IELTS Speaking Part 3 Sample Answer

These are high-scoring sample answers for the following IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions – A Program You Like to Watch. Read them to understand what you need to talk about and the kind of answers you need to start your IELTS speaking test well.

Sample Answers

A Program You Like to Watch

1/ What programs do people like to watch in your country?

I think there’re many kinds of programmes, to be quite honest with you. There’re game shows, talk shows, documentaries, sports shows, soap operas, TV series and so on. Soap operas are incredibly popular. In the UK, Soap operas can run quite easily, around five or seven days a week, and so many people become involved with the lives of these people, and they take social cues from the characters. And so, if the character is going through a problem that’s similar to the one in the viewer’s life, then the way that is sorted out on TV is quite often taken in real life too. Saying that there are many, many kinds of programme.

2/ Do people in your country like to watch foreign TV programs?

They don’t like to watch them so much if they’re not in English. And so, the foreign TV programmes would need to be in English for them to be popular in the UK. And from what I can gather, I’m not really sure because I don’t watch them myself, but from what I can gather, there’s this kind of genre called Scandi-noir, which is dark and deep, kind of crime series from Scandinavia, Norway and Denmark and places like that. And so there would be, I can’t even remember the name. I’ve read some of the books, so that’s how I know of them. And there’s also the British versions of some of these foreign programmes. You basically have the same characters or the same stories but redone in English to suit the English audience.

3/ What’s the benefit of letting kids watch animal videos than visiting zoos?

I think children watching animal videos is very useful because they can see many of the things that the animals do in the wild, which they can’t see in the zoo. But saying that, taking that into account, they still can’t, kind, you can’t really imagine, really, an animal until you see it compared to yourself. So, you have no idea really how big a giraffe is until you’re looking up at its head away up there, or how big an elephant is and so on.

4/ Do teachers play videos in class in your country?

Teachers do play videos in class in my country for various reasons. Mostly they do them to set the scene so that it could maybe set the scene for discussion. So maybe in an English class there’s some provocative video about the book that a class is studying, or the topic that they are studying. Or maybe in a physics class there’s videos of the better experiments than they can do in the class. And so, I believe video is an extremely useful medium for classroom use and it really brings home to the students quickly and concisely the information that the teacher is trying to get across.

IELTS Speaking Part 3 Analysis

This is my opinion of the above answers. The answer was given as in a test, with minimal preparation time.

Question 1 – Good answer. Gives examples of types of TV shows and talks about one of the most popular, giving a reason why these programs are so popular.

Question 2 – Good, but a bit hesitant. Good direct answer to the question, then sets the context for what he knows and gives an example. After this he talks about other ways foreign TV is used.

Question 3 – Good answer. Again, directly answers the question and then talks about how both are useful in some ways.

Question 4 – Good answer. Directly answers the question and then gives a couple of examples where videos are useful. Finally talks generally about why they are popular with teachers.

Less Common and Idiomatic Vocabulary

to be quite honest with you – to tell the truth
there’re – there are
game shows – shows on which teams play games for prizes
talk shows – shows on which celebrities are interviewed
incredibly – extremely
run – (about a TV show or series) the amount of times a show is shown per week / day.
cues – (here) a hint or indication about how to behave in particular circumstances
sorted out – solved
from what I can gather – what i understand of this topic is …
I’m not really sure – I’m uncertain
genre – a style or category of art, music, or literature
versions – adaptations of a novel, piece of music, etc. into another medium or style
redone – do (something) again or differently
audience – the people who watch or listen to a television or radio programme
wild – (of an animal or plant) living or growing in the natural environment; not domesticated or cultivated
saying that – on the other hand
taking that into account – to consider or remember something
imagine – form a mental image or concept of
away up there – high up