IELTS speaking tests

Uh When I was- when I was young, my father used to travel a lot and used to come back home, giving me a picture of a very vast world where people used to live and think and behave in dif

Test 1Good afternoon, my name is Andy Could you tell me your name please?

Michael Galovic is my name

Thank you Michael I’d like you to tell me about your home-town or city please.

It is Belgrade, ah capital of former Yugoslavia, now Serbia Uh One and a half million

inhabitants placed at uhhh the congregation of two big rivers – [unknown]

Can you tell me about the most interesting things in Belgrade?

Um probably its past – uh a colourful past I would say And then physically, the configuration and dynamics of the place

And could you describe places of special interest I could visit near where you live?

Oh yes, there are ah many ah wonderful, ah natural interest places so to say, and places of historical interest But mostly the famous monasteries – medieval monasteries from say 13th century on

Hmm and what would be the best way for me to get to those places?

I guess the best would be to simply umm look up the travel agency that deals with err Serbia tours, especially the monastery tours And they are well guided, and you will be well taken care of

inter-Hmm should I go there at any special time of year?

Uhh certainly, as in whole Europe, I think the best time is sometime in Spring or Autumn

Hmm … Springtime or Autumn?

Yes, say April, May uh; and then perhaps September, early October

Oh I see, Ok, thank you for that I’d like to ask you a few questions about food and diet now What do you usually eat for breakfast?

Umm well I’m not much of a breakfast eater…but so I tend to have a light breakfast But say, people tend to eat a lot for breakfast, and uh it’s also things I guess that are meat-based and milk - hot milk, and hot tea is accompanying all that

Mmhmm and what is the most important meal of the day, in your opinion Michael?

Uhh well in my opinion, as I am told it should be the breakfast But for me personally I love early dinners – that’s my preference I am not saying it is the most important; it’s the one that I like the most

Mmhmm mmhmm and what should we eat to stay healthy?

Um I would say certainly not err heavy food that takes a lot to digest, so I would recommend a lot of vegetables and fruit, and err fish and chicken rather than red meat although I wouldn’t discard red meat just like that at all

Mmhmm will peoples diet change in the future?

I have impression, because we are witnessing the obesity daily in many countries So it’s all around us and it’s uh becoming a very serious problem And I have impression that everybody

starts focusing on that, so I have impression that we’ll get err more attention to diets that will make us feel light and agile and err being able to perform So I guess the clever combination of our food intake is more important than only what we eat Err it is not just about what we

shouldn’t eat I think, it’s more about how we eat it and when So we should maybe start our meals with easily digestible things such as fruit and finish with heavier stuff, rather the other way round

Thank you thank you Speak one-to two minutes on topic, with one minute to plan

answer Topic: Describe a celebration you recently participated in.

Um By the end of um January, precisely on 27th of January last, I was at a friend’s place on Central Coast As err err a guest to his family feast, and he was celebrated- celebrating sorry- his family was celebrating, their family patron Saint day, which is a very important feast for the Serbs in the orthodox tradition So it was interesting to see how that particular feast is being celebrated

Umm originated centuries ago, it is still very strong, going strong And very few things have changed I was amazed to witness But the main thing was that err um over there in Europe err, given the time of the year, these feasts are usually celebrated in November, December, January – it is cold, so the food, accompanying food is corresponding, it’s heavy, and all that you need to eat during that time Whereas here we were sweating in the hot January and yet we had the same type of food that we would be eating in January in Europe So that was interesting But the most important thing about that type of feast and celebration is that the host, both my friend and his wife, were standing on their feet all the time-the whole day, absolutely um err being impeccable hosts to every whim or need that we ah guests would have, some 20 of us So um it was really a special day and all of us, 20 people there, felt very, very special

Thank you Michael Michael, are there many similar celebrations where you come from?

Yes, but this is the most important one I think

Thank you Now let’s talk more about traditions and celebrations What role do traditional ceremonies play in the social life of people in your country?

Umm they have always played an important role But I have impression that it is err more so the case these days, when even the youth is embracing them – simply feeling need to go back to their roots

And what traditions were important for your grandparents, say 50 years ago?

Apart from- Apart from that Slava, or family patron saint day, all other major and secondary orthodox Christian festivities or err festive days are important, or were important as well Such

as Christmas or Easter for instance, or that keeps being the major focus of my tradition and people

Mmmhmm And which traditions are we likely to continue to celebrate in the future?

Umm But, I will say precisely those that we mentioned before I have a feeling that they are

simply going strong, that they err are not fading Simply because in this time and era people are overwhelmed by-by the velocity, by the speed, so at the same time they feel need to go back to their own beginnings and traditions, so it is simply err reviving what we already have.

How would you describe young people’s attitudes towards tradition?

Um I would say that at the beginning many of young people would maybe not embrace fully the idea of going through every painstaking detail of preparations and err behaviour codes for all these celebrations and feasts But then uh, gradually it will become a part of their lives, and um that would be their connection with their families and extended families, so they would kind of grow more and more into it, and trying to adhere to every rule that tradition was brought to them

by their parents and grandparents So at the beginning maybe the youth would take it lightly on the surface only, but then later um I think the traditions will be embraced fully

And do you think customs and traditions are changing these days?

Um, I would say so inevitably because of the adjustment to urban- to the urban living if you wish, and to the fast times that we live in So definitely there are concessions to what err used to

be done before But the core, which is much more important, is always preserved At least has been the case so far

Do you think traditions and customs are affected by advertising?

I never actually gave it a thought Uh there might be, but again in my personal experience I haven’t seen any kind of uh direct influence that would uh change or alter, take people from their original directions whatever the advertisement is about

Do some countries celebrate traditions more than others?

Um I wouldn’t say so, I have impression that all countries celebrate traditions, or rather the people who live in these countries Even in some new countries, a conglomerate of different people, and all these people would stick to their old traditions That’s how I see it So, people who wouldn’t follow the traditions would do it in all sorts of countries, or in any country

Thank you Michael, that’s the end of the speaking test.

Can you tell me about your studies?

Um well, uh my studies are in relation to cultures in the world Uh When I was- when I was young, my father used to travel a lot and used to come back home, giving me a picture of a very vast world where people used to live and think and behave in different ways So in comparison

to what I used to study in geography, the world seemed to be a lot more interesting to go and- and explore So as soon as I got rid of all that and I finished school I decided to uh go and experience uh first-hand what it really means to live in direct contact with a different culture So I ended up looking for the most traditional and isolated cultures in the world at that time a few years ago, and uh I decided to go and live as one of the local people; which I did for a period of time So that experience really changed my life and made me understand also, a lot better, what

I wanted to study umm at University

What is your favourite subject?

Anthropology, and social anthropology in particular So in reality what I do, is I go back to one of these places where I’ve been in the past and I- and I see in what way the society changes as the rest of the world changes, and uh in what way it is affected by the outside world So I ended

up learning the language and I and I ended up understanding probably a lot more what really goes on in uh- in uh the inside of a person who lives in a little dot in the middle of the ocean, and all he or she knows is that and that is the universe- in comparison to us, um being sort of constantly bombarded by- by a lot more information

What is your study plan?

I’m starting to and- I’m thinking of furthering my studies by doing a Masters and perhaps a PhD I’m very interested in following umm what I started already And err, and err, again, not only from my professional point of view, but also for a personal point of view I think it is very

important to do things combined together, and what we learn and understand in life can really

be of help to other people if we- umm if we develop it to a certain extent

Thank you Do you have any hobbies or interests?

Oh yes, a number of them I like to umm read a lot, and I also like to play soccer Um But err, I can say that lately, unfortunately, I don’t much time to do either of them

What hobbies are popular with young boys and girls in your country?

Well, young boys and girls mm like to interact and meet and have a good time together So, we start generally since we very young by meeting at the end of the day when we get out of school

at the local bar or corn- corner in the area where we live in the square and in the same area with lots of other people, older and younger than us And uh hobbies generally for the young boys umm are sport and socialising and dancing And same for the girls, except that the girls are certainly a lot more into fashion and umm dancing

Do people usually continue their hobbies when they get older?

When they can, they do Generally that depends on what kind of commitments they are involved

to and uh with, and if they can afford, only also in terms of time uh in what they like to do

Thank you Now I’d like to ask you to speak one-to two minutes on a topic You have one minute to plan your answer.

Topic: Describe a movie, which made a strong impression on you.

Well um, the name of the film is [inaudible] It is actually a very famous movie It won the Oscar

in 1989 And um…it’s a movie about the story of a kid who grows up in a small village in Sicily And we can see very clearly through the film uh in what way the community influence him, and

uh also his first love story with a local girl and how much they affect his life So it’s actually a movie in retrospective because it goes back, and uh he tries to get in touch with the same girl And by doing that, you basically revisit the most important part or his life Parts And uh, it is really showing us in what ways all these things really affect all us How much we keep on

dreaming, and how much we keep on hoping in our lives; especially when we can’t leave- err what we really wish and desire to leave, especially when it comes to emotional things

And uh it’s a film that ah is also based on a true story, and um I think um the public can really feel that So it’s also shot in a very, very good way and we can see Sicily through 50 years of life And from the end of the Second World War to today, which is also more or less perhaps, you know, the period of time of my life, of my father’s life Anyway, the main actors in the film are [unknown] and the famous actor who I don’t remember

Thank you Do you go to the movies often?

Yes, yes, most often as I can I really like films, especially the European movies - French,

Italian, and English I really like the way they represent the- the European culture

Thank you Now I’d like to ask you a few more questions about films and movies Are films popular where you come from?

Yes, they are very popular Actually, cinema and movies is a big industry in Italy And uh it has been the second major industry in the world in terms of films uh in the 50’s, so you have

probably seen yourself a number of Italian movies But uh, actually, it is a particular kind of way

of making films and uh they still remain very popular Yes

Do you think people are going to the cinema more these days compared with 25 years ago?

Umm…No, I don’t think so I think that today TV and videos and DVDs actually have replaced often what people used to go only going to the theatre A few years ago when I was younger, I remember, there were a lot of people going to the cinemas and it was packed, and the same movie was left there for weeks and weeks and weeks where now normally, a show in the same cinema for a lot less

What films are popular with young people these days?

We have in Italy a very strong American influence and as well, so a lot of American movies, and

a lot of high-tech movies with special effects And uh but at the same time we also keep

maintaining a kind of our own genre and some Italian movies they never get to the overseas market, they also remain- become very popular in Italy

Do peoples taste in films change as they get older?

I think so; I think so- I think movies also a little mirror of how we change in life, what interests us and what we see in them And um ah, as you know, in our 20s we are perhaps a little more romantic and we like certain kinds of movies, and then perhaps we like to think a bit more about our life… and we see different kinds of films

Has technology made a difference in the quality of modern films?

I think so, yes, a big difference Um the effects now seem to really suck you in when you see a movie And the way the film edited, they also keep your attention a lot better than in the past You can see the way that they are put together, and also the sound quality is a lot better, and umm I think there’s been certainly, technologically speaking, a big improvement there

How will technology be used to improve films in the future?

Well, ah I am not an expert but I think that if we will ever get 3-D movies, ah or movies in 3-D,

ah we will uh find ourselves even more immersed in what uh for only at the moment only our eyes and our ears can see in two dimensions

Why have the forms of popular entertainment changed over the years?

Because the society has changed a lot And now uh we seem to be rushing all the time, and we want to consume everything a lot faster So I think every form- form of entertainment is also reflecting that kind of very fast, quick way of ah wanting something different, and wanting

something very quickly and ah…yes

Will people still go to the cinema in the future?

I hope so I don’t know, but I think there will be people that, like today, like to see not only the new movie but also the old movie because it represents what they have seen what they were younger and what they and also what they were dreaming at that time and I think that remains within us all our life

Thank you, that is the end of the speaking test.

Test 3Good afternoon, my name is Renee Could you tell me your full name please?

My full name is ah Jahan Verki

Can I check your identification?

Sure

Thank you Do you work, or are you a student?

At the moment I’m working

Could you describe what kind of work you do?

Uh…At the moment I’m a manager of the um Persian T.V This is essentially a 24-hour station that’s going to operate in Sydney This station is going to be for the Persian people And at the moment we are trying to televise some program from America but we are trying to build our studio in Sydney as well The plan is I’m going to operate and organise for this studio to be able

to produce some program from Sydney as well So at the moment I’m doing everything, like to do- to organise for everything like subscription, studio, anything – equipment, but a little bit later I’m going just to focus and stay just in the studio for producing and directing the program, which

is going to happen later

What do you like about your job?

I have to confess, this job is my passion from long time ago Umm just, I start from drama I study drama in my country and then when I move to Australia I continued in different course which was T.V and film production and because all the time when I act, I really- finally I wanted just to make my film I made some children program in my country for T.V Here I start to

expand my experience and then I got lots of new experience: I made some film- short film, documentary and I find, okay, I’m in the right pathway so I wanted to continue So now I think I- I catch it, now I need a little bit more time just to do this job

What kind of job do you hope to do in 10 years time?

That’s a good question My dream is finally- without having any problem, like life and the other problem that comes to the anybody- my dream is just to direct my film That’s the thing that I’m going to do I have, in my past, I’ve had lots of experience- life experience, lots of things that I want to talk to the people So, for me, film is a tool to talk to the people

Do you play any sports?

Yes

What are the most popular sports in your country?

Good question In my country is just the people are mainly- I come from Iran- in my country people mainly play soccer Anywhere – in the street, at home, anywhere you can see- people play soccer

Is it better to play sport or to watch it?

Okay, um you know it’s it’s very um, it depends To me, sometimes when you are in the right

mood or the right time you are better just to play But sometimes, particularly when it is- when it

is a professional sport, you would like to watch it That depends to the situation, to you, and many, many things

Can sport be dangerous?

Ah I think it could be dangerous, or it’s not going to be dangerous Its depend I think even if you’re walking in the street it could be dangerous for you, so I cannot say But I can say – if you’re not playing a sport it’s going to be dangerous, because it’s just affecting your health But- But playing- Accident could be anywhere – this is my opinion

Do men and women play different sports in Iran?

Of course I mean, as you know during the last 24 years Because of the Government and the things that happen in my country, so women couldn’t do the same sport that men do Even, they couldn’t go to the stadium like watch the soccer However, recently, there has been a movement for the women, they have a chance There is not enough facility for them just to do lots of sport

Thank you very much Now I’m going to give you a topic and I’d like you to speak on it for one or two minutes.

Topic: Describe a vacation you have really enjoyed.

Alright, um we went to the [unknown] actually, we went to the [unknown] with my wife and kids, just mainly to visit my wife’s family I liked [unknown] because when I went to the [unknown], which is about five hours far from Sydney, the road, the nature – uh it was very similar to the scene that I had in my country and it remembered me the nature and the road that we had over there I liked [unknown], I liked everything over there, I can tell you

The smoke, the fog, I liked the environment, I liked the friendship that was there I loved the food, I loved everything over there- the stars at night I love the moon, I loved morning, and when it was morning it remembered the morning that I had in my country- it was very similar because nature are similar anywhere So, I spent lots of time over there and it helped me to remember the things that I had before It gives security, it’s very mysterious feeling to me So I loved them because it helped me more and more back to the memory that I had from my

country Animals, horse, you know farm – everything, it really attract me- see the people who work in the farm That was a nice thing- I like these things and I think this is my nature and I love

to be in this nature and that nature was very similar to the things that I had before, and I liked just to be there That was something that I had over there

So I spent time with my wife and I explained the things that had happened to my country and I told her ‘look, Calla, I will show this to you in my country again.’

Would you go there again?

Sure, I love it If I get any chance, I’m sure I will go over there

Now I’d like to ask you a few more questions about vacations and holidays away Are people taking more holidays and travelling more these days?

I have to say I don’t think so, because the lifestyle is not letting the people to do the things that they want They have to work more and more, and even you know when they got some family they have to work more To me, in my point of view, I think they haven’t enough time to pay attention to holidays.

Where did people go on holidays in your Grandparent’s time, say, 50 years ago?

I think in that time, you know, to go to another- another city, which was very far – like 5 to 10 hours, they go to visit their relative somewhere else in their country

Where do people usually like to go for a holiday away these days?

Uh it’s easy things that people like just to go to a very- very close and easy things If they can get to anywhere around themselves you know, even if in Sydney they will go to Harbour or Opera House or anywhere around as because it’s very cheap and it helps them just to stay sometimes out of the- you know the routine of their life

Why do people want to travel, to go away for a holiday?

Life is very hard All of us need just to go- to go out of this stress during the week You know- the technology, the Government, the people, the boss and so on and so on and so you know, just pushing you shoulders, so that’s a time that you can say that okay, I am human so you can just do something that you like

Is tourism having an effect on the environment, do you think?

Sure, I think tourism just definitely effecting the environment because they bring the wave of the culture and you know, many, many things by themselves and they bring it and show to- to the new culture So I’m sure, it’s very effective Like if you think- like when I’m coming from my country, the food that I’m having, the think I interests, the way that I treat you know my family and the way that I love, the way that I dance- all of these things when they come together, it’s giving things like [unknown] It’s giving some information about outside to anybody, to the other people

How important is the tourist dollar for the economy?

I love their dollar Hahaha You know, it’s very good I mean you have to think –you have to think about this issue and just have some study You have to prepare yourself for the tourist interest You have to put these things in their hand Not in the country, in their country

You have to advertise you have to show what things is available here Because they bring more Money It’s very easy Lots of countries just depend on the-just the tourism when they put their money And you have to think about all the issues To make the situation ready for them to let them to be happy to spend their money and when they back- back again For as it as it as it as it revisit again to advertise for the other people to come over here

Will the tourist industry grow in the next 10- 20 years?

I’m sure you know Because many people are still um the attraction of

seeing-And the tech I think is helping the people just to be more close together and find If it was in the

hands of a few countries just had the attraction for the tourism Now, many people from far, they can just advertise themselves on the Internet They say look- I’m very far here, I have a nice beach, you don’t need to pay this money you know - to that company… half the price for you come over here - and we’re right.

What do you think of tourism designed not to damage the environment?

I think the government and the council - all of them and all and all the policy has to help - has to really have a close watch to this issue If they think it is going to affect anywhere they have to put this policy to not things - you know, to not do anything wrong

Thank you, that is the end of the speaking test.

Test 4

Good afternoon My name is Deborah Could you tell me your full name please?

My full name is Pilar Montesdeoca

May I check your identification please?

Will you like to see my passport?

Thank You Do you work or are you a student?

I’m a student

And what are you studying at the moment?

At the moment I’m studying theatre studies

And why did you choose to study theatre studies?

Because I arrived here five years ago and my background is in theatre In my home country in Ecuador I was studying theatre and I was also working as an actor and as a director And then I had the opportunity to go overseas to England and study theatre there But once I moved to Australia, I thought it was going to be a good idea to get into the profession again and to start all over again from the basics so I thought it would be good to do some drama studies And that’s why I joined it and I’m learning so much at the moment, I’m very excited about all these amazing teachers I have and I can understand now how the business works And the main things about

my theatre studies is that after that it’s going to lead me to the- a real theatre I have to see how

it works in real life in Australia And I thought that was going to be important for me

Ok And ah what do you hope to do when you’ve finished your current studies?

I really would like to finish in the area Because I’m also a teacher so I would like to combine my teaching skills with my theatre skills I know it’s hard to get a job as a theatre director or as an actor anywhere in the world and in Australia as well

So I’m hoping that of course once I’ve finished to be able to direct plays, and to work on projects

to work for the community and with the community But I’m also hoping perhaps to get some work as a –as a teacher where I can combine also my skills in theatre

Mm And how do you spend your spare time?

Ooh I love swimming and I love dancing so those are the two activities I mainly do when I have the opportunity But then, sometimes when I’m at home I love reading, I love to read novels or poetry or theatre as well

And when you go out, do you usually go out alone or with others?

Mm It depends Australian life is very busy, so ah sometimes I have to go on my own Usually if

I go swimming I go on my own, if I go to the beach sometimes I go with friends, so it depends But I don’t mind being on my own

And is there a particular time in the week where you prefer to go out?

Mm not really, mainly in the afternoon Depends on the season Sometimes in the morning,

early morning, I love walking as well So sometimes I tend to do that at around 6 o’clock in the afternoon.

Do you think it is important to do regular exercise?

I think it is vital for everyone I think it is part of life and the good thing about Australia- I wish there were less cars- but also because I love walking it’s ok, I can do a lot of exercise We should do that really We all should go out and enjoy ourselves and do a bit of exercise because this society is getting bigger as well You know the size, people are getting bigger and bigger so

I think it is important to do it- you know jogging or walking or swimming, it’s important

Why?

Because if you are not happy with your body it’s very hard to be happy with everything else I think your body is the base of your life Mind and body are always connected and if you do not exercise your body you won’t exercise your mind And I think once you walk or once you swim, it’s a good chance to really think who you are and what you want in life and what things can you do

Thank you.

You’re welcome

Topic: I’d like you to describe someone you admire very much.

I have a person who I really admire and she’s an ex-teacher from university Her name is

[inaudible] She’s a wonderful, talented lady She’s around 60 She’s married and has four kids What I admire about her is that she has time to look after her family and at the same time to teach kids at school, and to teach kids at primary school as well and then she went on and was teaching at university And I had the privilege to meet her when I was fifteen and when I was twenty I went to uni and she really encouraged me to write She opened a lot of windows for me through the literature and she taught me how to analyse texts and she made me love literature- that’s something really hard Because when you are at the school, you don’t really want to learn

a lot about literature, you just want to play around with your friends But she was a teacher that really really kept us captivated by all these stories and all these composers and songwriters, and writers in general And she played us some music and she read poems for us, and we watched films and we discussed And I think it was so important to have her as a teacher

because she really made us see the world in a different way We were studying mainly in a catholic school and we couldn’t analyse things but once we had our literature teacher, we were able to expand our whole world And I think what she really brought us it’s these differences in life Literature and life, in a way they are very similar but in a way are very different So we interpreted life in a different way from that point

Thank You Is this person admired by others do you think?

Yes definitely I think she made a huge mark in this group that had the opportunity to have her

as a teacher We were like fifty of us and she did it for many many years

What makes a person famous?

Mm I think there are different ways to see what makes a person famous One is the machinery behind the publicity and the marketing around the person, but I don’t think that’s a real honest way to be famous I think if I have to choose I’d rather be famous for being honest, for being kind, and for trying to help and solve conflicts or problems in the world instead of being in a magazine, in the cover of a magazine…so my characteristics for a famous person I would go for honesty and kindness

What kinds of people were famous in your grandparent’s time?

In my home country we had different, mainly two political parties and the heads of those political parties were very famous Especially one guy called [inaudible] and he made a lot of changes in Ecuador during my grandparent’s time because he gave the vote to women and he also made it compulsory, the vote for all the citizens in my home country And he worked for the

Liberal education, not ties with the religious or anything like that but very open to everyone

In your opinion, is being well known easy to live with?

No I don’t think so I think well known… It’s…It can be hard I think to be famous sometimes you pay a price for it So I’d rather be anonymous I think

What kinds of people will be famous in the future?

Mm Ah it’s hard to say, but I guess the famous people are the ones that people create And you know the media has so much impact on that, and it has so much influence on who is famous or who is not famous, who is good or who is bad The media made us see- makes us see the world and the people in different ways So I guess, yeh, if you have machinery behind, you will

be famous

What responsibility to society do famous people have?

They have a huge responsibility because people really look up on them You know they look upon and they want to copy models I think we are a very sensitive society and we would like just to copy And if someone is famous they should have- they should use this power to give things back to the community Like you know, like for example, the Tsunami Disaster or things like that… you to use this power to call for people to stop children detention, things like that you know, they should use that in order to make people aware of what’s going on Not just to be part

of entertainment, but I think they should have a political voice in the community

Do you think that the children of famous people have an easy time?

No, I don’t think so It must be very very hard Ah…you know, to live in, in my home country I know a lot of famous people, and they always have to have bodyguards, or they have to live behind bars, you know or behind big walls

And children are always protected and they don’t have the freedom, it’s a big price to pay, I don’t know why