Task Overview
In part 2, you will be given a topic on a task card that you have to prepare to speak based on the card for about 1 minute. Then you will be required to speak for about two minutes on the topic with a long run. The examiner will not interrupt you in the middle of your speech unless the time is up.
Tips
1. Make a plan!
- Use your one minute preparation wisely to plan all the things that you are going to say.
- Train yourself to organize the idea effectively.
2. Be relevant!
- You will be tested on how you speak, not how factual the topic that you say is. So, speak anything relevant to the given topic
3. To talk all the points in the cue card is not a must
- Don't worry if you don't get around to covering all the details mentioned in the cue card, for example, you have not covered the last point in the cue card, since you would not be penalized for this. The prompts on the cue card are only providing you some ideas to help you sustain the long turn.
4. Expand your lexical resources
- Try to use various vocabulary and avoid using similar words for many times. Also, if it is possible, try to use advanced vocabulary and idioms as well. In addition, it will be great if you don't speak simple sentences a lot, but try to vary it into compound, complex, even compound-complex sentences.
5. Speak without long pauses
- Try to speak continuously without a long pause because it can degrade your score. Try to speak as fluently as possible. However, you can use these words when you want to think about what to say instead of being silent: well... what-so-called... I think... next...
Strategy
You can follow this steps during Speaking Part 2:
Before you speak
- Plan your speech by writing points or lists which are set in order/making a mind map.
- Put some adverbs, verbs, and adjectives that you are going to say.
- Don't write in a full sentence!
- Manage your time well because you have a very limited time.
While you speak
You can speak using these outline:
A.Introduction
You can use these introductory phrases to start your talk:
- I am going to talk about.....
- I'd like to talk about....
- I want to talk about.....
- What I'm going to talk about is.....
- I'm going to describe.....
B.Developing idea
You can use these developing phrases to signpost your argument
- First of all....
- Secondly,....
- Additionally,....
- Another thing...
- Another reason why...
- Furthermore...
C.Background
You can use these background phrases when you want to add some details:
- It's near...
- It happened....
- It took place....
- It's been going on for/since....
- At that time....
D.Impression
Use these impression phrases to describe something that impressed you:
- ..... impressed me
- ..... motivated me
- ..... moved me
- ...... disturbed me
- ....... touched me deeply
- ...... had an effect on me
- ..... affected me
- ...... influenced me
E.Things you like
Here are the phrases to describe things that you like:
- I like... most all
- I enjoy...
- I love doing...
- ... really appeals to me because...
- I take great pleasure in...
Task Sample
Sample Cue Card:
Describe a street that you like to visit
Cue card
- where is it
- how often you go there
- what you usually do there
- and explain why you like to go there
Sample Answer
- where is it: I want to describe a street from my hometown for this topic where I had spent a lot of time during my youthful days. This street is called Old Polish Street, and it was pretty close to my school and famous among youngsters to hang out with their friends in the evening.
- how often you go there: I used to frequently visit this street, sometimes 5 to 6 times a week, and spent time with my friends during my school days. Now, since I live in a different city, to visit this street is such once in a blue moon, only when I visit my hometown in the end-year holiday.
- what you usually do there: This was not a very wide street, and it ran through around 200 meters before it allied to the main street on the other end. Only a few vehicle owners and pedestrians used this road. It had merely a couple of residential buildings back then and a 5-story commercial building. But the situation has changed now. We used to hang around and kill time after school. We used to learn to ride motorcycles here and ate at the local food stall. We used to go there to create memories.
- and explain why you like to go there: This is where I spent some of the best days of my life. It's a special place for me, so it will always be a part of my reminiscence. Sometimes, even now, it reminds me of things I used to do there and how precious our young days were. I love this street very much for these reasons, and it will always be an extraordinary place in my mind.
Warm-Up 21
Planning your answer
Try to plan your speech for one minute using either the list or the mind map. You can see the example below.
Example:
Planning - List
- Monalisa as the most famous painting...
- The creator is Leonardo Davinci
- Why it's famous --> toughest techniques, depicting a mysterious woman, containing a mysterious message, first landscape paint ever
- My impression --> I like it, because of authentic
Planning - Mindmap
Describe a painting or work of art
Cue card
- When did you see this work of art?
- Where did you see it?
- What does it look like?
- And explain why you like it.
Mini Practice 41
You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.
Describe a house/apartment you like to live in
Cue card
- where this house or apartment would be
- what it would look like
- when you would like to live there
- and explain why you would like to live in such a place
Mini Practice 42
You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.
Describe a website you have bought something from.
Cue card
- What the website is
- What you bought from this website
- How satisfied you were with what you bought
- And explain what you liked and disliked about using the website.
Mini Practice 43
You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.
Describe someone you know who has started a business.
Cue card
- Who this person is
- What work this person does
- Why this person decided to start a business
- And explain whether you would like to do the same kind of work as this person.