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Introduction
The speaking test can pose many different challenges to IELTS candidates. One of the most commonly feared parts of the test is Part 2，where candidates must speak alone for one to two minutes on a given topic. This area is designed to test a candidate’s ability to organize their monologue，sustain a coherent and natural pace and to demonstrate the lexical aptitude they possess in respect to the subject. In this particular paper about teaching method in IELTS，getting the target students familiar with the existed topics in the topic pamphlet seems quite difficult and unapproachable for any IELTS teacher，because it take a very long time and the efficiency is comparatively low. Most of the Mainland students in China argue that preparing various kinds of topics in part 2 is annoying and troublesome. Of course，it has also been an inevitable challenge for teachers as well. Therefore，to encourage students to become more comfortable with this part of the speaking test，a variety of approaches can be taken.
1.Self-Awareness
In order to be prepared for Part 2 of the speaking test，students must be encouraged to choose ‘functional’ topics to discuss in their talks. It can be quite disconcerting to be suddenly asked to identify your favorite film or an individual that you admire and then have to talk about that subject for 1 – 2 minutes. It is best to allow students to become accustomed to being put on the spot with consistent classroom activities.
1.1 Methodology of implementing Self-Awareness
Challenge students to list what they believe to be common IELTS Part 2 topics and try to guide this in terms of nominalization with group examples on the board. Write ‘Describe a/an….’ and elicit topics in order to mirror the construction of the topic card itself. A good way to extend this and make the grammatical structure of the card obvious to students would be to ask them to list topics alphabetically. For instance：activity，book，child，dish，and exercise，family member，game and so on and so forth. Once the lists have been created and checked to ensure that they are accurate in terms of likely topics，students can exchange their work with a partner. A two minute timed race to push students to identify in one or two words only what their answer would be，is an excellent way to encourage the level of self-awareness that is needed for Part 2.
1.2 Positive Outcomes
This type of activity also allows students to quickly identify which topics are the ones that they would struggle with the most. This could be in terms of a lack of vocabulary around a subject or due to the fact that a student may not have much real life experience in relation to the topic. It is vital that candidates are aware of their weaknesses to allow them to build upon these areas. The creation of topic cards in the classroom is an ideal way to create an environment in which IELTS candidates think analytically about a topic. 2.P.C.E.S Structure in the Topic Preparation
Use a variety of topic cards as an example and deconstruct on the board the way in which they are composed. Emphasize that topic cards usually include basic grammatical structures to allow for a wide level of interpretation of the subject. It is the candidate’s job to impress an examiner with their grammatical range and accuracy and not merely to parrot the structure that is on the card.
The use of ‘should’ here is important. Clearly this is advice that it would be wise to take but it is not obligatory to mention every bullet point on the card. It is a good idea to point this out to IELTS candidates as they may become stressed if they do not achieve this during the test and might believe that they have ‘failed’ because of this. Examiners may also point to parts of the topic card that a candidate did not cover in their talk and ask them to discuss these areas further，in order to meet the time limit of this section of the test. This too can unnerve some speakers and cause them to think that they have made a mistake when they have not. Confidence is the key during a speaking test and erroneous beliefs about why an examiner has acted in a certain way must be corrected. In addition，more extended question of ‘explain why’ on a topic card is designed to push the talk to a more ‘abstract’ area，possibly asking a candidate to describe their emotional reaction to a subject or the impact that the topic had on their lives. It is crucial that candidates are aware that they should follow clear structures in their approach to this part of the card. For instance，when describing their emotional reaction to a topic，this should be qualified with a reason and if possible an example. Encourage them to always bear in mind the following structures which are useful throughout the speaking test：
As a useful classroom activity，encourage students to create their own topic cards about a subject that they would not like to have to talk about. Ensure that they have accurately followed the structure of the card and then allow them to run a timed practice with a partner. As a useful extension to this activity，encouraging them to exchange the topic card they have created with a classmate is necessary. This reinforces the message that whilst a certain subject may be a nightmare for one candidate，it is ideal for another. Once again this elevates students’ self-awareness and helps in their personal preparation for the exam. 3.Time Control
Timing is consistently a troublesome area for even the most advanced IELTS candidates in Part 2 of the speaking test. It is important that students are trained to use the one minute planning time effectively and to try a variety of approaches in order to find the one that works best for them individually. In terms of timing，candidates often suffer from a certain level of anxiety about whether they have spoken for long enough. This can lead to problems with repetition and erratic pace. Whilst classroom practice is ideal，it is also crucial that candidates are comfortable with how speaking for one to two minutes actually feels. The use of a recording device on a smart phone is perfect for private practice or in lieu of this;a timer set for two minuteswill suffice.
4.Lexical use，Coherence and Cohesion，Grammatical range and Accuracy in the Respond
Candidates can respond quickly to the ‘wh’ questions on the card and may find that they run out of ideas early on in their talk. A simple way to counter this would be to encourage students to answer more ‘wh’ questions than there actually are on the card. For instance，if a candidate has been asked to describe a group sport that they enjoy playing，they may also have been asked to talk about where they play，how often they take part in this sporting activity and who they play with. It would be easy to answer these questions in one or two words in the minute before the talk begins and add further ideas such as covering how long they play for usually，when they started doing this activity，but strong candidates may be able to answer these concrete questions mentally and speak easily about them when the talk begins. It could be beneficial to utilize the one minute planning time to consider impressive vocabulary to mention during the talk. Examiners are looking for the usage of appropriate collocations and idioms as well as natural and topic vocabulary. Similarly，examiners are keen to see a display of lexical range during the talk so it is also practical to produce some synonyms for the key words on the card during the planning time in order to avoid over-repetition of certain phrases. For instance，if a candidate is asked to describe something that they enjoy，they could make the effort to think of the phrase ‘keen on’ or ‘I’m really into’ during their planning time.
For students who have difficulties in creating a coherent talk，the use of simple ‘chaining’ techniques can be very effective. Using the answers to the questions on the card，a candidate could create a basic plan of what they want to say. This works well for candidates who actively use their notes during the talk and look at them at various points throughout Part 2. 5.to Lie or Not to Lie？
This is indeed a question that you will face. Students often ask whether this is a good idea in the test and I believe that as blanket advice，the answer should be no. For a candidate under pressure in the test environment，the effort that it takes to create a fictitious answer coupled with the demands of fluency often prove to be too much for most individuals to handle. Should a topic arise that candidates do not relate to directly，there are ways to consider an effective approach.
Encouraging candidates to think back to their past can be extremely useful in this situation. Whilst a student may struggle to describe a group sport that they enjoy playing now，there will have been a time，possibly during their school days，when they had to participate in this kind of activity. Drawing on true memories and experiences often creates a more coherent talk.
In the worst case，where a candidate has no recourse to the past，asking them to consider their loved ones can help. An examiner wants to hear a talk based on the topic that they have given to a candidate. If a candidate admits that they do not，for instance，partake in group sports but that their best friend loves playing tennis，then this allows the candidate to stay on topic and structure their speech appropriately by using the facts about someone that they know well.
Overall consistent exposure to this part of the test can allow candidates to approach their exam day with confidence. With enough practice of the techniques that work best for each individual，candidates will be able to deal with any topic that arises in Part 2.
Reference
[1]Shiree Shumacher. 125-126. （2001，July） Talking Point from Talking Point NEXT Magazine （NZ），Peproduced with permission
[2]Education Commission. （1997）. Medium of instruction guidance for Secondary schools. Hong Kong：Government Printer
[3]IELTS，2007，IELTS Handbook，retrieved 18 September 2007 from
[4]IELTS，2003，IELTS Annual Review 2003，retrieved 20 November 2005 from
作者单位：广州番禺职业技术学院 511483
The speaking test can pose many different challenges to IELTS candidates. One of the most commonly feared parts of the test is Part 2，where candidates must speak alone for one to two minutes on a given topic. This area is designed to test a candidate’s ability to organize their monologue，sustain a coherent and natural pace and to demonstrate the lexical aptitude they possess in respect to the subject. In this particular paper about teaching method in IELTS，getting the target students familiar with the existed topics in the topic pamphlet seems quite difficult and unapproachable for any IELTS teacher，because it take a very long time and the efficiency is comparatively low. Most of the Mainland students in China argue that preparing various kinds of topics in part 2 is annoying and troublesome. Of course，it has also been an inevitable challenge for teachers as well. Therefore，to encourage students to become more comfortable with this part of the speaking test，a variety of approaches can be taken.
1.Self-Awareness
In order to be prepared for Part 2 of the speaking test，students must be encouraged to choose ‘functional’ topics to discuss in their talks. It can be quite disconcerting to be suddenly asked to identify your favorite film or an individual that you admire and then have to talk about that subject for 1 – 2 minutes. It is best to allow students to become accustomed to being put on the spot with consistent classroom activities.
1.1 Methodology of implementing Self-Awareness
Challenge students to list what they believe to be common IELTS Part 2 topics and try to guide this in terms of nominalization with group examples on the board. Write ‘Describe a/an….’ and elicit topics in order to mirror the construction of the topic card itself. A good way to extend this and make the grammatical structure of the card obvious to students would be to ask them to list topics alphabetically. For instance：activity，book，child，dish，and exercise，family member，game and so on and so forth. Once the lists have been created and checked to ensure that they are accurate in terms of likely topics，students can exchange their work with a partner. A two minute timed race to push students to identify in one or two words only what their answer would be，is an excellent way to encourage the level of self-awareness that is needed for Part 2.
1.2 Positive Outcomes
This type of activity also allows students to quickly identify which topics are the ones that they would struggle with the most. This could be in terms of a lack of vocabulary around a subject or due to the fact that a student may not have much real life experience in relation to the topic. It is vital that candidates are aware of their weaknesses to allow them to build upon these areas. The creation of topic cards in the classroom is an ideal way to create an environment in which IELTS candidates think analytically about a topic. 2.P.C.E.S Structure in the Topic Preparation
Use a variety of topic cards as an example and deconstruct on the board the way in which they are composed. Emphasize that topic cards usually include basic grammatical structures to allow for a wide level of interpretation of the subject. It is the candidate’s job to impress an examiner with their grammatical range and accuracy and not merely to parrot the structure that is on the card.
The use of ‘should’ here is important. Clearly this is advice that it would be wise to take but it is not obligatory to mention every bullet point on the card. It is a good idea to point this out to IELTS candidates as they may become stressed if they do not achieve this during the test and might believe that they have ‘failed’ because of this. Examiners may also point to parts of the topic card that a candidate did not cover in their talk and ask them to discuss these areas further，in order to meet the time limit of this section of the test. This too can unnerve some speakers and cause them to think that they have made a mistake when they have not. Confidence is the key during a speaking test and erroneous beliefs about why an examiner has acted in a certain way must be corrected. In addition，more extended question of ‘explain why’ on a topic card is designed to push the talk to a more ‘abstract’ area，possibly asking a candidate to describe their emotional reaction to a subject or the impact that the topic had on their lives. It is crucial that candidates are aware that they should follow clear structures in their approach to this part of the card. For instance，when describing their emotional reaction to a topic，this should be qualified with a reason and if possible an example. Encourage them to always bear in mind the following structures which are useful throughout the speaking test：
As a useful classroom activity，encourage students to create their own topic cards about a subject that they would not like to have to talk about. Ensure that they have accurately followed the structure of the card and then allow them to run a timed practice with a partner. As a useful extension to this activity，encouraging them to exchange the topic card they have created with a classmate is necessary. This reinforces the message that whilst a certain subject may be a nightmare for one candidate，it is ideal for another. Once again this elevates students’ self-awareness and helps in their personal preparation for the exam. 3.Time Control
Timing is consistently a troublesome area for even the most advanced IELTS candidates in Part 2 of the speaking test. It is important that students are trained to use the one minute planning time effectively and to try a variety of approaches in order to find the one that works best for them individually. In terms of timing，candidates often suffer from a certain level of anxiety about whether they have spoken for long enough. This can lead to problems with repetition and erratic pace. Whilst classroom practice is ideal，it is also crucial that candidates are comfortable with how speaking for one to two minutes actually feels. The use of a recording device on a smart phone is perfect for private practice or in lieu of this;a timer set for two minuteswill suffice.
4.Lexical use，Coherence and Cohesion，Grammatical range and Accuracy in the Respond
Candidates can respond quickly to the ‘wh’ questions on the card and may find that they run out of ideas early on in their talk. A simple way to counter this would be to encourage students to answer more ‘wh’ questions than there actually are on the card. For instance，if a candidate has been asked to describe a group sport that they enjoy playing，they may also have been asked to talk about where they play，how often they take part in this sporting activity and who they play with. It would be easy to answer these questions in one or two words in the minute before the talk begins and add further ideas such as covering how long they play for usually，when they started doing this activity，but strong candidates may be able to answer these concrete questions mentally and speak easily about them when the talk begins. It could be beneficial to utilize the one minute planning time to consider impressive vocabulary to mention during the talk. Examiners are looking for the usage of appropriate collocations and idioms as well as natural and topic vocabulary. Similarly，examiners are keen to see a display of lexical range during the talk so it is also practical to produce some synonyms for the key words on the card during the planning time in order to avoid over-repetition of certain phrases. For instance，if a candidate is asked to describe something that they enjoy，they could make the effort to think of the phrase ‘keen on’ or ‘I’m really into’ during their planning time.
For students who have difficulties in creating a coherent talk，the use of simple ‘chaining’ techniques can be very effective. Using the answers to the questions on the card，a candidate could create a basic plan of what they want to say. This works well for candidates who actively use their notes during the talk and look at them at various points throughout Part 2. 5.to Lie or Not to Lie？
This is indeed a question that you will face. Students often ask whether this is a good idea in the test and I believe that as blanket advice，the answer should be no. For a candidate under pressure in the test environment，the effort that it takes to create a fictitious answer coupled with the demands of fluency often prove to be too much for most individuals to handle. Should a topic arise that candidates do not relate to directly，there are ways to consider an effective approach.
Encouraging candidates to think back to their past can be extremely useful in this situation. Whilst a student may struggle to describe a group sport that they enjoy playing now，there will have been a time，possibly during their school days，when they had to participate in this kind of activity. Drawing on true memories and experiences often creates a more coherent talk.
In the worst case，where a candidate has no recourse to the past，asking them to consider their loved ones can help. An examiner wants to hear a talk based on the topic that they have given to a candidate. If a candidate admits that they do not，for instance，partake in group sports but that their best friend loves playing tennis，then this allows the candidate to stay on topic and structure their speech appropriately by using the facts about someone that they know well.
Overall consistent exposure to this part of the test can allow candidates to approach their exam day with confidence. With enough practice of the techniques that work best for each individual，candidates will be able to deal with any topic that arises in Part 2.
Reference
[1]Shiree Shumacher. 125-126. （2001，July） Talking Point from Talking Point NEXT Magazine （NZ），Peproduced with permission
[2]Education Commission. （1997）. Medium of instruction guidance for Secondary schools. Hong Kong：Government Printer
[3]IELTS，2007，IELTS Handbook，retrieved 18 September 2007 from
[4]IELTS，2003，IELTS Annual Review 2003，retrieved 20 November 2005 from
作者单位：广州番禺职业技术学院 511483