IELTS SPEAKING TEST SAMPLE
Part
1:
What’s
your name?
My name is Kamran
Awan.
Do
you work or study?
I work as a
Civil Engineer for a local company here.
Where
are you originally from?
I’m originally
from Sargodha which is in the heart of Punjab.
What
kind of food do you like?
My favourite
food is Chicken Biryani which is immensely delicious and is liked by everybody
in Pakistan.
Have
you always liked that food?
Well,
I don’t think I actually tried it until I was about 16, when I travelled to Lahore
for the summer, but when I had it for the first time - I immediately loved it
and since then it’s always been my favourite Pakistani dish.
In
the future, if you have children, what food will you recommend they eat?
Healthy
food, I think it’s very important for children to develop healthy eating habits
when they are young as the benefits of healthy eating are well documented now.
You know what they say – you are what you eat – and it’s very true. Many
children are overweight these days because of the amount of junk food they
consume, so I would try to get them to eat food that is good for them – you
know, a well balanced diet.
Is
there any food that you liked when you were a child but you don’t like now?
Yes,
I used to like a lot of sweet things, in particular chocolate cake and
ice-cream, but not anymore. I prefer to eat fruit and other healthy foods now.
I actually feel a lot better for it.
How
has food in your country changed since you were a child?
It’s
changed a lot. When I was a child the food here was still quiet traditional,
but now it’s very different due to the many different cultural influences in
our society. It’s definitely more cosmopolitan and international. People here
now eat food from all over the world on a regular basis and traditional food
seems to be a lot less popular than it was.
Part
2:
Talk
about an enjoyable family event (such as a birthday party or family dinner) you
attended, please say:
-
when and where did it happen
-
what happened at this event
- who
was there at this event
And
explain why the event was enjoyable
A
couple of months ago I attended a family wedding. It was my Brother’s wedding –
and it was on a Saturday afternoon. He was getting married to his cousin. They
held the wedding ceremony in a local Marriage hall, which was really
picturesque, very old, and beautiful, set in the countryside a few minutes from
where they live.
The
ceremony was a small affair, just immediate family and very close friends. The
marriage ceremony lasted about an hour and a half and was all very formal.
Next
day, we all went to a local hotel for the wedding dinner (walima) in the
evening.
At
the wedding dinner there were a lot more people, as normal. All their friends
and colleagues from work and friends of the family and so on had all been
invited. I think there must have been about 300 people in total. It was a very
good celebration – everybody was very happy, especially the newlyweds, and
there was dancing, singing and a lot of food. As usual we all sat down at the
beginning and various people made speeches; the bride’s father, the best man
and other close friends including myself. Then they served dinner, which was
spectacular. I think it was one of the best meals I have ever had at a wedding.
After the meal, people started to mingle and speak to each other, and for those
of them who hadn’t attended the actual wedding ceremony it was an opportunity
to speak with my brother and his new wife and to congratulate them. Later there
was an orchestra which played some beautiful music and people were dancing, it
was all very elegant, like something out of a movie.
My brother
and his wife were delighted with everything and they just looked so happy that
I really felt good for them. It seemed as if they really had the perfect
wedding that so many people dream of. Definitely, one of the most memorable and
enjoyable events I have ever attended. Everything went perfectly.
Follow
up question
Do
you often take part in family events?
I
don’t usually go to most of the family events that are organized – like family
lunches and things like that, for two main reasons. Firstly, I’m not really
that close to my family and secondly because I travel a lot, so it’s not always
easy to share such family activities. However, I wouldn’t have missed my brother’s
wedding – it was a very important day.
Part
3:
Do
you think families are important? (Why? / Why not?)
I
think families are very important, especially when you are growing up. They
provide a foundation for society and a stable environment where children can
grow and develop, while learning, and being protected and feeling loved.
Children learn so much from their families and a lot of what they learn from
their parents in particular - they carry on into their adult lives. Yes,
they’re very important.
Who
are more important, friends or family? (Why?)
I
think as we get older sometimes friends become more important on a daily or
short term basis. We may have more interaction with friends on a regular basis
than our own family, but in the long term, family is family, and the bond
between you is longer and stronger than between friends. Personally though, I
think that both are important to have a well balanced life.
When
do friends become more important than family?
Possibly
when someone is living a long distance away from their family or even in
another country and it’s not so easy to maintain contact other than by phone or
email. That kind of breaks the bond a little bit. Alternatively not all
families have great relationships, so if you have a dysfunctional family then I
think under those circumstance friends do actually become more important than
family on a day to day basis because it’s our friends that we share things with
and spend most time with.
What
is your opinion about old people who are living without their family?
I
think it depends on the circumstances. Many older people nowadays are much more
independent, both financially and health wise, than a generation ago and are
not so dependant on their family when they get older. So they actually prefer
to live by themselves. For a long time it was normal for old people to live by
themselves or in sheltered housing or special communities with other people in
the same circumstances. I think this may change back in the future though, as
families begin to integrate more again as a means of economic survival. They
may well be living with their children and grandchildren in the same house
again in the future as was once normal in the past.
Do
you think there are any advantages to having a grandparent living with the
family?
Yes,
of course, it offers many advantages; grandparents can be involved with their
grandchildren more, they can offer companionship, it’s more economic living in
the same place than living in separate places and there are many other reasons
why it could be advantageous depending on the particular circumstances of the
family. Older people also have quite a different opinion on many things and can
make family discussions more interesting – they have a wisdom which comes from
their own life experiences – there’s a lot we can learn from them.
Many
countries are experiencing what is called, “an aging population”. What problems
will these countries have as the percentage of old people in society increases
and the percentage of young people decreases?
This
is a common problem, or will be a common problem in many countries. Any major
change in demographics requires planning on behalf of the government so as to
avoid potential problems. An aging population could be the cause for an
increased strain on health resources; this is probably one of the most serious
worries at the moment. It may be that older people will not consume as much as
younger generations and this could well affect the economies of some countries.
On the other hand, the aging population in many countries will be one of the
most financially well off generations in recent history and may well continue
consuming – they may also provide new markets for companies to produce products
and service especially with them I mind. The fact that there will be
considerably less young people working suggests that governments will not be able
to collect the same amount in taxes as before, and their policies for public
services should reflect this otherwise they will encounter serious problems if
they just try to continue on as they are now.