IELTS Speaking Part One- Topics Game

IELTS Speaking Part One topics game

Choose a card (either below or from a cut up pack) without your partner seeing the cards. Ask your partner personal questions about that subject but not using the word(s) on the card. Continue until they guess what exactly the topic on the card is. They can only guess once per question, after answering the question that you asked each time.

Name	Work	Studies	Hometown
Travel and transport	Hobbies/ Free time	IELTS	English studies
Friends	Future plans	Accommodation	Family
Foreign languages	Foreign travel	Food and drink	Festivals and celebrations

Choose one of the topic and brainstorm personal questions that might be in IELTS Speaking Part One, including a mix of past, present, future and hypothetical questions. The questions should be:

• answerable by everyone
• answerable in more than a few words (even if shorter answers are also possible)
• understandable
• not too personal/ not taboo

Compare your ideas with that category from the big list of questions on the next page. Are there any questions you don’t understand or are surprised by?

What should an answer to one of these questions be like?

Answer one of the questions and see what your classmates and/ or teacher think about your answer.

Choose one of the questions and ask it again and again. Your partner should give a longer answer each time.

What was the best length of answer of all the ones your partner gave, do you think?

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Name

1. Can I just check your name? / So you are____________. Is that right?
2. Could you tell me your (full) name please?/ So, it says here that your name is ________________ Did I pronounce that okay?
3. Can I check out how to pronounce/ spell your name?
4. What would you like me to call you?/ What should I call you?
5. Would you prefer me to use your first name or your family name?/ Is it okay if I use your first name?/ Should I call you _____________?

 

Work and studies

6. Are you working or are you a student? (Have you had a job before?)
7. Do you enjoy your studies/ work? (What makes you say that/ Why?)/ What is the most interesting aspect/ part of your studies/ work?
8. Is there anything you dislike about your work/ studies?
9. What job would you like in the future? / What job do you hope to be doing in ten years’ time?
10. Is there anything you’d like to study in the future?
11. Why did you choose this subject/ job?
12. Is it a difficult job/ subject?
13. What was your favourite subject at school? What did you like about that?
14. Are you studying anything at the moment?
15. What are/ were the best things about your job/ studies?
16. Who was your favourite teacher at school? (Why?)
17. Is there anything you want to study in the future?
18. What is your typical day like at work/ at school/ in college?

 

Hometown

19. Are you from (Tokyo)? / Are you from round here?/ Where are you from?
20. How long have you been in (Tokyo)? (Is Tokyo the only place you have lived in?)
21. Where were you born?
22. Where did you grow up? / Where did you live when you were a child?
23. What kind of place is your hometown? / Tell me a little about where you come from.
24. Are you from the country or the city?
25. What’s the most interesting part of your town/ village?
26. What kind of jobs do people in your town/ village do?
27. Would you say your hometown a good place to live? (Why?)
28. Can you tell me something about your hometown?
29. How is your hometown changing?
30. What changes would you like to make to your hometown?
31. Would you like to live in your hometown when you retire/ get older?
32. When are you next going back to your hometown?
33. Do you often visit your hometown?/ How often do you go back to your hometown?
34. Is your hometown famous for anything?

 

Hobbies and free time

35. What do you like doing in your free time?
36. Do you have any hobbies? / Have you got any interests or hobbies?
37. Are there any new leisure activities you would like to take up?
38. Do you prefer to go out or stay at home in the evenings? (Why?)
39. How do you usually spend your weekends/ days off?
40. What do you usually do in the evening?
41. What did you do last weekend?
42. How much free time do you have?
43. Do you enjoy playing sports? (What sports do you like?)
44. What type of music do you enjoy most?
45. What type of films do you like?
46. When was the last time you went out? What did you do?
47. What do you do when you meet your friends?
48. Do you prefer going out with a large or small group of friends? Why?

 

Family and friends

49. Do you have a large family?/ How many brothers and sisters do you have?
50. Can you tell me about your family?
51. Did you get on well with your parents/ brothers or sisters when you were a child?
52. Do you get on well with your family? How/ Why?
53. Which of your parents do you most resemble/ take after? Why do you say that?
54. What do your parents do?
55. Do you have many friends?
56. When was the last time you met your extended family? What was the occasion?
57. Would you like to have a large family?
58. Do you live with your family?

 

Language studies and IELTS

59. Do you speak any other languages? / How many languages do you speak?
60. Why are you taking the IELTS exam?
61. Do you have any plans for after you take the IELTS exam?
62. How long have you been studying English?
63. Why is it important for you to learn English?
64. Did you enjoy English at school?
65. Do you enjoy studying English?
66. What do you find most difficult about learning English?
67. What activities do you find most useful for learning English?
68. How much time do you spend studying English?

 

Festivals and celebrations

69. How did you celebrate your last birthday?
70. How do you think you will celebrate your birthday?
71. What is the most important day of the year for you? (Why?)
72. What is the next big celebration in your family? (What are you going to do?)
73. What is the most important festival in your hometown/ country?
74. Are there any festivals you would like to go to?
75. When did you last go to a festival?
76. Does your hometown have any festivals?

 

Accommodation

77. Do you live in a house or a flat?
78. Where do you live now? (How long have you been living there?)
79. Do you live near here?
80. What do you like about your home? (Is there anything you would like to change?)
81. What is your local area like?
82. What would your dream house be like?
83. Do you still live in your family home?
84. Can you tell me about where you are living at the moment?
85. What is your favourite room in your house? (Why?)
86. Would you like to move house? (Why/ why not?)
87. Who do you live with? / Do you live on your own?

 

Future plans

88. Do you have any plans for your next holiday?
89. What are you going to do at the weekend/ on your next days off?
90. What do you think you will be doing in ten years’ time?
91. Do you have any plans or ambitions for the future?
92. Do you have any plans to travel or live abroad?

 

Transport and travel

93. Have you visited many foreign countries? (What was your favourite place?)
94. Would you like you live abroad? Why/ Why not?
95. What things would you recommend a foreign tourist to do in your country?
96. Have you ever had any problems while you were travelling?
97. When do you think you will next travel abroad? (Where would you like to go?)
98. Have you been to any English-speaking countries? (How were they?)
99. If you could live in any country/ travel anywhere, where would you choose?

 

Food and drink

100. Can you cook?
101. Who does the cooking in your family/ house?
102. What is the most famous dish from your country? (Can you describe it?)
103. What is your favourite dish? (Can you describe it?)
104. What kind of food do you like?
105. Do you prefer eating at home or in a restaurant? (Why?)