EC SPEAKING EXERCISE

The IELTS Speaking Module follows a pattern described below. It is to assess one's ability in initiating/sustaining/managing/coordinating a general conversation and to make it exciting/interesting/lively; also to see if the candidate can talk/converse on a specific topic ie., to fathom the depths of his/her conversational skills and the last part is to get into a formal discussion with the participant on a specific issue in order to gauge the person's critical thinking/argumentative/persuasive communication skills.

The SPEAKING MODULE BEGINS...there are four exercises in this section for you to practice and get familiar with.

First the examiner/evaluator asks the candidate about himself/herself, his/her home, work or studies and other similar/familiar topics.

EXERCISE 1
PART 1: A CONVERSATION ON A GENERAL TOPIC
Speaking about visitors
What would you suggest a visitor should see and do in your country?
Are there any traditional arts or music that you would recommend?
Tell me about the foreign visitors or tourists who come to your country?
In what ways has tourism changed your country?

PART 2: A CONVERSATION BASED ON A CUE-CARD
Describe a memorable event in your life. You should say: when/where/how exactly the event took place or happened and why this is special/important/memorable to you.

PART 3: A FOLLOW-UP DISCUSSION 
The next part is a discussion on : The role of ceremony in our lives.
(Prompting with questions like "How important are ceremonies in our lives?/ Do you see the role of private and public ceremonies changing in the future?")

Attitudes to marriage in your country.
(Prompting with questions like "Have attitudes to marriage changed in recent years?/ In what ways do men and women feel differently about marriage, in your opinion?")

Events to national/global significance.
(Prompting with questions like "What sort of national events make headlines in your country?/ Does the media in your country pay more attention to global or national events?")

EXERCISE 2
PART 1
SPEAKING ABOUT DAILY ROUTINE
What/how would like to change in your daily routine?
Are all your days the same?
Tell me about your typical weekday and your typical weekend.
How do you balance your work/study/free time in your normal day?

PART 2
Describe something you own which is very important to you.You should say:Where you got it from/ How long you have had it/ What do you use it for/ Why it is so important to you?

PART 3:The next part is a discussion on : How values can change.
(Prompting with questions like "What kind of possessions show status in your country?/ Do you think it was different for your grandparents?")

The consumer society
(Prompting with questions like "Modern society is often called 'materialistic'/ Why do you think this is?/ Do you think consumerism is a positive or a negative development?")

The consumer market
(Prompting with questions like "What is the role of advertising?/ How do you think the Internet will affect buying patterns in the future?")

EXERCISE 3
PART 1
FESTIVALS
Tell me about the most important festival in your country.
What special food and activities are connected with this festival?
What do you most enjoy about it?
Do you think festivals are important for a country? Why?

PART 2
Describe a film or a TV programme which has made a strong impression on you. You should say: What kind of film or TV programme it was, e.g. comedy/ When you saw the film or TV programme/What was it about and explain why it made such an impression on you.

PART 3
The next part is a discussion on: People's cinema-going habits nowadays.
(Prompting with questions like: "Do you think cinema has increased or decreased in popularity in recent years?/ In your opinion, will this trend continue into the future")

Making a film or TV or drama of real/fictional events
(Prompting with questions like: "What are the advantages and disadvantages of making films of real-life events?/ How important do you think it is for a film maker to remain true to the orginal story?")

Censorship and the freedom of the film-maker/TV producer
(Prompting with questions like: "Should films and television be censored or should we be free to choose what we see/ How do you think censorship laws will change in the next 20 years?")

EXERCISE 4
PART 1
FAMILY
Do you have a large family or a small family?
Can you tell me something about them?
How much time do you manage to spend with members of your family?
What sorts of things do you like to do together?
Did/Do you get on well with your family? Why?

PART 2
Describe a teacher who has influenced you in your education. You should say: where you met them/ What subject they taught/ What was special about them and explain why this person influenced you so much.

PART 3
This part is a discussion on: Developments in education
(Prompting with questions like: "How has education changed in your country in the last 10 years/ What changes do you foresee in the next 50 years?")

A national education system
(Prompting with questions like: "How do the expectations of today's school leavers compare with those of the previous generation?/ What role do you think extracurricular activities play in education")

Different styles/methods of teaching and learning
(Prompting with questions like: "What method of learning works best for you?/ How beneficial do you think it is to group students according to their level of ability")

TO BE CONTINUED...