IELTS Speaking Practice: Local Businesses | Kudosbank

Part 1: General Questions

The examiner asks you about yourself, your home, work or studies and other familiar topics.

Are there many small, independent shops in your neighborhood?
Do you prefer shopping at local markets or large supermarkets?
Have you ever thought about starting your own business?
What kinds of small businesses are most successful in your hometown?
How often do you buy locally produced food or goods?

Part 2: Long Turn

You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes.

Candidate Task Card Card 1 of 3

Describe a small local business that you enjoy visiting.

You should say:

what the business is
where it is located
what products or services it offers
and explain why you like this particular business.

Candidate Task Card Card 2 of 3

Describe an idea you have for a new small business.

You should say:

what kind of business it would be
who your target customers would be
where you would set it up
and explain why you think this business would be successful.

Candidate Task Card Card 3 of 3

Describe a time when you received excellent customer service at a shop.

You should say:

what shop you were in
what you were trying to buy
how the staff helped you
and explain how this experience made you feel.

Part 3: Two-way Discussion

You will be asked further questions connected to the topic in Part 2.

What are the biggest challenges small businesses face when competing against multinational corporations?
How important are small local businesses to the overall health of a community?
What can local governments do to help support new entrepreneurs?
Do you think physical retail stores will eventually be entirely replaced by online shopping?
How has social media changed the way small businesses market themselves?