- Part 3 of the Speaking test:
the Discussion - Question types
- Language
- Part 3 practice
- Clarification strategies
Part 3 of the Speaking test: the Discussion
In this part of the Guided Practice Section, we are going to look at the third part of the Speaking test: the Discussion.
The purpose of Part 3 of the IELTS Speaking test is to give you the opportunity to develop and expand your ideas using more complex language. The examiner will ask you questions related to issues in society. The topic of these questions is linked to the topic in Part 2 of the Speaking test. Let’s take a closer look at the type of questions you could be asked in Part 3 of the Speaking test and how they are linked to the topic in Part 2.
First, look at the following example topic card for Part 2 of the Speaking test.
| Describe the best holiday that you have had.
You should say:
and explain why it was such a good holiday. |
The general topic of this card is travel. Therefore, the discussion in Part 3 could be about one or more of the following related topics:
• group vs. individual travel
• economic effects of tourism
• tourism and the environment
• learning new customs
• tourism-related industries (e.g., hospitality)
• leisure time
Click on the Question types, Language, Part 3 practice and Clarification strategies tabs at the top pf the page to learn more about Part 3 of the Speaking test. Alternatively you can click on Next to go to Question types.
Common question types for Part 3
During the discussion in Part 3 of the Speaking test, you may be asked to:
| describe | evaluate / assess | suggest |
| identify | give advantages / disadvantages | predict |
| explain | compare / contrast |
In this part of the Speaking test you should try to use more complex sentences and a wider range of grammatical structures, vocabulary and phrases. For more information and practice with this, go to the Guided Practice - Assessment Criteria section of this module.
Because the questions for Part 3 are more challenging, you may also need to use language to clarify meaning and repair communication breakdowns. Click on the tab 'Clarification strategies' at the top fo this page to learn more about this.
Activity 1
Listen to the questions below and decide which function the question serves.
| 1. Listen | |
| 2. Listen | |
| 3. Listen | |
| 4. Listen | |
| 5. Listen | |
| 6. Listen | |
| 7. Listen |
Feedback
1. identify
2. compare / contrast
3. give advantages / disadvantages
4. explain
5. evaluate
6. suggest
7. predict
Tapescript
- What are the popular travel destinations of people in your country? [identify]
- How are the types of vacation that people take today different from when your parents were young? [compare/contrast]
- What are some of the benefits of travelling in groups? [give advantages/disadvantages]
- Why do you think that some people like to travel in groups? [explain]
- How important is tourism to the economy of your country? [evaluate]
- What are some ways in which governments can encourage ecotourism? [suggest]
- What types of holiday do you think people in your country will be taking in the future? [predict]
Activity 2
Now listen to the candidate answers below and decide which question they are answering.
| 1. Listen |
| 2. Listen |
| 3. Listen |
| 4. Listen |
1. How are the types of vacation that people take today different from when your parents were young? [compare/contrast]
2. How important is tourism to the economy of your country? [evaluate]
3. What are some ways in which governments can encourage ecotourism? [suggest]
4. What types of holiday do you think people in your country will be taking in the future? [predict]
Tapescript
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1. Candidate: |
Well, when my parents were young, people would usually just go somewhere local, you know, just a few hours drive away from where they lived. But today, people take holidays all over the world, in different countries and cities every year. |
2. Candidate: |
In my country, tourism is an important part of the local economy. This is especially true for people who run their own small shops and hotels. As far as the national economy goes, however, I don't think tourism plays such a big part. |
3. Candidate: |
That is an interesting question. Hmm, let me see. Well, I guess one way would be to reduce taxes on tour companies that are environmentally friendly. This would encourage more companies to take care of nature in order to save themselves some money. |
4. Candidate: |
Well, as people continue to earn more and as the cost of travel becomes cheaper, I expect more and more people will be travelling overseas in the future. At the moment only the richer people can afford to do that, but this is changing quite quickly. |
Language
In the IELTS Speaking test, you need to show the examiner your range and accuracy of language. In the previous page, you looked at common question types for Part 3, including suggestions and predictions.
Click on the buttons below to see a range of ways to express these language functions.
Suggestions
There are different ways to offer suggestions. Look at the language below.
| Positive | Negative |
|---|---|
| I think governments should support ecotourism through tax incentives. | I don't think that governments should support ecotourism. |
| It would be good/best if the government supported ecotourism through tax incentives. | I don't think it would be good if the government supported ecotourism. |
| One way would be for the government to offer tax incentives to ecotourism companies. | |
| The government could offer tax incentives to ecotourism companies to encourage the growth of ecotourism. |
Remember that you need to show the examiner your range of language. Practise using the language above during this lesson.
Predictions
There are different ways to express predictions. Look at the language below.
| Positive | Negative |
|---|---|
| People will definitely take more adventure holidays in the future. | People definitely won't take more adventure holidays in the future. |
| People will probably take more adventure holidays in the future. | People probably won't take more adventure holidays in the future. |
| People more than likely will take more adventure holidays in the future. | People more than likely won't take more adventure holidays in the future. |
| People may/might take more adventure holidays in the future. | People may/might not take more adventure holidays in the future. |
Remember that you need to show the examiner your range of language. Practise using the language above during this lesson.
Activity
Listen to a candiate answering suggestion and prediction questions and note down the language that they use.
| Question | Suggestion or Prediction? | Language used |
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| 1. Listen | ||
| 2. Listen | ||
| 3. Listen | ||
| 4. Listen | ||
| 5. Listen |
| Question | Suggestion or Prediction? | Language used |
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| 2. | ||
| 3.. | ||
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Tapescript
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1. Examiner: |
What travel destinations do you think will become popular in your country in the next 10 years? |
Candidate: |
I think that people in my country will more than likely travel farther for their holidays, to countries on the other side of the world. Who knows? They may even go to the moon! |
2. Examiner: |
How do you think increases in tourism to your country will affect the environment there? |
Candidate: |
I think that increased tourism will definitely affect the natural environment in a negative way, causing more water and air pollution. More than that, the increasing number of resorts and recreation areas will probably continue to promote the destruction of our forests. |
3. Examiner: |
What could governments do to protect the environment from tourism? |
Candidate: |
Well, the government should encourage ecotourism by offering tax incentives to ecotourism operators. It would also be a good idea if they enforced heavy fines on hotel and tourism operators that do not dispose of waste properly. |
4. Examiner: |
How expensive do you think air travel will be in coming decades? |
Candidate: |
Um, that's hard to say. I'd say that if we don't find alternative fuels, the cost will definitely rise due to high petrol prices. However, it's possible that air travel could actually get cheaper with the invention of more fuel-efficient planes. |
5. Examiner: |
What are some ways that people could save money when they travel? |
Candidate: |
Well, I suppose the easiest way to save money would be not to fly! That cuts down a lot on cost. People could also save on accommodation by staying at a youth hostel or in a budget accommodation. However, I think what really adds up when you travel is the cost of incidentals, such as food, drinks and daily supplies. You should stay away from the touristy areas of a place and eat where the locals eat. |
Part 3 practice
Now it is your turn to practise answering Part 3 questions.
Activity
Listen to the Part 3 questions again and record your answers. After you have finished, click the Play button to review your answer. Remember to listen for the range and accuracy of language that you use.
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Part 3 Clarification strategies
In Part 3 of the Speaking test you may need to clarify a word or question either because you did not hear the examiner or because you did not understand a word or a phrase. There are a number of strategies you can use to clarify meaning.
| Problem | Part 3 Clarification Strategy |
|---|---|
| You do not hear the question. | You can ask the examiner to repeat the question in any part of the test. |
| You do not understand a word. | You can ask the examiner what the word means.
In Part 3 the examiner can give you another meaning for the same word. |
| You do not understand the question. | You can ask the meaning of the question or you can rephrase it.
In Part 3 the examiner can rephrase the question to help you understand. |
Note that in Part 3, examiners will rephrase questions for you and give definitions of words that you do not understand.
Asking the examiner to repeat the question
You can ask the examiner to repeat the question if you did not hear it the first time. You can use phrases such as:
- Can/Could you repeat that please?
- Can/Could you say that again please?
- I didn’t quite catch that. Would you mind repeating the question please?
Asking the examiner to rephrase the question
You can ask the examiner to rephrase the question if you did not understand it. For example, if the examiner asks you:
Do you think the environment has been degraded by tourism?
If you don’t understand the word 'degraded', you can ask:
- I’m sorry. I don’t know what you mean by ‘degraded’.
- I’m sorry, could you explain the word ‘degraded’?
- By ‘degraded’, do you mean ‘badly affected’?
Rephrasing the question yourself
You can also check that you understand this question using your own words:
- Are you asking me if I think that the growth of tourism has badly affected the environment?
- Would you like me to say whether I believe the spread of tourism has had a negative effect on the environment?
Note that this method is an excellent way of showing the examiner your range of language.
Now let's look at the Assessment Criteria for the Speaking test.
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