10 IELTS speaking topics

CONTENTS

TOPIC:
EDUCATION
Sample answers, useful
vocabulary and resources for
IELTS speaking exam

1

SAMPLE ANSWERS
Sample questions and
answers from speaking part 1,
2 and 3

2

KEY VOCABULARY
Words and terms frequently
used when talking about
education.

3

WORD FORMATION
Learn how to use wide
variety of parts of speech,
such as nouns, verbs,
adjectives

4

COLLOCATIONS
Find out groups of words that
usually used together by
native speakers

5

USEFUL RESOURCES
References to teaching and
authentic materials related to
this topic: IELTS blogs,
podcasts, videos and articles


1. SAMPLE ANSWERS
PART 1
1. What kind of school did you go to as a child?
5. Where do you study / Where did you study?
-I have studied in a public school from pre-school till
6th grade. It used to be the most popular and the
best elementary school during my time.
2. Did you go to a co-educational school?
-Yes, I did. I had good memories in that school. I
gained a lot of friends, both boys and girls.

I studied in (name of university). It is located in
(name of the city)
6. What’s your university/college like?
It’s one of the best universities in my country. It has

a huge campus with approximately 10,000
undergraduate and graduate students of different
courses/major.

3. What was your favorite subject as a child?
7. What do you study/did you study in university?
-I liked Maths a lot when I was a kid. Solving word
problems were very interesting for me. I’d always
get high scores in exams.
4. Who was your favorite teacher?
-My Maths teacher. He made the lessons fun and
exciting by engaging us into different activities
related to our topics. Me and my classmates
enjoyed the games.

I studied business administration. This course is
perfect for a business minded person like me.
8. What is special about this subject?
Basically, it is about management of business
operations. It has relevance and social importance
since it deals with technology, economy, global
competitions and the emerging markets.


PART 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

The subject I’d like to describe is World History. It was a
subject taught in highschool. About one hour is allotted
everyday to learn about significant historical events. For
some of my classmates, it was a boring subject but I
enjoyed it a lot.
I remember that our teacher distributed a syllabus on our
first meeting which served as a guide on the topics that
will be discussed each week. We were assigned to read
several books and other reading materials. We talked
about famous people, from warriors to philosophers to
artists. We discussed the wars that happened in the past.
We also talked about religion, traditions and customs of
the people during the ancient time.
As a subject, it required us to memorize a lot which was a
disadvantage for me and my classmates at that time
because it consumed much of our time. Nevertheless,
history really intrigues me. I am always curious about how
humans lived in the past. I have always been interested to
look into how history turned us into the present
generation. It fascinates me.


PART 3
1. How are education priorities today different from those in the past?
In a fast-changing world we are in today, education priorities have transformed as well.
In our current society, education opens more opportunities for a wider skill set that
were not offered in the past. For example, colleges and universities have more specific

major or courses as compared before. Education has also involved the use of the
modern technology such as computers and other gadgets that were not present in the
past.
2. Is a good education more important to a boy or a girl? Why?
Good education is important for both boys and girls. Both should be given equal rights
to education. In today’s society, women have proven that they can do tasks and get
jobs that only men used to have. Women have shown their competency in various
fields such as politics, science, sports and etc. Men on the other have also entered
some industries that used to be considered as women’s job such as cooking,
housekeeping, fashion and etc. I think both sexes must be given equal opportunities.
3. How well do you think schools should prepare young people for working life?
Schools are considered our second home. This is where we learn almost everything,
starting from the basic such as reading and writing. Before we turn into adults, this is
the place where we get most of our training. Therefore, schools should also be the
avenue to prepare us to enter into another chapter – the working life. Schools must
extend its training by educating and guiding the young people to their future career.


2. KEY VOCABULARY
qualification

a quality or accomplishment that
makes someone suitable for a
particular job or activity

These qualifications are just like a ticket for entry
into the corporate world

graduation

the completion of university
degree course or your education
and receiving of an academic
degree or diploma

I went to England to work after my graduation

to enrol

officially register as a member of
an institution or a student on a
cours, school, university, etc

In many areas, it is possible to enrol for adult
education classes in archaeology.

to study

To apply the mind to learning and
understanding a subject by
reading, going to school,
university etc

She studied biology and botany

course

a series of lessons or lectures in
a particular subjesct, a learning
program in a school, university,

college etc

He took a course in basket weaving


discipline

the practice of training people to
obey rules or a code of behavior

In addition , the type of research carried out is
exploratory , involving a variety of
academic disciplines

degree

He has no degree in education
qualification or an academic
rank that is given after
successful completion of a course
of study

distance learning

a series of lessons that you are
not intended to attend and
instead can take at your home or
another place

Many of these optional modules will be available

by distance learning .

tuition

The training or instruction
provided by a teacher or tutor
especially in small groups

We want to support them by providing free tuition in
core subjects.

primary (elementary)
school

An institution in which children
aged between 5 and 11 receive
the first stage of academic
learning

Some articles may not be appropriate for primary
school children.

secondary school

a school for children from 11 to
16 or 18 (UK)

The project will involve two primary schools and
a secondary school.

to pass

To go through any inspection or
test successfully, to succeed in
exam

I recently passed my exams to become a chartered
structural engineer.


to conduct

organize and carry out

They conducted a survey of people 's attitudes to
local environmental issues

receive

to get something

Managers who have received no formal training will
find the course of particular benefit.

acquire

to get or gain something

There are regular classes where you can acquire
new expertise , or improve existing skills , with

professional tuition .

attend

To go to or be present at (e.g.
meetings, church services,
university, etc.).

The three children are now attending the local
village school

leave

to stop doing something, go away
from place or situation

Both of my parents had left school at fourteen.

compulsory

something that is compulsory
must be done because of a rule
or law

The majority of the age cohort attend beyond the end
of compulsory schooling

comprehensive
school

A comprehensive school is a
state school that does not select
its intake on the basis of
academic achievement or
aptitude (Wikipedia)

The comprehensive high school provides students
with a holistic education that allows them to become
well-rounded adults.

private
education

classess you have to pay for

In fact the percentage of secondary school pupils in
England in private education has dropped since
comprehensives were introduced.


make progress

someone who makes progress
moves forward, improves,
becomes closer to goals

Why do some people make progress and others
don't?

dropout

a student who fails to complete a
course of study and leaves
university etc with no
qualifications

Years ago the official label for `` dropout '' was
changed to `` premature school leaver . ''

coursework

work done during a course of
study, especially that contributing
to one's mark

Approximately 50 per cent of the overall marks each
year are obtained from continuously
assessed coursework .

research

the systematic investigation into
and study of materials and
sources in order to establish facts
and reach new conclusions

While the research reveals many overlaps and
similarities, there are also some interesting
differences

subject

Area of knowledge taught in an
educational institution

Maybe you want to study a subject you particularly
enjoy.

industrious

hard-working

Industrious students will look for opportunities on
their own to have work in their portfolios


3.WORD FORMATION
qualification

noun

Colonel Spratt highlighted the importance of the
qualification for people planning a career in marketing.

to qualify

verb

Like student nurses, there are no jobs for them when
they qualify.

qualified

adjective

The English Department employs well qualified and
experienced tutors and as a result has always enjoyed a
high success rate in examination results.

graduation

noun

I went to England to work after my graduation.

to graduate

verb

Sadly, a number of high school students are inarticulate
when they graduate and cannot properly word a sentence.

to enroll

verb

Failure to enroll for a full academic load does not alter the
residency requirement

enrollment

noun

today women make up 70 percent of professional school
enrollment

study

noun

Another study showed that 26 %of schools in the country
fail to comply with state regulations for PE

to study

verb

This course is designed for complete beginners who are
eager to study the language, and provides an excellent
opportunity to understand and to feel the language.


studied

adjective

He stops what he's doing and stares in my direction with
a studied indifference leaning on his broom.

education

noun

Poland 's education system failed during the 1990s to train
enough skilled workers,including engineers and craftsmen.

to educate

verb

Le Quement was educated at a public school in England .

well-educated

adjective

Well-educated Catholics, ie those with university
education, did not appear to suffer any disadvantage in
occupational achievement compared with their Protestant
peers.

educational

adjective

The larger issue, though, is whether such schools can
providebetter educational benefits.

innovation

noun

In recent years the value of innovation has been
demonstrated in many sectors.

to innovate

verb

Advertisers and web sites are looking to innovate to
engage users through marketing campaigns that align
across multiple media

innovative

adjective

Magazines and the Internetopen a huge range of
innovative designer options.

attendance

noun

Laforgue 's life in Germany at the court of the Empress
Augusta was steeped inmusic: it involved regular
attendance at concerts and operas.

attend

verb

On Saturday, talent scouts will attend thegraduate show of
the fashion college Central Saint Martins, alma mater
toMcQueen, Chalayan and numerous other stars.


average

noun

figure of 119.4 indicates that GDP per head in the South
East was 19.4 per cent above the average in 1988

to average

verb

For the past year, Leno has averaged 5.71 million viewers
eachnight to Letterman 's 4.16, according to Nielsen Media
Research

average

adjective

Most students , by definition , will be of average ability ,
with a smaller number below average

on average

phrase

On average , American children watch over three hours of
television each day

master

noun

This is your opportunity to learn from a master .

to master

verb

Once you've mastered the basics of Photoshop Elements,
this is the book to further develop your skills to get
professional results!

mediocre

adjective

No one is mediocre in this world.

mediocrity

noun

Mediocrity is more often a matter of choices than inherited
ability.

concentration

noun

Importantly , the lectern is never operated by the speaker
who needs full concentration on the speech and
presentation .

concentrate

verb

His later works concentrate on the theme of peace


4.COLLOCATIONS
academic
educational
formal

adjective+

qualification

acquire
gain
get

have

verb +

qualification

adult
further
higher
pre-school
primary
secondary

adjective +

education

have
receive
continue
complete

verb +

education

one-year, two-year, etc.
Intensive
Advanced
intermediate, etc.

adjective +

course


introductory
vocational
do
take
complete
enrol on
join
sign up for

verb +

course

in
on

preposition +

course in
course on

college, university
first
undergraduate

higher
master's
postgraduate
business
medical
history
law

adjective +

degree

economics
marketing
engineering
art

degree + in +

degree in

have
hold
awarded
gain
get
obtain

verb +

knowledge


receive
acquire
in-depth
general
background

adjective +

knowledge

go to
attend
leave

verb +

school

teacher
pupil
uniform

adjective +

school

elementary

high
secondary
comprehensive
comprehensive
co-educational

adjective +

school

mixed
mixed-sex
single-sex
summer local
rural
village art
business
dance
drama
film
language

adjective +

school


attend
go to
study at

apply for
enter
finish (at)
graduate from
leave

verb +

university

teacher
graduate
student
undergraduate
course degree
education
term
year
vacation

university + noun

university


5. USEFUL RESOURCES
THIS TOPIC ON IELTS BLOGS
§

IELTS topic vocabulary for speaking test: Travel [] [ielts-simon.com]

§

IELTS Speaking Part 2: educational TV programme [ielts-simon.com]

§

IELTS SPEAKING part 1, 2 and 3 sample questions [ipassielts.com]

Đ

IELTS Education vocabulary [ieltsspeaking.co.uk]

PODCASTS
ã

Podcast 50 Universities in Australia [slowenglish.info]

ã

Sugata Mitra: How Much Can Children Teach Themselves? [npr.org]

•

Can Schools Exist In The Cloud? [npr.org]

ARTICLES
§

Which countries have the best education system and why? [quora.com]

§

Schools: How should schools prepare for the future? [quora.com]

VIDEOS
§ Ken Robinson: How to escape education's death valley [TED TALKS]
§ Shuka Bose: Teaching one chold at a time [TED TALKS]


CONTENTS

TOPIC:
ENVIRONMENT
Sample answers, useful
vocabulary and resources for
IELTS speaking exam

1

SAMPLE ANSWERS
Sample questions and
answers from speaking part 1,
2 and 3

2

KEY VOCABULARY
Words and terms frequently
used when talking about

envifonment

3

WORD FORMATION
Learn how to use wide
variety of parts of speech,
such as nouns, verbs,
adjectives

4

COLLOCATIONS
Find out groups of words that
usually used together by
native speakers

5

USEFUL RESOURCES
References to teaching and
authentic materials related to
this topic: IELTS blogs,
podcasts, videos and articles


1. SAMPLE ANSWERS
PART 1
1. Which country are you from?
- I am from the Philippines, an archipelagic country that

is comprised by many islands. The country has 7,107
islands and that is why people who live there have a
diverse set of culture and languages.
2. Where is this country located?
- The Philippines is located in Southeast Asia situated
in the Western Pacific Ocean.
3. Which part of the country do most people live in?
-I The bulk of the country’s population is in Metro
Manila, a region which houses the primary business
centers and the seat of government.
4. What are the main industries in your country?
- The Philippines is traditionally an agricultural
country, but the economy has been transitioning into
industries that emphasizes on services and
manufacturing.
5. What kind of weather do you dislike?

-I do not like the extreme heat of summer, but do you
know what I disliked more? A humid weather; at least in
the summer you could sweat off the heat, but in a humid
environment, the effectiveness of sweating in cooling the
body is reduced by reducing the rate of evaporation of
moisture from the skin.
6. Would you prefer to live in a hot or cold country?
-I was born in a tropical country, my body had adapted to
it. Well, at least in a hot country, I could enjoy eating ice
cream.
7. What is the best/worst weather for travelling in?
-In my opinion, the best weather to travel is in a slight
rainy season. Why? Because it is the off season, less

traffic jam, lower prices for tickets and food and you don’t
have to compete with other tourists in terms of time by
falling in line on order to enjoy a tourist site.
The worst weather to travel in is of course the typhoon
season. Because it is safe to stay indoors and to avoid
flooded areas, establishments are closed and flights get
cancelled.


PART 2
Describe an environmental problem that has
occurred in your country. You should say:
§ The cause of the problem
§ What effect it has had on your country
§ The steps, if any, that have been taken to solve
this
§ Explain why you think this problem is so
important to solve.

If there is an environmental problem that I would like to
talk about, it would be the excessive pollution of
waterways, rivers and canals. It was caused by the
irresponsible disposal of wastes by the factories,
industries and the people who live near the bodies of
water.
The pollution of the rivers was the effect of prolonged
abuse and neglect. The rivers were considered
biologically dead, which means no fish left to catch and
less food to eat. Boats could not travel because of the
density of the debris of floating plastic wastes; the

rivers emit a foul stench and the waters are toxic which
house a number of bacteria that could cause different
diseases.
In the 90’s, the government started to create a
rehabilitation program for the rivers and waterways,
unfortunately they failed to displace the main pollutersthe illegal settlers near the river, simply because they
have their “human rights”.
The problem is important to solve simply because
water is life. It is the circulatory system of the world,
water enabled life forms to survive and we need other
life forms in order to survive.


PART 3
1. Do you think it is the responsibility of governments alone to protect the environment?
Of course not! I think it is everyone’s responsibility to protect the environment. Sure, the government has the power
to enact laws and craft policies but how good is the law if nobody respects it.
We simply could not go on with our lives throwing our wastes irresponsibly and expect the government to just clean
it up. There is nothing left to clean up in the first place if only we dispose things properly, it wastes both time and
resources.
2. What measures can individuals take to protect the environment?
There are a lot of ways on how individuals can do to protect the environment some of them are:
o Turn off appliances when you are not using them.
o Recycle and segregate your biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste or better yet avoid creating trash by
avoiding disposable products.
o Minimize your water and electricity consumption.
o Use a fuel-efficient car or if you are traveling in short distances, take a walk or ride a bicycle.
These are just small things we can do to change our lifestyles, imagine millions of other people doing the same
thing. It can gradually make a difference.
3. Do you think large companies and business organizations should be more environmentally friendly? Why?

How?
Development is good; sometimes it is a necessity to survive in today’s world. Businesses need profit, but they
should not do so at the expense of the environment. Sustainable development is the key, the needs of the present
has to be met without compromising the ability of future generations to sustain life in this planet.


2. KEY VOCABULARY
to recycle

to use objects or matrerials again
after processing by converting
waste into reusable material

It is possible to recycle cardboard into lower grade
materials, such as paper

to contaminate

to make something poisonous as
a result of adding waste or
chemical

The incentives strongly encourage oil companies to
not contaminate the water supply

to endanger

put (someone or something) at
risk or in danger

It is a criminal offence to endanger the lives of the
public by allowing the introduction of a contaminate
into the mains supply.

air pollution

bad air quality that usually caused According to a recent study, air pollution in Russia
be harmful gases
causes the death of approximately 4000 citizens per
day or 1.6 million people per year

soil pollution

the presence of toxic chemicals
or man made waste in soil

Plastics do contribute to soil pollution

water pollution

is the presence of harmful
materials in water, such as
dissolved metals, waste from
farms

Water pollution causes marine life to die.


to protect

keep safe from harm or injury

For more than 15 years, the nonprofit volunteer-run
center has worked to educate the community to
protect wildlife and their habitats

conservation

The protection of a natural
resource, usually by planned
management, to prevent its
depletion or destruction

I've decided to dedicate the rest of my life to
environmental conservation

Toxic waste

waste products that are
hazardous to the environment,
people, animals

All of the military activity has left it a toxic waste
hazard

greenhouse gas

a gas that contributes to the
greenhouse effect by trapping
heat above the Earth

Here is a list of habits each one of us can form to
help reduce greenhouse gase missions

environmentalists

a person whose lifestyle, political
etc choices are designed to
minimise human impact on the
natural environment

Environmentalists often encourage us to buy our
foods from local sources. They say it is good for the
environment.

depletion

reduction in the number or
quantity of something

Ground water depletion is a real and serious
problem in many regions
Ozone depletion is associated with the destruction of
ozone molecules within the air

extinction

The complete disappearance of a
species of plant or animal from
the planet.

Indeed the most dramatic example of
mass extinction known to biology has been caused
by the introduction of an alien species .


fossil fuels

a natural fuel such as coal or oil,
Fossil fuels are at zero risk of running out in any
formed in the geological past from timescale we care about
the remains of living organisms.

carbon emission

gas produced by cars and
factories that burn carbon and
cause air pollution

The highest per capita carbon emission country is
Qatar

to impact

have a strong effect on someone
or something

The project will impact the lives of young people in
Shepway, between the ages of 10 and 20

ozone layer

the gases in the stratosphere that
protect earth from ultraviolet light
through absorbsion most of the
ultraviolet radiation reaching the
earth from the sun

The ozone layer is continuously created by solar
radiation impacting O2 in the upper atmosphere

wipe out

to kill in large numbers, to destroy
something completely

The business eventually collapsed due to the
myxomatosis which virtually wiped out the rabbit
population

animal rights activist

a person who works for social or
The only real requirement for an animal rights
political change in order to protect activist is being vegan
animals and make people treat
animals well

to breed

mate and produce off spring

Other seabirds also breed there in moderate
numbers .


creature

A living organism such as an
The dormouse is one of our most secretive
animal, fish, or insect (not a plant) wild creatures

to affect

to do something that produces an
effect or change

The same events can affect people very differently

marine

relatining to the sea.

Mackerel belong to the large family of marine fishes
known as the Scombridae.

vulnerable

weak and defenceless; easily hurt Trada is the only Zoo in New Zealand breeding this
vulnerable animal to help safeguard them against

extinction

absorb

to take in liquid, gas

For plants to photosynthesise and produce sugars in
their leaf cells , they need to absorb large amounts
of carbon dioxide .


3.WORD FORMATION
depletion

noun

The combined effects of overpopulation, resource
depletion, and environmental degradation will cause
great economic losses

to deplete

verb

The clearance of trees and vegetation depletes the soil ,
resulting in decreasing agricultural yields

contamination

noun

There is no danger of long-term contamination

to contaminate

verb

The incentives strongly encourage oil companies to not
contaminate the water supply

contaminated

adjective

He is ill as a result of eating contaminated food

endangered

adjective

There are a few different ways that helping endangered
species can be profitable

to endanger

verb

It is a criminal offence to endanger the lives of the public
by allowing the introduction of a contaminate into the
mains supply.