IELTS Tips – Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking :
IELTS Tips – Reading
1. To know whether you should read the IELTS Reading passage first or the questions first, experiment with both strategies and see what works best for you. Many students have found it helps to skim through the questions first to get an idea of what to pay attention to in the reading passage. This method may work for you too, but in reality, it depends on a number of factors. These include how well or how quickly you read, the type of questions, how difficult they are, how much time you have, and so on. So, never mind what your teacher recommends, or what your best friend is going to do.
2. Read the IELTS Reading instructions carefully. Don’t try to save time by skipping this part. The instructions give you critical information about how many words the answer should be, what exactly you need to do, and so on. Always read the instructions, even if you have done hundreds of practice tests already!
3. In many cases, the questions follow the order of the information in the reading passages. This will help you find the required answers quickly.
4. Spelling matters, so take care while writing in the short answers. You will lose points for incorrect spelling. Take special care when copying words from the text.
5. Grammar counts too, so make sure you pay attention to this aspect as well.
6. In sentence completion tasks, focus on the meaning to select the right answer.
7. Do many practice tests to familiarize yourself with the test format, the types of questions, the level of difficulty and more.
8. Read widely from a variety of sources to strengthen your general reading skills and enrich your vocabulary.
9. Look out for key synonyms used in the text or question, to help you identify where to find the answer quickly.
10. Use only the stated number of words in your answer or you will lose the mark. Hyphenated words count as one word.
IELTS Tips – Listening
1. The accents of the speakers on the tape are primarily British. This means you must become accustomed to understanding the nuances of such accents. If you have been watching a lot of American television, (shows such as Friends, for example) it will not really help you. British accents are quite different and it is better to spend time in the months before the test listening to British radio stations and podcasts or watching the BBC, British shows, and movies. This is one of the major difference between the IELTS exam and the TOEFL, which features more American accents.
2. Get used to the way letters and numbers are pronounced in British (and American) English. Sometimes, in the listening section, you are asked to write down the spelling of a name, place, or address. If you make a mistake in the spelling while writing it down, you will get the answer wrong.
3. The expressions used also tend to be taken from British rather than American English. This means you may hear unfamiliar idioms, which can confuse you. Speakers may also use British words for common items such as "flat" for "apartment", "lorry" for "truck", or "advert" for advertisement. Make sure you study the most common differences in British and American vocabulary and listen to as many IELTS exercises as possible before your exam to prepare you for the actual test experience.
4. Learn to distinguish opinion from fact. In the third and fourth listening passages, you will probably be tested on what one of the speakers thinks or what his / her view is. This may or may not be stated outright, but as an underlying theme in the whole conversation or in the tone of the speakers voice, rather than the words themselves.
5. Don't worry if your classmates or friends get higher listening scores than you. Each one has his or her strengths and weaknesses, just like you. Each one also has his or her own language goals. Just focus on your own needs and don't compare yourself to others.
6. Follow instructions very carefully. If the instructions state, "Write no more than three words",then you must not write more or you will receive no marks for your answer, even if some of the words you wrote were part of the correct answer. Similarly, read each instruction carefully. Sometimes, you are asked to circle two answers, sometimes three, and so on. You must read the instruction each time as it may differ from the previous ones. Remember, the ability to follow instructions in English is a test in itself.
7. The questions follow the oral text. Remember this - it will make it easier for you to focus on the current question, or to know when you've been left behind, in case the speakers have gone on to providing the answer to the following questions.
8. Familiarize yourself with charts, graphs, flow-charts, bar charts and pie charts, etc. These often appear as part of the answer choices in the fourth section. The more comfortable you are with interpreting the data represented in them, the easier your exam will be.
IELTS Tips- Writing
1. Work with a teacher.
Write several sample essays and have them corrected by a teacher. You cannot prepare for the writing section of the IELTS alone, as you have no way of receiving feedback on your errors. If you are short on money, at least invest in a teacher or class to prepare for the writing and speaking sections of the IELTS, and then do the listening and reading sections on your own by working with a good preparatory IELTS guidebook.
2. Read the questions very carefully.
Often the question will ask you to do three or four different things, aside from the main question. Jot them down and make sure you address all of them in your answer. The IELTS examiner will be checking for this.
3. Practice writing tasks within the given time limits.
It really doesn't matter if you can write a beautiful answer in two hours. Always recreate the conditions of the exam as closely as possible, when doing any kind of practice exercises.
4. Plan before you write.
Even though you feel under pressure for time, spend the first few minutes planning your writing. Decide what you're going to say and how you'll expand on it. When you know what to write, you can concentrate on how to write it best. Experiment with the great variety of outlining and mind-mapping techniques to help you sketch out a plan quickly.
5. Write in an organized way.
When you've planned in advance, you'll end up with a more organized, logical piece of writing, which will earn you higher marks. There are many ways to be organized – linear, circular, etc. – but in the end the final product must be cohesive.
6. Stay on topic.
You will be penalized if you stray off topic. This is where the initial few minutes of planning can help you a great deal.
7. Divide your writing into paragraphs.
It is confusing to be faced with a block of writing, with no divisions. You wouldn't expect to read a magazine article or book like this. Always divide your writing into paragraphs.
8. Write clearly.
This is not the time or place to experiment with new vocabulary or idioms. Use simple, clear English to get your ideas across in a powerful way.
9. Write legibly.
Though marks are not granted or taken away for poor or messy writing, the examiner should be able to read what you have written without undue difficulty.
10. Spell correctly.
Yes, this does affect your score so avoid careless mistakes. A careless mistake is when you have spelt the same word in various ways in the same piece of writing or when you misspell a word which is already given in the exam topic and all you have to do is copy it correctly. That's not okay. Watch for this when you're practicing and resolve to overcome it.
11. Don't use slang.
This is the time to show off the best English you know. Find the correct way to express your thoughts and convey your ideas, without resorting to slang. Be aware that certain expressions, such as "kids" instead of "children" and "guys" or "gals" instead of "men" or "women", also fall into the category of slang and should be avoided.
12. Don't use contractions in the Academic Writing tasks.
In English, contractions are used in informal writing, and the Academic tasks demand formal writing.
13. Use rich vocabulary.
You have learned English for many years and this is the time to use what you know. Stay away from over-used adjectives such as "good" or "bad". Instead, use more dramatic, expressive words, such as excellent, wonderful, superb, or adverse, horrible, terrible, etc. Choose the more precise word over the more general one. This will make your language come alive, in speech or in writing, and earn you higher marks.
14. Don't write more or less words than you need to.
Writing too many will take too much time, and there is a greater possibility of making mistakes. Writing too few is worse – it will cause you to lose marks.
15. In the essay, don't repeat major chunks of the question in your answer.
Instead, state what you understand of the questions and what you plan to include in your answer.
IELTS Tips – Speaking
1. Give a full answer. Don't just give one word answers. Include more information. For example, when asked where you're from, instead of just saying the name of the place, speak in a sentence which states the name, the location, and how long you've been there. This shows the examiner you are confident speaking in English. But don't speak too long or the examiner will think you've misunderstood the question!
2. Speak clearly and don't worry about your accent. Everyone has an accent when they speak English. The important point is that you enunciate the best you can so the examiner can understand you. Rehearse in advance to overcome any obvious pronunciation problems. If you make a mistake, don't worry, just correct yourself and keep going.
3. Use descriptive words. Don't use boring words like good, bad, nice, or okay. Use exciting words that covey emotion. Practice using higher level words for every simple word you know – such as thrilled instead of happy, or depressed instead of sad.
4. Speak up. Sometimes, students mumble and speak very softly because they are nervous or unsure of their words. Use simple, correct language rather than complicated vocabulary and speak loudly enough that the examiner does not have to strain to hear you. This indicates self-confidence and command of the language.
5. Don't use slang. You have 11 minutes to display the best English you know in all the years that you have been learning English! Choose to be formal rather than informal.
6. Keep a steady pace. Don't speak too fast or too slow.
7. Don't try to memorize answers to sample subjects. The examiner has enough experience to recognize that you are not speaking naturally and spontaneously and will change the subject or give you a lower score. Use the sample subjects to give you practice speaking on a variety of topics, but not to memorize.
8. Explain names or words which are in another language. For instance, if you are asked to speak about a festival, which involves using words in your language, say the words clearly and give the meaning if any afterwards, so the examiner can follow your explanation.
9. Ask questions, if necessary, in Part 3 only. You cannot ask questions in Parts 1 and 2, but you can do so, if necessary in Part 3.
10. Practice speaking with a watch. Get an idea of how long two minutes is and approximately how much content you will have to cover.
11. Stay on topic. Don't change the subject or the examiner will think you have misunderstood and may give you a lower mark.
12. Have daily discussions with friends. Take turns asking each other questions about current events and develop your ability to speak about various topics, using varied sentence structure and vocabulary.
Sample IELTS Speaking Topics :
Part 1 of the IELTS Speaking Module consists of personal questions about you, your family, your work, your education or other familiar topics. A categorized list of such topics and questions is given below. You can use these sample questions to rehearse for this part of the oral interview. Make sure you can speak correctly, clearly, and with ease and confidence in response to each question. Remember to make your answer interesting by providing more than the most basic information. Some of these sample questions are highly likely to appear on your exam, so review them well.
1. YOU
• Describe yourself.
2. FAMILY
• Describe your family?
• Do you have a large or small family?
• How much time do you spend with your family?
• What do you like to do together as a family?
• Do you get along well with your family?
• Are people in your country generally close to their families?
• WORK
• What do you do?
• What are your responsibilities?
• How many hours do you work each day?
• Do you enjoy your work?
• Is there some other kind of work you would rather do?
• If you could change your job or profession, what would you do?
• Describe the process of getting a job in your country.
• Describe the company or organization you work for.
• What is your position?
• What do you like about your job?
• What do you dislike about your job?
3. EDUCATION
• Describe your education.
• What kind of school did you go to as a child?
• Did you go to a co-educational school?
• What was your favourite subject as a child?
• Who was your favourite teacher?
• What is the education system like in your country?
• Do you think your country has an effective education system?
4. STUDIES
• What are you studying now?
• What is your area of specialization?
5. HOMETOWN
• Describe your hometown.
• What’s special about it?
• Where is your hometown located?
• Is it easy to travel around your hometown?
• What is it known for?
• What do people in your town do?
• What are the main industries in your hometown?
• What problems face your hometown?
• What languages are spoken in your hometown?
• What are the advantages of living in your hometown?
• What are some problems faced by your hometown?
• Compare your hometown with another city.
• What are some environmental problems faced by your hometown?
6. WEATHER
• What’s the weather like in your country?
• Does the weather affect your mood?
• How do rainy days make you feel?
• What’s your favourite season of the year?
• What do you like to do when it’s hot?
• What do you usually do in the winter?
• How many seasons does your country have?
7. HOME
• Describe your home.
• What kind of building do you live in?
• How long have you lived there?
8. WEDDING
• Have you ever been to a wedding?
• Whose wedding was it?
• Where was it held?
• What clothes do people wear?
• Describe the wedding ceremony.
• What sort if gifts do people buy for the bridal couple?
• What kind of clothes did the bride and groom wear?
9. TRAVEL
• Do you like to travel?
• What kind of places have you visited in your life?
• Which place would you really like to visit? Why?
• What’s the best place you’ve ever visited?
10. COMPUTERS
• Do you think computers help society?
• Do you think computers are bad for health?
• How do you think computers have changed the world?
11. INTERNET
• Do you use the Internet much during the day?
• What do you usually do on the Internet?
• What are some advantages of the Internet?
• What are some disadvantages?
• Do people in your country use the Internet a lot?
• Do you do any shopping on the Internet?
12. EMAIL
• Do you send and receive email regularly?
• Who do you usually communicate with?
• How often do you check your email?
• Do you think writing email has strengthened or weakened people’s writing skills?
• What are some disadvantages of email?
13. FRIEND
• Describe a friend.
• How long have you known each other?
• What do usually do together?
• What do you like the most about him / her?
• How often do you see each other?
14. PLACE
• Describe a place you like to go.
• Why is this place special to you?
• When did you first visit this place?
• Where is this place located?
• What language is spoken here? Do you speak this language?
15. SMOKING
• What do you feel about smoking in public places?
• Do you think smoking should be banned in people’s homes?
16. MARRIAGE
• What is the attitude toward marriage in your country?
• Do most young people plan on getting married in your country?
• What are some of the advantages of marriage?
• What are some of the disadvantages?
• Is the divorce rate high in your country?
• Do you think people should be allowed to get divorced?
17. HOBBIES
• Do you have any hobbies?
• What are some of your hobbies?
• When did you first develop tis hobby?
• What are some of the advantages of having a hobby?
• How much time do you spend on your hobby?
18. FILMS
• Do you enjoy watching movies?
• What’s your favourite film?
• Who are your favourite actors?
• How often do you watch films?
19. SHOPPING
• Do you enjoy shopping?
• How do you feel about shopping?
• Do you like shopping on the Internet?
• Do you have any favourite stores?
• What don’t you like about shopping?
• Which is the most popular place to shop in your hometown?
20. SPORTS
• Do you like sports?
• Do you enjoy watching sports?
• Do you enjoy participating in any sports?
• Which sports are most popular in your country?
• What’s your favourite sport/
• When did you first become interested in sports?
• How often do you participate in sports?
• What equipment do you need for your favourite sport?
21. FOOD
• What are some of your favourite foods?
• What foods are popular in your country?
• What are some of the famous dishes of your country?
• Do you enjoy cooking?
22. FESTIVAL
• What’s the most important festival in your country?
• How do people celebrate this festival?
• What special food is associated with this festival?
• What special activities are associated with this festival?
• What do you enjoy most about this festival?
• Do you think festivals are important for a society?
23. TELEVISION
• Do you watch television a lot?
• What do you usually watch on television?
• How many hours of television do you usually watch?
• What are the most popular shows in your country?
• What kind of shows do you like to watch?
• What are some advantages of television?
• What are someof the disadvantages of television?
• What did you last watch on television?
• Why do you think certain TV shows are so popular?
24. TOURISM
• Which places would you recommend to a visitor to your country?
• Do a lot of tourists visit your country?
• What do they usually do there?
• How has tourism changed your country?
• Is your country expensive for most tourists?
• What are some famous landmarks in your country?
25. DAILY ROUTINE
• Describe your daily routine.
• What do you usually do?
• What do you do on the weekend?
• What is you typical weekday like?
• Does your life change much from week to week?
• Do you have any free time during the week?
26. YOUR COUNTRY
• Describe your daily routine.
• What do you usually do?
• What do you do on the weekend?
• What is you typical weekday like?
• Does your life change much from week to week?
• Do you have any free time during the week?
27. CLOTHES
• What type of clothes do you like to wear?
• What kind of clothes do people in your country usually wear?
• How important is fashion to you?
• What kind of clothes do you dislike?
• Do you think people behave differently in different kinds of clothes?
• What kind of clothes do people wear to work in your country?
• Are clothes expensive in your country?
28. GOING OUT
• Do you like going out or staying at home?
• What do you like to do when you go out?
• How often do you go out?
• Do people in your country go our a lot?
• How and where do people in your country usually socialize?
• What kind of entertainment is popular in your country?
29. GAMES
• Do you enjoy playing any games?
• What kind of games do you play?
• Do you think adults should play games?
• What do children learn from games?
• What kind of games did you play when you were a child?
• What games are popular in your country today?
• What kind of games were popular when you were young?
• Do you think mental games like chess are good for you?
30. COLOURS
• Do you have a favourite colour?
• What are your country’s colours?
• Do you think colours affect our moods?
• Can you learn anything about a person from the colours he / she likes?
• Do you like the same colours now as you did when you were a child?
31. MUSIC
• Do you like music?
• What kind of music do you like?
• When do you usually listen to music?
• What kind of music did you like when you were younger?
• What kind of music is popular in your country?
• Do you play any musical instruments?
• Do you wish you could play any musical instruments?
• Which is your favourite instrument?
IELTS Speaking Module - Part 2 - Sample Topics
In Part 2 of the IELTS Speaking Module, you need to give a short talk, of about 1-2 minutes, on a simple topic. The questions do not require any specific knowledge, but are based on personal experience. You are handed a card with the topic and you have one minute to prepare your talk. You can make notes and use these notes during your monologue. The examiner will not ask you any questions during this part of the test, so you must know how to answer all parts of the question you are given and speak fluently for a few minutes by yourself. Sample IELTS Speaking Module topics (for Part 2) are given below. It is quite likely that you will be given one of these topics or something very similar, so make sure you can speak confidently and clearly on each one.
1. Describe an artist or entertainer you admire.
You should say:
• Who they are and what they do
• How they became successful
• How you found out about them
• And explain why you admire them
2. Describe a subject you enjoyed studying at school.
You should say:
• When and where you started studying it
• What lessons were like
• What made the subject different from other subjects
• And explain why you enjoyed the subject
3. Describe an important choice you had to make in your life.
You should say:
• When you had this choice
• What you had to choose between
• Whether you made a good choice
• And explain how you felt when you were making this choice
4. Describe a job you have done.
You should say:
• How you got doing the job
• What the job involved
• How long the job lasted
• Describe how well you did the job
5. Describe an area of countryside you know and like.
You should say:
• Where it is
• What its special features are
• What you and other people do in this area
• And explain why you like it
6. Describe an object you particularly like.
You should say:
• What it is and what it looks like
• What it is made of
• What it is for
• And explain why it is special for you
7. Describe a newspaper or magazine you enjoy reading.
You should say:
• What kind of newspaper / magazine it is
• Which parts of it you read regularly
• When and where you read it
• Explain why you enjoy reading it
8. Describe something healthy you enjoy doing.
You should say:
• What you do
• Where you do it
• Who you do it with
• And explain why you think doing this is healthy
9. Describe a game or sport you enjoy playing.
You should say:
• What kind of sport it is
• Who you play it with
• Where you play it
• And explain why you enjoy playing it
10. Describe someone in your family who you like.
You should say:
• How this person is related to you
• What this person looks like
• What kind of person he/she is
• And explain why you like this person
11. Describe a museum or art gallery that you have visited.
You should say:
• Where it is
• Why you went there
• What you particularly remember about the place.
12. Describe an enjoyable event that you experienced when you were at school.
You should say:
• When it happened
• What was good about it
• Why you particularly remember this event.
13. Describe a song or piece of music you like.
You should say:
• What the song or music is
• What kind of song or music it is
• Where you first heard it
• And explain why you like it
14. Describe a festival that is important in your country.
You should say:
• When the festival occurs
• What you did during it
• What you like or dislike about it
• And explain why this festival is important
Sample IELTS Essay Topics :
In both the Academic and General IELTS Writing sections, you need to write an essay of at least 250 words. This means that your essay will be about 4-5 paragraphs long. Below are several sample IELTS essay topics, organized under eight broad categories. You should plan to write at least one essay from each category to gain some experience in handling various types of subjects. Ideally, you should write several such essays so you can do so effectively and within 40 minutes.
ESSAY TOPICS:
GOVERNMENT
1. Should wealthy nations be required to share their wealth among poorer nations by providing such things as food and education? Or is it the responsibility of the governments of poorer nations to look after their citizens themselves?
2. What should a government do for a country to become successful?
3. Should money be spent on space exploration?
4. Should rich countries forgive all debts for poor countries?
5. Does foreign aid help donor countries more than the recipients?
6. Should rich countries pay more for environmental damage?
7. Most high level jobs are done by men. Should the government encourage a certain percentage of these jobs to be reserved for women?
8. Should developing countries concentrate on improving industrial skills or should they promote education first?
9. Safety standards are important when building people's homes. Who should be responsible for enforcing strict building codes - the government or the people who build the homes?
10. Discuss the advantage and disadvantage of giving international aid to poor countries.
11. Should criminals be punished with lengthy jail terms or re-educated and rehabilitated using community service programs for instance, before being reintroduced to society?
12. In most countries disabled people are not catered for adequately, e.g. buildings are often inappropriately designed. Governments rely too heavily on charities and voluntary organizations to provide assistance and funding. What further measures could be taken to assist disabled people?
13. In your opinion should government intervene in the rights of the individual with regard to family planning?
14. The best way to reduce the number of traffic accidents is to make all young drivers complete a safe driving education course before being licensed to drive.
MODERN SOCIETY
1. Nowadays doctors can become very rich. Maybe they should not focus on profitable activities such as plastic surgery or looking after rich patients and concentrate more on patients health, no matter how rich they are?
2. Does travel help to promote understanding and communication between countries?
3. In your opinion what factors contribute to a good movie?
4. Are famous people treated unfairly by the media ? Should they be given more privacy, or is the price of their fame an invasion into their private lives?
5. Is animal testing necessary?
6. Some businesses now say that no one can smoke cigarettes in any of their offices. Some governments have banned smoking in all public places. Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons.
7. To what extent is the use of animals in scientific research acceptable?
8. Human beings do not need to eat meat in order to maintain good health because they can get all their food needs from meatless products and meatless substances. A vegetarian diet is as healthy as a diet containing meat. Argue for or against the opinion above.
9. Forests are the lungs of the earth. Destruction of the world's forests amounts to death of the world we currently know. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
10. Are our zoos cruel to wild animals? Discuss.
11. Zoos are sometimes seen as necessary but not poor alternatives to a natural environment. Discuss some of the arguments for and/or against keeping animals in zoos.
12. To what extent will migration from the developing world to the developed world become a social and political issue in the 21st century?
13. In Britain, when someone gets old, they often go to live in a home with other old people where there are nurses to look after them. Sometimes the government has to pay for this care. Who should be responsible for our old people? Give reasons.
14. The first car appeared on British roads in 1888. By the year 2000 there may be as many as 29 million vehicles on British roads. Alternative forms of transport should be encouraged and international laws introduced to control car ownership and use. What do you think?
15. The best way to reduce the number of traffic accidents is to make all young drivers complete a safe driving education course before being licensed to drive.
16. News editors decide what to broadcast on TV and what to print in newspapers. What factors do you think influence their decisions? Have we become used to bad news? Would it be better if more good news was reported?
17. TV: could you be without it? Discuss.
18. To what extent will migration from the developing world to the developed world become a social and political issue in the 21st century?
19. The mass media, including TV, radio and newspapers, have great influence in shaping people's ideas. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer.
20. Tourism is becoming increasingly important as a source of revenue to many countries but its disadvantages should not be overlooked. What are some of the problems of tourism?
21. The mass media, including TV, radio and newspapers, have great influence in shaping people's ideas. To what extent do you agree or disagree this statement? Give reasons for your answer
TECHNOLOGY
1. Does modern technology make life more convenient, or was life better when technology was simpler?
2. Will modern technology, such as the internet ever replace the book or the written word as the main source of information?
3. We are becoming increasingly dependent on computers. They are used in businesses, hospitals, crime detection and even to fly planes. What things will they be used for in future?.Is this dependence on computers a good thing or should we be more suspicious of their benefits?Use specific details and examples in your answer.
4. In what ways has information technology changed work and working practices in the past 10 years?
5. Technology is making communication easier in today's world, but at the expense of personal contact as many people choose to work at home in front of a computer screen. What dangers are there for a society which depends on computer screens rather than face-to-face contact for its main means of communication?
6. Will the Internet bring people of the world closer together?
7. The first car appeared on British roads in 1888. By the year 2000 there may be as many as 29 million vehicles on British roads. Alternative forms of transport should be encouraged and international laws introduced to control car ownership and use. What do you think?
8. The mass media, including TV, radio and newspapers, have great influence in shaping people's ideas. To what extent do you agree or disagree this statement? Give reasons for your answer.
EMPLOYMENT
1. Should retirement be compulsory at 65 years of age?
2. Telecommuting' refers to workers doing their jobs from home for part of each week and communicating with their office using computer technology. Telecommuting is growing in many countries and is expected to be common for most office workers in the coming decades. How do you think society will be affected by the growth of telecommuting?
3. In some countries the average worker is obliged to retire at the age of 50, while in others people can work until they are 65 or 70. Until what age do you think people should be encouraged to remain in paid employment? Give reasons for your answer.
ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY
1. To what extent should economic planning be influenced by the need of environmental conservation?
2. Damage of the environment is an inevitable consequence of worldwide improvements in the standard of living. Discuss.
3. The rising levels of congestion and air pollution found in most of the world cities can be attributed directly to the rapidly increasing number of private cars in use. In order to reverse this decline in the quality of life in cities, attempts must be made to encourage people to use their cars less and public transport more. Discuss possible ways to encourage the use of public transport.
4. The threat of nuclear weapons maintains world peace. Nuclear power provides cheap and clean energy. The benefits of nuclear technology far outweigh the disadvantages. Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer.
EDUCATION
1. Education is the single most important factor in the development of a country. Do you agree?
2. What are factors which are related to academic success in high-school students?
3. Do the benefits of study abroad justify the difficulties? What advice would you offer to a prospective student?
4. The idea of going overseas for university study is an exciting prospect for many people. But while it may offer some advantages, it is probably better to stay home because of the difficulties a student inevitably encounters living and studying in a different culture. To what extent do you agree or disagree this statement? Give reasons for your answer.
5. Education is recognized as vital to the future of any society in today's world. Governments throughout the world should make education compulsory for all children between the ages of 5 and 15. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
6. Foreign language instruction should begin in kindergarten. Discuss.
7. Should sports classes be sacrificed in High School so students can concentrate on academic subjects?
8. To what extent should universities function as training grounds for employment?
9. To what extent should university courses be geared to the economic needs of society?
10. Should children be taught sex education in schools?
11. Computers can translate all kinds of languages well. Do our children need to learn more languages in the future?
12. Are zoos necessary for education?
PARENTS & CHILDREN
1. Children should never be educated at home by their parents. Do you agree or disagree?
2. Children learn best by observing behavior of adults and copying it. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
GENDER ISSUES
1. To what extent has the traditional male role changed in the last 20 years?
2. Many people believe that women make better parents than men and that this is why they have the greater role in raising children in most societies. Others claim that men are just as good as women at parenting. Write an essay expressing your point of view. Give reasons for your answer.
1. To know whether you should read the IELTS Reading passage first or the questions first, experiment with both strategies and see what works best for you. Many students have found it helps to skim through the questions first to get an idea of what to pay attention to in the reading passage. This method may work for you too, but in reality, it depends on a number of factors. These include how well or how quickly you read, the type of questions, how difficult they are, how much time you have, and so on. So, never mind what your teacher recommends, or what your best friend is going to do.
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Try both ways and see what
helps you the most.
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2. Read the IELTS Reading instructions carefully. Don’t try to save time by skipping this part. The instructions give you critical information about how many words the answer should be, what exactly you need to do, and so on. Always read the instructions, even if you have done hundreds of practice tests already!
3. In many cases, the questions follow the order of the information in the reading passages. This will help you find the required answers quickly.
4. Spelling matters, so take care while writing in the short answers. You will lose points for incorrect spelling. Take special care when copying words from the text.
5. Grammar counts too, so make sure you pay attention to this aspect as well.
6. In sentence completion tasks, focus on the meaning to select the right answer.
7. Do many practice tests to familiarize yourself with the test format, the types of questions, the level of difficulty and more.
8. Read widely from a variety of sources to strengthen your general reading skills and enrich your vocabulary.
9. Look out for key synonyms used in the text or question, to help you identify where to find the answer quickly.
10. Use only the stated number of words in your answer or you will lose the mark. Hyphenated words count as one word.
1. The accents of the speakers on the tape are primarily British. This means you must become accustomed to understanding the nuances of such accents. If you have been watching a lot of American television, (shows such as Friends, for example) it will not really help you. British accents are quite different and it is better to spend time in the months before the test listening to British radio stations and podcasts or watching the BBC, British shows, and movies. This is one of the major difference between the IELTS exam and the TOEFL, which features more American accents.
2. Get used to the way letters and numbers are pronounced in British (and American) English. Sometimes, in the listening section, you are asked to write down the spelling of a name, place, or address. If you make a mistake in the spelling while writing it down, you will get the answer wrong.
3. The expressions used also tend to be taken from British rather than American English. This means you may hear unfamiliar idioms, which can confuse you. Speakers may also use British words for common items such as "flat" for "apartment", "lorry" for "truck", or "advert" for advertisement. Make sure you study the most common differences in British and American vocabulary and listen to as many IELTS exercises as possible before your exam to prepare you for the actual test experience.
4. Learn to distinguish opinion from fact. In the third and fourth listening passages, you will probably be tested on what one of the speakers thinks or what his / her view is. This may or may not be stated outright, but as an underlying theme in the whole conversation or in the tone of the speakers voice, rather than the words themselves.
5. Don't worry if your classmates or friends get higher listening scores than you. Each one has his or her strengths and weaknesses, just like you. Each one also has his or her own language goals. Just focus on your own needs and don't compare yourself to others.
6. Follow instructions very carefully. If the instructions state, "Write no more than three words",then you must not write more or you will receive no marks for your answer, even if some of the words you wrote were part of the correct answer. Similarly, read each instruction carefully. Sometimes, you are asked to circle two answers, sometimes three, and so on. You must read the instruction each time as it may differ from the previous ones. Remember, the ability to follow instructions in English is a test in itself.
7. The questions follow the oral text. Remember this - it will make it easier for you to focus on the current question, or to know when you've been left behind, in case the speakers have gone on to providing the answer to the following questions.
8. Familiarize yourself with charts, graphs, flow-charts, bar charts and pie charts, etc. These often appear as part of the answer choices in the fourth section. The more comfortable you are with interpreting the data represented in them, the easier your exam will be.
1. Work with a teacher.
Write several sample essays and have them corrected by a teacher. You cannot prepare for the writing section of the IELTS alone, as you have no way of receiving feedback on your errors. If you are short on money, at least invest in a teacher or class to prepare for the writing and speaking sections of the IELTS, and then do the listening and reading sections on your own by working with a good preparatory IELTS guidebook.
2. Read the questions very carefully.
Often the question will ask you to do three or four different things, aside from the main question. Jot them down and make sure you address all of them in your answer. The IELTS examiner will be checking for this.
3. Practice writing tasks within the given time limits.
It really doesn't matter if you can write a beautiful answer in two hours. Always recreate the conditions of the exam as closely as possible, when doing any kind of practice exercises.
4. Plan before you write.
Even though you feel under pressure for time, spend the first few minutes planning your writing. Decide what you're going to say and how you'll expand on it. When you know what to write, you can concentrate on how to write it best. Experiment with the great variety of outlining and mind-mapping techniques to help you sketch out a plan quickly.
5. Write in an organized way.
When you've planned in advance, you'll end up with a more organized, logical piece of writing, which will earn you higher marks. There are many ways to be organized – linear, circular, etc. – but in the end the final product must be cohesive.
6. Stay on topic.
You will be penalized if you stray off topic. This is where the initial few minutes of planning can help you a great deal.
7. Divide your writing into paragraphs.
It is confusing to be faced with a block of writing, with no divisions. You wouldn't expect to read a magazine article or book like this. Always divide your writing into paragraphs.
8. Write clearly.
This is not the time or place to experiment with new vocabulary or idioms. Use simple, clear English to get your ideas across in a powerful way.
9. Write legibly.
Though marks are not granted or taken away for poor or messy writing, the examiner should be able to read what you have written without undue difficulty.
10. Spell correctly.
Yes, this does affect your score so avoid careless mistakes. A careless mistake is when you have spelt the same word in various ways in the same piece of writing or when you misspell a word which is already given in the exam topic and all you have to do is copy it correctly. That's not okay. Watch for this when you're practicing and resolve to overcome it.
11. Don't use slang.
This is the time to show off the best English you know. Find the correct way to express your thoughts and convey your ideas, without resorting to slang. Be aware that certain expressions, such as "kids" instead of "children" and "guys" or "gals" instead of "men" or "women", also fall into the category of slang and should be avoided.
12. Don't use contractions in the Academic Writing tasks.
In English, contractions are used in informal writing, and the Academic tasks demand formal writing.
13. Use rich vocabulary.
You have learned English for many years and this is the time to use what you know. Stay away from over-used adjectives such as "good" or "bad". Instead, use more dramatic, expressive words, such as excellent, wonderful, superb, or adverse, horrible, terrible, etc. Choose the more precise word over the more general one. This will make your language come alive, in speech or in writing, and earn you higher marks.
14. Don't write more or less words than you need to.
Writing too many will take too much time, and there is a greater possibility of making mistakes. Writing too few is worse – it will cause you to lose marks.
15. In the essay, don't repeat major chunks of the question in your answer.
Instead, state what you understand of the questions and what you plan to include in your answer.
1. Give a full answer. Don't just give one word answers. Include more information. For example, when asked where you're from, instead of just saying the name of the place, speak in a sentence which states the name, the location, and how long you've been there. This shows the examiner you are confident speaking in English. But don't speak too long or the examiner will think you've misunderstood the question!
2. Speak clearly and don't worry about your accent. Everyone has an accent when they speak English. The important point is that you enunciate the best you can so the examiner can understand you. Rehearse in advance to overcome any obvious pronunciation problems. If you make a mistake, don't worry, just correct yourself and keep going.
3. Use descriptive words. Don't use boring words like good, bad, nice, or okay. Use exciting words that covey emotion. Practice using higher level words for every simple word you know – such as thrilled instead of happy, or depressed instead of sad.
4. Speak up. Sometimes, students mumble and speak very softly because they are nervous or unsure of their words. Use simple, correct language rather than complicated vocabulary and speak loudly enough that the examiner does not have to strain to hear you. This indicates self-confidence and command of the language.
5. Don't use slang. You have 11 minutes to display the best English you know in all the years that you have been learning English! Choose to be formal rather than informal.
6. Keep a steady pace. Don't speak too fast or too slow.
7. Don't try to memorize answers to sample subjects. The examiner has enough experience to recognize that you are not speaking naturally and spontaneously and will change the subject or give you a lower score. Use the sample subjects to give you practice speaking on a variety of topics, but not to memorize.
8. Explain names or words which are in another language. For instance, if you are asked to speak about a festival, which involves using words in your language, say the words clearly and give the meaning if any afterwards, so the examiner can follow your explanation.
9. Ask questions, if necessary, in Part 3 only. You cannot ask questions in Parts 1 and 2, but you can do so, if necessary in Part 3.
10. Practice speaking with a watch. Get an idea of how long two minutes is and approximately how much content you will have to cover.
11. Stay on topic. Don't change the subject or the examiner will think you have misunderstood and may give you a lower mark.
12. Have daily discussions with friends. Take turns asking each other questions about current events and develop your ability to speak about various topics, using varied sentence structure and vocabulary.
Sample IELTS Speaking Topics :
Part 1 of the IELTS Speaking Module consists of personal questions about you, your family, your work, your education or other familiar topics. A categorized list of such topics and questions is given below. You can use these sample questions to rehearse for this part of the oral interview. Make sure you can speak correctly, clearly, and with ease and confidence in response to each question. Remember to make your answer interesting by providing more than the most basic information. Some of these sample questions are highly likely to appear on your exam, so review them well.
1. YOU
• Describe yourself.
2. FAMILY
• Describe your family?
• Do you have a large or small family?
• How much time do you spend with your family?
• What do you like to do together as a family?
• Do you get along well with your family?
• Are people in your country generally close to their families?
• WORK
• What do you do?
• What are your responsibilities?
• How many hours do you work each day?
• Do you enjoy your work?
• Is there some other kind of work you would rather do?
• If you could change your job or profession, what would you do?
• Describe the process of getting a job in your country.
• Describe the company or organization you work for.
• What is your position?
• What do you like about your job?
• What do you dislike about your job?
3. EDUCATION
• Describe your education.
• What kind of school did you go to as a child?
• Did you go to a co-educational school?
• What was your favourite subject as a child?
• Who was your favourite teacher?
• What is the education system like in your country?
• Do you think your country has an effective education system?
4. STUDIES
• What are you studying now?
• What is your area of specialization?
5. HOMETOWN
• Describe your hometown.
• What’s special about it?
• Where is your hometown located?
• Is it easy to travel around your hometown?
• What is it known for?
• What do people in your town do?
• What are the main industries in your hometown?
• What problems face your hometown?
• What languages are spoken in your hometown?
• What are the advantages of living in your hometown?
• What are some problems faced by your hometown?
• Compare your hometown with another city.
• What are some environmental problems faced by your hometown?
6. WEATHER
• What’s the weather like in your country?
• Does the weather affect your mood?
• How do rainy days make you feel?
• What’s your favourite season of the year?
• What do you like to do when it’s hot?
• What do you usually do in the winter?
• How many seasons does your country have?
7. HOME
• Describe your home.
• What kind of building do you live in?
• How long have you lived there?
8. WEDDING
• Have you ever been to a wedding?
• Whose wedding was it?
• Where was it held?
• What clothes do people wear?
• Describe the wedding ceremony.
• What sort if gifts do people buy for the bridal couple?
• What kind of clothes did the bride and groom wear?
9. TRAVEL
• Do you like to travel?
• What kind of places have you visited in your life?
• Which place would you really like to visit? Why?
• What’s the best place you’ve ever visited?
10. COMPUTERS
• Do you think computers help society?
• Do you think computers are bad for health?
• How do you think computers have changed the world?
11. INTERNET
• Do you use the Internet much during the day?
• What do you usually do on the Internet?
• What are some advantages of the Internet?
• What are some disadvantages?
• Do people in your country use the Internet a lot?
• Do you do any shopping on the Internet?
12. EMAIL
• Do you send and receive email regularly?
• Who do you usually communicate with?
• How often do you check your email?
• Do you think writing email has strengthened or weakened people’s writing skills?
• What are some disadvantages of email?
13. FRIEND
• Describe a friend.
• How long have you known each other?
• What do usually do together?
• What do you like the most about him / her?
• How often do you see each other?
14. PLACE
• Describe a place you like to go.
• Why is this place special to you?
• When did you first visit this place?
• Where is this place located?
• What language is spoken here? Do you speak this language?
15. SMOKING
• What do you feel about smoking in public places?
• Do you think smoking should be banned in people’s homes?
16. MARRIAGE
• What is the attitude toward marriage in your country?
• Do most young people plan on getting married in your country?
• What are some of the advantages of marriage?
• What are some of the disadvantages?
• Is the divorce rate high in your country?
• Do you think people should be allowed to get divorced?
17. HOBBIES
• Do you have any hobbies?
• What are some of your hobbies?
• When did you first develop tis hobby?
• What are some of the advantages of having a hobby?
• How much time do you spend on your hobby?
18. FILMS
• Do you enjoy watching movies?
• What’s your favourite film?
• Who are your favourite actors?
• How often do you watch films?
19. SHOPPING
• Do you enjoy shopping?
• How do you feel about shopping?
• Do you like shopping on the Internet?
• Do you have any favourite stores?
• What don’t you like about shopping?
• Which is the most popular place to shop in your hometown?
20. SPORTS
• Do you like sports?
• Do you enjoy watching sports?
• Do you enjoy participating in any sports?
• Which sports are most popular in your country?
• What’s your favourite sport/
• When did you first become interested in sports?
• How often do you participate in sports?
• What equipment do you need for your favourite sport?
21. FOOD
• What are some of your favourite foods?
• What foods are popular in your country?
• What are some of the famous dishes of your country?
• Do you enjoy cooking?
22. FESTIVAL
• What’s the most important festival in your country?
• How do people celebrate this festival?
• What special food is associated with this festival?
• What special activities are associated with this festival?
• What do you enjoy most about this festival?
• Do you think festivals are important for a society?
23. TELEVISION
• Do you watch television a lot?
• What do you usually watch on television?
• How many hours of television do you usually watch?
• What are the most popular shows in your country?
• What kind of shows do you like to watch?
• What are some advantages of television?
• What are someof the disadvantages of television?
• What did you last watch on television?
• Why do you think certain TV shows are so popular?
24. TOURISM
• Which places would you recommend to a visitor to your country?
• Do a lot of tourists visit your country?
• What do they usually do there?
• How has tourism changed your country?
• Is your country expensive for most tourists?
• What are some famous landmarks in your country?
25. DAILY ROUTINE
• Describe your daily routine.
• What do you usually do?
• What do you do on the weekend?
• What is you typical weekday like?
• Does your life change much from week to week?
• Do you have any free time during the week?
26. YOUR COUNTRY
• Describe your daily routine.
• What do you usually do?
• What do you do on the weekend?
• What is you typical weekday like?
• Does your life change much from week to week?
• Do you have any free time during the week?
27. CLOTHES
• What type of clothes do you like to wear?
• What kind of clothes do people in your country usually wear?
• How important is fashion to you?
• What kind of clothes do you dislike?
• Do you think people behave differently in different kinds of clothes?
• What kind of clothes do people wear to work in your country?
• Are clothes expensive in your country?
28. GOING OUT
• Do you like going out or staying at home?
• What do you like to do when you go out?
• How often do you go out?
• Do people in your country go our a lot?
• How and where do people in your country usually socialize?
• What kind of entertainment is popular in your country?
29. GAMES
• Do you enjoy playing any games?
• What kind of games do you play?
• Do you think adults should play games?
• What do children learn from games?
• What kind of games did you play when you were a child?
• What games are popular in your country today?
• What kind of games were popular when you were young?
• Do you think mental games like chess are good for you?
30. COLOURS
• Do you have a favourite colour?
• What are your country’s colours?
• Do you think colours affect our moods?
• Can you learn anything about a person from the colours he / she likes?
• Do you like the same colours now as you did when you were a child?
31. MUSIC
• Do you like music?
• What kind of music do you like?
• When do you usually listen to music?
• What kind of music did you like when you were younger?
• What kind of music is popular in your country?
• Do you play any musical instruments?
• Do you wish you could play any musical instruments?
• Which is your favourite instrument?
IELTS Speaking Module - Part 2 - Sample Topics
In Part 2 of the IELTS Speaking Module, you need to give a short talk, of about 1-2 minutes, on a simple topic. The questions do not require any specific knowledge, but are based on personal experience. You are handed a card with the topic and you have one minute to prepare your talk. You can make notes and use these notes during your monologue. The examiner will not ask you any questions during this part of the test, so you must know how to answer all parts of the question you are given and speak fluently for a few minutes by yourself. Sample IELTS Speaking Module topics (for Part 2) are given below. It is quite likely that you will be given one of these topics or something very similar, so make sure you can speak confidently and clearly on each one.
1. Describe an artist or entertainer you admire.
You should say:
• Who they are and what they do
• How they became successful
• How you found out about them
• And explain why you admire them
2. Describe a subject you enjoyed studying at school.
You should say:
• When and where you started studying it
• What lessons were like
• What made the subject different from other subjects
• And explain why you enjoyed the subject
3. Describe an important choice you had to make in your life.
You should say:
• When you had this choice
• What you had to choose between
• Whether you made a good choice
• And explain how you felt when you were making this choice
4. Describe a job you have done.
You should say:
• How you got doing the job
• What the job involved
• How long the job lasted
• Describe how well you did the job
5. Describe an area of countryside you know and like.
You should say:
• Where it is
• What its special features are
• What you and other people do in this area
• And explain why you like it
6. Describe an object you particularly like.
You should say:
• What it is and what it looks like
• What it is made of
• What it is for
• And explain why it is special for you
7. Describe a newspaper or magazine you enjoy reading.
You should say:
• What kind of newspaper / magazine it is
• Which parts of it you read regularly
• When and where you read it
• Explain why you enjoy reading it
8. Describe something healthy you enjoy doing.
You should say:
• What you do
• Where you do it
• Who you do it with
• And explain why you think doing this is healthy
9. Describe a game or sport you enjoy playing.
You should say:
• What kind of sport it is
• Who you play it with
• Where you play it
• And explain why you enjoy playing it
10. Describe someone in your family who you like.
You should say:
• How this person is related to you
• What this person looks like
• What kind of person he/she is
• And explain why you like this person
11. Describe a museum or art gallery that you have visited.
You should say:
• Where it is
• Why you went there
• What you particularly remember about the place.
12. Describe an enjoyable event that you experienced when you were at school.
You should say:
• When it happened
• What was good about it
• Why you particularly remember this event.
13. Describe a song or piece of music you like.
You should say:
• What the song or music is
• What kind of song or music it is
• Where you first heard it
• And explain why you like it
14. Describe a festival that is important in your country.
You should say:
• When the festival occurs
• What you did during it
• What you like or dislike about it
• And explain why this festival is important
Sample IELTS Essay Topics :
In both the Academic and General IELTS Writing sections, you need to write an essay of at least 250 words. This means that your essay will be about 4-5 paragraphs long. Below are several sample IELTS essay topics, organized under eight broad categories. You should plan to write at least one essay from each category to gain some experience in handling various types of subjects. Ideally, you should write several such essays so you can do so effectively and within 40 minutes.
ESSAY TOPICS:
GOVERNMENT
1. Should wealthy nations be required to share their wealth among poorer nations by providing such things as food and education? Or is it the responsibility of the governments of poorer nations to look after their citizens themselves?
2. What should a government do for a country to become successful?
3. Should money be spent on space exploration?
4. Should rich countries forgive all debts for poor countries?
5. Does foreign aid help donor countries more than the recipients?
6. Should rich countries pay more for environmental damage?
7. Most high level jobs are done by men. Should the government encourage a certain percentage of these jobs to be reserved for women?
8. Should developing countries concentrate on improving industrial skills or should they promote education first?
9. Safety standards are important when building people's homes. Who should be responsible for enforcing strict building codes - the government or the people who build the homes?
10. Discuss the advantage and disadvantage of giving international aid to poor countries.
11. Should criminals be punished with lengthy jail terms or re-educated and rehabilitated using community service programs for instance, before being reintroduced to society?
12. In most countries disabled people are not catered for adequately, e.g. buildings are often inappropriately designed. Governments rely too heavily on charities and voluntary organizations to provide assistance and funding. What further measures could be taken to assist disabled people?
13. In your opinion should government intervene in the rights of the individual with regard to family planning?
14. The best way to reduce the number of traffic accidents is to make all young drivers complete a safe driving education course before being licensed to drive.
MODERN SOCIETY
1. Nowadays doctors can become very rich. Maybe they should not focus on profitable activities such as plastic surgery or looking after rich patients and concentrate more on patients health, no matter how rich they are?
2. Does travel help to promote understanding and communication between countries?
3. In your opinion what factors contribute to a good movie?
4. Are famous people treated unfairly by the media ? Should they be given more privacy, or is the price of their fame an invasion into their private lives?
5. Is animal testing necessary?
6. Some businesses now say that no one can smoke cigarettes in any of their offices. Some governments have banned smoking in all public places. Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons.
7. To what extent is the use of animals in scientific research acceptable?
8. Human beings do not need to eat meat in order to maintain good health because they can get all their food needs from meatless products and meatless substances. A vegetarian diet is as healthy as a diet containing meat. Argue for or against the opinion above.
9. Forests are the lungs of the earth. Destruction of the world's forests amounts to death of the world we currently know. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
10. Are our zoos cruel to wild animals? Discuss.
11. Zoos are sometimes seen as necessary but not poor alternatives to a natural environment. Discuss some of the arguments for and/or against keeping animals in zoos.
12. To what extent will migration from the developing world to the developed world become a social and political issue in the 21st century?
13. In Britain, when someone gets old, they often go to live in a home with other old people where there are nurses to look after them. Sometimes the government has to pay for this care. Who should be responsible for our old people? Give reasons.
14. The first car appeared on British roads in 1888. By the year 2000 there may be as many as 29 million vehicles on British roads. Alternative forms of transport should be encouraged and international laws introduced to control car ownership and use. What do you think?
15. The best way to reduce the number of traffic accidents is to make all young drivers complete a safe driving education course before being licensed to drive.
16. News editors decide what to broadcast on TV and what to print in newspapers. What factors do you think influence their decisions? Have we become used to bad news? Would it be better if more good news was reported?
17. TV: could you be without it? Discuss.
18. To what extent will migration from the developing world to the developed world become a social and political issue in the 21st century?
19. The mass media, including TV, radio and newspapers, have great influence in shaping people's ideas. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer.
20. Tourism is becoming increasingly important as a source of revenue to many countries but its disadvantages should not be overlooked. What are some of the problems of tourism?
21. The mass media, including TV, radio and newspapers, have great influence in shaping people's ideas. To what extent do you agree or disagree this statement? Give reasons for your answer
TECHNOLOGY
1. Does modern technology make life more convenient, or was life better when technology was simpler?
2. Will modern technology, such as the internet ever replace the book or the written word as the main source of information?
3. We are becoming increasingly dependent on computers. They are used in businesses, hospitals, crime detection and even to fly planes. What things will they be used for in future?.Is this dependence on computers a good thing or should we be more suspicious of their benefits?Use specific details and examples in your answer.
4. In what ways has information technology changed work and working practices in the past 10 years?
5. Technology is making communication easier in today's world, but at the expense of personal contact as many people choose to work at home in front of a computer screen. What dangers are there for a society which depends on computer screens rather than face-to-face contact for its main means of communication?
6. Will the Internet bring people of the world closer together?
7. The first car appeared on British roads in 1888. By the year 2000 there may be as many as 29 million vehicles on British roads. Alternative forms of transport should be encouraged and international laws introduced to control car ownership and use. What do you think?
8. The mass media, including TV, radio and newspapers, have great influence in shaping people's ideas. To what extent do you agree or disagree this statement? Give reasons for your answer.
EMPLOYMENT
1. Should retirement be compulsory at 65 years of age?
2. Telecommuting' refers to workers doing their jobs from home for part of each week and communicating with their office using computer technology. Telecommuting is growing in many countries and is expected to be common for most office workers in the coming decades. How do you think society will be affected by the growth of telecommuting?
3. In some countries the average worker is obliged to retire at the age of 50, while in others people can work until they are 65 or 70. Until what age do you think people should be encouraged to remain in paid employment? Give reasons for your answer.
ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY
1. To what extent should economic planning be influenced by the need of environmental conservation?
2. Damage of the environment is an inevitable consequence of worldwide improvements in the standard of living. Discuss.
3. The rising levels of congestion and air pollution found in most of the world cities can be attributed directly to the rapidly increasing number of private cars in use. In order to reverse this decline in the quality of life in cities, attempts must be made to encourage people to use their cars less and public transport more. Discuss possible ways to encourage the use of public transport.
4. The threat of nuclear weapons maintains world peace. Nuclear power provides cheap and clean energy. The benefits of nuclear technology far outweigh the disadvantages. Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer.
EDUCATION
1. Education is the single most important factor in the development of a country. Do you agree?
2. What are factors which are related to academic success in high-school students?
3. Do the benefits of study abroad justify the difficulties? What advice would you offer to a prospective student?
4. The idea of going overseas for university study is an exciting prospect for many people. But while it may offer some advantages, it is probably better to stay home because of the difficulties a student inevitably encounters living and studying in a different culture. To what extent do you agree or disagree this statement? Give reasons for your answer.
5. Education is recognized as vital to the future of any society in today's world. Governments throughout the world should make education compulsory for all children between the ages of 5 and 15. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
6. Foreign language instruction should begin in kindergarten. Discuss.
7. Should sports classes be sacrificed in High School so students can concentrate on academic subjects?
8. To what extent should universities function as training grounds for employment?
9. To what extent should university courses be geared to the economic needs of society?
10. Should children be taught sex education in schools?
11. Computers can translate all kinds of languages well. Do our children need to learn more languages in the future?
12. Are zoos necessary for education?
PARENTS & CHILDREN
1. Children should never be educated at home by their parents. Do you agree or disagree?
2. Children learn best by observing behavior of adults and copying it. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
GENDER ISSUES
1. To what extent has the traditional male role changed in the last 20 years?
2. Many people believe that women make better parents than men and that this is why they have the greater role in raising children in most societies. Others claim that men are just as good as women at parenting. Write an essay expressing your point of view. Give reasons for your answer.
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