IELTS Speaking Section Part 1 - Talking about Familiar Topics
Daily Routine
What time do you wake up?
Every day I wake up at 4.30, because I have to do the morning prayer. If I still need to sleep, I will go to sleep after the prayer and wake up at six, and then get prepared for work.
What is your daily routine?
Of course, working. Like many other people, I work from nine to five, five days a week. I also have a side job as a writer, but I can write whenever I want, depending on the mood. Sometimes, I have to rush because the deadline of a publication is near, but this does not happen very often. I also teach online class on occasion, this is another side job that I have. Since there are not so many people taking online course in my country, I don't do this very often. However, I am still developing a curriculum for the online class, so I still have to make materials and exercises almost every day.
Do you do the same thing everyday?
My routine is pretty much the same. Going to work, going back from work, and taking some side jobs just to make ends meet. I hang out with my friends and colleagues on weekends, but it's not that we're doing it every weekend. Some of my friends are working in nearby towns and sometimes they just don't have much free time.
Have you ever tried doing something new?
Yes I have, a couple times. Well, I recently become more active on social media. Social media has been around since long time ago but I wasn't really interested until quite recently. So, this is relatively new to me. I'm actually a very discrete person, but my friends always urge me to create an instagram account. They always take pictures on special occasions like new year celebration or college reunion, but they can never tag me in the photo because I don't have instagram account. So, they keep persuading me to create an account on instagram and other platforms.
Do you prefer being on your own or around other people?
It really depends on the situation. I'm generally a very social person who always likes spending some quality times with others. But, there are times when I have to stay away from people. For example, I once had a publication deadline and just couldn't find a motivation to work on my manuscript due to personal circumstances. I tried to contact some of my friends to talk about personal issues that I have. But apparently, it kind of distracted me even more. It's not that they couldn't help or anything. Actually, it's quite the contrary. I felt extremely comfortable talking to them about my personal issues, but it didn't really help me catching up with the deadline that I had. So, I figured out that this was just not the right time to get too comfortable and started isolating myself from the outside world, doing anything in my power to finish the overdue manuscript that has been bugging me for months.
What do you do when you feel bored?
Playing games, especially the ones that I have never played before. Recently, my gaming laptop is damaged beyond repair. I got so bored on the weekends because games are my only entertainment. Because I do not have enough money to buy a new gaming laptop just yet, I decided to play other games, like chess, billiards, poker, and even mini golf. Actually, I will do just about anything to entertain myself.
IELTS Speaking Part 2 - Self-Presentation
Talking about A Major Change in Life
Describe a sudden change that happens to your life
You should say
What happens
Since when did your life change
How are you dealing with the change
How does such change affect your life
What happens
Recently, life has been extremely different and difficult for me, and for a lot of people too, actually. In early March, corona virus hit my country so hard that everything eventually came to a halt. People are asked to work from home, travels and large gatherings are banned, any close interaction with others are restricted, and I get stuck here in the city for the past two months.
Since when did your life change
Since the first day the first two corona cases were announced. I can no longer teach in class, so everything is now done through this 12-inch-screen notebook. At first, I was still optimistic because at least I could still reach out to my audience through some books that I planned to publish this year. But then, I was told that the publication of those book were delayed, indefinitely. When I lose my ways of reaching out to people, I basically have lost my job. All of the projects that I've meticulously planned since the end of 2019 is now in jeopardy. So that's how my life has changed drastically for a couple months, from being a person with multiple jobs to someone who is stuck in a confined space.
How are you dealing with the change?
Although the virus outbreak has forced me to stay at home, I'm glad that remote working has been made possible by technological advancement. Now I just focus on online class, and have been selling material online. I am trying to be productive, to the best of my ability. When life is getting tough and there are not so many options for me, I will just take whatever chance I have.
How does such change affect your life
Life in general? Well, personally, I've been having difficult time because I cannot go back to my hometown to see my family and get stuck in the city. This is actually the hardest thing, I can always find an alternative when it comes to work, but there is no alternative for family. There has been a social impact as well, since human-to-human interaction is getting more difficult, and awkward, there is a sense of loneliness that I, and many other people are feeling. And of course, there is a financial impact as the economy is deteriorating and many people are being put out of work.
IELTS Speaking Part 3 - Discussion
Talking about Technology and Change
How has technology changed the way we work?
Technology has made everything simpler, and faster, and better. Technology has overcome problems related to geographical boundaries, one thing that has made it possible for people to work from home during the pandemic. Production process that used to take weeks now only takes several days, or even hours, so essential products like food and medicine can be produced more quickly.
Do you believe that more and more people will lose their jobs because of technology?
Can you explain why changes are important?
On personal level, changes become an apparent sign of growth. Even the smallest change like getting a clean cut and improving your appearance can affect the way you see yourself, or the way the world sees you. In a broader sense, changes are important because our life becomes more and more complex. Education is a case on point. Our education used to focus on a method called rote memorization, by which students are encouraged to memorize information instead of understanding a subject. This method is no longer relevant these days, because students need to have critical thinking skill and problem solving skill. These two skills are very important because they will predict someone's success not only in school, but also in job market, and in life in general. There has to be some improvement in the education system and of course, there has to be someone who is brave enough to revolutionize the way we approach education.
Can you mention one or more changes that currently happens in your country?
Our country is now adopting a new normal, as the government decides to ease the large scale social distancing. Life will be much different after the outbreak. People have to wear mask all the time, there's got to be a safe distance when they are interacting with others, large public gathering like prayers and sporting event will also be discouraged, if not banned entirely. Basically, everything will become more challenging, for all of us.
Tips for IELTS Speaking Section
Do not give memorized answers ❌
One thing we always have to remember is tha tyou may not give prepared, or worse, memorized answers in IELTS Speaking Section. The assessor will definitely notice. Speak spontaneously and naturally. Instead of memorizing answers, you should practice with different topics, especially the ones that are not familiar to you.
Be prepared ✔
What I mean 'prepared' here is not preparing your answers. In IELTS Speaking Section, the assessor may give you one topic to discuss, but the decides to talk about an entirely new topic, so be prepared.
Expand your vocabulary ✔
This is very important. If you have a poor vocabulary, you may find it difficult to explain yourself. Trying to find an English equivalent for certain word can take some time, reducing your level of fluency. There's also a possibility that you cannot comprehend what the assessor is asking you, if they use an English word that you have never heard before. Sometimes, you can just ignore these words. Take a look at an example below.
Question
What is the most viable solution for reducing traffic congestion?
Even if you don't know what the word 'viable' means in your native language, it won't be much of a problem. You can ignore that word and still understand the question. The problem is when you don't know what 'congestion' means (some people are probably more familiar with the term traffic jam, but not traffic congestion).
Do not skip a question ❌
I may have said this before but I will say it again. Skipping a question is a big no no in IELTS Speaking Section. Even if you don't understand the question at all, try to answer it based on what you understand. Your answer may not be that relevant, or even confusing, but at least you only get low score for one criterion, which is relevancy. If you try to answer it and still manage to demonstrate your skill in using English grammar, vocabulary as well as maintaining the fluency and clear pronunciation, I think you will be just fine.