IELTS scotts speaking

Structure: The candidate responds appropriately to the questions asked.. Structure: The candidate responds appropriately to the questions asked on the Candidate Card.. Structure: The can

Part 1: Analysis

Why this answer would score well

The Basics: The candidate's voice is loud and clear enough to be understood

Pronunciation is clear and the candidate's vocabulary is appropriate in relation to the questions asked There are no grammatical inaccuracies

Presentation: The candidate sounds very relaxed and friendly! At the very beginning, the candidate's personality comes through – good use of humour ('The most beautiful place

on earth')

Structure: The candidate responds appropriately to the questions asked The answers are well structured: the question is answered and additional, related details are given The rhetorical question, 'Do you know anyone who doesn't?' involves the examiner and

demonstrates the candidate's confidence

Content: The responses answer the questions the examiner asks in detail (no one or two word answers!) He demonstrates a good, 'conversational' style The candidate's

personality shines through right from the very beginning making the experience an

enjoyable one for both candidate and examiner

This is a good, confident start!

Speaking Lab 1

Part 2: Analysis

Why this answer would score well

The Basics: The candidate's voice is loud and clear enough to be easily understood Pronunciation is excellent and the candidate's use of words/vocabulary shows he can communicate on the topic effectively There are no grammatical inaccuracies

Presentation: The candidate sounds quite relaxed and confident The personality of the candidate comes through by good use of vocal variety which made the topic more

interesting

Structure: The candidate responds appropriately to the questions asked on the Candidate Card The first three questions are answered quite quickly leaving most of the time to expand upon question 4 (explain why it was such a good holiday) A point is made and then additional, related details are given

Content: Remember the question required the candidate to discuss:

1 where you went

2 when you went there

3 what you did there and;

4 explain why it was such a great holiday

All of these aspects of the question were answered One of the interesting things about the presentation is that the candidate ran out of things to say - he had talked about the past and present and then he introduced ideas related to the future as a way of ending his presentation – which gave it a good ending He used 'P-P-F' (See Speaking Lesson 3) This is a good, confident continuation of the test!

Part 3: Analysis

Why this answer would score well

The Basics: The candidate's voice is loud and clear enough to be easily understood Pronunciation is excellent and the candidate's use of words/vocabulary shows he can communicate on each topic raised by the examiner effectively There are no grammatical inaccuracies

Presentation: The candidate continues to sound relaxed and confident The personality of the candidate continues to come through and builds upon the rapport established through Parts 1 & 2

Structure: The candidate responds appropriately to the questions asked Firstly, he

answers the question then conversationally, he expands upon the topic In other words, a point is made and then additional, related details are given

Content: The information presented in the conversation clearly answers the questions Through use of idiomatic and colloquial expressions (‘a change is as good as a holiday’, 'let their hair down', ‘party mode’), the speaker demonstrates a very advanced knowledge

of the language Some good, academic words are used (eg negative impact,

consequences, the offenders)

This is a good, confident conclusion!

A1 Ah, yes I'm from Mitchford The most beautiful place on earth! It's quite a small

coastal city There's about 230,000 people who live there and we have quite a good transportation system there I'd say most people travel by car – our roads are pretty modern and well sealed but people who don't have a car usually catch a bus The bus travels to most parts of the city and it's quite cheap For example, to travel by bus from one end of the city to the other it costs about £2 and that's pretty cheap

compared to what I pay here in England

Q2 Ok Which kinds of public transport do you use most and why?

A2 Actually, that's a difficult question to answer because back home, I have my own

car I sure do miss that When I was younger I used to catch the bus to school In

my city all students under 16 who lived more than four maybe it was 3 anyway about 3 or 4 kilometres from the nearest public high school were given a bus pass which allowed them to catch the bus to school for free The problem was there was never enough seats to allow for all the students so usually most students had to stand

up in the bus all the way until they arrived at school but it was much better than having to walk I can assure you of that! Occasionally, I caught the taxi but it was a very rare thing taxis are about 4 or 5 times more expensive than regular bus fares so taxis were only used if there was no other option

Q3 But what about here? Do you use public transport here in England?

A3 Oh yes, here I mostly use the underground It's totally different from back home At

Mitchford we don’t have enough people to warrant an underground rail system at least I think that’s the reason we don’t have one That’s been a really interesting part about living here, getting used to the rail system

Q4 How do you compare public transport here in England with public transport back home?

A4 Well, actually, back home public transport is always late It’s not unusual for the bus

to be like 15-20 minutes late We have a saying, “If you want to arrive on time and you’re catching the bus, prepare for one hour of travel” Well, here the underground

is always on time It's been interesting in that it's always on time and extremely

reliable

Q5 Ok, let’s move on to the topic of movies Do you enjoy watching movies?

A5 Yes, I do enjoy movies do you know anyone who doesn’t like movies? I don't! I

must say that I’m a bit of an action person I love action movies I like it when the

Q6 How often do you watch movies?

A6 Well, it's actually been quite a while since I've been to the cinema to watch a movie I

think the last movie I saw was Action Force - a real action movie which I enjoyed immensely It's actually too expensive to go to the movies these days and besides, if

I wait for a while I can watch it at home besides I'm too busy studying at the

moment there's really not enough time to watch movies!

Q7 Ok Let's talk about what you like to do in your free time What sorts of

activities do you like to do in your free time?

A7 Free time we’ll I don’t have too much of that nowadays but when I do I enjoy

reading I mostly enjoy reading business books and magazines my father has a business back home and once I finish my studies, I'm going to return home and help him with the running of it I enjoy studying about business and learning about new ideas and ways of making a business more successful and effective

Speaking Lab 1

Part 2: Transcript

Q1 Ok, good I'm now going to give you a topic that you will need to speak about for 1-2 minutes You can take notes if you want You have 1 minute to prepare what you want

to say I want you to talk about the best holiday you have ever had

Ok You have a maximum of 2 minutes to speak so if you go over 2 minutes, I will ask you to stop Can you please begin speaking now?

A1 The best holiday I have ever been on is a very difficult question to answer because I’ve been

on so many excellent holidays I guess I’ve been very lucky In the summer time back home, when I was young, my family used to go to the beach and we’d camp under the stars that has always been an excellent memory for me But, I'd have to say that the most wonderful holiday I've ever had was when I was 19, when I went to Minnesota in the United States for a summer camp experience It was just so much fun! I met over 200 teenagers and we participated in some excellent camp activities!

Let me see we had swimming in the lake, where the camp was situated We also had water skiing, which was excellent fun it was really difficult to hold on to the rope while the boat pulled us around the lake! Another fun activity was camping We our dorm went on a 3-day canoe trip I think there were about 10 of us in our group which took us to the Canadian boundary waters There I saw some of the most beautiful alpine scenery I've ever seen in my life! The lakes were so clear and we could drink the water from them by dipping our cups as

we canoed along it was just amazing I wish everyone could witness the incredible beauty

we saw on that trip Let’s see, what else? Ahh yes, there was basketball and volleyball which

we played in the big indoor gymnasium Some of the Americans were really good basketball players they even had cheerleaders at some of the games! I got to know so many people, in fact I still write to some of the people I met there you know, isn’t email a great way to keep

in touch? There were other things but I can’t think of them at the moment I will say this: I would love to go back there again in the future Now, of course I’m too old to be a camper but it would be excellent to be a staff member, they are always looking for volunteers If you volunteer at the camp they pay for your food and accommodation for the whole summer - and that’s around 3 months in America

A1 I believe holidays have a big, positive effect on people For many, I know that holidays

are the highlight of the year People wait all year - especially those who don’t like their job - they wait for the holiday periods they plan and prepare for what they will do and they get excited by what they're going to do on their holidays Typically people are in a good mood when they are on holiday They're smiling and alert, they show interest in their new environment I believe that for most people, holiday time is the best time of their year

Q2 Many people refer to their holidays as 'highlights' of the year Why do you think holidays are highlights for people?

A2 Yes um well, I think holidays are highlights for people because if a person doesn't like

his or her work, a holiday represents a break in what they would otherwise normally do You know, it gives people a chance to go in a different direction, to do something they want to do instead of being a slave to their job Holidays allow people to re-create, to refresh their mind and body I read somewhere recently that it's actually a very healthy thing for a person to take a complete break from what he or she normally does and then

to do something different I guess what I'm saying is, a holiday is a change It's a change in location and activity That reminds me of the expression, 'A change is as good as a holiday' - it's a good one, and I think it's true

Q3 Good Let's talk about a related issue, the issue of tourism Do you see any

negative aspects with regard to tourism?

A3 Yes, absolutely I come from a coastal town and there is a constant, steady stream of

people who pour through it These people often cause problems in the accommodation industry which is obviously related to tourism They come in and kind of 'let their hair down' they show no respect for the facilities Often there is damage to the places where they stay I've heard of broken lamps and chairs, dirty marks on walls and carpets you know, those kinds of things They drink heavily and make a lot of noise, constantly in

a 'party mode' This has had a very negative impact upon our town and gives tourists a bad name in the minds of some of the local people

Q4 What could be done to stop the negative aspects of tourism from happening?

A4 I guess stricter laws could be introduced If people don't obey the laws, then the

consequences might be a financial penalty You know, an expensive fine, or perhaps throw the offenders into prison for a day or two That would certainly I imagine have a big effect upon the bad behavior of people visiting a city while on holiday

Part 1:

Q1 Let’s talk about your study plans for the future Please tell me about your current studies

A1 Well, at the moment I’m enrolled in a language school I’ve been doing an English

for Academic Purposes class trying to get ready for my university studies and, of course, before that, my IELTS exam!

Q2 What is it you like most about your studies?

A2 The teachers are very friendly at the language school They make all the students

feel real welcome In fact, I’ve enjoyed getting to know many of the students at the language school We’ve got students studying from all over the world – Thailand, China, one man is from Russia…um, a couple of students from France and…yes, and one from Brazil It’s a really international class!

Q3 What do you like least about your studies?

A3 Like least? Let me see…you know, that’s a difficult question because the teacher is

great, the lessons are interesting and the facilities are also wonderful…not to mention the students! Like least…um, well I guess I’d have to say the English grammar is not something I particularly like Our teacher described grammar as the engine of a car…you don’t need to be an expert mechanic to drive a car but it’s useful to know what is under the hood! I rather liked his definition but it doesn’t mean I like

grammar any better!

Q4 Once you have finished your studies, what do you plan to do?

A4 Well, once I’ve finished at the language school, I want to study marketing You see,

my mother owns a marketing company and she’s been doing this for almost 10 years She tells me that one day, “I’m going to be the CEO, the big boss.” But before that can happen I must get my qualifications…so, I’ll be studying marketing

at university Actually, I’m very excited about marketing, it’s a very interesting subject with almost limitless opportunities You could say it ‘runs in my family’!

Q5 Ok Let’s change topics and talk about animals Can you tell me about some of the different kinds of animals you have in your country?

A5 Yes, I’m from the Philippines and the local animals there are quite unique I was

reading the other day that we have almost 200 different kinds of reptiles! I was amazed by that figure myself but I’ve seen a few Philippine crocodiles and of course there are hundreds of different kinds of lizards that inhabit the tropical rainforests! Did you know the Philippines is home to the smallest monkey in the world? We are very proud of this! The Tarsier is an amazing animal…he lives mostly on insects!

He grows…well most people could fit him in the palm of their hand…I think an adult can reach around 150mm But they are very fast little creatures!

Q6 What’s your favourite animal and why do you like it so much?

A6 I’d have to say that dogs are my favourite animal My family has a poodle and I love

him! His name is Peppi and he is such a smart dog He even acts as a kind of guard dog…if anyone comes near our house, he barks loudly – day or night! Of course his noise is loud but he couldn’t really hurt anyone!

Q7 What’s your least favourite animal? Why?

A7 I have to say that my least-favourite animal is the snake We have quite a few snakes

in the Philippines and I must confess that I have a phobia of them! They don’t um…they seem so unfriendly, they don’t have any personality Are they smiling or are they angry, you can’t tell by looking at their face I don’t like that, it scares me

Q8 Tell me about the variety of uses for animals in your country For example, their use in farming, sports or other types of activities

A8 Well, I know that in the country areas, the poorer areas, oxen are used for some

farming Mostly however, my experience with animals is in the city and it’s here that they are used primarily as pets People love to keep dogs and cats and birds

We have some very beautiful parrots in the Philippines which make beautiful pets –

my family used to have a Cockatiel which we called ‘Charlie’ Some animals are used in sports…um, for example horse racing, which is one popular type of

sport…um…I can’t think of any more at the moment

Q9 Ok, now, let’s change topics again This time, I’d like to talk about games Tell

me about some of the popular games people play in your country

A9 In my country, the popular games people play are….well, the most popular game is

basketball Although Filipinos are slightly at a disadvantage in terms of height, they are, I believe, among the best basketball players in the world! Every town plaza has

a basketball court alongside the town hall and church Even from an early age, boys start playing this game using a makeshift basket…it’s very popular among the males

in our country

Um…as far a card games go, for example, Mahjong is very popular in the

Philippines…but most people like outdoor games

Q10What is your favourite game to play? Why?

A10 For me? Well, I must confess I like volleyball I played it a lot in high school and

I’m planning to continue playing it in University I really enjoy the game, it helps

me to keep fit You know, it’s a very team-oriented kind of game You can’t really

be an individual and do well in volleyball I like this aspect of the game, the

teamwork element

Part 2: Transcript

Q1 That’s good I’m now going to give you a topic that you will need to speak about for 1-2 minutes You can take notes if you want You have 1 minute to prepare what you want to say I want you to describe a website that you enjoy visiting Ok? You have a maximum of 2 minutes to speak so if you go over 2 minutes, I will ask you to stop Can you please begin speaking now?

A1 When it came time to prepare for the IELTS test, I looked around the internet, trying

to find useful information I tried a lot of places – forums, chats, blogs, free

videos….I’d have to say that the best site I found was Scott’s English Success! I was having a very difficult time getting motivated to study for the IELTS exam so…as I said…I had a look on the internet for some ideas I came across Scott’s English Success about 3 months ago To be honest at first I was very sceptical about studying with Scott’s, but after looking around at all the other options on the internet, I decided

to enrol and see if it would be suitable or not Wow! It was very suitable…I have not seen anything like Scott’s English Success on the Internet It contains virtual

classroom lessons that are easy to understand and focuses on the key aspects of the IELTS exam

It has a Practice Lab section with some very realistic exams…just like the real exams

we did today! I must have spent hundreds of hours studying with Scott’s English It really helped me to feel more confident

Um, it also has an area that they call the ‘Resource Library’ There you can practice

on areas that are difficult – especially reading and writing There are also many practical tips that you can apply It was a very great help with my IELTS

preparation I’ve already recommended a couple of my friends to enrol!

Speaking Lab 10

Part 3: Transcript

Q1 We’ve been talking about a website that you enjoy visiting and I’d like to discuss one or two more questions that are related to this Let’s consider first of all the Internet as a means of communication Please compare email with traditional letter writing

A1 Well, when email started, a lot of people thought that the postal service would go out

of business Of course, the email option is a wonderful service…I just wonder what impact it has had on the numbers of letters sent via the post…or ‘snail mail’ as it’s now called? I bet it cost the postal service quite a lot of money Anyway, email is faster, cheaper, more convenient – we don’t have to walk down to the post office to send it…email’s the best! Traditional letter writing…well, the only real benefit of this method of sending information is that you can post things with a more ‘personal touch’ you know, things that are hand-written My grandma used to send me money

in the post…she can’t do that via email Generally speaking, I think email is much less formal - which I like as well

Q2 Good Please suggest any ways you think the Internet could be improved

A2 Improve the internet…um…that’s a good question The Internet is fantastic

but…well, I guess it could be faster! Yes, it could be faster At the moment, I have

to wait a long time for information to download It seems to take such a long time for video I was watching a newscast on a website the other night and it seemed to take

so long to download that I closed the screen and went to bed It would be great if we could somehow make video play over the Internet as fast and as clear as it looks on the TV Maybe that will happen soon!

Q3 Can you comment on the reliability of information presented on the Internet?

A3 Yes, actually I was talking about this topic with my friend just the other day! I think

that some people feel that if something is written on the Internet, then ‘it must be correct’ but…this is not true There’s so much information on the Internet that’s completely false The other day I was researching about a news story I saw on TV I went to several websites and all of them were a little bit different from each other It’s like no one agreed on the facts! Yet it is written about as being factual! This, I know, is important for me to consider when it comes to researching for my university assignments The information has to come from a credible, reliable source otherwise it’s completely useless information I wouldn’t be surprised if 20 percent of the information contained on the Internet was false

Q4 What about the internet and retail shopping Compare shopping on the internet with traditional shopping methods

A4 Well, this is of particular interest to me because I love shopping! I’ve found that it’s

possible to purchase almost anything on the internet I particularly love Ebay Have you ever tried it? [Examiner: Yes, it’s great isn’t it?] Yes, you can buy so many

you don’t have to pay for staff or rent or telephones…you know, all the things that are needed to run a ‘real shop’ Of course, the downside is that internet shopping is a little impersonal You never get to physically meet the seller or buyer But I think the reduced price is more important!

Q5 Suggest reasons why people are reluctant to shop online

A5 Well, as I said before Internet shopping is impersonal, you never meet the seller or

buyer, so it is possible that the person is a crook It may also be possible with credit card fraud that crooks can get access to your computer and use your credit card to purchase items online This is the major reason why some of my friends are not willing to purchase items online – they’re scared that someone will take their money and never be seen again

Q6 Ok To conclude, I’d like you to speculate on the future of Internet shopping

A6 I think that internet shopping will grow and grow If connections to the internet get

faster and video is possible, I think that people will have live shopping…um…I guess you could actually purchase products and see the shop assistant or owner and talk with him or her about the product I know sometimes I have questions about products

- especially clothing - it’d be great to be able to click a button and ask questions to a live person online Yes, I think Internet shopping will continue to become more popular in the future

Speaking Lab 2

Part 1: Analysis

Why this answer would score well

The Basics: The candidate's voice is loud and clear enough to be understood

Pronunciation is clear and easy to understand The candidate's vocabulary is appropriate

in relation to the questions asked There are no grammatical inaccuracies

Presentation: The candidate sounds very relaxed, friendly and confident!

Structure: The candidate responds appropriately to the questions asked The answers are well structured: the questions are answered and in all cases additional, related details are given

Content: The responses answer the questions the examiner asks in detail (no one or two word answers!) The candidate's friendly personality is evident right from the very

beginning making the experience an enjoyable one for both candidate and examiner The candidate answers the questions with good examples and involves the examiner with a rhetorical question

This is a good, confident start!

Part 2: Analysis

Why this answer would score well

The Basics: The candidate's voice is loud and clear enough to be easily understood Pronunciation is excellent and the candidate's use of words/vocabulary shows he can communicate on the topic effectively There are no grammatical inaccuracies

Presentation: The candidate sounds relaxed and confident The personality of the

candidate comes through and through the use of vocal variety, the topic is made more interesting

Structure: The candidate responds appropriately to the questions asked on the Candidate Card The first two questions are answered almost immediately leaving most of the time

to expand upon questions 3 & 4 (personality and influence of the person) A point is made and then additional, related details are given

Content: Remember the question required the candidate to discuss:

1 who he or she is

2 how you met him/her

3 what his/her personality is like

4 explain how this person has influenced you

All of these aspects of the question were answered Good idiomatic expression ('comes out of her shell') and general expression ('centre of attention')

One of the interesting things about the presentation is that the candidate ran out of things

to say She decided to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of having children The use of Advantages/Disadvantages was a good way to further elaborate on 'how this person has influenced you' She used 'A-D' (See speaking lesson 3)

This is a good, confident continuation of the test!

Speaking Lab 2

Part 3: Analysis

Why this answer would score well

The Basics: The candidate's voice is loud and clear enough to be easily understood Pronunciation is excellent and the candidate's use of words/vocabulary shows she can communicate on each topic raised by the examiner effectively There are no grammatical inaccuracies

Presentation: The candidate continues to sound relaxed and confident The personality of the candidate continues to come through and builds upon the rapport established through Parts 1 & 2

Structure: The candidate responds appropriately to the questions asked Firstly, she answers the question then conversationally, she expands upon the topic In other words, a point is made and then additional, related details are given

Content: The information presented in the conversation clearly answers the questions The candidate demonstrates very well that she has a diverse vocabulary on many

different topics - a demonstration of a very advanced knowledge of the language Some good, academic words are used (eg: functions, wisdom, assume, realistic,

theory/practical) When she was not sure about an answer, she made a funny statement ('you seem to know how to ask difficult questions') which reduced the tension and

allowed her a little more time to think about what she would say

This is a good, confident conclusion!

Part 1:

Q1 Can we talk about your home town? Tell me about the biggest industries in your town

A1 Yes um, I’m from Mitchford which is a coastal town We've got a lot of white, sandy

beaches and a pleasant climate all year-round so, I'm sure you can guess what our main industry is? Tourism Each year we get about a quarter of a million visitors to our town so as a result another big industry is building and construction so all our visitors have got somewhere to stay!

Um restaurants the food industry is another big industry in my town We have all kinds of restaurants – Indian, Thai, Chinese, Italian, Turkish, you name it, we've got it! If you like eating out, Mitchford is a wonderful place to visit There's one

restaurant called 'Curry in a Hurry' which, you can probably guess, is an Indian

restaurant if you ever visit Mitchford I highly recommend it!

Q2 It sounds like you really like your home town Are there any things you dislike about it?

A2 Mmm, that's a difficult question Honestly, there aren't many things I dislike about

Mitchford but I guess I'd have to say one of the things I dislike about Mitchford

is the fact that my grandparents don't live there! My grandparents live about 9 hours away by car, so we don't get to see them that often It would be great if they lived in Mitchford

Q3 Fine Let’s move on to the topic of food and restaurants What kinds of foods

do you like to eat?

A3 Food my favourite topic! Well, that's an easy one for me to answer Ever since I

was a child, my favourite food's been Chicken Kiev Have you tried it before?

[Examiner: No, I haven’t] It's made from the leg and thigh of a chicken The

chicken is wrapped in butter and garlic It's then covered in bread crumbs and fried The chicken comes out golden brown and when you cut it, the butter and garlic runs out it's absolutely delicious probably not too healthy for you but the taste is

incredible!

Q4 What about dislike? Are there any foods you don't like to eat?

A4 Well, the first thing that comes to mind is brussel sprouts! I remember the first day

my mother served them for dinner Needless to say, my brother and sisters

complained loudly! They have such a sharp taste I don't like them at all Also, at times um zucchini has the same kind of sharp taste In fact, I had zucchini on top

of a home-made pizza recently and in my opinion, the sharp taste of the zucchini ruined the pizza

Q5 What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of home-cooked

meals?

A5 Home cooked meals mmm well, the first idea that comes to mind is home cooked

meals are generally healthier The idea, I guess, is that if you're cooking the meal at home, you know what ingredients are that have gone into making it so the food should be healthier For example, if you're using oil to cook your meal, it will be with fresh, unused oil I know that some restaurants reuse their oil over and over again I don't think that's good for health

[Examiner: Disadvantages?] Disadvantages um yes well for a start, the kitchen

is left in a mess! I'm speaking from experience here! At the moment I share a flat with 2 other people and every evening around dinner time, the kitchen looks like a total mess! Pots and pans containers half opened the sink full of dishes and

cutlery stuff everywhere! After cooking our flat looks like a danger zone So, related to this point is that it takes so long to clean all the mess up Most times, I couldn't be bothered with all the hassle of cooking I pick up some kind of fast

food it's much more convenient!

Part 2: Transcript

Q1 Ok that was very good I'm now going to give you a topic that you will need to

speak about for 1-2 minutes You can take notes if you want You have 1 minute to prepare what you want to say I want you to talk about a young person who has influenced your life

Ok You have a maximum of 2 minutes to speak so if you go over 2 minutes, I will ask you to stop Can you please begin speaking now?

A1 A young person who has had a big influence on my life is my niece my sister's child I'll

never forget the day that I first met her it was at the hospital and my mother and I went

to visit my sister and it was only a few hours after she had the baby She’s now six years old Her name’s Kate She's got blonde hair and brown eyes - she's so cute! My sister always dresses her in cute clothes and puts her hair in pig tails She has her mother's personality too! She's quite shy and reserved around strangers but when she's around my family, she really comes out of her shell she starts talking and talking and my sister is actually teaching her how to sing My sister's always asking her to sing for people you know, 'twinkle, twinkle little star', the 'ABC/alphabet song' My parents - her

grandparents - delight in her performances, I'd say she's become the 'centre of attention'

at Dad and Mum's place

I do miss her In some ways, her being born reminded me that I'm growing up and that

I needed to start thinking more seriously about my own future I suppose I began to wonder what it would be like to have my own children For a long time, I didn't care too much about kids, but after spending time with Kate, I realised that I'd love a child or two

of my own Umm let’s see I’d have to say that I think there are more advantages than disadvantages with having children I've learned that of course, it's not all easy looking after a child all day When Kate was really young, my sister seemed to hardly get any sleep and they never seemed to go out all that much But when you see her cute little face and her cute little smile, all that sacrifice seems to be worth it I've never seen my sister so happy since Kate came into her life

A1 Hmm…I think, the older generation tend to look at the younger generation as being in

a hurry to go somewhere or do something I suppose this is pretty natural considering when a person gets old, they tend not to move so quickly you know, instead of going

out, most old people tend to just stay at home I don't mean all old people are like

this, but I think it's probably true of a majority of the older generation [Examiner: Right]

Q2 In your country, what are the advantages and disadvantages of being younger?

A2 Well, I'm young so I obviously think it's an advantage! Um, the first thing that comes

to mind is the fact that technology is changing so quickly, it takes an alert, young mind to keep up with it um there are benefits in keeping up with

technology um you can do things quicker For example, if you understand email, then you can communicate faster with people all around the world A lot of older people may use email but they may not know all the functions um to use it to their best advantage If you don't know how to properly use new computer software, you can end up wasting great amounts of time um the disadvantages well the

disadvantage of being young um let's see well, I think one disadvantage is that you have a little life experience What I mean is that you don't have much wisdom, you're starting out You might make a lot of silly mistakes in your life because you don't know any better um that's a definite disadvantage

Q3 Good Let's now consider young people and education Can you tell me about the numbers of young people in your country studying overseas?

A3 I'm not too sure about that the total numbers, that is um I know from my high

school er when I graduated there were 4 or 5 students who wanted to travel and study in England I've lost contact with them, I assume they went ahead with their plans Considering my high school had around 1000 students um and we had 4 or

5 who wanted to study overseas, I assume there are a lot of students who had the same goal

Q4 Do young people receive any government assistance in your country when it comes to education?

A4 Actually, yes and no Yes, because if they decide to study at university and they have

no money - this is assuming they are accepted into a course – um, they can apply for a student loan What happens is the government pays the money for their education – that's the good news but the bad news - and this is the ‘no’ part of my answer - is you have to pay the money back once you get a job I believe if you don't pay it back

something [Examiner: Ok]

Speaking Lab 3

Part 1: Analysis

Why this answer would score well

The Basics: The candidate's voice is loud and clear enough to be understood

Pronunciation is clear and easy to understand The candidate's vocabulary is appropriate

in relation to the questions asked There are no grammatical inaccuracies

Presentation: The candidate sounds quite relaxed and friendly

Structure: The candidate responds appropriately to the questions asked The answers are well structured: the questions are answered and in all cases, additional, related details are given

Content: The responses answer the questions the examiner asks in detail (no one or two word answers!) The candidate demonstrates quite a wide vocabulary base: ‘work

vocabulary’ (waiter): cutlery, plates, patrons, self-serve, buffet) ‘television vocabulary’: news, documentaries, soap operas, storyline, comedy The candidate's friendly

personality is quite evident right from the very beginning making the experience an enjoyable one for both candidate and examiner The candidate answers the questions asked with good examples and involves the examiner with a rhetorical question

This is a good, confident start!

Part 2: Analysis

Why this answer would score well

The Basics: The candidate's voice is loud and clear enough to be easily understood Pronunciation is excellent and the candidate's use of words/vocabulary shows he can communicate on the topic effectively There are no grammatical inaccuracies

Presentation: The candidate sounds quite relaxed and confident The personality of the candidate comes through and through the use of vocal variety, the topic is made more interesting through the recounting of an interesting story

Structure: The candidate responds appropriately to the questions asked on the Candidate Card The first three points are answered almost immediately leaving most of the time to expand upon the last point (why you were proud of it) A point is made and then

additional, related details are given

Content: Remember the question required the candidate to discuss:

1 what it was

2 why you made it

3 when it was made

4 explain why you were proud of it

All of these aspects of the question were answered Good expression used The

vocabulary was varied and descriptive For example,'carpentry vocabulary' [timber, saw, file, tape measure, (two coats of) paint] He concluded the speech by returning to the original, main point (something he was proud of) and gave good reasons why he was proud ['I'm not a carpenter (but I successfully made a shoe rack), 'we solved a problem', 'we spent quality time together'] One of the interesting things about the presentation is that the candidate did not know what to say ('my mind's gone blank') He decided to talk about a very ordinary thing but he did it in a very interesting way – he obviously quickly chose his subject material He used the time to tell a story (the process of building the shoe rack) – an excellent way to extend the Part 2 Long Turn

This is a good, confident continuation of the test!

Speaking Lab 3

Part 3: Analysis

Why this answer would score well

The Basics: The candidate's voice is loud and clear enough to be easily understood Pronunciation is excellent and the candidate's use of words/vocabulary shows he can communicate on each topic raised by the examiner effectively There are no grammatical inaccuracies

Presentation: The candidate continues to sound quite relaxed and confident The

personality of the candidate continues to come through and builds upon the rapport

established through Parts 1 & 2

Structure: The candidate responds appropriately to the questions asked Firstly, he

answers the question then conversationally, he expands upon the topic In other words, a point is made and then additional, related details are given

Content: The information presented in the conversation clearly answers the questions The candidate demonstrates very well that he has a diverse vocabulary on many different topics - a demonstration of a very advanced knowledge of the language Some good, academic words are used and the candidate demonstrates his good vocabulary base by using a range of words which relate directly to the subjects asked (eg: mechanisation, of better construction, environmentally friendly, carbon monoxide, 'as a whole', to drive (people) towards achievement) He expressed ideas that were clearly his opinions and not

a universal truth by saying, “I guess ”, “I believe ”, "I think" and “I would (have to) say ”

This is a good, confident conclusion!

A2 Sure I’m a waiter It's not much I don't do too much it's only part time not my

ideal job but it does offer me a modest income I'm usually on the breakfast shift You see I work in a hotel and most of the guests of the hotel come to the restaurant for breakfast

Q3 What is it you like most about your job?

A3 I guess it's interesting to meet and greet new people Most of the patrons of the

restaurant are from overseas so the restaurant is a good place to meet people from other countries It's a good working environment, the restaurant is air conditioned which is also a plus

Q4 Is there anything you don't like about your job?

A4 Yes, it's fairly repetitious work There's not a lot of thought involved you take away

dirty plates and cutlery and you replace them with clean plates and cutlery and on and

on the process goes You serve coffee or tea, the rest is up to the customer it's really

a self-serve buffet I guess I'd like to do something which involves more thinking so that's probably the main thing I dislike about my job

friendly and show a bit more enthusiasm He rarely smiles, he's always so serious I guess that's what I mean by ‘unusual’

Q6 I see, ok Let's change topics and talk about television Do you like to watch television?

A6 Yes I do watch television but I try to mainly watch the news and documentaries I

don't like watching a lot of the shows on television because they can waste a lot of time - especially soap operas! Some people I know spend hours watching those sort

of shows, especially when you get to know the characters and the story line I do like some comedy shows though, some are hilarious!

Q7 Tell me about your favourite television show

A7 Actually I really don't have one favourite television show but I do like watching

nature programs - programs about animals and birds and things Last week I saw one

on crocodiles I didn't realise that crocodiles lay so many eggs! I also remember one show about hummingbirds The camera showed the wings of the hummingbird in slow motion, and it was just amazing they go so fast These are the sort of shows I like, I wish there were more of them

Q8 How popular is television in your country?

A8 Television is very popular in my country and I imagine that nearly every home would

have one In fact, I think that many homes in my country have more than one

television Televisions are very popular when there is a big sporting event on - like a soccer match People will invite their friends over to watch the match on television and to cheer for their team Another popular television program which people in my country watch is the news, especially in the evening

Part 2: Transcript

Q1 Ok that’s good I'm now going to give you a topic that you will need to speak about

for 1-2 minutes You can take notes if you want You have 1 minute to prepare what you want to say I want you to talk about something you have made which you are proud of

Ok You have a maximum of 2 minutes to speak so if you go over 2 minutes, I will ask you to stop Can you please begin speaking now?

A1 Something which I have made and am quite proud of is a shoe rack for my sons - a place

for them to put their shoes, when they're not wearing them Maybe you're thinking, why are you proud of a shoe rack? Well, the main reason I'm talking about it is

because honestly, my mind's gone blank and I can't think of anything else I've made! Anyway there are a number of reasons why I was proud of this thing that I made

Firstly, I'm not a carpenter! I've never made anything before with wood, and also I solved a problem One night, about 2 years ago, my wife walked into our son's bedroom and it was a really dark night Anyway, she nearly sprained her ankle on one of his shoes They were always their shoes scattered around the bedroom Her ankle looked quite bruised the next day So at that time, I decided to make a shoe rack With my oldest son, we took a tape measure and measured how long and wide it should be Next

we bought a piece of timber Anyway, we got home and I got out my my saw and a pencil and ruler We measured the lengths and then cut the pieces Ok, we cut the

lengths, then we smoothed off the rough edges with a file Next we got some nails and a hammer and we nailed the pieces together My oldest son, Aaron said, “Dad we need to paint it” I agreed We got out some ahhh cream-coloured paint We put two coats of paint on that shoe rack I was proud of what the boys and I had accomplished We'd solved a problem and, at the same time, spent some quality time together We still have that shoe rack It's still helping to keep my boy's room tidy and no more sprained ankles for my wife!

Speaking Lab 3

Part 3: Transcript

Q1 We've been talking about something that you made and I'd like to discuss one or two more questions that are related to this Firstly, let's consider hand-made versus machine-made items Can you comment on the popularity of hand-made versus machine-made products in your country?

A1 Unfortunately, these days hand-made items tend to be more expensive than

machine-made and as a result machine-machine-made items are more popular in my country because they're cheaper I think this is due to labour costs If a machine can produce large quantities of products automatically, this will always be cheaper when compared to human labour A person needs to be paid a wage, but a machine well, it can work day and night, I guess

Q2 Are there any things in your country which are only made by hand?

A2 Only handmade well, I know that some types of furniture are only handmade Of

course this furniture is quite a lot more expensive and generally (of) better

construction than the umm machine made Another thing that comes to mind is jewellery Most women desire a unique piece of jewelry I know my wife when I got a ring made for my wife it was completely hand made in fact, we gave the

design we wanted to the jeweller and he made it by hand I guess there are other things but I can't think of any others at the moment

Q3 Do you think in the future that handmade products will no longer be made?

A3 That's an interesting question Of course we understand that machine made products

are cheaper to make The bottom line for companies is that they need to make profits

If a company can make more and more products and pay less and less to make them, then I believe that mechanisation will win over hand-made products

Q4 Ok I'd like us to lastly consider creativity in general Do you think people learn creativity or is it something that comes naturally?

A4 Learn creativity do people learn creativity mmm Well, I know some creative

people, especially artists, and I say to them, how can you draw like that? You know I can only draw 'stick figures' but they can draw in such detail They usually say to me, I've always been able to draw and it comes naturally to me I think that if you're good

at something and if you like it, you spend time at it So what usually happens is the naturally good artists tend to draw more so they get better and better

Q5 Do you think that there are more or less creative people living in your country today?

A5 Well more or less creative in my country we are often coming up with new

inventions – especially in the area of ‘environmentally friendly products’ I saw in the newspaper recently that a new device for removing - or at least reducing - carbon

how it worked but I remember thinking that there are still creative people around in

my country so I guess I would have to say that there are still some around, but

whether there are more or less than in the past, I couldn't say with any certainty

Q6 What might be the effects of reduced creativity in society?

A6 Well, if people are less creative, then I believe society as a whole suffers We need

creative people, problem solvers who are able to find problems and devise solutions

I guess if a society becomes lazy, you know, sitting all day and night in front of the television, if they have no goals or ambitions in life, nothing to drive them toward achievement, then creativity suffers and society, I believe would suffer People would loose the spark or interest in life, it would be a terrible thing for any society to lose its creative people!

Speaking Lab 4

Part 1: Analysis

Why this answer would score well

The Basics: The candidate's voice is loud and clear enough to be understood

Pronunciation is clear and easy to understand The candidate's vocabulary is appropriate

in relation to the questions asked There are no grammatical inaccuracies

Presentation: The candidate sounds very relaxed, friendly and confident!

Structure: The candidate responds appropriately to the questions asked The answers are well structured: the questions are answered and in all cases, additional, related details are given

Content: The responses answer the questions the examiner asks in detail (no one or two word answers!) A good use of a question which involves the examiner in a more friendly way ('Do you enjoy going to the dentist?') A wide vocabulary is demonstrated: Study-related vocabulary: immersion learning, cadavers, human anatomy; Descriptions of home: cold weather that prevailed, typically cold and wet, predominant memory The candidate's friendly personality and conversational approach is evident right from the very beginning making the experience an enjoyable one for both candidate and examiner The candidate answers the questions asked with good examples

This is a good, confident start!

Part 2: Analysis

Why this answer would score well

The Basics: The candidate's voice is loud and clear enough to be easily understood Pronunciation is excellent and the candidate's use of words/vocabulary shows she can communicate on the topic effectively There are no grammatical inaccuracies

Presentation: The candidate sounds relaxed and confident The personality of the

candidate comes through and through the use of vocal variety, the topic is made more interesting through the recounting of an interesting story

Structure: The candidate responds appropriately to the questions asked on the Candidate Card The first three points are answered in the first sentence leaving most of the time to expand upon the last point (why you remember visiting it)

Content: Remember the question required the candidate to discuss:

1 where it was

2 why you went there

3 when you went there and;

4 explain why you remember visiting it

All of these aspects of the question were answered Good expression was used The vocabulary was varied and descriptive She concluded the speech by returning to the original, main point (why she remembered it) and gave good reasons why she did Her concluding statement gave her speech a sense of ‘finality’ One of the interesting things about the presentation is that the whole speech was a recount of a story Because it is usually easy to talk about a past experience (like a holiday), it is a good idea to recount a personal story

This is a good, confident continuation of the test!