IELTS S5.5
LESSON 11 – SPEAKING AND LISTENING
After this lesson, students are able to…
Objective 1
acquire vocabulary to talk about accommodation
Objective 2
extend ideas using a variety of tenses in IELTS speaking part 1
Objective 3
recognize organizational phrases and fillers in IELTS listening
A. GETTING STARTED
Read the advertisements. Which house would you choose to live in? Why?
15 Kangaroo Street
This is a fantastic flat near the shopping centre.
There is a view of the river, and it is also very
near the railway station.
It is a safe area and the local people are very
friendly. David Beckham and his wife Victoria
live next door.
There are supermarkets, gyms and sports clubs in
the area.
The flat is fantastic. There are many modern
things, for example, satellite TV, microwave
oven, sauna and jacuzzi.
There are four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a
very spacious kitchen.
Rent: £1,000,000 a month
1,296,356 Air Conditioning Street
This flat is old and there are some problems.
There are ants in the kitchen and some of the
windows are broken.
There is only one bedroom, but there isn’t a bed.
There is a view of the back of MacDonald’s and
sometimes the smell comes into your kitchen.
Your kitchen has no cooker, no microwave and
no sink.
There aren’t any carpets, and there isn’t a front
door.
But the rent is good: 1 penny a year
12345 Spaghetti Street
This flat is fantastic! There are three rooms and
one bathroom. There is satellite TV but all the
channels are terrible. There are some Persian
carpets, they are very beautiful. The bathroom is
big and clean. There is a shower and a big bath.
There isn’t a garage, maybe this is a problem if
you have a car. But under the flat is the best
restaurant in Italy (or wherever).
Rent: £200 a month
0 Present Simple Street
Near this house there are many parks and green
places. You can visit a beautiful lake and see the
mountains. The flat has some nice things, a TV,
a nice bathroom, a big kitchen and a nice
balcony. There is a very nice view from the
windows. The kitchen is nice. There are lots of
cupboards and two washing machines. There
isn’t a microwave but the cooker is very good.
The problem is, the neighbours are in a rock
band and they are very noisy.
Rent: £150 a month
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B. LANGUAGE FOCUS – TALK ABOUT ACCOMODATION
I
Types of houses
I live in a(n) ……
II
Apartment
block of flats
two-story house
/əˈpɑːtmənt/
/blɒk əv flæts/
/tuː ˈstɔːri haʊs/
detached house
semi-detached house
Dorm
/dɪˈtætʃt haʊs/
/ˌsɛmi dɪˈtætʃt haʊs/
/dɔːm/
Describing homes
1. Read the advertisement for a house in Bathford. Find all the words / phrases that:
are parts of the house
living room
describe the house / parts of the house
modern, with lovely views
Modern family house in this quiet village with lovely views of the countryside. Large living room,
dining room, study, modern kitchen and utility room. Upstairs there are four good-sized bedrooms
and a family bathroom. Outside there is a large garden, a garage, and further parking for two cars.
2. Complete the text using the words in the table.
a. I have lived in a modern house for about 2 years. The house is only four years old. It has got a
(1) …………………… room, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms and a (2) ……………………. It’s
in the town centre, and from the living room I’ve only got a (3) …………………… of the railway
station, which isn’t very nice. I leave my car on the street because I don’t have a
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(4) ……………………, but it’s got a small (5) ……………………, so I can eat
(6) …………………… when it’s warm.
b. My brother has got a house in a village near me, and from the house he has got fantastic
(7) …………………… of the countryside. Downstairs there’s a living room, dining room, large
(8)
……………………
and
a
(9)
……………………
where
my
brother
works.
(10) …………………… there are four (11) …………………… and two (12) ……………………, so
there’s lots of space when I visit with friends. There’s also (13) …………………… for two cars, and
a large garden. In the summer they eat (14) …………………… all the time.
We say have/has got to talk about possessions:
I have got a big house.
The house has got a big garden.
C. SPEAKING SKILLS - EXPANDING IDEAS
I
Analysis
3. Read the candidate' answers to different questions and write Y (Yes) or N (No) in each column.
Then, write down your answer and think about what tense you are going to use.
What tense does the candidate use?
And how do you know?
Candidates
Example: 1. What kind of accommodation
do you live in?
Minh Anh: I am living in a two-story house.
It has got a large living room and 2 goodsized bedrooms.
Present
simple
Present
continuous
Past
simple
Present
Perfect
N
Y
N
Y
2. Do you plan to live there for a long time?
Yes. It’s near my school so it is convenient
for me. I can walk to my school every day.
3. Which room does your family spend most
of the time in?
I spend most of my time in my bedroom. I
study all day at school so I love lying on my
bed and relaxing.
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4. What's the difference between where you
are living now and where you lived in the
past?
In the past, I lived in an old and small house.
It didn’t have a lot of space.
5. Do you think it is important to live in a
comfortable environment?
Absolutely. A comfortable home helps us to
relax, recharge, and reduce the stresses of
daily life.
6. Why do you think some people invest a
huge amount of money in buying houses?
I’m not sure. Maybe they are uncomfortable
with their living environment, or they have
made a lot of money.
II
Exam skills
Speaking Part 1 – Simon’s tips
In IELTS Speaking Part 1, fluency is important. Grammar is only 25% of your speaking score.
If you are thinking too much about grammar, you will lose fluency.
If you try to use memorised grammatical structures, your speech will not sound 'natural'.
Use basic tenses for different uses to avoid making unnecessary grammar mistakes
1. Use present simple to talk about liking, frequency, description.
Ex: Yes. It’s near my school so it is convenient for me. I can walk to my school every day.
2. Use present continuous to describe current situations, temporary changes at the present.
Ex: I am living in a two-story house. It has got a large living room and 2 good-sized bedrooms.
3. Use present perfect to talk about possession, describe a time that is not finished.
Ex: I am living in a two-story house. It has got a large living room and 2 good-sized bedrooms.
4. Use past simple to talk about events in the past.
Ex: In the past, I lived in an old and small house. It didn’t have a lot of space.
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III
Practice
Answer the following questions with your partner. Remember to
● Use the vocabulary items to describe your house
● Use the basic tenses
Questions
Brainstorm
Answers
1. What kind of accommodation
do you live in?
I am living in a(n) ……………………….
2. Do you plan to live there for
a long time?
My intention is
that ………………………
3. Which room does your
family spend most of the time
in?
Most of my time is spent in my …………
4. What's the difference
between where you are living
now and where you lived in the
past?
One thing that is different from the place
I am living and the place I used to live
is ………………
5. Do you think it is important
to live in a comfortable
environment?
For me, living in a comfortable
environment is crucial because …………
D. LISTENING FOR ORGANIZATION PHRASES
I
Predicting and locating answers
4. We are going to listen to a talk about public speaking. What kind of phrases that speakers
might use to organize their ideas in a talk? Discuss in pairs.
5. Number these sentences 1 - 7 in the order you think you will hear them. Then listen to the
talk Fear of public speaking and check your answers.
a. Let's now look at the five tips for facing this fear.
b. Then I'll provide five tips for facing this fear.
c. Today I'm going to talk about the fear of public speaking
d. So, here are three facts about the fear of public speaking
e. First, I'll discuss three interesting facts about public speaking
f. Let me conclude by providing you with some additional information
g. At the end of my talk, I'll tell you where you can get more information on this topic.
6. Were you able to follow the talk? Why / Why not?
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Listening skills
Organizational phrases help introduce important points in a logical way. Listen for these phrases
to better understand how the listening text is organized and when the main ideas will be
introduced. Some useful phrases include:
In the introduction
Today, I'm going to talk about ...
First, I'll discuss ...
Then, I'll consider ...
At the end of my talk, I'll mention ...
In the main body
Let's now turn to ...
Another important point is ...
In the conclusion
In conclusion, I'd like to summarize ...
The main points I discussed were ...
7. Listen to Fear of public speaking again. Complete the notes with words in the box.
audience
equally
facts
fear
main
memorize
negative
prepared
question
speak
time
tips
women
men
stress
Fear of public speaking
(1). ………………………
1. Number 1 (2). ………………………; more common than dying
75% of people have this fear
2. Men and women affected (3) ………………………
(4) ……………………… more likely to find ways to deal with this fear
3. Can have (5) ……………………… effect on career.
(6) ……………………… for facing this fear
1. Start small - will begin to feel confident
2. Be prepared - practice and (7) ……………………… yourself
3. Don’t (8) ……………………… everything - the (9) ……………………… points are enough
4. Reduce (10) ……………………… - do what works for you
5. Involve the (11) ……………………… - talk to them, make eye contact, take questions
Additional info
Recommend reading: Be (12) ………………………, Be confident by Dr. Ricardo Lopez
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8. Read the box below about conversation fillers and complete the tasks.
Fillers are words and phrases that carry little to no meaning in conversation. They fill gaps
in speech and are not usually stressed. They are often said quickly and may sound like a
single word. It's good to be able to recognize fillers so that when they appear in conversation,
you know to ignore them and focus on the meaningful content. Some common fillers include:
and um
and just
so like
I mean
you know
you see
kind of
or something
a. Underline the fillers in the sentences
a. But I'm not nervous today, you know.
b. So, like, how small should the group be?
c. Also, have more material in case you finish early—I mean, not a lot, just a little extra.
d. I think it's kind of boring for the audience.
e. You see, for many, the minute just before you speak is the most fearful.
f. And, um, how do you do that?
b. Listen and tick the speaker who uses a conversational filler. (The filler is not included here).
1
2
3
4
5
6

A: How did you find the lecture?

B: It was pretty interesting.

A: How can I get over my fear of public speaking?

B: Why don’t you practice your presentation in front of a mirror?

A: I’ve always been terrified of snakes.

B: What do you think causes that?

A: What are your fears? What are you afraid of?

B: I’m not afraid of much, but I don’t like driving fast.

A: How do you deal with your fear of flying?

B: I listen to music and try not to think about it.

A: I’m terrified of crowded places. What can I do?

B: Well, it’s not something you can get over right away.
E. PRACTICE LISTENING
9. Listen and complete the test task
Questions 30-40
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
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NOISE IN CITIES
Past research focused on noise level (measured in decibels) and people’s responses.
Noise ‘maps’
●
show that the highest noise levels are usually found on roads
●
do not show other sources of noise, e.g. when windows are open or people’s neighbours are
in their 31……………
●
ignore variation in people’s perceptions of noise
●
have made people realize that the noise is a 32……………. issue that must be dealt with
Problems caused by noise
●
sleep disturbance
●
increase in amount of stress
●
effect on the 33……………. of schoolchildren
Different types of noise
●
Some noises can be considered pleasant e.g. the sound of a 34……………… in a town
●
To investigate this, researchers may use methods from 35……………… sciences e.g.
questionnaires
What people want
Plenty of activity in urban environments which are 36………………, but also allow people to relax
But architects and town planners
●
do not get much 37……………. in acoustics
●
regard sound as the responsibility of engineers
Understanding sound as an art form
We need to know
●
how sound relates to 38……………….
●
what can be learnt from psychology about the effects of sound
●
whether physics can help us understand the 39……………. of sound
Virtual reality programs
●
advantage: predict the effect of buildings
●
current disadvantage: they are 40…………….
Checklist – I can …
Yes
No
use vocabulary about accommodation to answer questions?
use present simple, present continuous, past simple and present perfect
correctly in IELTS Speaking part 1?
recognize organizational phrases and fillers in IELTS Listening
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