In this episode we’re going to listen to Le, who tried one of the free Part 2 practice tests we’ve published.
Task
Describe a book you have read or a film you have seen. You should say:
- what this book or film was
- when you read it or saw it
- why you decided to see the film or read the book
and say if you enjoyed it and why.
Comprehension
The first time you listen decide if Le answers all parts of the question.
I’m going to talk about a movie that I’ve recently seen … it is .. the movie’s name is Top Secret which is a movie produced in 1986 … it’s a pretty old movie … I … I just watched it last week … last weekend with my friends … because … we wanted to hang out together … I watched this movie because I was looking for something funny to watch … to relieve the stress in the school because … I have recently I have an exam and I was stressed … I really enjoyed this movie because it is a very special movie … this movie is very funny absolutely funny because … every minute … there are … there is is a funny scene that really makes me laugh as well as making my friends laugh … also it … features a very famous … famous actor that I really like he is … he has a wonderful performance.
Assessment
Le answered the question and kept to the subject, responding to each part of the task in turn. His talk was rather short and he could have told us a little more about the film to give him the opportunity to showcase his English to a greater extent.
Now listen a second time. How well do you think Le did using the IELTS assessment criteria?
- Grammatical range and accuracy
- Lexical resource (vocabulary)
- Fluency and coherence
- Pronunciation
Feedback
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Le’s use of English was accurate. He used a range of tenses well and his statements were well formed. He also showed his ability to use verbs in the correct form such as his use of ‘make’:
a funny scene that really makes me laugh as well as making my friends laugh
Lexical Resource
Le showed he had a good command of topic vocabulary, using words or expressions such as:
a movie produced in 1986
funny scenes
wonderful performance
it features a very famous actor
Le also used some good general expressions such as:
a pretty old movie
to hang out together
to relieve the stress in the school
There were a couple of incorrect word choices:
‘the movie’s name is’ would be better as ‘the movie is called’
‘absolutely’ doesn’t collocate with ‘funny’ or doesn’t go with ‘funny’. Le could say
‘absolutely hilarious’.
‘he has a wonderful performance’ should be something like ‘he gives a wonderful performance’.
Fluency and Coherence
Le speaks clearly throughout although his speech is a little hesitant. In order to aim for an advanced grade, Le could focus on increasing his speech rate. One way he could do this would be to record himself giving the same talk but trying to deliver it faster each time. Alternatively, he could record himself talking about the day’s events, such as a daily spoken diary. By counting the number of words he produces in a set time, say a minute or 30 seconds he could monitor his progress and see if his speech rate improves over time.
Pronunciation
Le’s pronunciation. Was clear throughout and listeners should have little difficulty understanding him.