IELTS Speaking - Part 1: Work

 In part 1 of the Speaking test the examiner will introduce him or herself and ask general questions on familiar topics.

The examiner will ask you to confirm your identity. He or she will then ask general questions on familiar topics such as home, family, work, studies and interests. Part 1 of the test will last 4-5 minutes.

How to practise

You will need a study partner to practise the Speaking test. Ask your study partner to interview you using the questions below. Record yourself if you can.

Work

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•           Can you describe your job to me?
•        What do you do for a living?
•        How long have you been doing it?
•       How do you get your job?
•       Are you satisfied with your job?
•        Can you describe one of your typical working days?
•        What’s your daily routine on a working day?
•        Why did you choose to do that job?
•        What things do you enjoy about your work? Why?
•        What do you think is the attraction of your work?
•        What is your ideal job?
•        Do you want to change your current job? Why or why not?
•        Are you willing to keep your job permanently?
•        What are your plans for the future?

Vocabulary list

•    I work as a/an … Я работаю в качестве…
•    I’m currently a/an ... Я в настоящее время ....
•    I’m responsible for … Я несу ответственность за ....
•    My main responsibility is to ... Моя основная ответственность состоит в том, чтобы .....
•    I enjoy socializing with my colleagues .... Мне нравится общаться с моими коллегами ...
•    I’m interested in accounting. Меня интересует бухгалтерия.
•    I don’t want to be stuck behind a desk doing something dull. Я не хочу застрять за столом, занимаясь чем-то скучным.
•    I don’t want to end up in a dead-end job .... Я не хочу оказаться на бесперспективной работе ....
•    I’d like to be my own boss one day .... Я хотел бы однажды стать своим собственным боссом ....
•    Meet deadlines .... Соответствовать срокам .....
•    Run my own business .... Руководить собственным бизнесом ...
•    Heavy workloads .... Тяжелые рабочие нагрузки ....
•    To slave away ..... работать в рабстве ....
•    Work round the clock .... Работать круглосуточно ....
•    Be a good team player ..... Быть хорошим командным игроком ....
•    My dream is to be a successful…one day. Моя мечта – добиться успеха… однажды.
•    I feel dead tired when ... Я чувствую себя смертельно уставшим, когда ....
•    Sit in front of a computer screen ..... Сидеть перед экраном компьютера .... 
•    I have to deal with overwhelming workload. Мне приходится справляться с огромным объемом работы.
•    I have a very hectic schedule. У меня очень напряженный график.
•    I’m up to my ears in deadlines. Я по уши в дедлайнах.
•    I’m in two minds about my future career. У меня двоякое мнение о моей будущей карьере.
•    Pursue my dream to become a/an … Осуществить мою мечту стать…

What else to say for a high score?

I’ve been working for Nike for 5 years. Я работаю в Nike уже 5 лет.
I’ve been working as a sales manager for 6 years. Работаю менеджером по продажам 6 лет.
Being a doctor is challenging because… Быть врачом сложно, потому что .....
If I could change my job, I’d become a … Если бы я мог сменить работу, я бы стал…

Lifehack: Если экзаменатор спросил What’s the most interesting part in your work? Не повторяйте слово interesting, а замените его на exciting, rewarding, fascinating, даже если это не так увлекательно на самом деле. Просто используйте синоним.

Answer Tips

Example 1

1. Do you work or study?

I graduated a few years ago and I’m now in full-time employment.

2. What is your job?

I’m currently an English teacher working for the British Council in Ho Chi Minh City. 

3. Why did you choose that job?

I was previously a lawyer and found it to be really stressful and never had any free time, so after quitting that job I thought teaching might be the complete opposite of being a lawyer, you know not as stressful and more time off. 

4. Are there lots of English teachers in Ho Chi Minh City?

Oh yes! There is such a big demand for English as a second language here and it’s also quite a cheap place to live compared to many other big cities in Asia.

5. Do you enjoy your job?

Most of the time. It’s very rewarding to be able to help people every day and the students here are very hardworking and fun to teach, but you sometimes have lessons that do go so well and the money could always be better.

6. Do you get on well with your co-workers?

Yes, fine. I don’t really see work as part of my social life, so I don’t socialise with them, so I suppose I could be more friendly, but it’s just my nature to be a bit colder with colleagues. I think it’s more professional to be that way.

7. What was your first day at work like?

There were lots of teachers starting at the same time as me, 10 I think, so we all had a big induction day. The more senior teachers ran workshops with us to familiarise us with the different systems they had and then we went for a team dinner in the evening.

8. What responsibilities do you have at work?

All of the teachers’ main responsibility is to plan good lessons and then teach them to the best of our ability. On top of that, we have several admin. tasks to carry out like mark homework, fill out attendance sheets and write reports.

9. Would you like to change your job in the future?

Yes, as I said before, I like working by myself, so I would like to be my own boss. I’m currently developing my own website, so if it’s successful I will leave teaching and work on it full time. This will also give me more time to work on other projects.

10. What is your typical day like at work?

I normally have 2 or 3 classes in the evening and I start the day by doing all the planning at home. This normally takes between an hour or two depending on the lessons. I then take the rest of the day to spend with my family, before going to work around 3 to print off my materials and then I teach all evening.

11. What would you change about your job?

As with most English teachers, we have to teach what is on the curriculum and this can mean that you are teaching some things that are quite boring or not very useful for your students, so I would like to have more freedom to teach outside the syllabus.

Example 2

 What is your job?

I currently work as an office manager at a large marketing company. I've been in the job for about five years now. I'm usually assigned to work with a specific business in order to improve their sales through various marketing strategies.

Do you have to work with other people?

Oh yes, all the time. It's a big office and we all have to work as a team if we want to achieve results. I have colleagues I need to liaise with such as the graphic designers and I also have administration staff who work under me. And of course I also have to work alongside the companies that we provide marketing for. So yes, I definitely have to work with other people.

Do you think you will change jobs in the future?

Well, that's not something I'm thinking about at the moment as I really enjoy what I do and it's a really good company to work for. The pay is good and they have other good benefits such as flexi-time and end of year bonuses. But that said, change is always a good thing, so I can't see me being there forever. I'm sure I will change one day.