Details

Written by IELTS Mentor

IELTS Speaking Test # 69

Part One - Introduction & Interview

Q. Can you tell me your name, please?
Answer: My name is Arthur Wellesley, and you can call me Arthur.

Q. And what do you do?
Answer:  As in job, I work as a "Senior Website Developer" at one of the leading IT firms in my country for the last four years. I really enjoy doing this job because I get to work with some brilliant minds in the field.

Q. Why did you choose this job / this subject?
Answer: I chose this job mainly because I really like the world of internet and internet technologies, and I think that there is just no better way to learn about them than working as a website developer. I also chose this job, because it allows me to interact with people from different countries and cultures, which really helps me to learn many things about the rest of the world.

Q. What job would you like to do in the future? Why? What skills do you need for that job?
Answer 1: I would like to work as a Website Developer as long as I can. I would, of course, want to enhance my career by adding more skills in my resume by dedicating my time and effort. I really love to design websites which is not only challenging and rewarding but also creative. I love to create something of my own and there is nothing I can do better than designing and developing websites as a professional. I already have website designing and development skills and I want to improveit further in the future. Technologies related to web designing and development is ever changing and I want to keep myself updated with the latest technologies.

Answer 2: In the future, I would like to work as an International Travel Consultant at a top-class travel agency because I want to do some international travelling in order to learn about this beautiful world and its people. I would need great communication skills as well as some really good knowledge of different cultures and lifestyles of different countries to be recruited and do well in this job.

Let’s talk about free time now...

Q. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Answer: I like to enjoy my free time by doing anything that keeps me in the outdoors unless, of course, I am watching some great movies with my family on a rainy day. Other than that, I like to hang out with my friends at some nice café or restaurants, enjoying some good food or drinks. I also like to do some jogging and cycling when I have some free time.

Q. Do you think you get enough free time? [Why/Why not?]
Answer: I don’t really get enough ‘free time’, unless there is a weekend with no work (yes, I have to work on the weekend also sometimes) or other religious or national holidays, because I spend long hours at my work pretty much on every weekday. Besides, it is also because whatever time, I get, outside of my work, I use it to spend with my elderly parents.

My job requires long hours' of dedicated works and I often have deadlines which do not allow me to enjoy much free time in general.

Q. How important is it to use your free time usefully?
Answer: Well, in my humble opinion, time is never “free”, as there is always some “value” associated with it, and therefore, it should always be used wisely and efficiently because once “time” is gone, we will never get it back. Using time “wisely”, because, again, time is the “greatest” gift of all, will allow us to enjoy a full and happy life by doing the right things at the right times.

Part 2 - Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card

[The topic for your talk will be written on a card which the examiner will hand you. Read it carefully and then make some brief notes.]

Describe a part of the world you would like to visit.

You should say:

• where it is
• how and what you know about it
• what you would like to do there

and explain why you would like to visit this part of the world.

[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]

Model Answer:
There are so many beautiful places in this world, and I just wish that I could visit all of them. But, unfortunately, it is not really possible to do so because I am neither really “filthy rich” nor I have enough time. So, instead, I would just like to visit arguably the most beautiful country in the world called “Switzerland”.

I have learned about this great country mostly by reading different travel magazines and watching television programs. From what I have learned so far about Switzerland, this country is the only country in the world which has four national languages which are spoken by the people, living in four different regions. Besides, the world famous organization “The Red Cross” was founded in this very country. I have also come to know that Switzerland has the best wrist watches, apart from having the best cheeses and chocolates as well. And then, of course, there is “The Alps” mountain range, one of the most beautiful in the world, which I would really like to see by having a cable car ride. Another thing, which I would really like to do while visiting this beautiful country, is to take a ride to enjoy the amazing and picturesque sightseeing. Finally, I wouldn’t also want to miss playing with the bears in the Bear Park of Bern’s old town when visiting Switzerland.

Anyway, I would like to visit Switzerland mainly because of its stunning natural beauty with snowy mountains, crystal clear lakes, and beautiful forests all over. I want to visit this great country also because it is very culturally diverse. Finally, I want to visit this country because I have tremendous respect for this country and its people. And the reason for this respect is that Switzerland has a non-interference policy in the affairs of other countries which it has managed to maintain since the year 1505.

Rounding off Questions:

[At the end of your talk, the examiner will ask one or two brief questions to signal that it is time to stop talking.]

Q. Do you think you will visit this part of the world someday?
Answer: Yes, I certainly will visit this place someday when I have the “means” to do so. However, it may not take place in the immediate future, but it will certainly be on top of my list of “things to do”.

Q. How often you travel?
Answer: I have travelled to a few countries so far which are close by, but I am not exactly someone who could be called a “frequent traveller” because of other priorities in my life. Anyway, I probably manage to travel only once or twice in a year if not less.

Part 3 - Two-way Discussion:

Let’s talk about international tourism...

Q. Why do you think people want to visit other countries?
Answer: People want to visit other countries and places because they probably become bored of living at the same place(s) for a very long period of time. Besides, they also want to learn and experience different kinds of traditions, cultures and lifestyles which intrigue them very profoundly. Finally, some people visit other countries probably because of educational reasons, medical treatments and family reunions.

Q. What makes some places very attractive to tourists?
Answer: Tourists find different places attractive because of different reasons, but generally speaking, beautiful nature with plenty of greenery, mountains, snow, beautiful sea beaches, sunny and nice weather, affordable and comfortable accommodation, friendly behaviour of the host countries/places, and nice food are some of the things that make places very attractive to tourists.

Q. Do people travel abroad more or less than they did in the past? Why/Why not?
Answer: People today travel abroad more than they did in the past primarily because the world population has significantly increased over the years. In fact, according to the estimate of The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), internationally there were just about 25 million tourist arrivals per year in 1950. 68 years later today, this number has increased to 1.4 billion. This is a 56-fold increase. Besides, people in today’s world are more than ever connected culturally and economically, so it becomes almost like a necessity for some people to travel abroad.

Q. Will international tourism increase or decrease in the future? Why?
Answer: Yes, I have no doubt in my mind that international tourism will increase in the future primarily because tourism has become a major source of incomes in many countries around the world. Besides, travelling is becoming easier every day than before because of the easy and relaxed visa rules. Finally, people are learning more and more about different places and countries around the world in positive lights, courtesy to the internet and satellite TV channels, and as a result, it is only natural to expect that international tourism will increase in the future.

Let’s consider the effects of tourism...

 Q .  How can tourism benefit local people and places?
Answer: Tourism can benefit local people and places by bringing additional businesses and employment opportunities to the local people and the places where they live. Besides, the local people also get to learn about the good ideas and working techniques, if any, of the visitors so that they (the locals) can also play with the same kind of ideas and techniques in order to improve their lives even better. Finally, tourism makes the locals more tolerant of other peoples’ lifestyles, traditions and cultures.

Q. Are there any drawbacks of tourism?
Answer: Yes, there are a few drawbacks of tourism which may include losing cultural and national identities of the host countries, creating financial inequality, and sometimes animosity, between the groups, who are taking the advantage of tourism, and those who are not reaping the benefits of tourism at all. Then, because of tourism, the locals sometimes are “displaced” also from their ancestors’ place and are forced to settle in some other places. Finally, tourism brings some unwanted economic pressure on the local economy by creating “inflation” as well.

Q. Does tourism help to promote international understanding? Why/Why not?
Answer: Yes, tourism, in my opinion, does help promote international understanding primarily because it opens up all the channels of communication wide for people to understand and appreciate each other’s cultures, lifestyles and preferences. Besides, when tourism flourishes, the prospect of political tensions and conflict among different countries are greatly reduced because of constant communication and cultural assimilation.

Q. How reliable is tourism as an industry?
Answer: Tourism is just as reliable as any other industry in the world. And, the fact, that countries like the UK, France, Germany and Turkey, along with a number of other countries in the world, are earning huge revenue from this “lucrative” industry year after year, suggests that tourism is a reliable industry. Besides, a staggering amount of US $500 billion spendings by the world governments in the year of 2018, according to “world travel and tourism council”, in order to promote tourism and develop tourism-related infrastructure very much proves that tourism is a reliable industry. Therefore, tourism is here to stay, and it will only thrive more and more in future.

• IELTS Speaking

• Prev
• Next