Ielts Speaking Sample Answers

- Where are you from? I'm from Madrid which is the capital of Spain.

- Do you work or study?

I'm working at the moment as an assistant for a finance company in London. It's a tough job but it pays the bills and I'm happy to even have a job.

- Where do you live at the moment? I live in a flat with 4 other housemates. It's near London Bridge station which is convenient for me as my workplace is only 10 minutes by train.

- What don't you like about living there? Aside from the easy commute to work, it's near to everything in central London. I can go shopping or visit a museum in the hustle and bustle of London within minutes but still be able to enjoy relaxing with my housemates in the evenings.

- How often do you use a dictionary? Why? Well, as an English learner, I pretty much use it everyday. I like learning new words and trying to improve my English. So I think this is pretty logical.

- Would you like to write a dictionary? Why? Ha! I have better things to do with my time. It would be crazy! Not only would it take forever, it would also be one of the most boring books you'll ever read. Do you know of any famous dictionary authors around for example?

- How would you react to receiving a dictionary as a gift? I think I would be quite disappointed, to be honest with you. It's something that my mother would probably buy for me because she wants me to do well here in England. But I already have 3 dictionaries.I don't think I would need another.

- Do you prefer a normal or electronic dictionary? Why? Both really. When I'm studying, I like to use my dictionary app on my iPhone first but if I can't find a word, I use the paper dictionary. Sometimes I use the internet dictionaries too as they have more examples.

- Do you like shopping? For a guy, I actually do like shopping, especially if I am by myself. I don't take very long as I always know what I want. I have put up with girlfriends in the past taking hours to buy one thing, like most men, this used to drive me crazy.

- Where do you go for shopping? Why? In London you can pretty much shop anywhere. I tend to avoid Oxford Circus and head towards Westfields near Stratford. They have all my favourite brands there such as Topman and Abercrombie and Fitch.

Cue Card

Talk about an event that changed your life. Please say

- Where and when did it happen? - Why did it change your life? - How do you feel about it now?

I would like to talk about the day I decided to move to London which changed my life for the better. As you may be aware, there is a recession going on all over Europe and Spain was badly affected. Many students who left university, such as me, were unlikely to find a job and even now, there is about 60% unemployment in the country. The situation is still very bad. When I graduated from university in Madrid, I started applying for jobs in London. Everyone was doing it. I didn't think I would get anything but I was lucky! I found the job that I am doing now by luck as one of my friends who was already in London recommended me to his boss. They asked me to fly over and have an interview. We spoke for a few hours and by the end, they said I could work straight away. I was so happy! From having no hope of a future to having my dreams of living in London and with a job was a miracle. I honestly felt like screaming with joy that I thanked God and I didn't even believe in God! The day I packed my bags to come to London will be in my memory forever I think. So although many people in London complain about London, I think they are very lucky to live here and I love everything about London.

Discussion

- Do you like changes? Yes, if it is a positive change. I think change is good because you can become bored of things quite easily and sometimes, we all need to change something about ourselves to become better people. For example, a change of scenery or having something different to do at work. But if it's a negative change, like suddenly the country's economy fails, then noone benefits and noone would welcome it.

- Why do you think people move to different countries or study abroad? Better life and better opportunities of course! Situations are always changing in different countries and sometimes there is war or poverty. This drives people to flee their countries for a better job, education or better standards of living. Coming here for example meant that I didn't had to walk around drinking every night because of depression from being unemployed! I still have many friends back home who are still trying to find a new life in a different country. Everybody wants the same things; better money, better jobs, better education and stability.

- What do they like about the countries they live in? It's the same as the reasons for why they moved. Education, politics, money, jobs or standards of living. Other than that, they may also like the culture and history of the place as I certainly enjoy the British sense of humour here. I think it can be very interesting for foreigners to learn about other people's way of life and realise how lucky or unlucky people are. But you know, I've met a lot of Brits who have left London to buy cheap houses in Spain and retire there. Personally I think they are crazy because there is no future in Spain but I guess the weather and food is still a novelty for them. I reckon they'll come back to England after a few years!

- What are the disadvantages of living in a different country? Well, it can be many things. Such as missing family and friends or trying to learn a new language. There are many barriers. I think the hardest is learning the language because if you can't communicate, you can't do anything, you can't even earn money. You'll just end up homeless and jobless in a different country. However, fitting into a new place can take some time, but it is mostly enjoyable. I can also still keep in contact with my family and friends online and it's not far or expensive to fly back to see them.