Brainstorm things into the categories below, only writing down the ones that one of you didn’t know before your partner told you about it.
Types of accommodation
Parts of a home/ Furniture
Places where people live (“city” etc)
Relationships
Types of job
Festivals/ Celebrations
Things related to festivals/ celebrations
Places people go in their free time
Free time activities
Types of music
Types of TV programme
Types of food
Compare with the list on the next page. Did you come up with any high level language that isn’t on that list?
When you were brainstorming, did you think of any words in your language which you couldn’t translate? How could you explain those things in the speaking test?
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Suggested answers
Types of accommodation
(university) halls/ dorm
condo(minium)
council flat
high rise
shared house
studio (flat)
Parts of a home/ Furniture
balcony
cooker
corridor/ hall
fitted kitchen
fridge
intercom
living room
master bedroom
wardrobe
Places where people live (“city” etc)
capital (city)/ regional capital
(seaside) resort
(small/ medium-sized/ large) village
city centre/ downtown/ town centre
commuter town/ satellite town
outskirts
suburb
Relationships
(distant) relation/ relative
(former) classmate
(former) colleague/ co-worker/ workmate
(maternal/ paternal) grandfather/ grandmother
_____-in-law/ my in-laws
acquaintance
ancestor
best friend/ good friend
direct boss/ line manager
drinking buddy
ex (husband/ wife/ boyfriend/ girlfriend)
fellow alumni
female friend/ male friend
fiancé/ fiancée
great grandparent
great uncle/ aunt
niece/ nephew
old friend
partner
school friend/ childhood friend
stepmother/stepfather
Types of job
admin staff/ clerk
businessman/ entrepreneur
cashier/ shop assistant
office worker
profession
Festivals/ Celebrations
local festival
marriage ceremony/ wedding reception
Things related to festivals/ celebrations
fireworks/ sparklers
party poppers
speech
toast
Places people go in their free time
(live/ music) venue
amusement arcade
hot springs (resort)/ public baths
masseur
Free time activities
a… reunion
channel hopping
chill out/ veg out/ take it easy
go clubbing
have a lie in/ catch up on my sleep
meet up with…
surfing the net
window shopping
Types of music
classic rock
classical
dance/ techno/ house
folk
folk
girl band/ boy band
indie/ alternative
pop
world music
Types of TV programme
adaptation
cop series
costume drama/ historical drama
current affairs
mini-series
murder mystery/ whodunit
news broadcast
quiz show
reality show
sit-com
sketch show
soap opera
stand-up comedy
talk show
travel programme
weather forecast
wildlife documentary
Types of food
(Sunday) roast
dessert
fast food/ junk food
main course
microwave food/ ready meals
starter
soup/ stew
Try to think of a word or expression which is basically untranslatable from your language in one of the categories above (including phrases that are only used in your country but are based on English), then use phrases like those given below to describe that thing until your partner guesses what it is. Do they agree that it is untranslatable and think you described it well?
Although there’s no obvious translation, it could be explained as…
(Foreign/ Young) people sometimes think this means… but in fact/ actually…
I think most people know what a… is, but anyway it…
In Japan we say this when (we are talking about)…
It has something in common with…
It’s a bit like (the British/ American/ Chinese/ Korean…) but…
It’s something like…
It’s the closest Japanese equivalent to…
The normal/ usual translation for this is…
There’s a word/ expression in my language, “_________”, which means…
This also exists in China/ Korea/ most Asian countries/…
This is in English dictionaries, but not everyone knows it. It means…
This is often explained as…
This means (something like)…
This only exists in Japan (and a couple of other countries) and is…
Translated word for word, it would be…/ The direct translation is…
Do the same with the expressions on the next page.
Ask your partner and then the teacher about any which you might want to mention in the speaking exam but don’t know how to explain.
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Suggested untranslatable words and expressions
Types of accommodation
Apaato
Manshon
Minshuku
Ryoukan
Parts of a home/ Furniture
Chabudai
Cooler
Flooring
Fusuma
Futon
Genkan
Genkan-saki
Getabako
Kotatsu
Oshiire
Shouji
Tansu
Unit bath
Washitsu
Washlette
Youshitsu
Zabuton
Places where people live (city etc)
-ku
-ken
Furusato
Relationships
Bucho
Joushi
Kacho
OB Sempai/ Kouhai
Types of job
Freeter
OL
Paato/ Arubaito
Salaryman
Festivals/ Celebrations
Bounenkai
Enkai
Hanami
Hatsumode
Hinamatsuri
Kodomo-no-hi
Nomikai
Nyuugakushiki
Obon
Oomisoka
Seijinshiki
Setsubun
Shichigosan
Tanabata
White Day (including giri choco)
Things related to festivals/ celebrations
Giri-choco
Hakama
Otoshidama
Toshikoshisoba
Yukata
Places people go in their free time
Bunka centre
Hello Work
Izakaya
Karaoke box
Manga kissa
Free time activities
Tachiyomi
Nomikai
Types of music
J-pop
Enka
BGM
Idol
Visual kei
Types of TV programme
Kouhaku gassen
Manzai
Variety bangumi
Types of food
Nabemono
Nimono
Wagashi
Washoku
Yakitori
Youshoku
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PDF for easy saving and printing: Translatable and Untranslatable vocabulary in IELTS Speaking
Related pages
IELTS Speaking games/ worksheets
300 more pages of IELTS Speaking classroom materials available at https://www.usingenglish.com/e-books/ielts-speaking/
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