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Shadowing practice: Top 20 IELTS Speaking Topics with Answers

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  1. In IELTS speaking, you'll never know what topic you have to talk about on test day.0:00
  2. To get a high score, you'll need to know how to talk about a range of topics so you'll be ready for whatever question the examiner asks.0:05
  3. In this video, I'm going to help you out by showing you the 20 most common IELTS speaking topics.0:15
  4. In this video, we will go through each of the top 20 IELTS topics that you might get in IELTS speaking.0:28
  5. During each topic, we will ask Jay an example speaking part one question and then listen to his response.0:37
  6. After that, I'll show you some other questions that you could get for that topic on test day.0:44
  7. Now, before we begin looking at the most common IELTS speaking topics, make sure to hit that subscribe button for the best IELTS test prep videos on the internet.0:51
  8. Let's start with the first topic you might have to talk about on test day.1:02
  9. The first topic is animals.1:07
  10. All right, when you hear the topic of animals, maybe you think of words like pet, captivity, endangered, extinct, and so on.1:10
  11. So they're all great topical words, but it's very unlikely that you'll use words like that in part one of IELTS speaking because the examiner will ask you pretty simple1:22
  12. questions.1:34
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  1. You won't need sophisticated vocabulary like that.1:35
  2. Are you ready for your first question?1:38
  3. You can pause the video and try to answer the question yourself or you can watch Jay give his response.1:41
  4. Let's talk about animals.1:49
  5. Do you like animals?1:51
  6. Yeah, in general, I like animals.1:54
  7. I think I've become a little bit more discerning as I've aged with regard to which animals I like.1:56
  8. For example, I don't like silly jumpy dogs anymore.2:02
  9. I like quiet, placid dogs.2:06
  10. Great.2:09
  11. Did you notice how straightforward the question was and his answer was perfect?2:10
  12. Just the right length and it demonstrated lots of great vocabulary, not necessarily topical, but good vocab nevertheless.2:16
  13. Let's take a closer look at his response.2:27
  14. I like how we used in general to begin his opinion.2:30
  15. Yeah, in general, I like animals.2:35
  16. That's a nice way to do that.2:38
  17. Then he compared his present self with his past self.2:40
  18. I think I've become a little bit more discerning as I've aged with regard to which animals I like.2:45
  19. And then he gave an example.2:50
  20. For example, I don't like silly jumpy dogs anymore.2:53
  21. I like quiet, placid dogs.2:56
  22. Other questions you may receive on test day could look like this.2:59
  23. What animals can you see in your city or country?3:04
  24. Are animals used in farming in your country?3:09
  25. What animal would you like to see in the wild?3:13
  26. These three questions, along with many more animal -related IELTS speaking questions, can be found in E2's IELTS Topic Toolkit e -book.3:17
  27. This e -book contains over 100 pages of speaking questions, topical vocabulary, and other resources you can use to learn more about the 20 topics in this video.3:27
  28. You'll be prepared for any question you get on test day.3:40
  29. You can get this e -book for a reduced price by clicking the link in the description below.3:45
  30. Let's take a look at another common IELTS speaking topic.3:50
  31. Let's talk about art.3:55
  32. I don't know much about art, and maybe you don't either.3:58
  33. I mean, maybe you didn't study it in high school or university, and while I'm sure you can appreciate painting or sculpture or fashion, perhaps you really don't know much4:02
  34. about the topic.4:16
  35. And that's okay if you don't know much about art, like me.4:17
  36. You don't need to have a background in the topic.4:21
  37. You just need to have opinions.4:25
  38. You have opinions about art, right?4:28
  39. Ready for the question?4:30
  40. Let's talk about painting and drawing.4:32
  41. Did you enjoy painting and drawing when you were a child?4:34
  42. Well, if I remember back to primary school or high school, I have to be honest and say that I didn't really enjoy art.4:39
  43. I wasn't good at it, and that was probably the main reason why.4:46
  44. Maybe if I were better at drawing or painting, I would have enjoyed it more.4:50
  45. Ah, nice work.4:55
  46. Nice grammar.4:57
  47. You see, that was pretty straightforward.4:58
  48. Let's take a look at some of his language.5:01
  49. He used a nice little strategy to buy some time and help him think at the beginning by saying, well...5:04
  50. Well, if I remember back to primary school or high school, then he used a nice phrase, I have to be honest, before providing his opinion, and then he gave5:12
  51. a reason.5:22
  52. I have to be honest and say that I didn't really enjoy art.5:23
  53. I wasn't good at it, and that was probably the main reason why.5:27
  54. His last sentence used very complex grammar.5:31
  55. If I were, I would have.5:35
  56. Maybe if I were better at drawing or painting, I would have enjoyed it more.5:38
  57. This is a solid answer.5:43
  58. Note that he didn't use any fancy art words like aesthetic or graphical or symmetry.5:45
  59. And that's fine.5:53
  60. You don't have to in part one.5:55
  61. Part one is all about you and your opinions and experiences.5:58
  62. And also keep in mind that it's not all about art vocabulary.6:03
  63. Jay used lots of great general vocabulary and grammar in his delivery.6:08
  64. His pronunciation and fluency were perfect.6:15
  65. So relax.6:18
  66. You don't have to be an art critic to score well with a topic like art.6:20
  67. Here are some other art questions that you might receive on test day in part one speaking.6:26
  68. Do you think painting and drawing are important activities for children?6:33
  69. Do you ever paint or draw now?6:38
  70. Do you think adults should paint or draw more?6:41
  71. That was art.6:44
  72. Let's take a look at another common IELTS speaking topic.6:46
  73. Let's talk about communication.6:50
  74. Personally, I'm all about communication.6:53
  75. I've studied linguistics and I'm a teacher.6:56
  76. So I feel confident with this topic.6:59
  77. But what about you?7:01
  78. Maybe not.7:03
  79. But again, you don't know what question you're going to get.7:05
  80. And despite it being topic based, it's probably going to be a very general question.7:09
  81. All right, let's get ready for the question.7:16
  82. Let's talk about writing.7:19
  83. Do you prefer to write letters or emails?7:20
  84. I think handwritten letters are very beautiful and on special occasions, they're great.7:25
  85. But email is so much more efficient both to write and to send.7:30
  86. Nice answer.7:36
  87. As you heard, he didn't talk for very long.7:38
  88. You really want to speak for about 10 to 15 seconds for each question.7:41
  89. That's only a few sentences.7:46
  90. And remember not to rush.7:48
  91. Speak as clearly as you can.7:51
  92. Really focus on your delivery.7:53
  93. When you answer, answer from your personal opinion.7:56
  94. Use your own thoughts.8:00
  95. Don't try to say something that will impress the examiner or something that you think the examiner wants to hear.8:02
  96. Express your own thoughts.8:09
  97. There are no right or wrong answers.8:12
  98. There's just language.8:14
  99. The examiner doesn't care what your opinion is.8:16
  100. They care how varied and accurate your grammar and vocabulary are and how well you deliver your speech.8:20
  101. Other communication questions might include, how often do you send letters or emails?8:30
  102. When did you last receive a handwritten letter?8:37
  103. Do you think people will still send letters in the future?8:41
  104. That was communication.8:46
  105. Let's take a look at another common IELTS speaking topic.8:47
  106. Crime.8:52
  107. This is an interesting topic.8:53
  108. I'm sure you don't have too much personal experience with crime, I hope, but it's still a topic that you could be asked about on test day.8:56
  109. And I'm sure you have some interesting opinions.9:05
  110. Let's do another question.9:08
  111. Let's talk about rules.9:10
  112. What are some common rules in your country?9:12
  113. For example, driving rules or public transport rules.9:15
  114. Interesting question.9:20
  115. Well, Australia is often criticized for being a nanny state.9:22
  116. That is, many people think we have far too many rules around traffic or even just minor infringement type stuff.9:27
  117. But I think I think I've gone off topic.9:34
  118. He's right.9:37
  119. He went off topic.9:38
  120. But it doesn't really matter.9:40
  121. I asked him about different types of rules, and he started saying something about there being too many rules.9:42
  122. This is fine.9:50
  123. He's still speaking generally about the topic, and there's nothing in the scoring criteria about staying on topic.9:51
  124. So I would have still given him a good score for this answer.9:59
  125. He shouldn't have stopped.10:03
  126. Remember, it's not a listening test.10:05
  127. It's a speaking test.10:07
  128. So you're allowed to deviate from the question, but in general, it's a good idea to answer the question that you're asked.10:09
  129. Other questions on crime you may receive on test day could look like this.10:19
  130. Do you usually follow the rules?10:25
  131. Do you think young people or older people follow the rules more?10:27
  132. Is it important for people to follow rules?10:33
  133. On to the next IELTS speaking topic.10:36
  134. Culture.10:40
  135. Culture is a very broad topic.10:41
  136. I wonder what question you might get.10:45
  137. Let's check out a question.10:47
  138. Let's talk about festivals.10:50
  139. What are the important festivals where you come from?10:52
  140. Well, when I think of festivals, I think of music festivals.10:56
  141. But I wouldn't say any are more or less important.11:00
  142. But yeah, there are lots of music festivals, including weekend festivals where you camp or day jazz or even reggae festivals.11:03
  143. How do you think Jay went with this question?11:12
  144. Sometimes when you answer questions you're not quite sure about is you waffle.11:15
  145. What I mean by waffle is you say words, but they don't have much meaning.11:22
  146. The best answers are those where your ideas lead and your language explains.11:28
  147. That is, you have something interesting to say and then you express yourself clearly.11:36
  148. Still, it was a good answer overall.11:42
  149. Other questions on culture you might receive on test day could look like this.11:46
  150. How do people celebrate these festivals?11:51
  151. Do young people or older people enjoy these festivals more?11:54
  152. Do you think people will still celebrate these festivals in the future?12:00
  153. Let's have a look at the next topic.12:05
  154. The next topic is education.12:07
  155. All right, so I'm a teacher, so for me, I'd be quite happy to get this topic on test day.12:10
  156. But what about you?12:17
  157. How do you feel about education?12:19
  158. Let's take a look at a question.12:22
  159. Let's talk about high school.12:25
  160. What subjects did you like in high school?12:28
  161. I liked all subjects, including mathematics until about the age of 15, and then I steered much more towards the humanities.12:31
  162. I really loved language -based subjects like English and literature.12:39
  163. Nice answer.12:44
  164. Let's take a closer look at this response.12:45
  165. What I like here is his use of a complex sentence to express himself.12:49
  166. He's not just using simple sentences like, I liked math, full stop.12:55
  167. Now I like English, full stop.13:01
  168. Instead, he's naturally expressing complex ideas through more sophisticated grammar.13:04
  169. Other questions on education you may receive on test day could look like this.13:11
  170. Was there anything you didn't like about high school?13:17
  171. Do you still keep in touch with friends from high school?13:21
  172. Have you ever been back to visit your old high school?13:25
  173. Let's check out the next topic.13:30
  174. The next topic is entertainment.13:32
  175. Remember, if you're asked about something that you're not interested in, like for me going to a nightclub, don't worry.13:35
  176. Just give a reason why you're not interested.13:44
  177. Just give a reason or an example, and that would be a great answer.13:48
  178. Let's have a look at a question about entertainment.13:53
  179. Let's talk about going to the cinema.13:57
  180. How often do you go to the cinema?13:59
  181. I don't go to the cinema very often.14:03
  182. If I do, it's because there's something on that I really want to watch, you know, some sort of blockbuster movie that really interests me.14:06
  183. But usually I just wait for it to come out on Netflix.14:12
  184. If you noticed Jay said, you know, if I do, it's because there's something on that I really want to watch, you know, some sort of blockbuster movie that really14:16
  185. interests me.14:26
  186. This is a slang term.14:27
  187. It's fine.14:29
  188. You don't have to be formal in IELTS speaking, but also don't swear or use too much slang either.14:30
  189. Imagine you're having a polite conversation with a stranger.14:38
  190. You're not speaking to the queen, and you're not speaking to a friend on the street.14:42
  191. Ideally, it's in between.14:48
  192. Let's say semi -formal.14:50
  193. Jay also used the phrasal verb, I go to the cinema, rather than a formal verb like I attend the cinema.14:53
  194. The phrasal verb is much better.15:01
  195. Phrasal verbs sound much more natural.15:04
  196. Other questions you could get about entertainment could be, do you think young people or older people prefer going to the cinema?15:07
  197. Would you like to go to the cinema more in the future?15:16
  198. Why do some people prefer to watch movies at home?15:20
  199. Remember, if you're not sure how you would answer these questions on test day, consider getting the E2 IELTS topic toolkit ebook for a reduced price by clicking the link15:24
  200. in the description below.15:35
  201. There, you can find all the speaking questions, topical vocabulary, and plenty of resources on these 20 topics to help prepare you for your IELTS speaking exam.15:37
  202. Now, let's get on to the next topic, environment.15:50
  203. Let's just get straight into it.15:55
  204. Here's a question about the environment.15:57
  205. Let's talk about spending time in nature.15:59
  206. Are there natural places where you live?16:03
  207. For example, gardens or forests?16:05
  208. Well, I live in the city, so there are some natural places such as the beach or the botanic gardens, but I grew up in the countryside, so I don't16:10
  209. think they really compare to some of the places I know such as rivers or rainforests.16:18
  210. Perfect.16:24
  211. Nice answer.16:25
  212. He used some great topical vocabulary.16:27
  213. And do you know what I like about his response?16:30
  214. He drew upon his childhood, which is a rich source of experience and language.16:33
  215. Here are some other questions on the environment that you could get on test day.16:41
  216. How often do you spend time in nature?16:46
  217. What do you enjoy doing when you spend time in nature?16:49
  218. Would you like to spend more time in nature?16:54
  219. Let's move on to the next topic, family.16:57
  220. As you can imagine, when talking about family, you'll probably be using vocabulary like grandfather, auntie, brother, sister.17:01
  221. Let's take a look at a question.17:13
  222. Do you have a big or small family?17:15
  223. My family is relatively small, I guess.17:18
  224. I only have one uncle and one auntie and only three cousins.17:22
  225. Sometimes when doing IELTS speaking, you might want to say something a little emotional.17:26
  226. Perhaps something about a family member having recently passed away, something like that.17:32
  227. In the moment, anything can pop out.17:38
  228. Don't be embarrassed or think you've made a mistake.17:41
  229. This is completely fine.17:45
  230. Of course, don't say anything rude or too weird, but if you say something personal, that's fine.17:47
  231. The IELTS examiners have heard everything you can imagine, so it doesn't phase them.17:53
  232. Other example questions you might get on test day could be, what do you enjoy doing with your family?18:00
  233. Have you ever been on holiday with your family?18:08
  234. Will you see your family more or less in the future?18:11
  235. Let's check out the next topic, food and farming.18:17
  236. Food and farming?18:22
  237. Let's see a question.18:24
  238. Should children learn to cook at school?18:26
  239. Should children learn to cook at school?18:30
  240. I've never considered that, but I think it's a great idea.18:32
  241. I think it's really important to educate children about nutrition, and cooking lessons would really help their understanding of what's in the food they eat.18:36
  242. Great.18:44
  243. So here Jay bought himself some time again by repeating the question.18:45
  244. Should children learn to cook at school?18:51
  245. Don't do this too much, but this was a difficult question, and he actually said, I've never considered that, but I think it's a great idea.18:53
  246. This was also a good way to buy a little more time to think of his answer.19:04
  247. It can be good to use these techniques when you get a question that is strange or unexpected.19:10
  248. Here are some more questions on food and farming.19:17
  249. What's your favorite food?19:21
  250. Is there any food you don't like?19:24
  251. Did you learn to cook as a child?19:27
  252. Let me show you the next topic.19:30
  253. The next topic is global issues.19:32
  254. Global issues.19:35
  255. Uh oh, tricky one.19:37
  256. Let's have a look at a question.19:39
  257. What languages do you speak?19:42
  258. Well, I speak English, obviously, and I speak intermediate Indonesian, and I'm currently studying Farsi, but I'm really a complete beginner.19:44
  259. I have studied other languages though, such as Korean and Canada, which is a South Indian language, as well as Yongomata, an Australian Aboriginal language.19:53
  260. That was too long, wasn't it?20:03
  261. Jay's right.20:05
  262. That was a long answer, but it's fine.20:06
  263. It was really coherent.20:09
  264. He structured his answer really well by saying and, but, as well as.20:11
  265. So, although it was a long answer, it wasn't waffly.20:16
  266. It was coherent.20:21
  267. Coherence is an important part of the IELTS speaking criteria.20:23
  268. It really means how well you organize your response, including the use of pronouns and conjunctions and discourse markers.20:28
  269. Though for IELTS speaking, I wouldn't recommend using discourse markers, such as in addition or furthermore, because they're used more for writing.20:39
  270. So, when we speak, we use markers such as so, if, when, or and.20:50
  271. Here's a few more questions on the global issues topic.20:58
  272. How did you first learn English?21:02
  273. Do you think all children should learn a second language?21:05
  274. What language do you think will be the most dominant language in the future?21:09
  275. Let's take a look at the next topic.21:14
  276. The next topic is health.21:17
  277. Ready?21:20
  278. Here's a question on health.21:21
  279. Do you think you are a healthy person?21:23
  280. Yes, I eat well.21:26
  281. I sleep well and I exercise quite a lot.21:27
  282. I mean, I watch my macro nutrients, so I don't eat mini carbohydrates, and I make sure I sleep at least eight hours every night, and I exercise usually three21:30
  283. or four times a week.21:42
  284. I think.21:42
  285. Nice response.21:43
  286. Again, great structure.21:45
  287. One thing I noticed was the use of a contraction.21:47
  288. Don't.21:51
  289. Instead of do not.21:52
  290. And that's perfectly fine.21:54
  291. It's a natural part of spoken speech.21:56
  292. You are not marked down for using contractions.21:59
  293. Here are some more questions on health.22:03
  294. What do people your age do to stay healthy?22:07
  295. Would you like to change your lifestyle to be healthier?22:11
  296. Should schools teach children about health?22:16
  297. Let's take a look at the next most common IELTS speaking topic.22:19
  298. Media.22:24
  299. Media like YouTube.22:25
  300. Remember, if you're not yet a subscriber to this YouTube channel, you should click that little subscribe button.22:27
  301. It won't take you long at all.22:34
  302. We release top quality IELTS videos that will help you pass your exam.22:36
  303. Let's take a look at a potential IELTS speaking question about media.22:42
  304. Do you think we will still have newspapers in the future?22:47
  305. Wow, who knows?22:52
  306. Anything could happen in the future with technological developments.22:54
  307. It seems to me the way that we consume the news is certainly changing.22:57
  308. I mean, we used to read paper based newspapers, and now we tend to watch much more video.23:02
  309. Great.23:08
  310. I liked his use of collocations, which are very natural sounding phrases.23:09
  311. For example, he said, technological developments and consume the news and tend to watch.23:15
  312. All these are great collocations or natural sounding phrases.23:26
  313. Vocabulary includes single words, but it is much more about phrases.23:32
  314. You're actually scored on your collocation use under lexical resource or vocabulary.23:38
  315. It's called idiomatic language.23:46
  316. Idiomatic phrasing is different to idioms.23:49
  317. Don't use idioms or proverbs like a stitch in time saves nine, or it's raining cats and dogs, unless it fits perfectly.23:53
  318. Idiomatic phrasing is like what Jay did, usually consisting of two words like an adjective and a noun like technological developments.24:05
  319. This is the type of language you want to use.24:16
  320. Here are a few more questions you might get about media.24:20
  321. Do you ever read the newspaper?24:25
  322. Do you prefer to read the newspaper online or on real paper?24:27
  323. Why do some people not like reading the newspaper?24:34
  324. Let's take a look at the next topic.24:38
  325. The next topic is money.24:41
  326. Here's a question you might get on test day related to money.24:43
  327. Are you saving for something special at the moment?24:48
  328. Right now I'm not saving for anything, but I am paying off a small loan.24:52
  329. So I guess in a way I'm saving to pay off a loan.24:58
  330. I'm hoping to have the loan paid off within four to six months.25:01
  331. Now, did you notice that he used a lot of present continuous then?25:06
  332. Grammar is super important in the speaking test.25:11
  333. You need grammar to express yourself, but you don't need to use any crazy grammar.25:15
  334. The questions the examiner will ask you will require you to reply in the present simple, or present continuous, or maybe future simple.25:20
  335. So in part one at least, that's pretty straightforward in terms of grammar.25:30
  336. The main thing is don't overthink it.25:36
  337. Here are some more questions related to money.25:40
  338. Are you good at saving money?25:43
  339. When did you first start earning money?25:46
  340. Do you think children should learn about money in school?25:49
  341. Let's move on to the next topic.25:53
  342. Let's talk about science and technology.25:56
  343. But before we talk about science and technology, let me remind you that you can find over 100 pages of speaking questions, relevant vocabulary, and resources for all 20 topics25:59
  344. in this video in the E2 IELTS Topic Toolkit ebook.26:13
  345. It even comes with a sample essay for each of the 20 topics for writing task 2, so it can help with your writing as well.26:17
  346. Click the link in the description below.26:26
  347. Again, I can't recommend our topic toolkits highly enough.26:28
  348. Here's a question on science and technology.26:33
  349. How often do you use your mobile phone?26:37
  350. Oh my god, I use it a lot.26:40
  351. I think I use it like 4 -6 hours per day, but I listen to a lot of music when I work, and I also listen to a lot of26:43
  352. long lectures.26:50
  353. So I try to monitor my usage of websites and apps that are a waste of my time.26:51
  354. In conclusion, I think I use it quite to my advantage.26:57
  355. That conclusion was weird.27:01
  356. His answer was great, apart from that phrase, in conclusion.27:05
  357. It doesn't suit speaking at all.27:10
  358. The phrase in conclusion is definitely something for writing, but maybe not for speaking.27:12
  359. Here are some more questions related to science and technology.27:19
  360. What do you usually use your phone for?27:24
  361. What was your first mobile phone like?27:27
  362. Do you think you will use your phone more or less in the future?27:31
  363. Let's have a look at the next topic.27:35
  364. The next topic is space.27:38
  365. Here's a space question you could get on test day.27:41
  366. Don't worry, you don't need to be an astrophysicist or astronomer.27:45
  367. Do many people enjoy stargazing or looking at the stars in your country?27:50
  368. Before we hear the response, I just want to say, if you don't understand a word the examiner says, like stargazing, you can absolutely ask for clarification.27:58
  369. The examiner will say something like stargazing means to look at the stars.28:11
  370. Let's hear Jay's response.28:17
  371. So yes, I love stargazing, but because I live in the city, the view of the stars isn't great.28:19
  372. It's usually blocked out because of what's it called?28:26
  373. Light pollution.28:29
  374. I much prefer to look at the stars when it's pitch black and they shimmer.28:31
  375. That was some great vocab.28:35
  376. And I also like how he saved himself there.28:37
  377. He said, it's usually blocked out because of what's it called?28:40
  378. Light pollution.28:45
  379. Look, you're not going to be perfect on test day.28:47
  380. You're going to forget a word or phrase here or there and that's completely fine.28:51
  381. That's spoken English.28:56
  382. Here are some more space related questions.28:58
  383. Do you ever look at the sky at night?29:01
  384. Is it easy to see the stars where you live?29:04
  385. Have you ever seen something interesting in the sky at night?29:08
  386. Let's have a look at the next topic.29:13
  387. The next topic is sports.29:15
  388. Here's a question.29:18
  389. What sports are popular in your country?29:20
  390. Well, in Australia, we play cricket in the summer and we play football in the winter.29:23
  391. When I say football, I don't mean soccer.29:28
  392. I mean a very special type of football that's only played in Australia.29:30
  393. What about you, Mr.29:35
  394. Examiner?29:36
  395. What sports did you play in Canada?29:37
  396. Jay asks the examiner a question here and that's unnecessary.29:39
  397. Unless you're clarifying something, never ask the examiner questions about their opinion during the exam.29:45
  398. This is not how the exam works.29:53
  399. Here are some more sports related questions.29:56
  400. Did you play any sport as a child?29:59
  401. Why do some people dislike sports?30:02
  402. When did you last watch a sporting competition?30:05
  403. Let's look at another common topic.30:09
  404. Transport.30:12
  405. With this topic, you know you'll be likely talking about buses, taxis, planes or trains.30:13
  406. Here's a question.30:20
  407. How do you usually get to school or work?30:22
  408. To get to work, I walk.30:26
  409. I live about five minutes from the office so it's very convenient.30:28
  410. It's not a particularly nice walk but I'm glad it's so close because it means I can get out of bed late.30:32
  411. This question was almost too easy for Jay.30:39
  412. He had to think of more things to say to extend his answer.30:42
  413. You could see that he had to add information to his answer to flesh it out a bit more.30:47
  414. Never respond with just I walk.30:53
  415. Never give short one or two word answers.30:56
  416. Make sure you give nice long explanations with examples and reasons and experience, just like Jay did here.31:00
  417. Here are some more transport related questions.31:10
  418. Would you like to get to school or work faster?31:14
  419. What do you do while you're traveling to school or work?31:17
  420. Is it becoming harder or easier to get to school or work?31:21
  421. Let's look at the second last topic.31:26
  422. This topic is travel.31:30
  423. Here's the question.31:33
  424. Do you think older or younger people prefer to travel?31:35
  425. Yeah that's a great question.31:40
  426. I think it's probably pretty even.31:43
  427. Lots of young people like to travel, especially after they've finished high school and lots of older people like to travel, especially if they've retired.31:45
  428. Even though I asked Jay to choose between two ideas, Jay didn't pick older or younger people.31:54
  429. He chose both.32:02
  430. It's perfectly fine to respond like this in the speaking test.32:04
  431. Here's some more travel questions you might get on test day.32:09
  432. Do you like traveling?32:13
  433. Have you traveled outside your country much?32:15
  434. What problems can people face when they're traveling?32:18
  435. Let's look at the last most common topic you might get on test day.32:22
  436. Work.32:28
  437. Work.32:30
  438. I work at the best test prep company in the world called E2 and we prepare people like you for your IELTS test.32:31
  439. All you need to do is prepare with me and Jay by clicking the link in the description below.32:41
  440. Here's a question on work.32:47
  441. What are some common jobs for young people in your country?32:50
  442. In my country, young people usually work in hospitality, working as waiters or waitresses in cafes or restaurants, or they work in retail, working as shop assistants.32:55
  443. But there are lots of different jobs young people do.33:05
  444. Great.33:08
  445. Good, clear response.33:09
  446. Here are three more questions related to work.33:12
  447. When did you get your first job?33:14
  448. What did you like about your first job?33:18
  449. What job would you like to have in the future?33:22
  450. Again, as a reminder, these questions are from E2's IELTS Topic Toolkit ebook, which includes even more questions from IELTS Speaking Part 1, 2, and 3.33:26
  451. You can get this ebook for a discount by clicking the link in the description below.33:39
  452. And that's it.33:44
  453. That's the 20 most common IELTS Speaking Topics you might see on test day.33:46
  454. So, the most common topics are animals, art, communication, crime, culture, education, entertainment, environment, family, food and farming, global issues, health, media, money, science and technology, space, sport, transport, travel,33:53
  455. and work.34:26
  456. If you've ever encountered topics that aren't on the list or being asked a really strange question during your IELTS test, put it in the comments below.34:27
  457. We would love to read it.34:38
  458. Remember to sign up for free on E2 and don't forget to subscribe to this channel.34:39
  459. I hope this video was helpful.34:45
  460. I'll see you next time.34:47

An IELTS speaking topics interview at B1, Australian accent

This clip is an interview format built for ielts speaking practice: a host walks through the most common IELTS speaking topics, then a guest named Jay answers a real example question so you can hear what a full answer sounds like. The level is B1, the pace sits at 163 words per minute, and the accent is Australian, so it is a good source for daily english conversation practice with a voice that is not the usual American or British default.

What actually happens in this stretch: the host explains why examiners ask simple part one questions, warns you off reaching for topical vocabulary you do not need, then hands over to Jay for the first topic, animals. Jay answers in five short sentences, and the host immediately breaks the answer down line by line. That structure, question then answer then breakdown, is exactly what makes a clip worth shadowing rather than just watching once.

The language in Jay's animal answer worth repeating out loud

Three lines carry the whole lesson here, and each is worth shadowing on its own before you try the full answer.

  • "Do you like animals?" is the prompt. Practise the rising, casual question intonation before you move on, since examiners ask it exactly this plainly.
  • "Yeah, in general, I like animals." opens with a soft, almost swallowed "Yeah" before the sentence proper starts, a natural way to buy a second of thinking time that IELTS answers actually reward.
  • "I think I've become a little bit more discerning as I've aged with regard to which animals I like." is the longest line in the answer and the hardest to shadow at pace. Say "I've become" and "I've aged" as single beats, not two separate words each.
  • "For example, I don't like silly jumpy dogs anymore." shows how a spoken example gets introduced and closed off in one breath, useful for improving english speaking in your own part one answers.

How to work through Jay's animal answer for speaking practice

Work this clip in order rather than jumping around. The host has already sequenced it as question, answer, breakdown, so use that sequence.

  • Listen once to line 17, "Do you like animals?", and answer it yourself before you hear Jay's version, since the host suggests exactly this.
  • Play lines 18 to 21 straight through and shadow this line by line, matching Jay's pacing on "I like quiet, placid dogs" rather than rushing it.
  • Go back to line 19 alone and repeat it five times. It is the one sentence in this stretch that will trip up your fluency if you skip it.
  • Read the host's breakdown at line 26, "I like how we used in general to begin his opinion", then say line 18 again with that phrase deliberately stressed.
  • Finish by answering the same animals question aloud in your own words, reusing "in general" the way Jay did, before moving on to the next topic in the video.
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