20 IELTS Speaking Topics you Should Prepare for

If you are preparing for the IELTS Speaking test, you need to practice building complex sentences and expressing complex thoughts. Simple conversational exchanges like “where are you from?” “I am from Spain!” are not going to give you that practice. You also need to constantly add to your vocabulary and use new words frequently so that you remember them and they become second nature. In this blog post, we would like to discuss some IELTS Speaking Topics that can help you achieve those goals and prepare better for the exam:

Sample IELTS Speaking Topics

How to cook your favourite meal. This may sound simple, but you’ll need to know the names of all the foods involved, plus the cooking techniques, the equipment, dishes and utensils used, and how to organize your thoughts and give clear instructions.

Your dream job. Everyone has a job they’d love to do someday. Talk about why, and what you’d need to do in order to achieve it.

Your favourite song or piece of music. No matter the genre or style, tell your conversation partner what it is, why you love it, what it is that attracted you to it or makes it awesome, and where/when you first heard it.

What you studied or plan to study at university or college. Talk about how you chose your major, what kinds of courses were involved, your favourite teacher, whether you were good at it or if you struggled. If you’ve yet to go to college or university, share your plans and discuss what you want to study.

A vacation or trip you would love to take someday. Spell out all the things you would do once you got there, and why it appeals to you.

Your hobbies or interests and why you enjoy them. Explain how you got started, what you get out of it, the tools or equipment required to do it, and so on.

The best book you’ve ever read. Was it the main character that grabbed your attention, the writing style, the story, or the images? What does the book remind you of?

Why you are learning English. For work, because of a move or immigration, to communicate with a friend or relative…

What your parents do or did for a living. Did they like their jobs? Are they retired now? Did they want you to do the same job?

Whether cats or dogs are better. Come on, even if you don’t like animals, chances are you’ve got an opinion on this one.

How you like to dress. Explain your style, how it evolved, whether you like to shop or borrow things, how your clothes make you feel.

Your greatest fear. Why are you afraid of it? Have you always been, or was there an incident? Do you try to fight the fear, or not? Does it prevent you from doing some things?

The person you most admire. What do they do and why is that important to you?

Advice you would give to someone just starting to learn English. Start with books? Conversation? Move to an English country? Share what worked for you and what you’d suggest to others.

What are three things you would like to achieve in life? List them and talk about how you will accomplish them, what the obstacles are, and how to overcome those.

Three things you dislike. What is the source of your aversion or irritation? Did you once like the things, but changed your mind?

Your best friend. Who they are, how you met, whether they live close or far away, what their good qualities are, and what you like to do when you’re together.

Where to go and what to do on a perfect night out. Plan the evening from start to finish, including transportation, food, locations, companions and weather.

What would your superpower be? Why would you choose that power, and what would you do with it? Would you use it for good, or for evil? Would they make a movie about you?

Brexit/the U.S. election/another political issue important to you. No matter where you live, something big is probably happening politically. This is an advanced intermediate topic for sure, but it’s worth mentioning here because words and ideas related to politics are complex and challenging, so if you want to push yourself a little, bring this up with your conversation partner – while respecting that their views might be different, of course!

Once you get started talking about any of these IELTS Speaking Topics, the conversation should naturally move on to other things, further stretching your vocabulary and grammar skills. These are great to use during Skype English classes with an English teacher as part of your IELTS preparation, but many of them are also ideal for parties or gatherings where you want to get to know someone better or just make small talk. Remember, all practice is good practice and the more you speak English, the more comfortable you’ll be with the language and the higher you would score at exams like IELTS.