DET Speaking Topics With Sample Answers
Try these practice questions:
Examples
Example 11
Topic: Describe a book that you read at school. What was the book? Did you enjoy reading it?
Sample answer: One book I remember reading at school was Animal Farm, by George Orwell. The first time I read it, at around age 12, it seemed like a fun, interesting story about farm animals getting together to run their own farm. I enjoyed reading it with the class; however, I remember the teacher trying to get us to think deeply about the underlying messages, which wasn't that fun. Many years later, I read this same book for pleasure and finally understood the political views that my teacher had tried to teach us. After studying other subjects like Russian history and political science, I could finally see the parallels between the farm animals and human societies today. I'm glad that my teacher chose this book for us to read.
Example 12
Topic: Every country has beautiful cities. Describe your favorite city. Why do you like it?
Sample answer: I have been privileged to see many unique cities around the world, from the outstanding New York City to spectacular Singapore. But one city that I will always love is Busan in South Korea. It’s not really world famous like other major world cities. But it is a very pleasant, affordable city with a lot of beautiful scenery nearby. Firstly, it’s on the coast and has nice beaches and islands close to the city center. Then there’s a mountain overlooking the sea. As well as the forest and countryside surrounding it. Additionally, it has a clean, modern metro system and a high standard of living. It's a very great city to live in.
Example 13
Topic: Describe an exciting experience you’ve had. What happened?
Sample answer: One of the most exciting experiences in my life so far was when I launched my first project for my business. I felt very proud of the product I had made, but I also had doubts about how I could find people to buy the product. So ultimately, I had very low expectations and just hoped a few people would like the product and support me. Once launch day arrived, I was nervous but hopeful. At first, nothing happened and I started to get very worried. For the first few hours, my fears seemed to be confirmed. But then slowly over time, people began to find and buy the project, and it turned into one of the most exciting times of my life.
Example 14
Topic: Describe a memorable journey you have made.
Sample answer: I have been lucky to have many memorable journeys over the years. This journey, one of the most memorable ones of my life, took place when I just started university, and I needed to visit my uncle in a city, far away from my hometown, where he just had started his first job. My dad and I drove across the whole country to get there stopping off at several amazing sites along the way. It was a fantastic bonding experience and a journey that I will always remember fondly.
Example 15
Topic: Think about your childhood, were your parents or guardians strict or relaxed?
Sample answer: Fortunately, my parents were very strict with me when I was a child. The main reason they were strict and protective of me was because I was an only child. For instance, they would never allow me to stay out late since I would have to walk home alone. Additionally, they rarely allowed me to watch TV as they believed it was a bad influence on me. Instead they encouraged me to read books and make art. Overall, even though my parents were controlling, I do not feel upset about it because I know they were just trying to do the best for me.
Example 16
Topic: Describe a major decision you have taken in your life.
Sample answer: A really important decision I’ve made recently was to study abroad when I was twenty years old. My parents were hoping I would start training to become a doctor as soon as I graduated, but I wanted to travel around and experience a new culture. Therefore, I decided to go to Canada to study English. I’m pretty confident it was the right decision because when I returned to Japan, my English was very good and I was able to get a job at an international company. Overall, I think it is important to follow your heart when making major decisions.
Example 17
Topic: Describe a school subject that you did not like in the past, but you like now.
Sample answer: I enjoyed most of my school subjects, but I didn't enjoy history. The reason I didn't like it was because of my school history teacher. All he ever did was copy words and facts from our coursebook to the board and made us write down what he wrote. There was no actual teaching involved. However, ever since I visited the British Museum in London last year, I realized that history is not as boring as I thought and now I thoroughly enjoy learning and reading about it. I even spend my weekend watching history documentaries. History is a subject that I didn't use to like but now do.
Example 18
Topic: Describe a situation when you have given or received praise.
Sample answer: I am the kind of person who praises people a lot. However, I want to talk about my wife because nowadays I give her praise all the time. We recently had our first baby and raising a baby is a lot of work. It’s so much harder than I ever imagined. Because I work full-time and my wife is on maternity leave for a year, she is doing the vast majority of the work when it comes to raising our baby and other household chores. So, I’m constantly giving her praise for all the amazing work she is doing. So, that’s who I’ve been giving praise to recently.
Example 19
Topic: Describe something you do to relax after working or studying.
Sample answer: I’d like to talk about horse riding, which has been my hobby since I was around ten years old. I don’t have a job, so I spend most of my weekends with my horse. Taking care of a horse is quite a dirty business so it’s very different from studying at college. That means I can forget about my classes during the week when I’m at the stable on the weekend. I think everyone should give it a try. Horses are wonderful animals, very gentle and intelligent.
Example 20
Topic: Films can tell us a lot about the country where they were made. What have you learned about another country from watching its movies?
Sample answer: There are many things that I have learned from watching Korean films. Firstly, the most interesting thing I have learned is about Korean eating customs. For example, when dining at a restaurant Koreans usually order a large amount of food that is shared among all guests rather than each person ordering their own dish. Also, through films, I have improved my Korean language skills. Although I am studying Korean at a college, watching Korean movies has taught me a lot of spoken expressions that do not appear in textbooks. To sum up, I have learned a great deal about Korean culture and language from watching its films.
Example 21
Topic: Describe a time you felt under pressure? How did you manage that?
Sample answer: Throughout my working career, I have figured out how to handle being under pressure. One time, I was supposed to deliver a project to a client in five days. I was working on this with my coworker, but he got sick and had to take a few days off work. While I felt shocked and stressed at first, I tried to look at it differently and see it as an opportunity. Instead of getting stressed, I came up with a very detailed plan that enabled me to finish the project the time.
Example 22
Topic: Describe your childhood friends.
Sample answer: Even though I am in my thirties now, I can remember my childhood friends very well. We are actually still in touch through all our different social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp. My childhood friends were always very kind to me and I hope I was kind to them as well. We used to play football and cricket together every Saturday in the local park. Although we had a couple of small arguments, we always respected each other. I feel very grateful to my friends, and I hope we can stay in touch for the rest of our lives.
Example 23
Topic: Describe a museum that you have visited.
Sample answer: I have visited more than ten museums in total in different countries and enjoyed visiting the British Museum in London the most. I went to the museum almost two years ago while we had been in the UK. There were five floors in the museum and the interior of the building reminded us of the imperial age. We could see the ceiling of the building from the ground floor. People from different age groups and nationalities were closely observing the museum and I had a feeling that most of them were enjoying it. Taking photos was prohibited and yet I was sometimes able to take some nice photos. I would love the chance to go back there one day.
Example 24
Topic: Describe an advertisement that persuaded you to buy a product. What was the product? Why did the advertisement persuade you?
Sample answer: One of my favorite advertising campaigns of all time was launched by the phone company Orange in England about ten years ago. The aim was to persuade people to buy cinema tickets for midweek showings like on a Tuesday or Wednesday. But the advertisement instead featured a lot of famous actors and directors pitching their new and terrible movie ideas, which were then denied in funny ways. This campaign appealed to me as it was funny, clever, and entertaining. I find these kinds of advertisements a lot more engaging and impactful than simply telling me that a particular product is the best.
Example 25
Topic: Describe a good friend. Who is this person? What do you do togehter? How did you meet?
Sample answer: Friends play a hugely important role in our lives and I do my best to maintain good friendships. One friend, in particular, has played a big role in my life and has helped me over many years. We met while working abroad and immediately bonded over our love of football. We later traveled together, lived together, and even helped to get each other jobs. Although we can’t see each other as often as we’d like these days, we are always available to chat and give advice online and talk whenever we can. I don’t know where I would be in life without the love and support of this great friend.
Learn More
- How to Answer Interactive Speaking Questions in the DET - A.E.C. framework for strong responses
- DET Read Then Speak Practice - More prompts with sample answers