IELTS Speaking : Hobby

Describe a hobby you enjoy. You should say: how long you have been doing it how often you do it what benefits you get from it and explain why you enjoy it.

1. I've joined a club where I can play chess.

(become a member of a club)

2. I'm a philatelist. I collect all sorts of stamps.

(a person who collects stamps for pleasure)

3. I often go camping in the summer.

(to live in a camp or outdoors)

4. I do a bit of / a lot of climbing.

(go mountain climbing)

5. I make my own clothes.

(I make clothes for myself. I don't buy them.)

6. I like photography.

(the skill or process of taking photographs)

7. I'm mad about DIY. I think this is a very good hobby for people who have a house but don't have much money.

(do it yourself; the activity of making and repairing things yourself around your home)

8. I took up golf when I was at school.

(to start a hobby for the first time)

9. I gave up photography.

(to stop doing a hobby)

10. I collect antiques. I really enjoy going round the shops looking for a bargain.

(you collect stamps, coins, antiques)

11. I try to practice playing the guitar every day.

(to make music with a musical instrument)

12. I usually go jogging two or three times a week.

(run slowly, especially as a form of exercise)

13. I took up hiking because I wanted to get more exercise.

(a long walk in the country)

14. I don't really do anything in my spare time.

(time when you are not working)

15. In winter, I do quite a lot of skiing.

(in English you normally do a lot of / a bit of sport)

16. In summer, I play tennis and cricket.

(in English you normally play a game)

Holiday making

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17. My aunt is a great traveler: she's been to every country in Europe.

(a person who is travelling or who often travels)

18. We toured / went / were on a tour round the United States last summer.

(to make a journey for pleasure during which you visit many places)

19. I will be going overseas in my new job.

(to travel to another country across the sea)

20. The island's economy is heavily dependent on tourism.

(the business of providing Holidays for people)

21. We went on an excursion to the mountains.

(an organized trip with a group of people)

22. I'm not taking any holiday / vacation

(time when you do not go to work for a special reason)

23. I'm taking a short break and going to my sister's for a few days.

(a short period of time when you do not work)

24. You look exhausted. You should take a few days off and relax.

(not present at work)

25. I can't come I'm afraid. I'm on holiday / off that week.

(to leave your home and go somewhere else for a holiday)

26. We're only going away or a few days.

(to live the place where you leave at least one night)

27. We've booked two weeks in Australia in July.

(to reserve and pay for a holiday before you go)

28. They run a small resort hotel in Vermont.

(a place where a lot of people go on holiday)

29. I brought a model of the Eiffel Tower as a souvenir of Paris.

(something that you buy on holiday [for your friend] as a reminder of that place)

30. We travelled overland to Delhi and then flew on to Singapore.

(by road or rail)

31. The voyage from England to India used to take six months.

(a long journey by sea)

32. We decided to go cruising in the Mediterranean.

(to travel by sea, visiting a number of places as a holiday)

33. We take / get / catch the train / bus, to Leeds and then got a bus to where she lives.

(to travel to a place by train, bus, plane)

34. We headed for / made for (informal) the town centre.

(to travel towards somewhere)

35. We stopped off in Paris en route to Nice.

(on the way to somewhere)

36. The travel agent suggested some changes to my itinerary.

(a plan of a journey, route, etc.)

37. One of the most famous landmarks in London is Nelson's Column.

(an object especially a building, that can be seen from a distance)

38. We had been on the move for twenty four hours and were absolutely exhausted.

(to be travelling)

39. We made a stopover at Frankfurt on the way to Tokyo.

(a short stop on a journey)

40. I'm learning Spanish, just for fun.

(you do something for enjoyment and pleasure)

41. I think I get more pleasure out of doing my garden than anything else.

(the feeling of being happy)

42. Let your hair down (informal) for once!

(to allow yourself to enjoy something freely, without worrying about what other people think)

43. We had the time of our lives.

(to enjoy something very much)

44. There isn't much entertainment for young people in this town.

(things to do that interest and amuse people)

45. I had a great time last night.

(to get pleasure from doing something)

46. I have to amuse myself for a few hours while I waited for her to arrive.

(to keep yourself entertained)

IELTS Speaking : Family Tradition

Describe your favourite family tradition.

You should say:

• what the tradition is
• when it occurs
• what you do

and explain why it is your favourite tradition.

Model answer

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My favourite family tradition is most certainly Thanksgiving, which is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday. Actually, everyday should be a day of Thanksgiving. My family loves to celebrate this holiday.

It is a yearly tradition for our family to gather at my grandma’s house for Thanksgiving. I always look forward to this event. My cousins and other family members that I do not get to see often are there. My grandma and other family members prepare a big meal. There is always plenty for everyone. The main thing is of course the turkey. I like turkey, especially the legs. My uncle never eats turkey. He says it is an ugly bird, and he doesn’t want to eat it. When I was younger, I would always want to get the wishbone and break it. We also have sides to go along with the turkey. Everyone loves my grandma’s mashed potatoes. We also have rolls, dressing, cranberry sauce, and yams. Then, for dessert we have fresh pumpkin pie with whipped cream. Before we eat everyone always gathers around the table and someone says the blessing.

Thanksgiving is always a good time of fellowship and bonding for my family. We usually watch some of the parade on television or a football game. Sometimes after everyone is done eating, we play card games like Rook. You can see why this is a favorite tradition for me and my family. I wish we could do it more often.

IELTS Speaking : Describing Places

Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.

Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.

You should then speak for between one and two minutes.

Describe a place that you enjoy visiting. You should say: where the place is what you can see and do there how it has changed since you first visited it and explain why you enjoy visiting this place.

Model answer

A place that I enjoy visiting is Prague. It’s the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic, with a population of nearly 2 million. It lies in the north-west of the country, in the centre of the Bohemian region, which is a green and lush part of Czech Republic.

There is lots to do in Prague. It has several universities, so first and foremost it’s a fantastic place to be a student. It’s buzzing, with a good nightlife, good restaurants and a lively cultural life. In fact, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a cultural and economic centre of central Europe a few years back.

If you climb up to the hill overlooking the old town, you have an amazing view of the city. What strikes me most when I go up there is all the traditional, pale buildings with their red roofs, and then right in the middle of it all, a remarkable piece of art and engineering, the Charles Bridge. It is one of the most loved attractions in Prague that crosses the Vltava River. It was built between the 14th and 15th centuries and connects Prague Castle with the Old Town. Today you can walk across it and find many souvenir stalls or have your caricature drawn. There are many statues on the bridge and some people think that if you touch the statue of St John of Nepomuk you will receive good luck and return to Prague soon.

The last time I went to Prague, they were having a wine festival. People were tasting all kinds of wines from stalls on the street, very informally and chatting with friends while they drank. It was wonderful.

How has it changed since I first visited it? Well, I would say it has undoubtedly become more trendy. Like I say, they have built a stunning new museum. Another example is “the Lennon Wall”, a monument of recent vintage: It is a wall covered in graffiti and pictures inspired by John Lennon and the Beatles. People have been drawing on the wall since the 1980s and they continue to do so today. I would say the local inhabitants have become more overtly proud of their city too. It has received quite a bit of recognition in recent times, which has really placed Prague well and truly on the cultural map; something the inhabitants are always happy to talk to you about. In fact, that is something else I enjoy about going there: the local people are invariably friendly and helpful.

When did you last go to Prague?

I last went there the year before last. I wish I could go more often, but unfortunately work commitments mean I can’t.

IELTS Speaking : Free Time

• What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
• How much time do you have each week for doing these things?
• Why do you like doing these activities?
• How did you start doing this activity at first?
• Is there some other hobby or sport you would like to try? Why?
• How has the way people spend their free time changed over the years?

Test Tip

If you didn't hear properly, you can say:
- Sorry, I didn't catch that.
- Could you repeat the question, please?

If there's a word that you don't understand, you can say:
- Could you repeat X, please?
- What does X mean?

Model answer 1

Well, I do quite a lot of sport actually. I go swimming twice a week. There’s a very good pool just around the corner from my office. I swim for an hour and do about 40 lengths. I also cycle to work when I can. Apart from that, I do a lot of reading and photography.

Model answer 2

When I was younger, I did a lot of surfing. I used to go snowboarding quite often too in the winter. But I haven’t been for a long time, although I might go this year with some friends. These days I go cycling when I can. At the weekends I like to cook and invite friends around for dinner. I’m a big fan of cooking programs, and often try to copy the recipes, but they don’t always turn out very well.

Model answer 3

I don’t have a lot of time to myself now that I’m married with two young children. So, a lot of my free time is used taking my kids to their activities. For example, on Saturday morning, I have to take my son to his basketball games, and my daughter to football practice. Then I have to ship them off to parties or friends’ houses. Two or three times a month, my wife and I go for a meal with friends, and once a month, we go the cinema when my parents look after the kids. There’s a great little cinema that shows independent or foreign films just near where we live.

Model answer 4

I have tennis lessons with a group of friends at the weekend. There are eight of us, four moms and dads and four kids. The idea was that the lessons would give us the chance to do something sporty with our children, and it’s great. The teacher is really good and we all have a fantastic time. Plus, we’re getting better at tennis. Best of all, after an hour of tennis, the kids go off to play, and we can have a drink and a chat. Now, that’s my idea of playing sport. Apart from that, I also go out bowling once a month.

Model answer 5

I play golf at the weekend. I get up really early on Sunday and play for about five hours with some friends from work. While I’m out, my husband prepares lunch which is usually ready by the time I get back. Apart from that, I play online video games and read a lot. Also, I go for a drink after work every Friday with my work colleagues. There’s a pub nearby and we usually stay there for a couple of hours, which is good fun.

A special way to say "Merry Christmas"...!

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IELTS & NEWSPAPER...!

This lesson is about using newspapers to improve your English for IELTS. What you will find are some online resources and basic tips on using newspapers, an explanation of how reading newspapers can help you in IELTS and then suggest a few exercises to help you read better.

Why read newspapers?

You need the same reading skills as the test

Many newspaper articles are very similar to IELTS texts. Generally, they are around the same length, they cover the same general interest topics and they are written for non-specialist readers. You normally read a newspaper article quickly to see if it is interesting or not? That’s the way they work. This is very much the same skill as you need in the exam when you skim the text first for general meaning.

Very frequently, you already know something about what you are reading, so you look to see if there is anything in the article about that. This is also very similar to the exam when you scan the text to find certain information.

Unless you are a native speaker, newspaper articles will contain plenty of unknown words. The idea is that you keep reading just as you would in the exam and try and understand meaning from context. If you look up every word in your dictionary, then you stop reading.

It’s the efficient way to learn vocabulary

A key idea is that we learn words by using them and that reading a word is a way of using it. This means that every time you see a word when you read, you are learning a bit about it. Very often you are learning the really tough things such as which other words it is used with. This can often be much more efficient than just keeping a vocabulary notebook or trying to learn lists of words. Where do we see most words? When we read.

It gives you a break from IELTS

Too much IELTS is not good for the soul – and may not be the best thing for your English. If you want to improve your English, it does help to do things that you find interesting and IELTS is not always that interesting. The more you are interested, the better your brain works and the better your brain works, the better you will learn. Newspapers can work here because they contain something for everyone from business, to arts and sport. One idea is just to read the things that interest you.

The difficulty with newspapers – and how to deal with it

They are written for native speakers. This means that they are hard. Here is what I suggest:

• find topics that genuinely interest you – that way you will be motivated to keep reading
• read for general meaning – every time you finish an article and understand what it was about, feel good about yourself. You have just completed a native speaker language task
• read regularly and for shortish periods of time – an exam reading takes 20 minutes

The best exercise of all – just read

Below I suggest some specific “learning” exercises. They all work I believe. But the very best thing you can do is just read – read as much as you can, as often as you can. Why? The people who read best, read most. I’d also add that this type of  reading is good training for IELTS – long texts with unknown words won’t scare you.

Exercise one – what was it about?

This is the world’s simplest exercise. I also happen to think that it is a good one. The idea is that when you finish reading the article, you say what it is about. If you can’t do that, then you haven’t read well enough – it may have been time wasted. This is the one exercise I suggest you do every time.

Exercise two – make notes and write a summary

This is a similar exercise, but one you will probably do less often. The idea this time is that you make notes of the main points as you read. Then at the end you write a short summary. Here is why it can be a good idea:

• making notes helps you focus on words – that’s good for learning vocabulary
• writing the summary tests how well you understand how to use the words – can you put it into a sentence? If not, you haven’t really learned the word yet
• if you look at this reading lesson, you will see that I very strongly suggest that it helps to make notes as you read an IELTS passage. This is the same skill.
• IELTS writing task one is really just a summary writing exercise. People get confused by the pictures and numbers. The skills you use here in writing a summary  – picking out the main points and summarising them – are exactly the same skills as task one.

 Exercise three – find another similar article

This I think is a great exercise. Entirely natural, interesting and good for language learning. The idea is that once you have read one article, you try and find another similar article. As you probably do in life. This is normally just a case of Googling the headline: most newspapers carry very similar stories. What I suggest you do next is look for what is similar and what is different . This is really going to be an IELTS scanning activity. you are not necessarily looking for the same words, but the same meaning. 

Exercise four – find 5 words

This is the least natural exercise here. The idea is to work on your vocabulary – and think about how dictionaries can help you. You read a text and choose 5 words from it that you want to learn. Here are some ideas about how you can make this work:

• don’t choose too many words – you’ll get them confused
• aim for common words or words you already half recognise. These are most important words as they are the ones you will wan to use. To find out how common they are, look in the Macmillan Online Dictionary – the red words are the ones you want most
• look for the words they are used with. Is there a preposition (by, with, to etc) following it? If it’s a noun is there an adjective with it?
• look in the dictionary again to see what other phrases are used with that word
• now try and re-tell the story you have just read, using those words. At some stage, you do want to try and use that word yourself

Newspaper sites

Which newspapers should you read? The ones you enjoy reading. This may mean that the best newspaper is an English language newspaper based in your country. It can be hard to read English/Australian/Canadian newspapers because they are about foreign cultures. Here are a few suggestions of where to start:

Mainstream English language papers and news sites

• The Guardian Weekly: this is a good place to start because it contains a lot of world news and is not just about Britain – it also includes articles from Le Monde and the Washington Post. You might also check out the English language learning section too.
• The Economist: don’t be put off by the name, it isn’t all about economics: there are plenty of articles about culture and the environment too.
• Intelligent Life: this is part of The Economist really. The articles you find here tend to be much longer, but are written very well and are typically very interesting.
• Time: not a newspaper but a major online site with news and opinion about the right sort of topics
• The Independent: another mainstream British newspaper with articles on a variety of topics
• Sydney Morning Herald: if you are going to Australia, it may make sense to read an Australian newspaper
• BBC: the BBC does everything really – it’s not just news. You if you look in the toolbar here, you will find pages devoted to topics such as travel, health and business. I also recommend the magazine section. One benefit of the BBC is that it really does cover the world and is not just about Britain.
• CNN: this is the US version of the BBC
• 
  

National newspapers

As I mentioned above, it may make sense to read about your own country in English. So if, for example, you are from China you may want to try China Daily. How can you find one for your country? This might be a place to start:

• 
  
• Online newspapers
• 
  

Reading by topic

Another approach is to read by topic. Newspapers tend to cover the core topics you need to read, write and speak about in IELTS. So it can make sense to vary your reading routine to cover these topics. Here is a list of general topics and one or two more links. You should find, however, that most newspapers have their own sections on all these topics. I suggest you browse until you find a site/newspaper that you like:

Arts and Entertainment

The Financial Times 

Education

Huffington Post

The family

The Guardian

Environment

National Geographic

Health 

Science daily

Life and style

The Guardian

Science and technology

Sky

Business

NBC