IELTS Speaking Part 3: Globalisation & Culture (Band 9 Sample)
IELTS Speaking Part 3 broadens your Part 2 topic into an abstract discussion — here, globalisation and culture. A band-9 answer states a clear view, develops it with reasons and concrete examples, and weighs the other side before landing a balanced conclusion. Below are four common discussion questions with band-9 model answers, plus why they score 9 and the collocations worth stealing.
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01 · Discussion questions & Band 9 answers
Q: How has globalisation affected your country?
Profoundly, and in mixed ways. On the positive side, it's brought a lot of investment, jobs and opportunities, and lifted many people out of poverty as the country has plugged into the global economy. But there's a flip side: you now see the same international coffee chains and fashion brands on every corner, and I do worry that some of our local traditions and businesses are being squeezed out in the process. It's very much a double-edged sword.
both sides, then a summary phraseQ: Do you think globalisation is making cultures more similar?
To some extent, undeniably yes. Thanks to the internet and global brands, young people all over the world now watch the same shows, wear similar clothes and share the same reference points, which does create a kind of global monoculture. However, I don't think local cultures are simply disappearing. In many cases they adapt and blend with outside influences rather than being replaced, and there's also been a real revival of interest in local traditions as a reaction against all that sameness.
concede, then complicateQ: What are the benefits of learning about other cultures?
There are so many. On a personal level, it makes you more open-minded and tolerant — once you understand why people do things differently, you're far less likely to judge them. It's also intellectually enriching, and practically useful in an interconnected world where you constantly work and interact with people from different backgrounds. Ultimately, I think exposure to other cultures is one of the best cures for the kind of narrow-mindedness that fuels a lot of conflict.
list benefits, build to a bigger pointQ: Is it important to protect traditional cultures?
I'd say it is, yes, though within reason. Traditions, languages and crafts are a huge part of a community's identity and a source of diversity that makes the world richer, so it would be a real loss to let them simply die out. That said, I don't think cultures should be frozen in time or preserved artificially just for tourists. The healthiest approach, in my view, is to keep traditions alive and evolving as a living part of people's lives, rather than turning them into a museum piece.
agree, then set a nuance02 · Why this scores Band 9
Each answer builds an argument in stages — claim, reason, example, then a qualifying turn ("But there's a flip side...", "However, I don't think...") — so the discussion develops rather than lists points. The delivery holds across the longer turns without hesitation.
Globalisation vocabulary is precise and idiomatic — "plug into the global economy", "squeezed out", "a global monoculture", "open-minded and tolerant", "frozen in time", "a museum piece" — and the collocations carry the argument rather than decorating it.
A wide range is handled accurately: a concessive ("Thanks to the internet... young people share the same reference points, which does create a monoculture. However..."), a relative clause ("an interconnected world where you constantly work with people from different backgrounds"), and a comparative judgement. Complex ideas come out without breakdown.
Longer turns are chunked into clear thought groups with stress on the contrast words, so the intonation signals emphasis and qualification the way a fluent debater's would.
03 · Useful phrases for this topic
Tap a phrase to see what it means and how to use it. Natural phrases like these lift your Lexical Resource score.
04 · Frequently asked questions
Do I need facts about globalisation for this topic?
No. Part 3 tests reasoning in English, not economics or sociology. A clear opinion backed by logic and a plausible example ('the same coffee chains on every corner') scores far higher than statistics you're unsure of.
Can I use my own country as an example?
Absolutely — it is encouraged. Describing how globalisation has affected your country (investment, but also local businesses being squeezed out) makes your argument vivid and personal, and examiners welcome that specificity.
How do I sound balanced on globalisation?
Present both the benefits and the costs, then commit to an overall view. This model calls it "a double-edged sword" and argues traditions should evolve rather than be frozen — a balanced but decided position, which band 9 rewards.
How long should each answer be?
Three to five sentences: state your view, give a reason, add an example or a concession. Long enough to develop the idea, short enough to keep the discussion flowing.
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