IELTS Speaking Part 2 is the part that worries many students most. You get a topic card, one minute to prepare, and then you speak on your own for one to two minutes. The good news is that you can practise it at home with nothing more than a phone and 15 minutes.
What happens in Part 2
- The examiner gives you a card with a topic and a few points to talk about.
- You have about one minute to prepare. You can make notes.
- You speak for one to two minutes without being interrupted.
- The examiner may then ask one or two short questions about what you said.
A 15-minute practice routine
- Choose a topic card (2 minutes). Use a real task from a practice test, or write your own: "Describe a place you like to visit", "Describe a person who helped you", "Describe a useful skill you learned".
- Take one minute to prepare. Write only keywords, not sentences. A simple map helps: introduction, two or three details, how you felt or why it matters.
- Record yourself speaking for two minutes. Use the voice recorder on your phone. Do not stop to correct yourself. Keep going, as you would in the test.
- Listen back (5 minutes). Ask yourself three questions: Did I speak for the full time? Was my answer in a clear order? Did I add details and examples, not only general ideas?
- Record a second take (3 minutes). Change one thing only, such as a clearer beginning or one more example. Then compare the two recordings.
Common problems, and what to do
- You run out of things to say. Add a small story: when it happened, who was there, what you saw or felt.
- You speak for only 30 seconds. Use the points on the card as a checklist, and give each point at least two sentences.
- You repeat the same words. Use different ways to say the same idea. Our book Mastering Paraphrasing in English is written for exactly this.
- Your answer feels disconnected. Connect your ideas with simple linking words such as first, after that, because of this, as a result. Our Cohesive Devices guide shows which words are natural.
Practise little and often
Three short practices a week are better than one long one. After a few weeks, you will notice that you start faster, speak longer and sound more natural.
Want feedback from a trainer?
A recording is useful, but a trainer can tell you exactly what to improve. Send us your response through our assessment and feedback service, or call us on +1 778 513 2713 to talk about your goal.