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Many Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 questions in IELTS Speaking ask about common subjects you may study in school or college, such as art, science and cooking.
In this free IELTS Speaking lesson, we will look at the topic of science, you will learn how to talk about different branches of science, and what kind of science you like.
Table of Contents
IELTS Vocabulary: Science
It is essential to build your vocabulary and also to start activating it.
That means you should try making some phrases with the vocabulary below.
Remember to always learn the collocations of new words.
- Science (n.)
- Scientific (adj.) discoveries, breakthroughs, articles, journals, research
- A scientist (n. – Person)
- A branch of science
- A field of science
MORE COLLOCATIONS
- Popular science = making science popular,
- An exact science = precise science
- Hard science = strong scientific evidence
- The science behind______ is interesting
The science behind painting / printing / forecasting / plastic surgery / body language / sociology / homeopathy
Educating the layman about science (everyday man in the street)
Examples
I don’t understand you, can you say that in layman’s terms?
Painting is not an exact science
There is no hard science proving that this method works.
I am not sure about the science behind COVID 19
Here are some other ways of describing that Science is all around us.
- It’s with us 24/7
- It’s omnipresent
- It’s ubiquitous
- We are surrounded by science, whether it is in the kitchen or in the bathroom
- It’s more a question of where can we not find science?
Kinds of science
Natural science includes both,
- Life Science
- Physical Science
We also have
Social Sciences which studies human behavior in fields like,
Education, anthropology, economics, history, political science, and sociology
You can find more details of these in the links below.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branches_of_science
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_life_sciences
When you see “ology” this means ‘the study of or knowledge about something’
- Biology = the study of life
- Sociology = the study of society
- Criminology = the study of criminal behavior
(TV series like CSI look into how crimes are committed)
- Cardiology = Study of the heart
- Philology = Study of language
Biology
There are many subtopics under the topic of science in IELTS Speaking. If you want to talk about biology as a branch of science you are interested in, then the following ideas can be useful to talk about.
DNA strings or strands
Cloning (Dolly the Sheep was a sheep cloned by scientists in the UK)
To clone = to replicate (make one exactly the same)
A clone (n.)
Darwin’s Theory of Evolution – shows how humans have evolved!
Find out more about Biological studies and discoveries below
An interesting story for science students!
Chemistry
If you want to talk about chemistry as a branch of science you are interested in, then the following ideas can be useful to talk about.
Nuclear power plants
Some people say nuclear power is dangerous, especially after the disasters at Chernobyl and another recent one in Japan.
Brewing beer – We can use science to do home-brewing
Food science – e.g. plant-based beef. Nowadays, we can buy hamburgers made of vegetables with the same texture as beef.
GM Food
Genetically modified food. This is widely used around the world. One important reason is to help provide enough food for nations where the risk of starvation is a problem
Physics
If you want to talk about physics as a branch of science you are interested in, then the following ideas can be useful to talk about.
Stephen Hawkings
A cosmologist. He made breakthroughs to help us understand the origin of the universe.
The Big Bang Theory gives one explanation of how the universe began (it is also the name of a popular TV comedy series)
https://www.brainscape.com/blog/2015/06/greatest-modern-physicists/
Brian Cox
A British Physicist.
He has popularised science in the UK and has a podcast where he discusses science with a comedian and a panel of guests, in a very light-hearted way.
The Infinite Monkey Cage (Brian’s Podcast)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000d720
Isaac Newton
Another British Physicist from the 17th Century.
I learned about Newton at school and I just remember he created the laws of motion.
These were later replaced (or superseded) by Einsteins’ Law of Relativity
Other branches of science
Astronomy –
The First Man (a film about Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon)
Away (Series on Netflix about a voyage to Mars)
The Martian (film directed by Ridley Scott about a botanist living on Mars)
Botany / Geology
Planet Earth
David Attenborough
https://www.youtube.com/user/BBCEarth
Examples
A branch of science I am interested in is______
I’ve always been intrigued by______
I am really fascinated by ________
Ever since I was a child I’ve been into ________
Idioms about science in IELTS Speaking
- It’s not rocket science = It’s not difficult
- We are on the same wavelength = we think in the same way, we agree
- There is no need to reinvent the wheel = don’t do something that someone else has already done
- You are trying to blind me with science = You are trying to impress me or confuse me
- Can you tell me in Layman’s terms? = Can you say it in a simple way?
Some useful Links
Great source of collocations is
http://www.ozdic.com/collocation-dictionary/science
Great source of sample sentences for any word/phrase
https://www.english-corpora.org/bnc/
Different branches of science
More Free IELTS Speaking Lessons
If you liked this lesson, leave a comment below!
There are more lessons you can follow in the links below too.
RELAXING in IELTS Speaking . How to talk about relaxing in your free time and during your holiday.
MEDICINE in IELTS Speaking. Learn the COVID Vocabulary for IELTS Speaking and talk about Alternative Medicines using idioms and vocabulary.
FOOD in IELTS Speaking. Vocabulary and collocations to talk about food, healthy food and cooking.
