a computer should read it to increase his/ her knowledge of hardware and software Even it’s helpful for those who are going to buy computers, printers, cameras, scanners, software or other hardware devices I enjoy reading it a lot Travelling Do you like travelling? In which seasons you prefer to travel? Would you say your country welcomes travellers? (or tourists)? Would you say your country is a good place for travellers to visit? You bet! I am a big fan of travelling around I spend months all together each year to go somewhere else I feel that it’s not only an indispensable part of my life, but also can culture my mental development I guess the autumn is the best time to travel As it is neither too hot nor too cold, people will feel comfortable to go out Besides, as the foliage of trees will turn yellow or red, you will find the picturesque views all around you Wherever you go, you will experience a memorable trip Yes, Chinese people are renowned for their hospitality to visitors And there are also numerous tourist attractions around the country For instance, you can visit the natural landscape to see the picturesque views, or you can go to the historical relics to know the events through the long Chinese history, or you can just stay at the metropolises to experience the local people’s lifestyle Describe your favourite item of clothing You should say: • What it is • When you bought it • Why you bought it and say why you like it so much Ooh, my favourite item of clothing! I’m not much of a clothes horse to be honest, I’m not very interested in fashion so at first, I thought this topic might be quite hard However, I’ve thought of one I’ll tell you what it is, when and why I bought it and why I like it so much The item is in itself unremarkable It is a purple craghoppers’ long-sleeved shirt It is made of a quick-drying poly cotton blend and the fabric has some stretchy qualities which make it easy to wear The fabric keeps out the sun, and the design incorporates a couple of pockets, one of which has a zip so you can keep small items securely on your person It is designed as a travel shirt, and to be honest, was rather expensive compared to clothes I would normally buy I bought the shirt online ahead of travelling to South East Asia It was just coming out of winter in the UK, but I’d be going to a hot climate I wanted something lightweight and comfortable to take with me It was the wrong time of year to be browsing shops in England, they were all still full of winter clothes, so I just had to trust the description on the site that this would be a good buy, but I was nervous in case it didn’t fit or wasn’t practical I shouldn’t have worried I LOVE this shirt It is incredibly comfortable to wear, the colour suits me quite well, and even though it is designed as a travel shirt, it’s actually smart enough to wear for work if you match it with some respectable trousers (or a skirt I suppose, but I never wear skirts!) It washes brilliantly, and if you shake it out and put it on a hanger it dries crease-free within an hour or so The hidden pocket is handy for carrying emergency cash on your person, and I like to have a hanky with me too – there is a pocket for that as well Because the shirt is so comfy, and much harder wearing than I expected, I wore it almost all the time on my travels This means that the shirt is now linked to very many happy memories of places I’ve been, people I’ve met and adventures I’ve had I wish I’d bought loads of them at the same time I’ll be heart-broken when it eventually wears out as one day it surely must Talking about it has got me thinking – would it really hurt to have another quick look at their travel clothes website once again? You never know, perhaps they’ll have a sale on and it would be a shame to miss out Tet Holiday In Vietnam, there are many festivals in a year such as Double Five festival, Midautumn festival, etc Among them, the Luna New Year is the most important and popular holiday in these traditional festivals This is a transitional period between old year and new year; is a occasion for everyone to commemorate ancestors, pilgrims and family reunions Therefore, Vietnamese people need make a good preparation to welcome the New Year festival Preparation often begins a week before the actual celebration At that time, everyone is busy buying some necessary items such as clothes, food, shoes, etc In spring flowers market, people go to visit and choose their most satisfied flower pots Peach blossom, kumquat, yellow daisy, apricot blossom, etc are flowers which are used to decorating in the traditional festival Moreover, food is gotten ready; the traditional dishes get ready: square glutinous rice cake, pickled welsh onion, pie, chicken, spring roll and these confectioneries such as ginger jam, sugar- preserved lotus seeds, sweet, cake, etc Everybody often cleans and decorates their house; their ancestral altar is tidied up Vietnamese families have a tray of five fruits on their altar called five - fruits tray, including banana, orange, kumquat, pomelo and chili; each of which conveys a different meaning and is symbolic of happiness, luckiness, richness The atmosphere of this festival is coming and people are animatedly to welcome spring time On the last day of the year, preparation for new year is completed Families have a New Year’s Eve supper together and expect the New Year’s Eve At the mid-night, everyone performs ritual offerings to the ancestor on New Year’s Eve Then, they flock to pagoda to burn incense and to pick buds As they want to bring luckiness for their family After that, almost people often go to bed and hope their family will be many fun and luckiness in the New Year The first day of Tet is reserved for nuclear family Children receive a red envelop containing money from their elders Then, these families often warmly greet the first person enter their house This act is called “ First - food”, which is one of the most important rituals during festival, During subsequent days, people visit relatives, friends and give these close relatives the traditional Tet greetings This is a lucky, healthy, happy wish such as: “wish you a happy new year”, “wish you in security and good healthy”, etc Traditionally but strictly, the first day of Tet is usually reserved for parents; the second day is for relatives and the third day is for teachers, who command respect in Vietnam These others days, people are delighted to enjoy exciting games such as buffalo fight, chess, cock fight, etc When the festival ends, people return their works, their study However, these welcoming spring activities continue happening Luna New Year is the most important festival for Vietnamese people These are funny and happy days that people prepare and welcome new year together In addition, it is a wonderful occasion for Vietnamese families to reunite and remember their ancestors Food What is your favourite food? When you usually eat that food? What was your favourite food when you were a child? Did that change when you became an adult? Is food important to you? What food you usually eat? What kind of food you particularly like? The fish is my favourite, especially with red hot chilies, cos it is so tasty and colourful and beside fish is nutritious too I will cook it myself at home during the weekends for my family When I was a child, I liked the food made by my mother She was an expert at cooking, and the fish was my favourite I’m still fond of eating fish when I became an adult, and now I always cook it myself at home during the weekends for my family, once a week maybe Yes, definitely I believe good food is very important because it is not only very tasty, but could also guarantee our health In general, I eat a lot of rice and vegetables every day And once a week, I will cook a fish myself at home during the weekends for my family which is my favourite I always tell my son to eat more fresh vegetables and fish because they are healthier and more nutritious than meat, but he just fancies meat the most No, it will be boring to eat the same food every day I also like noodles, dumpling, and sometimes I eat pizza and curry which are both delicious I’m really not into Japanese food because they are sometimes cold, or even are raw food, like sushi I once bought them in the supermarket, but the taste really disgusted me Describe YOUR FAVORITE TEACHER You should say ✐ What this teacher looks like ✐ What sort of person this teacher is ✐ What this teacher helped you to learn ✐ And explain why this teacher is your favorite I would like to talk about one of my favourite teachers during the past 20 years I have been under formal education Her name is Thy and she was my English teacher when I was in grade 10 Off the top of my head, she has a feminine round face with distinctive facial features, which easily catch the eyes of the passers-by She is petite and personally speaking she looks the best wearing the traditional Vietnamese dress ‘Ao Dai’ because the dress accentuates her body About who she is as a person, she is the most delightful and friendly teacher I have ever had She is extremely attentive, caring and patient person She took time out to listen to our struggles in studying English and she actually tried to figure out a learning method that could suit each of us Grade 10 is the first grade in Vietnamese high school after students graduate from secondary school The transitioning process was quite daunting because I had to learn to adapt to the new environment, new friends and extensive amount of knowledge everyday But she did make the whole process less painful and more enjoyable in her lectures She helped the class members to get to know each other by getting us to take part in interactive games I remember that she used to ask my group to search for the lyrics of our favorite English songs and blank out some of the words as a challenge for another group in the class to listen and fill in We got to revise, practice English and had fun at the same time in her class so there is no doubt that she was also everyone’s favorite Now that this topic has reminded me of her, I feel a bit guilty for not keeping in touch with her to show her how much I appreciate her efforts to help me be this good at English But I hope that she’s been doing well and wish her all the best in whatever she tries to achieve Neighborhoods Are there many people living near you? Do you know all your neighborhood? How often you see your neighborhood? When you meet your neighborhood? How often you talk to your neighborhood? Do you think it’s important to know your neighbordhood? How well you know your neighbours? Do you think it’s important for a person to have a good relationship with their neighbours? What you think of your neighbours? 10 What kind of people are your neighbours? 11 How you get along well with your neighbours? 12 What are the benefits of having good relationships with one’s neighbours? 13 What sorts of problems can people have with their neighbours? Yes, I live in the small village , so there are many people living near me, and I know some of them I can meet them from time to time in the community Every time I meet my neighbours, I will say hell to them and talk with them for a little while Yes, we will say hello when we meet in the district My nearest neighbour is an old lady living with her son She is always alone at home as her son is working at office in the daytime, and she has no grandson to look after Every time we meet in the corridor, she is likely to talk with me about her family and play with my little boy for a while I think she really needs a company I don’t intend to know much things about neighbours because I want to respect others’ privacy But some of my neighbours are close friends, we meet regularly, and we sometimes go out for dinner In this case, we are inevitably familiar with their domestic problems Most of my neighbours are generous and kind-hearted Yes, I feel that having a good relationship with them can allow me to lead a comfortable life in the community I can make new friends with them, sharing the same interests and I can learn more skills from them about how to educate my boy Not so much big problems in neighbourhood I believe, except some noise To choose between the two, I will probably go with young people because I am young myself, it’s easy for me to make friends with them so that we can hang out together, whereas, living with old people will probably bring me inconvenience because if I make noise they will complain to me incessantly  ... distinctive facial features, which easily catch the eyes of the passers-by She is petite and personally speaking she looks the best wearing the traditional Vietnamese dress ‘Ao Dai’ because the dress