IELTS Speaking Samples and Answers
IELTS Speaking Test # 117
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IELTS Speaking Test # 117
IELTS Band 8/9 level Speaking sample.
Part 1 Topic: "People you study/work with."
Part 2 Topic: "Describe a tourist attraction you enjoyed visiting."
Part 3 Topic: "Different kinds of tourist attractions" & "The importance of international tourism".
Part 1 - Introduction & Interview
[This part of the test begins with the examiner introducing himself or herself and checking the candidate’s identification. It then continues as an interview. In the interview, the examiner asks the candidate about his/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics.]
Topic - "People you study/work with"
Q. Who do you spend most time studying/working with [Why?]
Answer: As a university student, I spend most parts of a day studying, attending classes or completing assignments. And my close friend "James", from my university, is the person with whom I spend the most time for the purpose of academic studies. Being great buddies, we understand each other and like to help each other with our studies. This is perhaps the reason he is my best study pal.
Alternative Answer: I have been working in a multinational company for over three years, and I work most of the time with my colleague "Emily". We two go together really well, and it is well-known that we can solve many problems together. This is why the management often assigns us to the same projects and tasks.
Q. What kinds of things do you study/work on with other people? [Why?]
Answer: I like to believe that I am a team player, and as a student, I like to study and work on assignments with other people as it helps me understand the topics better. When I discuss a lesson, no matter the subject or topic, with a group of other people or a study partner, it becomes much easier to understand and more fun to deal with.
Alternative Answer: In my office, I am a part of a team, and my team is assigned different tasks and projects. So I pretty much always work with other people for my day-to-day responsibilities. This includes market research, competitor analysis, talking to corporate clients, making a presentation, conducting meetings and so on.
Q. Are there times when you study/work better by yourself? [Why/Why not?]
Answer: Even though I prefer study groups and study partners for most parts of my academic life, I prefer to study alone when it comes to preparing for the exam. This is because I can control the pace of my study when I do so alone.
Alternative Answer: Sometimes I need to think outside the box and do some brainstorming to solve a tough problem or bring innovation to an approach. In times like this, I like to work alone. Besides, I often like to work on small presentations, like making a few slides, all by myself. It gives me more freedom and time to think.
Q. Is it important to like the people you study/work with? [Why?/Why not?]
Answer: Yes, it is extremely important because if I do not like someone, I can barely talk to them; let alone study with them or freely discuss different topics with them. I believe that only like-minded people who have a good understanding among themselves can be good study partners. If people in a group do not like each other, the group would not sustain for long
Alternative Answer: It is highly important for me to like the people who I work with. Whenever someone works in a group, he or she needs friendly, understanding, agreeable members in the group. It is even more prevalent in an office setup where we spend most of our waking hours and solve tough problems.
Part 2 - Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card
[The topic for your talk will be written on a card which the examiner will hand over to you. Read it carefully and then make some brief notes.]
Describe a tourist attraction you enjoyed visiting.
You should say:
- what this tourist attraction is
- when and why you visited it
- what you did there
and explain why you enjoyed visiting this tourist attraction.
[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]
[Examiner: All right? Remember you have one to two minutes for this, so don't worry if I stop you. I'll tell you when the time is up. Can you start speaking now, please?]
Click here for the answer to this Cue Card Topic
Part 3 - Details discussion:
Discussion topic: "Different kinds of tourist attractions".
Q. What are the most popular tourist attractions in your country?
Answer: Our country is famous for its lavish natural beauty, historical buildings, architectural feats, food streets, and sandy beaches. Those places, along with large museums, theatres and some beautiful islands attract millions of visitors each year. On an average evening, if you go for a walk in a park in our capital city, you will notice many foreign tourists. Finally, many shopping malls, these days, are also popular destinations among visiting tourists.
Q. How do the types of tourist attractions that younger people like to visit compare with those that older people like to visit?
Answer: I believe some tourist attractions like a sea beach, mountain, lake or a modern shopping mall are loved by people of all ages. However, when it comes to the differences between the tourist attractions preferred by younger people and old people, there are some subtle distinctions. For instance, younger people often love places that have parties and loud music going on and have great nightlife activities. On the contrary, elder people often avoid loud music and parties and want to relax and enjoy themselves. Finally, when elder people are up to the historical values of a place, the younger generation often prefers places that offer adventures.
Q. Do you agree that some tourist attractions (e.g. national museums/galleries) should be free to visit?
Answer: Yes, I wholeheartedly believe that most museums and galleries that are funded by or supported by the state should offer free entry. This is primarily because when I see young people and tourists hanging out at a bar or shopping mall regularly, but scarcely visiting a museum or art gallery, it worries me. Some art galleries and exhibitions are expensive and not accessible for young students. This has a huge negative consequence. Due to this, our younger generation is learning very little about our history, art and culture. The same goes when tourists roam around the city except for places where lies our national history. This is not desirable at all.
Discussion topic: "The importance of international tourism".
Q. Why is tourism important to a country?
Answer: Well, to start with, tourism boosts the local economy, increases the foreign currency reserve, creates job opportunities, develops local infrastructure, and contributes to the national economy. Moreover, it helps promote the cultural diversity and uniqueness of a country while also fostering global peace. Some countries, like the Maldives, Macau, Aruba, Bahamas, Fiji, and Croatia, rely on the tourism sector to a great extent as they earn a large portion of their GDP from this sector alone. Finally, when tourists interact with local people and get to learn about them, it removes any prejudice and biases they might have. It, in turn, promotes tolerance and global peace.
Q. What are the benefits to individuals of visiting another country as tourists?
Answer: Travelling to another country is immensely important for individuals as it broadens our horizon of knowledge, views and understanding. It enhances our creativity, improves our communication skills, and boosts our confidence. According to a recent study, people who have travelled to different countries are likely to have at least 20% more confidence when facing new challenges. It also helps us make good memories, make new friends, and let us see the world from a different perspective.
Q. How necessary is it for tourists to learn the language of the country they're visiting?
Answer: If someone is visiting a country only for a while (let's say for a few weeks), learning the language is not much rewarding, especially in this era when English is used ubiquitously all around us. The effort and time to learn a language are huge when you will be only staying for a while and please consider that countries like India have more than twenty languages. On the other hand, if someone is going to stay in a country for more than a year, the effort would be rewarding as people always adore foreigners who can interacts (even a tiny bit) in their own language.
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