ELTS Speaking Module Part 1: Question List

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Paul Davey

In the first part of the IELTS speaking module the interviewer will be asking questions about familiar things. You have to talk about three topics in 4 or 5 minutes. Usually he’ll start with your home town or your work/study. Followed by two more general topics, such as:

your family, hobbies, job, your school, accommodation, your town or city, your country, learning English, important festivals, food, music, what you want to do in the future, where you live, ambitions for the future, transport, TV, reading, travelling etc.

You
  • What’s your name?
  • Do you work or are you a student?
  • Are you working or studying?
  • Who has been the most influential person in your life?
  • What has been your toughest accomplishment?
  • How would you describe your attitude?
  • What is your most important goal in life?
  • Where do you see yourself in four years?

Work
  • Let’s talk about what you do.
  • How long have you been working for this company?
  • What are you main duties?
  • What do you like about work you do?
  • What’s your job?
  • Why did you choose that kind of work?
  • How long have you been doing it?
  • What is a typical day like at your work?
  • Are there things your don’t like about it? What are they?
  • What do you want to change or improve in it?
Study
  • What subjects are you studying?
  • Why did you choose those subjects?
  • How long have you been studying them?
  • Do you enjoy them? Why?
  • Are there many job opportunities for you?
  • What is the best thing about studying?
  • What area/s are you interested in studying further?
Your family
  • How many people are there in your family?
  • Describe a member of your family?
Shopping
  • Do you like shopping?
  • What do you usually shop for?
  • Do you enjoy food shopping?
  • What items do you buy? Why?
  • What time do you do the shopping? Why?
  • Where do you go shopping?
  • In your country, is shopping a popular pastime?
  • What time of day is best for shopping, in your opinion?
Hobbies
  • What are some of your hobbies?
  • How would you describe your interests?
Travel
  • Where do people like to go on holiday?
  • Have you ever been abroad? Did you enjoy it? Why?
  • Is it easy to travel within your country?
  • What has been your most fun traveling experience?
Home town or village
  • What kind of place is it?
  • What is the most interesting part of your home area?
  • What kind of jobs do the people in your town/village do?
  • Is your home town changing?
  • Would you say it is a good place to live? Why?
  • What changes would you like to make to your home town?
Festivals in your country
  • What are some festivals in your country?
  • Which one is your favorite? Why?
  • What special food or activities are related to it?
  • What do you enjoy most about it?
  • Are festivals important?
History
  • Do you study history at school in your country?
  • Which historical person do you identify with most? Why?
  • Do you think children should learn about the history of other countries? Why/why not?
Music
  • Do you enjoy listening to music?
  • Do you prefer to listen to traditional or modern music? Why?
  • Do you think children should learn to play a musical instrument? Why/why not?
Daily routine.
  • Are all your days the same?
  • Describe a typical day?
  • What do you do on a normal weekend?
  • What would you like to change?
  • What is the balance of work/study?
Jewelry
  • In your country, do people wear a lot of jewelry?
  • Is it the same for men and women?
  • Do you think children should wear jewelry? Why/why not?
Markets
  • What kinds of markets are there where you live?
  • Do you prefer to go shopping in traditional markets or in supermarkets? Why?
  • Do you think that there will always be markets in your country?
Libraries
  • Do you have public libraries in your country?
  • Do you think libraries will be different in the future? In what ways?
  • Should children be allowed in libraries? Why/why not?
Sports
  • Do you play any sports?
  • Which sports do you play?
  • Which sports are most popular for watching in your country?
  • Is this the same for men and women?
The environment
  • What kind of threats are there to the environment in your country?
  • Do you think your country is protecting the environment enough?
  • Is the environment very important to you? Why/why not?
Food
  • Do you like cooking?
  • What is your favourite meal?
  • Do you think that people will eat the same things in twenty years as they eat now? Why/why not?
Physical activity
  • Do you exercize?
  • What kind of exercize do you do?
  • Which activities are most popular in your country?
  • Is this the same for men and women?
Free time
  • What do people in your country most enjoy doing in their leisure time?
  • Do you have enough, too much or just the right amount of free time?
  • What did you do in your free time when you were a child?
Telecommunications
  • Which do you use more often ? a mobile phone or telephone? Why?
  • Are international phone calls expensive in your country?
  • What is the best way to keep in touch with friends abroad?
Museums
  • Do you enjoy visiting museums?
  • Do you think museums have an important role to play in society?
  • Are museums important in your culture?
Buildings
  • Is there a building you particularly like in your country?
  • Do you prefer to see new buildings or traditional buildings? Why?
  • Is there enough housing in your country?
The sea
  • Have you ever made a journey by boat?
  • Is the seaside a popular destination for people in your country?
  • What do you think should be done to prevent pollution of the oceans?
Animals
  • Do you have a pet?
  • What animal is most popular in your country? Why?
  • Do you like visiting zoos? Why/why not?
The media
  • Do most people listen to the radio where you live?
  • Which newspaper do you most like reading? Why?
  • Do you think television provides good news coverage compared to newspapers? Why/why not?

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About Paul Davey

I’m Paul from Bristol, England. I am an IELTS tutor available for face-to-face classes in Taipei and Skype classes anywhere in the world. I'm based in Yonghe, New Taipei City — very close to Taipei. I have been teaching for many years and I am good at it. I’m patient and never tire of correcting students’ mistakes. I know many good ways for students to learn quickly and make a lot of progress in a short time. You won’t be wasting your money. I especially know the difficulties faced by Chinese speakers, and I know how to overcome these difficulties. IELTS is my primary concern and over the years I have taught hundreds of students in the UK, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other spots around the world. I know what the examiners look for and I know how to increase your band and get the grade you need to make your dream come true. I have been blogging about IELTS for about a decade. I started my first website in 2007, before beginning to blog at IELTS Tutor on the Hello UK website. Now I blog only at IELTS in Taiwan and Around the World. I majored in Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia, UK, graduating with a bachelor’s degree (2/1 with honours). I obtained my language-teaching qualification in 2006, which is accredited by the Royal College of Teachers. Before I began teaching, I worked in a software company in the UK, writing and selling software solutions. After teaching for many years I took a five-year break to run my own retailing business. Following that adventure, I returned to full-time teaching. For the last 11 years, I’ve been in Taiwan, where in addition to my IELTS work, I have taught corporate classes at Taipei Bank, Pfizer, and Chinese Petroleum Corporation (CPC, Taiwan). I have interests in many fields including travel, literature, science and history.
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