Speaking skills · Lesson 3 of 15
Part 2: The long turn
Use your one minute of preparation well, then speak for up to two minutes. Practise with timed topic cards and record yourself.
In this lesson you will
- learn how Part 2 works
- practise speaking at length on a topic
- discover how the one minute of preparation time can improve your answer
- plan, speak and record yourself with timed topic cards
The test
What happens in Part 2?
The examiner gives you a task card with a topic and some points to cover, plus a pencil and paper. You have one minute to prepare and make notes. Then you speak for one to two minutes. The examiner will stop you after two minutes, and may ask you one or two short questions at the end.
Describe a place you like to visit.
You should say:
- where it is
- how often you go there
- what you do there
and explain why you like it.
True or false?
- You have one minute to prepare.
- You are allowed to write notes.
- You should stop after 30 seconds if you have answered all the points.
- You must talk about the points in the exact order on the card.
- If you are still talking at two minutes, the examiner will stop you.
Keep talking until the examiner stops you: two minutes is your chance to show your full range of vocabulary and grammar. The points on the card help you, but you can cover them in any order and add your own ideas.
Step 1
Speak for a minute
This activity shows you why planning matters. Do it in three rounds:
- Round 1: press New card, then Speak now with the timer set to 30 seconds. Speak with no preparation.
- Round 2: keep the same card. Set the timer to 1 minute and press Prepare, then speak. Use the minute to make notes, then speak.
- Round 3: take a new card and do the full Part 2: one minute to prepare, then speak for up to two minutes.
Record each round so you can compare them. If you're studying with a partner, take turns, and ask your partner one question about what they said at the end.
Press Record, answer out loud, then listen back.
Step 2
Reflect
How was it different?
How was your performance different in the 30-second round and the 1-minute round? Which was more difficult, and why?
Students often find the second time easier, even though it's longer, because they can reuse their first ideas and expand on them. Others find the first round easier because it's short. Either way, the preparation minute usually gives you more to say and better vocabulary.
What should you do in the preparation minute?
Tick the three best uses of the minute.
One minute isn't long enough to write full sentences, and reading from a script sounds unnatural. Write short notes: one or two words for each point, plus a few useful phrases.
Model notes
These notes were written in one minute for the card above (a place you like to visit). Match each note to the point on the card.
- lake park, 20 min by bike, north of city
- most Sundays; more in spring
- stroll round lake, read, feed ducks w/ niece
- unwind; tranquil vs. busy week; memories with grandad
Notice the notes are short, use abbreviations (w/, vs.), and include useful vocabulary (stroll, unwind, tranquil). The last point (why) has the most notes, because it's where you can develop your answer most.
How to improve your Part 2
- Practise often: use the cards above to speak for a minute whenever you have a spare moment.
- Practise planning: brainstorm ideas on a topic for one minute, then check how many you used.
- Record yourself and listen back. Could you have used more interesting vocabulary, or different tenses and structures?
- Build up to two minutes once one minute feels comfortable.
Activities adapted from Cambridge English IELTS Speaking teaching activities (© UCLES 2009). Example answers written for Tips4IELTS.