Sample for Speaking Part 2, 3: Describe a game or sport you enjoy playing

2. Part 2 Structure

2.1. Sample outline (Vietnamese)

2.2 One-minute notes (English)

3. Sample Speaking: Discuss a game or sport you enjoy playing

While I take no pride whatsoever in admitting this, I must confess that I am not an exceedingly athletic individual. Most sports are simply bothersome to me and I find it hard to derive any pleasure from engaging in any of them. However, there is one sport that manages to defy the anti-sport sentiment in me. It’s dancesport. 

So how did I get into dancesport? I certainly didn't choose to do it willingly initially, only to meet a physical education requirement in my university. Along with some classmates, I learned the basics of 4 out of many different dancesport types, including Rumba, Cha Cha Cha, Jive, and Bachata, usually in the school gym or sometimes out in the schoolyard too.

Despite being familiar with several people who were passionate about dancesport, my disinterest towards the sport remained until the first lesson. It was only when the instructor, who was exceptionally lovely and remarkably talented, demonstrated the dance routines for Rumba that I realized how captivating dancesport could be. 

Although I was only taught the very basic steps and sequences, I still find dancesport incredibly appealing for three main reasons. The first benefit is undoubtedly my health. As mentioned earlier, I am not particularly athletic and my endurance is average at best and embarrassing at worst.

Rehearsing various moves repeatedly over the course of 2 - 3 hours each day had been quite physically taxing for me, which has significantly improved my endurance and at the same time, helped me shed a lot of calories and boost my metabolism. Another noticeable aspect is it allows me to combine sports with music and creativity.

It not only enables me to learn about rhythms and how to dance to the beats of the songs playing but also inspires me to improvise and choreograph some moves. And last but not least, dancesport nurtures my passion for dancing in general, educating me about body alignment, isolation, and the significance of angles. 

All in all, dancesport is a gem I stumbled upon, which has ignited in my life a new interest, a new passion, and a new avenue to keep myself fitter. I would recommend it to anyone looking to take on something new and meaningful. 

Vocabulary points to score in IELTS Speaking Part 2 - Describe a game or sport you enjoy playing:

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    • take absolutely no pride (phr): không hề tự hào
    • excessively (adv): rất nhiều, ở mức độ mạnh, lớn
    • active (a): năng nổ, hoạt bát
    • mere (a): chỉ
    • hassle (n): sự phiền phức
    • take delight in (phr): có hứng thú, thấy vui vẻ
    • anti-sport mantra (n): sự thù ghét thể thao
    • do it on my own free will (phr): tự nguyện làm điều gì đó
    • initially (adv): ban đầu
    • basics (n): những điều cơ bản
    • acquainted with (phr): quen biết
    • apathy (n): sự thờ ơ
    • persist (v): tiếp tục, kéo dài (thường dùng với những điều tiêu cực)
    • dance sequence (n): chuỗi động tác nhảy
    • absorbing (a): thú vị, hấp dẫn
    • albeit (adv): mặc dù
    • fundamental (a): cơ bản
    • routines (n): điệu nhảy
    • stamina (n): sức bền
    • immensely (adv): rất nhiều
    • burn a lot of calories (phr): đốt cháy calo
    • metabolism (n): sự trao đổi chất
    • incorporate (v): kết hợp
    • beat (n): nhạc
    • improvise (v): ứng biến, ứng tác
    • choreograph (v): biên đạo
    • enlightening (a): khai sáng, làm sáng tỏ
    • body alignment (n): sự liên kết cơ thể
    • isolation (n): sự cô lập các phần của cơ thể
    • angle (n): góc độ
    • take up (v): bắt đầu một thói quen, môn thể thao
    • worthwhile (a): đáng bỏ thời gian, thú vị

II. Sample Answer for IELTS Speaking Part 3: Sports

1. What types of sports are popular in your country? Why?

Well, I'm not exactly a sports authority, so I might not be able to do this question justice. Nonetheless, Vietnam boasts a wide variety of traditional and modern sports. The most prominent among these is undoubtedly football, with a passionate and dedicated following that often packs into stadiums during important matches.

Other favorites on a national level include table tennis and volleyball. The national teams in these sports have been competitive and have achieved respectable results in recent years, and these sports are widely practiced by citizens across the country. 

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    • do something justice (phr): trả lời tốt, làm tốt
    • home to (phr): nơi diễn ra, bao gồm, có chứa
    • a vast array of (phr): rất nhiều
    • fanbase (n): cộng đồng người hâm mộ
    • fill up (phr): lấp đầy

2. What are the advantages of engaging in a sport?

There's so much to say, I don't even know where to begin. Well, firstly, sports work wonders for one's physical well-being and fitness. Many sports involve various forms of cardiovascular exercise, which has been scientifically proven to lower cholesterol levels. It also reduces the risk of obesity and heart disease. Additionally, participating in sports can enhance mental well-being by alleviating stress, anxiety, and depression. Recent studies suggest that exercising can stimulate the brain to release dopamine - the chemical responsible for feelings of happiness. 

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    • do wonders for (phr): giúp ích
    • cardiovascular (a): liên quan đến máu và tim mạch
    • reduce cholesterol levels (phr): giảm lượng cholesterol
    • mental health (n): sức khỏe tinh thần
    • substance (n): chất

3. How can sports foster closer connections between people from different nations?

Speaking from my own perspective, I am of the belief that sports establish a mutual objective - that of competing and surpassing one’s own obstacles and capabilities - among individuals from diverse cultures. As a result, this diminishes to some extent the distance and animosity, and encourages individuals to focus more on the similarities, regardless of our differences in race, cultural backgrounds, and opinions.

Through the organization of international sporting events such as the Olympics or World Cup, individuals have the opportunity to come closer physically, as they travel to the host nations to witness the events, which enables them to learn more about each other’s culture as well. 

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    • a common goal (n): mục tiêu chung
    • hence (adv): suy ra, do đó
    • hostility (n): sự thù địch
    • host country (n): nước chủ nhà tổ chức các hoạt động

III. Conclusion