A student in our course recently took the exam, and he was asked about history in IELTS Speaking Part 2.
This was his comment:
I wanted to share my last test. I was confident; however, when I did Speaking Part 2, the topic was: “Describe a historical event in your country.” To be honest, I didn’t prepare that type of subject, and, I was like, seriously? I didn’t speak very well. This is a subject I was not very familiar with, but I tried my very best.
This is tough! How can you make this easier?
Employ the strategy of being more open-minded, and having a broader take on the given topic.
A historical event doesn’t have to be something you had to read about in a high school textbook. It could be a memorable event that happened when you were alive.
For instance, for people in our country, everyone remembers where they were and how they felt when Obama was elected and when 9/11 happened.
Talking about something you actually remember helps you have a complete answer, in which you tell the examiner what event you chose, then add context by describing where you were and what you were doing when you heard about the occurrence.
Lindsay provides a sample answer in this episode about the night that Trump was elected.
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Notable vocabulary from her answer:
pertinent / one of the most shocking nights of my life / to set the stage here / progressive / in our favor / things started to twist to that end
Her example answer provided fantastic, cohesive, and fluent context. Listen and note down her transition phrases to use in your own answer.
Jessica provides a sample answer about O.J. Simpson fleeing in the white Bronco.
Notable vocabulary from her answer:
conventional take on a historical event / nonetheless is historical to our minds / fleeing / on the face of things / this reflected great racial tensions / glued to the TV
For a fascinating series, check out The People vs. O.J. Simpson on Netflix!
What historical event would you describe?
Share your ideas in the comments section below!