The Perfect Speaking Part 1 Response

Space Travel

Did you know that the first part of the IELTS Speaking test can be the most difficult for candidates.

0 Shares

Not only is the candidate in a test situation, but the candidate is has to deal with listening to an examiner who may speak with an unfamiliar accent or at some speed.

But don’t despair it can also be the easiest part, and the most enjoyable.

There is a valid reason for this part of the IELTS test, and I will explain this below.

One reason for Part 1 is to ease the candidate into the test, and allow the candidate to tune into the voice of the examiner.

The three sets of questions are not particularly challenging, but are varied in topic and allow the candidate to ‘warm up‘ and ‘gain confidence‘ and additionally give the examiner ‘a feel‘ to immediate level.

One way to do well in this section is to relax.

A relaxed candidate always listens better and responds well.

Other tips are

Don’t give the examiner an opportunity to ask ‘why’ you think something.
Connect your sentences.
Attempt to use complex sentences rather than short, simply ones.
Don’t hesitate too much, you can make some mistakes

and

Don’t be afraid to correct yourself

If you don’t understand something, always ask the examiner to repeat the question.

Space Travel

Think about these questions, what answer can you give,

Do you want to travel in the outer space?
What would you do if you had that opportunity?
Do you think it’s necessary to see other planets?
When was the latest time you went travelling?
Do you like to travel by air?

TIP- IELTS Part 1 features ‘three’ random topics chosen by the examiner.

There is a around a minute of speaking time allowed for each section of part 1, so if you can answer the question fully AND extend it, you will get asked fewer questions!

Do you want to travel in the outer space?

I would love to travel to outer space and would jump at the opportunity if it arose. With the speed of development in current technology, it means it might happen sooner than we think! I mean Eton Musk is planning space holidays, and Jeff Bezos just recently was the first privately financed individual to go into space.

What would you do if you had the opportunity to go into space?

In a few years it will be possible for anyone to do this. It would be great fun to experience space travel. Just to experience the feeling of being in space and weightlessness would probably be amazing.

Do you think it’s necessary to see other planets?

At the moment, I think that it’s enough to experience something which we already enjoy on our own planet, there are so many opportunities. Space tourism will become a reality I believe, once the technology is in place. I think this will come from space exploration of planets for minerals and valuable materials.

When was the latest time you went travelling?

At the moment, I am lucky to have had made several long haul trips to other countries. The last trip was to Beijing in the winter, it was very cold when we got off the plane.

Do you like to travel by air?

I think travelling can be quite boring especially if you have to do a number of long-haul flights. Of course, it is quicker but I think it’s more interesting to travel by train or by bus, at least for shorter journeys. At least you can meet other people and observe the surroundings on the country you’re in.

For any of the IELTS test sections, it is important to be aware of general, current topics and developments. This can add depth to your written or spoken answers,

For more ideas about space travel there’s a recent article here on The Conversation, Will astronauts return to the moon in five years?

So, to recap, remember to relax, give full answers and connect ideas, try not to hesitate with your answer and correct yourself if you make errors or mistakes.

I’m Jonathan

I’ve taught IELTS and University English in more than a dozen universities and schools around the world.

I’m a parent, traveller and passionate about language teaching and helping students achieve their dreams.

Whilst living in Austria or working in Asia, I run IELTS courses to help students get to where they want to be.

If you are serious about IELTS, connect with me to see how I can help you.