IELTS Speaking, parties 2 et 3 : Describe a time when you worked in a group
Carte aide-mémoire de la deuxième partie
Describe a time when you worked in a group
Il faudrait dire :
- Ce que tu as fait
- Avec qui avez-vous travaillé
- Quels problèmes avez-vous rencontrés
- Et expliquez pourquoi vous avez travaillé dans le groupe
- How you worked in the group
Vous disposerez d'une à deux minutes pour aborder ce sujet.
Lire la transcription complète
I'd like to describe a time I worked in a group to organise a charity bake sale at university. I was mainly responsible for coordinating logistics and budgeting, and I arranged a stall on the student union terrace. To be specific, I booked the space, liaised with the student union office for permissions, and drew up a rota for volunteers so everyone knew when to be there. I worked with four other students from my environmental society: two bakers, a treasurer and a publicity officer. One of them was a final-year student who taught me how to price items and estimate demand, which was very useful. We faced a few problems, mainly clashing schedules and different standards for presentation — some people preferred homemade rustic cakes while others wanted neat commercial-style packaging. For example, we had to compromise on labels and packaging so everything looked coherent on the day. We worked in a group because the scale of the event would have been impossible alone, and because we needed a variety of skills: baking, money-handling, publicity and logistics. Working together also made the event more enjoyable and helped us attract a wider range of customers, which meant we raised more money for the charity. In the end we raised about £450 for a local food bank, which exceeded our modest target. I also learned practical skills, like writing shopping lists for ingredients and negotiating with a supplier to get discount packs of flour.
État de préparation : cycle thématique prévu. Cette ressource de pratique indépendante n'est pas un document officiel de l'IELTS et les questions de votre test peuvent être différentes. Comment les sujets sont étiquetés.
Questions de discussion de la troisième partie
Déplacez une question à la fois : écoutez, répondez, comparez et réessayez. Le texte complet de la question reste dans la page HTML pour l'accessibilité et la recherche.
- 01Why do some people prefer to work by themselves?
- 02What should a leader do to make team members want to follow him or her?
- 03Should students learn to do group work?
- 04What group tasks are there in schools?
- 05What advantages are there for students experiencing teamwork at school?
- 06How can you tell if a person is a good leader?
Voir le sujet avant de parler
Utilisez les images comme invites à idées. Décrivez ce que vous remarquez, reliez-le à votre expérience, puis répondez à la vraie question.
Des réponses modèles, entendues côte à côte
Commencez par la réponse la plus simple, changez Band pour entendre comment la même tâche peut être développée, puis enregistrez une réponse personnelle. Ce sont des exemples pédagogiques, pas des réponses officielles ni des garanties de scores.
Partie 2 — Modèle de réponse
Part 2 cue-card response
I’d like to talk about a time I worked in a small group to organise a charity bake sale at college. There were four of us: two classmates, one teacher helper and me. I helped bake cakes and also took turns on the stall. We had problems with timing — some people couldn’t come on the day — and we ran low on change money. We worked as a group because it was easier to share tasks and make more cakes than if I’d done it alone. We met twice before the event and divided jobs: one person made labels, one handled money and I arranged the baking schedule. In the end it went well and we raised money for the school.
I’m going to talk about a group project I did last year at university, when we made a short documentary about urban gardening. I worked with three other students from my media course: Anna, who shot the footage; Marcus, who handled sound; and Priya, who edited. We each brought different strengths — for example, Anna had a knack for framing great shots, which really lifted our final piece. Our task was to plan the shoot, interview local gardeners and produce a ten-minute film for assessment; we also made a short trailer for social media. We faced a few problems, mainly coordinating schedules and disagreements about the film’s tone; once we also lost some footage due to a memory-card error. To sort issues out we held extra meetings and backed up files to cloud storage, which saved us from disaster. I chose to work in a group because the project needed a range of skills and because collaboration would add creative ideas; I knew alone I couldn’t manage all the roles well. In the group I acted as producer — I organised meetings, wrote the shooting plan and liaised with participants — and we used shared online documents to keep communication clear and to track tasks.
I’ll describe a group assignment I completed during a summer internship, when our team produced a campaign to promote recycling in the city. The team was five of us: two designers, a data analyst, a copywriter and me — I coordinated outreach. Our brief required research, creative material and a short launch event; we visited recycling centres and surveyed local residents to gather data. We ran into several problems: tight deadlines that clashed with other commitments, conflicting creative visions and a last-minute venue cancellation. For example, the designer wanted bold graphics while the analyst preferred a subdued, evidence-focused approach, which led to heated discussion. We worked together because the project demanded technical, creative and organisational skills that one person couldn’t supply, and the client also required local contacts that some team members had. In practice we split work by expertise, agreed milestones and used a shared project board to monitor progress; I arranged weekly check-ins and mediated disagreements by encouraging compromises and testing ideas with quick prototypes. That collaborative process meant we delivered on time and the client praised our balanced campaign. Overall, being in the group taught me negotiation, time-management and how to combine different perspectives into a coherent campaign.
Partie 3 — Modèle de réponses
Why do some people prefer to work by themselves?
Some people prefer to work by themselves because they like control and fewer interruptions. They find it easier to concentrate and don’t have to wait for others. Also some people don’t enjoy group arguments or struggle with different opinions.
Many prefer solo work because it allows them to set their own pace and avoid distractions. Introverts often find it less draining, and others like to be accountable for a clear piece of work. For example, a student might draft an essay alone before asking for feedback, which suits their rhythm.
People choose to work alone for several reasons: autonomy over decisions, minimised coordination costs and greater control over quality and deadlines. Those who are highly self-motivated or introverted can be more productive working solo, since they avoid compromise that dilutes an idea. The downside is reduced feedback and fewer creative inputs, so it’s really a trade-off.
What should a leader do to make team members want to follow him or her?
A leader should be fair and clear about tasks. They must organise the group and listen to people. If the leader is kind and helpful, members are more willing to follow.
A good leader sets clear goals, communicates expectations and recognises effort. They lead by example and build trust so people want to join in. Showing appreciation and giving constructive feedback helps keep the team motivated.
To make team members want to follow them, a leader needs credibility, emotional intelligence and a clear vision. They should empower others through appropriate delegation, provide development opportunities and model the behaviours they expect. Creating psychological safety and aligning tasks with people’s strengths fosters genuine commitment rather than compliance.
Should students learn to do group work?
Yes, students should learn group work because it teaches them to share tasks and communicate. It is useful for school projects and helps them get used to working with others.
Definitely. Group work helps students develop soft skills like communication, negotiation and time management. It mirrors real workplaces where collaboration is needed, and learning to resolve disagreements is a valuable life skill.
Yes — group work is essential in education because it cultivates collaboration, accountability and problem-solving across diverse viewpoints. When well structured, it also teaches leadership, conflict resolution and project management, preparing students for professional contexts. Assessment should balance group and individual elements to ensure fairness.
What group tasks are there in schools?
In schools students do group presentations, class projects, experiments in science and team sports. They also sometimes do drama or music in groups.
Schools set various group tasks: project-based assignments, lab work, debates, drama productions and peer-review exercises. These activities encourage students to plan together and share responsibilities, such as splitting research or preparing a joint presentation.
Schools offer a wide spectrum of collaborative tasks — from interdisciplinary projects and enterprise challenges to model UN, community service and performance arts. Each format targets different competencies: research and organisation in projects, public speaking in debates, and cooperation and timing in performances.
What advantages are there for students experiencing teamwork at school?
Teamwork at school helps students learn to share and make friends. It also lets them finish bigger tasks and learn responsibility for their part.
Experiencing teamwork helps students build communication, problem-solving and leadership skills. It exposes them to different viewpoints, improves confidence and prepares them for working life where collaborative projects are common.
Teamwork at school develops transferable skills such as negotiation, leadership, compromise and resilience. It also enhances employability by simulating real-world projects where interdisciplinary cooperation and accountability matter. Moreover, collaborating with diverse peers fosters empathy and broader perspectives.
How can you tell if a person is a good leader?
You can tell a good leader because people listen to them, they make fair decisions and the team gets things done. They are confident and organised.
A good leader communicates clearly, sets realistic goals and supports the team. They handle disagreements calmly, delegate tasks fairly and keep morale up, so members are willing to follow and perform well.
Indicators of effective leadership include consistency between words and actions, high emotional intelligence and the ability to develop others. Good leaders create trust, take responsibility for failures, adapt their style to the situation and foster an environment where people feel safe to contribute — observable in team performance and retention.
Comment répondre Décrivez un moment où vous avez travaillé dans un groupe Questions orales IELTS
Pour la fiche Décrivez un moment où vous avez travaillé en groupe, utilisez la minute de préparation pour construire un parcours à travers l’exposé. Choisissez un sujet clair, ajoutez deux moments ou détails spécifiques et terminez par pourquoi c'est important. Utilisez ensuite les questions liées de la partie 3 pour pratiquer des explications et des comparaisons plus larges.
Invites de la carte aide-mémoire :
- Ce que tu as fait
- Avec qui avez-vous travaillé
- Quels problèmes avez-vous rencontrés
- Et expliquez pourquoi vous avez travaillé dans le groupe
- How you worked in the group
- Ouverture : identifier la personne, le lieu, l'objet ou l'événement.
- Développement : décrire deux détails ou moments dans un ordre logique.
- Extension : expliquer une raison, un résultat, une comparaison ou un problème.
- Réflexion : terminez par pourquoi le sujet est mémorable ou important.
Approche question par question
| Question pratique | Mouvement de réponse utile |
|---|---|
| Why do some people prefer to work by themselves? | Répondez par une cause principale, puis soutenez-la par un exemple concret. |
| What should a leader do to make team members want to follow him or her? | Nommez d’abord la chose, puis décrivez une fonctionnalité ou un exemple spécifique. |
| Should students learn to do group work? | Donnez une réponse directe, une raison et un court exemple sans mémoriser un script. |
| What group tasks are there in schools? | Nommez d’abord la chose, puis décrivez une fonctionnalité ou un exemple spécifique. |
Focus sur le vocabulaire
Le langage utile déjà démontré dans les réponses modèles comprend autonomy, introverted, coordination costs, lead by example, delegate, psychological safety, collaboration, accountability. Apprenez chaque signification et un partenariat de mots naturel, puis utilisez l'élément dans une nouvelle réponse au lieu de copier un script complet.
Erreurs courantes à éviter
- Donner une réponse mémorisée qui ne répond que partiellement à la question.
- Ajouter du vocabulaire difficile sans vérifier le sens ou la collocation.
- Redémarrer après chaque erreur au lieu de corriger brièvement et de continuer.
- Lisez la réponse modèle avant d’enregistrer votre propre première tentative.
Décrivez un moment où vous avez travaillé dans une pratique de groupe
Comment dois-je utiliser la minute de préparation des cartes aide-mémoire Décrire un moment où vous avez travaillé en groupe ?
Écrivez des mots-clés pour une introduction, deux ou trois détails et une réflexion finale. N'essayez pas d'écrire des phrases complètes.
Dois-je couvrir chaque puce de la carte signalétique ?
Les invites vous aident à organiser la discussion. Les couvrir est utile, mais une réponse cohérente d’une à deux minutes compte plus que de cocher mécaniquement chaque ligne.
Quel est le lien entre les questions de la partie 3 et la partie 2 ?
Ils développent le même thème général à travers des raisons, des comparaisons, des effets sociaux ou des possibilités futures, de sorte que les réponses nécessitent normalement plus d'explications que la première partie.
