Describe something which you have to do often which is stressful. You should say: what the stressful action is; why you find it stressful; how you can reduce the stress.
1. Copy and cut up enough handouts so that each individual student has a card.
2. Put students into pairs and distribute a card to each individual student. Give students one minute of preparation for an authentic practice, or longer for a more controlled practice.
3. Tell students that one of them will talk for two minutes about the topic on the card addressing all the points. Emphasise that the listening partner must not interrupt the speaker, and instead think of two questions to ask him/her when he/she has finished.
4. Time the practice and go round the room monitoring the speakers. Let students know when their time limit is up and allow time for the listening partner to ask his/her two questions.
5. Swap roles and carry out step 4 again.
6. After the students have finished the second time, give feedback on the students' task performance. Highlight any language or task errors which could be improved upon.
Type:
A speaking task 2 practice topic
Skill:
Speaking Task 2
Time:
10 minutes
Stage:
Free speaking practice
Work:
Students work in pairs
Focus:
A Toy You Used to Play With
Describe a toy you used to play with a lot when you were a child. You should say: what the toy was; when you got it; why you liked it so much.
1. Copy and cut up enough handouts so that each individual student has a card.
2. Put students into pairs and distribute a card to each individual student. Give students one minute of preparation for an authentic practice, or longer for a more controlled practice.
3. Tell students that one of them will talk for two minutes about the topic on the card addressing all the points. Emphasise that the listening partner must not interrupt the speaker, and instead think of two questions to ask him/her when he/she has finished.
4. Time the practice and go round the room monitoring the speakers. Let students know when their time limit is up and allow time for the listening partner to ask his/her two questions.
5. Swap roles and carry out step 4 again.
6. After the students have finished the second time, give feedback on the students' task performance. Highlight any language or task errors which could be improved upon.
Type:
A speaking task 2 practice topic
Skill:
Speaking Task 2
Time:
10 minutes
Stage:
Free speaking practice
Work:
Students work in pairs
Focus:
A Website You Like
Describe a website you often visit. You should say: why you often go to this site; what is on the site; how long you've been going there.
1. Copy and cut up enough handouts so that each individual student has a card.
2. Put students into pairs and distribute a card to each individual student. Give students one minute of preparation for an authentic practice, or longer for a more controlled practice.
3. Tell students that one of them will talk for two minutes about the topic on the card addressing all the points. Emphasise that the listening partner must not interrupt the speaker, and instead think of two questions to ask him/her when he/she has finished.
4. Time the practice and go round the room monitoring the speakers. Let students know when their time limit is up and allow time for the listening partner to ask his/her two questions.
5. Swap roles and carry out step 4 again.
6. After the students have finished the second time, give feedback on the students' task performance. Highlight any language or task errors which could be improved upon.
Type:
A writing task 2 practice topic
Skill:
Writing Task 2
Time:
40 minutes
Stage:
Controlled writing practice
Work:
Students work individually
Focus:
Adultery
Should adultery be punished by the law like in some countries such as Saudi Arabia and South Korea? Can adultery be compared to legislated crimes such as robbery and murder?
1. Copy one handout for each individual student and distribute them.
2. Read through the instructions with the students and outline the main features of the question. Give students an authentic time limit of 40 minutes in class, or set the task as homework.
3. Monitor the students and provide language input or inspiration when appropriate. Don't worry about errors at this stage.
4. The best feedback for this task involves collecting the work and marking it. To lessen your workload, reduce the number of words/time in the task. Feedback common language and IELTS errors on the board at the next opportunity.
Type:
A speaking task 2 practice topic
Skill:
Speaking Task 2
Time:
10 minutes
Stage:
Free speaking practice
Work:
Students work in pairs
Focus:
An Accident or Injury You Had
Describe an accident or injury you've had. You should say: how the accident happened; what happened after the accident; how long it took you to recover.
1. Copy and cut up enough handouts so that each individual student has a card.
2. Put students into pairs and distribute a card to each individual student. Give students one minute of preparation for an authentic practice, or longer for a more controlled practice.
3. Tell students that one of them will talk for two minutes about the topic on the card addressing all the points. Emphasise that the listening partner must not interrupt the speaker, and instead think of two questions to ask him/her when he/she has finished.
4. Time the practice and go round the room monitoring the speakers. Let students know when their time limit is up and allow time for the listening partner to ask his/her two questions.
5. Swap roles and carry out step 4 again.
6. After the students have finished the second time, give feedback on the students' task performance. Highlight any language or task errors which could be improved upon.
Type:
A speaking task 2 practice topic
Skill:
Speaking Task 2
Time:
10 minutes
Stage:
Free speaking practice
Work:
Students work in pairs
Focus:
An Animal You Like
Describe a country you would like to visit. You should say: Why you would like to visit there; what you would like to do in the day; how you would spend your evenings.
1. Copy and cut up enough handouts so that each individual student has a card.
2. Put students into pairs and distribute a card to each individual student. Give students one minute of preparation for an authentic practice, or longer for a more controlled practice.
3. Tell students that one of them will talk for two minutes about the topic on the card addressing all the points. Emphasise that the listening partner must not interrupt the speaker, and instead think of two questions to ask him/her when he/she has finished.
4. Time the practice and go round the room monitoring the speakers. Let students know when their time limit is up and allow time for the listening partner to ask his/her two questions.
5. Swap roles and carry out step 4 again.
6. After the students have finished the second time, give feedback on the students' task performance. Highlight any language or task errors which could be improved upon.
Type:
A speaking task 2 practice topic
Skill:
Speaking Task 2
Time:
10 minutes
Stage:
Free speaking practice
Work:
Students work in pairs
Focus:
An Early Memory From Childhood
Describe an early memory you have from childhood. You should say: what the memory was; when the event happened; why you remember it.
1. Copy and cut up enough handouts so that each individual student has a card.
2. Put students into pairs and distribute a card to each individual student. Give students one minute of preparation for an authentic practice, or longer for a more controlled practice.
3. Tell students that one of them will talk for two minutes about the topic on the card addressing all the points. Emphasise that the listening partner must not interrupt the speaker, and instead think of two questions to ask him/her when he/she has finished.
4. Time the practice and go round the room monitoring the speakers. Let students know when their time limit is up and allow time for the listening partner to ask his/her two questions.
5. Swap roles and carry out step 4 again.
6. After the students have finished the second time, give feedback on the students' task performance. Highlight any language or task errors which could be improved upon.
Type:
A speaking task 2 practice topic
Skill:
Speaking Task 2
Time:
10 minutes
Stage:
Free speaking practice
Work:
Students work in pairs
Focus:
An Enjoyable Party You've Been To
Describe an enjoyable party you've been to. You should say: where and when it was; what the was party about; why you enjoyed it.
1. Copy and cut up enough handouts so that each individual student has a card.
2. Put students into pairs and distribute a card to each individual student. Give students one minute of preparation for an authentic practice, or longer for a more controlled practice.
3. Tell students that one of them will talk for two minutes about the topic on the card addressing all the points. Emphasise that the listening partner must not interrupt the speaker, and instead think of two questions to ask him/her when he/she has finished.
4. Time the practice and go round the room monitoring the speakers. Let students know when their time limit is up and allow time for the listening partner to ask his/her two questions.
5. Swap roles and carry out step 4 again.
6. After the students have finished the second time, give feedback on the students' task performance. Highlight any language or task errors which could be improved upon.
Type:
A speaking task 2 practice topic
Skill:
Speaking Task 2
Time:
10 minutes
Stage:
Free speaking practice
Work:
Students work in pairs
Focus:
An Exam You've Passed or Failed
Get your IELTS students practising the speaking task 2 monologue with these cards on passing and failing exams.
1. Copy and cut up enough handouts so that each individual student has a card.
2. Put students into pairs and distribute a card to each individual student. Give students one minute of preparation for an authentic practice, or longer for a more controlled practice.
3. Tell students that one of them will talk for two minutes about the topic on the card addressing all the points. Emphasise that the listening partner must not interrupt the speaker, and instead think of two questions to ask him/her when he/she has finished.
4. Time the practice and go round the room monitoring the speakers. Let students know when their time limit is up and allow time for the listening partner to ask his/her two questions.
5. Swap roles and carry out step 4 again.
6. After the students have finished the second time, give feedback on the students' task performance. Highlight any language or task errors which could be improved upon.
Type:
A speaking task 2 practice topic
Skill:
Speaking Task 2
Time:
10 minutes
Stage:
Free speaking practice
Work:
Students work in pairs
Focus:
An Illness You Had
An illness you have had that was particularly memorable or bad. You should say: what the illness was; when you got it; how you got treatment.
1. Copy and cut up enough handouts so that each individual student has a card.
2. Put students into pairs and distribute a card to each individual student. Give students one minute of preparation for an authentic practice, or longer for a more controlled practice.
3. Tell students that one of them will talk for two minutes about the topic on the card addressing all the points. Emphasise that the listening partner must not interrupt the speaker, and instead think of two questions to ask him/her when he/she has finished.
4. Time the practice and go round the room monitoring the speakers. Let students know when their time limit is up and allow time for the listening partner to ask his/her two questions.
5. Swap roles and carry out step 4 again.
6. After the students have finished the second time, give feedback on the students' task performance. Highlight any language or task errors which could be improved upon.