12 Tips for your topic

1. Choose a topic you really like and are interested in. It has to be REAL and related to your life. Don’t write a fake or unrealistic topic, you won’t be able to present it with enough enthusiasm if you can’t even believe what you’re saying.
2. Above all, make sure you cover all the language functions specified for the corresponding level. Otherwise you won’t pass the interview phase. For this reason, choose a topic that allows you to use these language functions.
3. Don’t talk about very simple things (“my family”, “my friends”, “my last holiday”). Being INVENTIVE is humans’ greatest virtue. No interviewer (neither me nor you) wants to hear talking about “football”. It is too typical and overused and it won’t catch the interviewer’s attention.
4. The language used has to be colourful and familiar, full of adjectives and personal impressions. At least a few phrasal verbs and/or idioms according to your level will make your topic sound much better.
5. Your topic mustn’t coincide with the 6 conversation topics proposed for the second part of the interview.
6. Use connectors correctly to switch from one point to another.
7. Make an outline or diagram to practice your topic at home.
8. Don’t memorize your topic literally, you have to sound NATURAL.
9. However, underline the key sentences that show the language functions and make sure you use them. As we said before, this is the most important element of your topic.
10. If you don’t understand a question, just relax and kindly ask the interviewer to repeat again. The interviewer will probably ask you the same question using different words or structure so you can get it this time.
11. Pay attention to how questions are arranged. The interviewer will ask you a question by using a particular language function for you to include this in your answer. For example, if the question is “What will you do when you graduate?” (future “will”), your answer is expected to start by saying “I will…”
12. Remember to ask your interviewer at least one question, ideally at the beginning of your speech, right after saying what you’re going to talk about.

Start preparing your ISE I Topic

      As an ISE I student, one of the first things you should do is to start developing your topic as soon as possible. Your topic is a well-constructed presentation on a personal interest or experience. You need to get familiar with it and improve it as much as you can, since it’s the first contact with the interviewer/examiner and a great opportunity to give your best impression. In your topic, you need to include four points, each of which will cover the required language functions specified for ISE I:

      1. Preferences

      2. Past tense

      3. Rules or advice

      4. Future tense

      We’ll write a suitable title (or question) for each of the aforementioned language functions. Use this as an example:

1. Preferences. This is where you talk about what you most like about your topic and why do you prefer this activity/experience over others. You can also talk about the negative side of your topic, if there’s any.
   
   - What I like the most / What I most like about skiing is...
   - Although I enjoy going skiing, I have never liked (+"ing" form)...
   - I really enjoy skiing because...
   - I also love football and tennis, but I have always preferred skiing because...
   - I'd rather go skiing than playing football
   - I've got a real passion for skiing since...
   - The best thing about skiing is...
   - The negative aspect of skiing could be that...
   - The hardest thing when skiing is...
   
   
2. Past tense. In this point you need to use past simple/continuous and present perfect simple/continuous to talk about your past experiences. This can be achieved by explaining:
   
   - Why you have chosen this topic:
   “I have chosen to talk about skiing because it’s probably my favourite hobbie. I have done this many times before…”
   
   - When you began doing it:
   “When I was eight years old, a friend of mine introduced me to skiing one day…”
   
   - A specific anecdote:
   “I was trying to do it when I slipped and fell on the ski slope and my ski partner burst laughing out loud…”
   
   - How long you have been doing it for:
   “I have been going skiing for four years now…”
   “I have been doing it since I was eleven…
   
   
3. Rules and advice. This is where you can make use of modal verbs such as should, must, have to, need to..., as well as conditionals (mainly zero conditional) and “to” infinitives to express “para”.
   
   - If you want to take this sport seriously, you need to know that…
   - When you’re a beginner on skiing, you must pay attention to every word your instructor says.
   - I think I should have started this activity a long time ago.
   - To improve my ski skills and become a good skier, I had to go through a long process…
   
   
4. Future tense. Talk about your future plans and expectations by using first conditionals, the future auxiliary “will” and present continuous/“going to” to convey near future plans.
   
   - First conditionals (present tense + “will”):
   “If I finally win the next prize, I will get great satisfaction.”
   “If my mum agrees, we will join the next competition together.”
   
   - Near future (“-ing” forms/“going to”):
   “Next Monday, I’m travelling to Sierra Nevada, so I expect to have a wonderful time over there.”
   “I’m planning to/going to tell all my classmates about my passion to get them involved.”

         *Give priority to “-ing” forms over “going to”, although both can be used.

       
        - Future plans (“will”):
        “Next year, I will visit the highest ski slope in Spain.”
        “In the future, I will study sports science and become a professional skier.”

          

           

Other relevant things to take into account:

1. Prepare one question to ask the examiner/interviewer about your topic. An easy one such as “have you ever gone skiing?” would work well. I recommend asking right at the beginning of your interview, after mentioning what your topic is about.
   
2. The examiner will ask you questions on each part of your topic. These questions are constructed by using the language functions we have seen today, so that you will get a hint on how to begin your answer.
   
   Examiner:     Have you ever heard of the famous skier Maria Riesch?
   Student:       No, I have never heard of her.
   
3. Prepare a portfolio for your topic. Take two or three interesting pictures related to your topic, glue them on a A4 paper and present it on your interview.