IELTS Speaking Practice Test in 2019 with Model Answers

Questions

Part 1

Where do you usually watch TV programmes /shows?

What is your favourite TV programmes/shows?

Are there any programmes/shows you don’t like to watch?

Do you think you will watch more TV or fewer TV programmes/shows in the future?

Part 2

Part 3

Choosing Work

What kinds of jobs do young people not want to do in your country?

Who is best at advising young people about choosing a job: teachers or parents?

Is money always the most important thing when choosing a job?

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Work-life balance

Do you agree that a lot of people nowadays are under pressure to work longer hours and take less holiday?

What is the impact on society of people having a poor work-life balance?

Could you recommend some effective strategies for governments and employers to ensure people have a good work-life balance?

Model Answers

Part 1

Where do you usually watch TV programs/shows?

Well, I am not really a fan of TV because nowadays, you can basically watch everything on your laptop itself. I used to watch TV a lot when I was a kid – you know, all the cartoon channels and stuff. In fact, that’s why I am short-sighted now.

What is your favourite TV programs/shows?

As I mentioned before, I was crazy for cartoon when I was small. You know there were a mixed variety of TV programs for children, among which I found Cartoon network the most appealing due to the lively and humorous characters. It could keep me sitting for hours.

Are there any programs/shows you don’t like to watch?

Advertisements… I hate to be disturbed by adverts when I was in the middle of wonderful movies or TV shows. I understand that it is a way to keep people in suspense but too many advertisements can be annoying sometimes. That’s the reason why I switched to watch on the Internet which has less commercial ads.

Do you think you will watch more TV or fewer TV programs/shows in the future?

I will watch less for sure. Why do I need to watch TV when I already have the Internet? I can re-watch my favourite sit-com or reality show anytime I want. However, I don’t want to become a couch potato so I d’ better limit my time with any screens.

Vocabulary :

Short-sighted (adj):  unable to see things clearly

To be crazy for: really like something

Appealing (adj): attractive or interesting

Keep someone in suspense: If you keep or leave someone in suspense, you deliberately delay telling them something

Become a couch potato: a lazy and inactive person

Part 2

Today I would like to tell you about Mark Zuckerberg who is a famous technology entrepreneur and the founder of Facebook Corporation. Well, I think everybody knows Mark as an important figure in the start-up world because he set up his own business when he was still a student at Harvard University.

He firstly created a social network with profile information of his friends in the dorm which attracted hundreds of users just in a week. Nobody would think that this hobby could turn into a multi-million dollar business 10 years later, especially when he was still so young at that time.

You know what, I think he was so clever to foresee the potential profit of this application so he co-operated with some friends to raise the company profile. Nowadays, Facebook is widely used by millions of people all over the world which brought an impressive sale figure to the company. However, you must have heard that Mark recently faced a scandal of leaking customer personal information, because of which, he must testify with the authorities. Of course.. no pain no gain ..

Despite this issue, I still admire him so much for his talent and determination and want to become a successful entrepreneur like him. Start-up has never been a piece of cake, especially in such adverse competition, you have to be very unique to stand out but once you are, you can earn a fortune. I love the feeling of being challenged because only am I pushed to my limit, my full potentials will be unlocked. Who knows, in the future, I might run my own online education business.

That’s all I want to share.

Vocabulary :

set up own’s own business

Multi-million dollar business

potential profit

raise the company profile

sale figure

leaking customer personal information

no pain no gain

a piece of cake

adverse competition

earn a fortune

to be pushed to one’s limit

potentials will be unlocked

Part 3

Choosing work

What kinds of jobs do young people not want to do in your country?

That’s an interesting question, let me think about it… I would say it is labour job.. you know.. stuff like cleaners, builders and waiters. The reasons are probably low salary and intense labour. In fact, many students work part-time as a waiter and waitress but it is just a temporary job. As soon as they graduate from college, they will compete to get a position in the office because white-collar workers are still more preferable than blue-collar workers.

Who is best at advising young people about choosing a job: teachers or parents?

Well, I would say it depends. While teachers would have a better knowledge of student’s academic performance, parents will know their kids’ personalities the most. In terms of the job market, I suppose they have an equal amount of knowledge. Therefore, it is the best for the young to consult with whoever they feel more comfortable with.

Is money always the most important thing when choosing a job?

Not necessarily… we all know that millionaires in the world don’t work for money but passion. It is said that “If you love your job, you won’t have to work a day in your life” and I completely believe in it. For me, I can’t imagine myself get stuck in a nine-to-five job without any job satisfaction.

Work-life balance

Do you agree that many people nowadays are under pressure to work longer hours and take less holiday?

Yes, I think so. We are living in an increasingly competitive world and there is no doubt that the labour market is getting more selective. Students from top universities will have a higher chance of being hired, and even after that, they are likely to be exploited by excessive workload and constant pressure. Therefore, maintaining a work-life balance is vitally important for workers.

What is the impact on society of people having a poor work-life balance?

That’s truly intriguing.. To be honest, I have never thought about it before. I guess they will be a negative impact on the community because they don’t have enough time to take care of family and friends. As a result, they do not only destroy themselves but also hurt people around them. If there are thousands of workaholics like that, you can imagine what the domino effect will be like. To be honest, I would never do that myself.

Could you recommend some effective strategies for governments and employers to ensure people have a good work-life balance?

Well, definitely governments should impose law restricting the number of hours that people can work per day. Although it is necessary to work overtime once in a while, it shouldn’t become a daily habit. I suggest that the authorities can even punish business owners if they let their employees work later than 5 pm. It may sound too controlling but the sad news is that many people in Japan killed themselves for over-working which shouldn’t have happened if the Japanese government had ways to manage this issue from the beginning.

Vocabulary :

white-collar workers: White-collar workers work in offices rather than doing physical work

blue-collar workers: Blue-collar workers work in the industry, doing physical work

nine-to-five job:  a job during regular business hours usually in an office

job satisfaction:  a feeling of fulfilment or enjoyment that a person derives from their job

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