Today we'll look at some aspects of discussing a topic, which is something you are expected

to do in Part 3 of the IELTS Speaking Test.

In Part 3 of the Speaking Test you participate in a two-way discussion to test your ability

to discuss a topic in depth in a number of ways. These may include speculating,

comparing and contrasting or identifying a trend.

The speaker in the next clip identifies a trend. What is the trend?

The fastest-growing area of identity fraud is in internet services, such as people breaking

into Internet banking accounts, credit card fraud over the internet, people using fraudulent

credit cards, fraudulent identities to, essentially, break into other people's accounts and, essentially,

steal their money.

The trend he's identified is the fastest-growing crime in the world, identity fraud.

If we listen further he explains why it's a problem.

The traditional way to protect internet banking and other secure applications is through passwords

and PIN numbers. And these are totally inadequate in an area where identity-related fraud is

growing at such a high rate.

He tells us it's a problem because the traditional ways to protect internet banking are inadequate.

But he has a solution. Let's hear what it is.

What we've actually developed here is a technology that allows us to analyse a person's voice

- a person that is actually sitting at their computer screen accessing a secure website.

We're able to analyse their voice in order to confirm that they actually are who they

say they are. [Voice Authentication Demo: Big bird - Congratulations you have been successfully

verified].

His solution is to use technology which produces a voice signature.

He demonstrated three of the language functions which are used to assess your communication

skills.

He identified the issue - that identity fraud is a problem and then explained why it's a

problem.

The third language function was providing a solution - he talked about what could be

done to prevent identity fraud.

Now let's listen to this woman responding to the question: What makes a person famous?

I think there are different ways to see what makes a person famous. One is the publicity

and the marketing around a person, but I don't think that's a real, honest way to be famous.

I think if I have to choose I'd rather be famous for being honest, for being kind and

for trying to help and solve conflicts or problems in the world, instead of being on

the cover of a magazine. So my characteristics for a, a famous person, I will go for honesty

and kindness.

She shows that she understands the question by incorporating it into her response at the

start. By repeating the question she is clarifying the topic.

I think there are different ways to see what makes a person famous.

The question is designed to see if you can identify. She identifies what she believes

makes a person famous - publicity and marketing. She uses the listing word 'one' to make this

clear and to logically link her first sentence with the next:

I think there are different ways to see what makes a person famous. One is the publicity

and the marketing around a person.

Having identified what makes someone famous, she then shows that she doesn't agree with

this idea. The disagreement is expressed through the word 'but' and she logically continues

by saying why she disagrees:

One is the publicity and the marketing around a person, but I don't think that's a real,

honest way to be famous.

She develops and expands her ideas further by justifying her opinion. Advising her listener

by using the conditional if - if I have to choose - she then expresses her preference

by using a modal - I'd rather:

I think if I have to choose I'd rather be famous for being honest, for being kind and

for trying to help and solve conflicts or problems in the world.

She contrasts her idea of what she believes a person should be famous for with the idea

she suggested originally. She links these two ideas appropriately using instead of:

I'd rather be famous for being honest, for being kind and for trying to help and solve

conflicts or problems in the world, instead of being on the cover of a magazine.

She rounds off her answer by summarising concisely her idea of what makes a person famous. She

uses the conjunction - so to make this final statement:

So my characteristics for a, a famous person, I will go for honesty and kindness.

So she clarifies, identifies, disagrees, gives an opinion, advises, shows a preference, contrasts

ideas and summarises.

In order to respond fully, appropriately and coherently, there are a number of skills you

need.

You should be able to quickly recognise what the question is asking.

A do you think question such as: Do you think there is too much violence in films today?

Needs a reply that gives your opinion.

A question such as: What makes a person famous? Requires you to identify.

Look at this question:

Why do children like eating fast food?

You may have an opinion about this, but before you give it, you might explain and give reasons

why children eat fast food.

It's very likely that you will be asked to compare things with a question such as:

What are the differences between urban and rural homes in your country?

Another thing the examiners are looking for is the ability to speculate or say what might

happen with a question such as: What kind of transport will people use in the future?

Now let's look at part of a professional discussion, a television interview with an expert on diet:

Do you think that some people put on weight more easily than others?

Oh, that's definitely the case. We do know that there are genetic differences in how

easy it is for people to put on weight. That's not necessarily related only to their metabolism.

It may also have to do with how much they are driven to eat. And so the degree of appetite

control is better in some people than others. And it's got nothing to do with willpower

- it's just the way people are wired.

She was asked for her opinion with the question: Do you think that some people put on weight

more easily than others?

Being an expert, she gives it quickly and decisively: Oh, that's definitely the case.

She means that she completely agrees with the idea that some people put on weight more

easily than others. She goes on to give the reasons why she believes that:

We do know that there are genetic differences in how easy it is for people to put on weight.

That's the first reason - some people put on more weight from the same amount of food

because they're born that way - there are genetic differences. But there's another reason.

Listen to the way she develops this:

That's not necessarily related only to their metabolism. It may also have to do with how

much they are driven to eat. That's not necessarily related only to their

metabolism.

Metabolism is how your body responds to food.

The important words are 'not necessarily related only to'

This means that metabolism is not the only reason people put on weight. Another reason

may be how hungry people are - how much they are driven to eat.

Notice she introduces this idea with the word may - this means this time she's not completely

certain that this is the case. Listen again:

That's not necessarily related only to their metabolism. It may also have to do with how

much they are driven to eat.

She concludes with a hypothetical example using 'if'.

So that if you put some people in a situation where there's a smorgasbord, some people will

be able to control exactly how much they need to eat.

And some of them don't have an 'off' button.

And some people don't have an 'off' button.

That's all for now.

To find more information about Part 3 of the Speaking Test visit our Study English website.

The address is: australianetwork.com/studyenglish.

Good luck with your studies. Bye for now.