In IELTS Speaking Part 2, the examiner will not ask you a question verbally. In fact, a cue card is given to you which contains a topic and some prompts. Additionally, you are given a blank paper and pencil to prepare notes for the speech. After a preparation time of one minute, you are asked to talk continuously on the topic for between one and two minutes.
The IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card looks like this:
| Part 2 |
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| Describe your favorite teacher from school. You should say: • who the person is • what he or she is like • what subject did he or she teach and explain why he or she is your favorite teacher. |
The question in IELTS Speaking Part 2 always begins with the word “Describe” and then a topic. This is the general subject area that your speech should focus on.
Then there are three “wh” questions which you should not forget to talk about. You mostly need to provide factual information for these.
And there is always one “explain” question at the end to complete the cue card. This is a general question which focuses on the central theme of the question.
Sometimes the question in the cue card may be about something you have no idea about. The examiner is never going to replace the question, so you have to go at it. You should be prepared to talk about whatever topic they throw at you, regardless of whether you are retelling a real memory or making up a story.
Before we go into detail in the next pages about how to prepare for IELTS Speaking Part 2, here is a sample answer for the above question from an Indian speaker:
| Transcript: |
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| The teacher I absolutely adored during my schooldays was Mrs Remedios. Mrs Belinha Remedios was the Biology teacher at my high school St Amador High in my hometown Salcete. She was in her 50s while I was studying there a few years ago. She was a woman with astute countenance; she was tall with dark complexion and a rigid back. Her unique teaching methods set Mrs Remedios apart from other teachers. Once, in the 10th grade, she was teaching us about the different parts of the human heart and how blood flows in and out. She asked us students to clear the desks and benches at the front and made us stand in different corners of the classroom. We were supposed to represent different chambers and valves of the heart. Some of us lined up and formed a small procession to represent blood cells and entered through different parts of the heart. Such fun lessons made Biology my favorite subject and Mrs Remedios my favorite teacher. In total, I was in Mrs Remedios’s class for two years: grade 9 and grade 10. I will never forget her lessons on the human anatomy, reproduction in plants, classification of vertebrates and non-vertebrates, among others. Besides her teaching prowess, she was a very kind-hearted person. Outside the classes, I used to visit her office from time to time to discuss my future, and she always had interesting stories to inspire me with. Even today, I keep in touch with Mrs Remedios. We are connected on Facebook and send each other messages and pictures. She is still teaching at St Amador High School. |
Next lesson:
IELTS Speaking Part 2 questions
