IELTS Speaking Questions About Technology: 50 Practice Questions Across All Three Parts

Technology is one of the most consistently tested IELTS speaking topics. It appears across all three parts, demands vocabulary beyond everyday conversational English, and - at Part 3 - requires candidates to reason about abstract concepts like surveillance, AI ethics, and digital inequality.

The challenge for teachers preparing students on this topic is that the vocabulary and reasoning demands are genuinely different across the three parts. Part 1 is personal and immediate. Part 2 requires structured narrative around a specific technology experience. Part 3 demands precise language for abstract argument - language that most students haven't specifically practised.

YapYapGo is a classroom speaking practice tool for ESL and EFL teachers with IELTS practice modes covering all three parts. A speech timer with traffic-light zones handles Part 2 timing.

Part 1: Personal and immediate (4-5 minutes)

1. How often do you use your mobile phone?
2. What do you mainly use the internet for?
3. Do you think you spend too much time on technology?
4. What was the first piece of technology you owned?
5. How has technology changed the way you study or work?
6. Do you prefer doing things manually or using technology?
7. Have you ever had a problem caused by technology?
8. Do you enjoy learning how to use new technology?
9. Is there any technology you find it difficult to live without?
10. How do you feel about the amount of technology children use today?
11. Do you think people in your country use technology more or less than in other countries?
12. Are there any apps or devices you would recommend to a friend?

Teaching tip: Technology Part 1 questions often produce factual lists rather than extended answers. Train students to move immediately from fact to reflection: "I use my phone mainly for messaging, but what I find interesting is how much I depend on it for things I would never have expected - like navigation, which I used to be much better at without it."

Part 2 cue cards: technology topic (1 min prep, 1-2 min speaking)

Cue card 1: Describe a piece of technology that has changed your life.

• What the technology is
• How you use it
• How your life was different before you had it
• Whether you think it has been more positive or negative

Cue card 2: Describe a time when technology helped you solve a problem.

• What the problem was
• What technology you used
• How it helped you
• Whether you could have solved the problem without it

Cue card 3: Describe a technological skill you would like to learn.

• What skill it is
• Why you want to learn it
• How you would go about learning it
• How you think it would benefit you

Cue card 4: Describe a piece of technology you find difficult or frustrating to use.

• What the technology is
• What makes it difficult
• How you deal with the frustration
• Whether you think it will improve

Cue card 5: Describe a time when you were without technology for a period of time.

• When and why this happened
• How it affected your daily life
• How you managed without it
• Whether the experience taught you anything

Teaching tip: Part 2 technology cue cards often produce generic answers about "smartphones" without specific detail. Push specificity: which phone, which app, which specific moment. The specificity is what distinguishes a Band 6 narrative from a Band 7 one.

Tool tip: YapYapGo's IELTS mode delivers cue cards in the correct exam format with a dedicated preparation timer and a two-minute speaking countdown. Students practise in pairs simultaneously while you observe. A classroom countdown timer keeps preparation time to exactly one minute.

Part 3: Abstract and analytical (4-5 minutes)

AI and automation:

1. How do you think artificial intelligence will change the job market?
2. To what extent should AI decision-making be regulated?
3. Do you think AI will ever be truly creative, or is creativity uniquely human?
4. How should society prepare for widespread automation of jobs?
5. Is it ethical to use AI in medical diagnosis?

Social media and communication:

1. How has social media changed the way people communicate?
2. Do you think social media companies have a responsibility for the content they host?
3. Has social media made people more or less politically engaged?
4. Should there be an age limit for social media use?
5. How has social media affected people's attention spans?

Privacy and surveillance:

1. To what extent should governments be allowed to monitor citizens' digital activity?
2. Is digital privacy still possible in the modern world?
3. How do you feel about companies collecting and selling personal data?
4. Do you think facial recognition technology should be used in public spaces?
5. What are the dangers of the erosion of digital privacy?

The digital divide:

1. What are the consequences of the digital divide between rich and poor?
2. Should access to the internet be considered a human right?
3. How can governments ensure that technology benefits all citizens equally?
4. Does technology tend to create or reduce inequality?

Technology and society:

1. Has technology made people more or less happy, overall?
2. To what extent has technology changed the nature of human relationships?
3. Do you think dependence on technology is a problem?
4. How has technology changed the way children learn and play?

Teaching tip for Part 3: Technology Part 3 requires candidates to reason about abstract social and ethical concepts. The weak response states a position. The strong response: states a position, supports it with reasoning, acknowledges complexity, and either qualifies or maintains the original position. "I think AI regulation is necessary - the speed of development has clearly outpaced ethical frameworks. However, the challenge is that regulation tends to be national while technology is global, which means unilateral rules may simply displace development elsewhere rather than governing it."

Vocabulary for band 7+ technology responses

AI and automation: machine learning, algorithmic decision-making, automation, displacement vs augmentation, human oversight Privacy: surveillance capitalism, data sovereignty, informed consent, anonymisation, end-to-end encryption Social media: echo chambers, algorithmic curation, engagement optimisation, digital wellbeing, filter bubble Inequality: digital divide, digital literacy, connectivity gap, infrastructure deficit

A random student picker is useful for selecting pairs to demonstrate Part 3 abstract responses for whole-class discussion. For other IELTS topic question banks, see IELTS speaking questions about the environment, work and careers, and education.

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Sources:

• Cambridge Assessment English. IELTS Speaking Test Format. - Official guidance on task format and band descriptors.
• British Council. IELTS Topic Word Lists: Technology. - Vocabulary appropriate to band 7+ responses on technology topics.