IELTS SPEAKING PART 2
Describe an experience when you taught someone to do something new
You should say
When and where it happened
Whom you taught
What you taught him/her
How that person felt about it
I’m not very good at teaching. However, I was once successful at teaching my nephew a new skill: reading.
I started trying to teach my nephew to read about a year ago, having him sound out the titles of books before we read them, having him sound out words within the books here and there, and following along with my finger so he’d be able to see where we were.
However, it didn’t work. He was constantly frustrated, wanting to get to the fun part, and it seemed like we never made any forward progress. I mentioned this to my friend, who happens to be a primary teacher. She lent me some books that came highly recommended, with repeating patterns (“I see the cat.” “I see the dog.” “I see the bird.”) paired with pictures that help little readers grasp the meaning of the story. The words and pictures stuck in my nephew’s mind and his reading moved on by leaps and bounds in a matter of weeks. The books made him feel good about himself – they moved him forward incrementally, because they were designed to make kids feel confident in their abilities while gradually introducing new concepts. I’m glad that my nephew approached reading for enjoyment, not as a task he must do without fun or excitement.
Vocabulary for IELTS Speaking Part 2
(to) come highly recommended [expression]: to be praised by a lot of people
Eg: Books by classic authors always come highly recommended, but books by new authors should not be forgotten.
(to) stick in one’s mind [expression]: a memory or image which is remembered for a long time
Eg: Some of the stories that I read as a child still stick in my mind today.
frustrated [adjective]
Meaning: feeling annoyed or less confident because you cannot achieve what you want
Example: Are you feeling frustrated in your present boring job?
(to) grasp [verb]
Meaning: to understand something completely
Example: The talk was interesting, but as the topic was new to me, I did not grasp everything that the speaker told us.
by leaps and bounds [expression]
Meaning: very quickly
Example: Since she has started doing exercise, her health has improved by leaps and bounds.
in a matter of weeks [expression]
Meaning: in a short time (several weeks)
Example: The government will introduce the new environmental law in a matter of weeks.
(to) approach [verb]
Meaning: to start dealing with a task in a particular way
Example: We must approach the exam by making a study timetable of what to do each week.
IELTS Speaking Part 3
1. Why do you think some people like doing new things?
Obviously, humans are curious by nature. Besides, most people do new things because of their thirst for the unknown and the unseen. Practically, first-hand experience never fails to offer new insights and perspectives. Trying something new will enliven our seemingly repetitive routine. However, there are some other people as well who are reluctant to do new things and are introvert by nature.
2. What problems can people have when they try new activities for the first time?
Well, certain problems will crop up when people try new things for the very first time. It is usually expected that there would be some challenges for anything to be done for the first time, and it is important to take sensible precautions. One’s unfamiliarity and inexperience can sometimes lead to failure, injuries or accidents when people decide to take up sport, for example. Yet, more often than not, novices will get better with time.
3. Do you think it’s best to do new things on your own or with other people? Why?
I think this varies from person to person. Some people like to do things on their own in order to meet different people and extend their social network, or maybe to experience the activity by themselves. Other people only do things with their friends or family because they feel more comfortable in the company of others. In my case I don’t mind, I’ll try something new on my own or with friends if they are interested in doing it too.
4. What kinds of things do children learn to do when they are very young? How important are these things?
When children are young, they mostly learn through the actions and reactions of their parents and family members. Appropriate social practices from their family will enable children to establish long-lasting relationships and good behaviour. On the other hand, if children are neglected at any early age, they will be slow to pick up vital skills such as walking, speaking and literacy.
5. Do you think children and adults learn to do new things in the same way? How is their learning style different?
Personally, I think children and adults have different learning styles. Children have much less fear and they just try anything new without worrying about the result. As adults, we are much more rational and tend to consider things carefully before doing them. The benefits, risks or opportunities involved are always taken into account. Meanwhile, children have a much more adventurous spirit naturally and are eager to experience new things
6. Some people say that it is more important to be able to learn new things now than it was in the past. Do you agree or disagree with that? Why?
Well, I disagree. We should always learn new things in life. Maybe nowadays it’s more important to learn new things quickly, faster than before, because the pace of life and rate at which new things are introduced is increasing, thanks to technology and science. Without the desire to adapt to changes, we will lag behind in the rat race and our personal development will suffer as well. Thereby, capacities should be increased to learn about new things and this is crucial for everyone, I believe.
Vocabulary:
1. curious[adjective]: having a strong desire to know about something
Eg: They were very curious about the people who lived upstairs.
2. insight[noun]: the ability to see and understand the truth about people or situations:
Eg: With a flash of insight, I realized what the dream meant.
3. repetitive [adjective] doing the same thing many times, so that it becomes boring
E.g: Housework is never finished, because there are always some repetitive chores to do.
4. (to) crop up [phrasal verb]: to appear or happen, especially when it is not expected
Eg: I’ll be late because something’s cropped up at home.
5. unfamiliarity [noun]: the fact of having no knowledge or experience of something
Eg: Bob admits his relative unfamiliarity with fixing electrical appliances.
6. (to) extend [verb]: to make something longer or larger
Eg: There are plans to extend the no-smoking area.
7. company [noun]: the fact of being with somebody else and not alone
Eg: I enjoy Jo’s company when travelling.
8. appropriate [adjective]: suitable, acceptable or correct for the particular circumstances
Eg: Now that the problem has been identified, appropriate action can be taken.
9. to pick up [phrasal verb]: to get information or a skill by chance rather than by making a deliberate effort
Eg: She picked up a little French when she was on holiday in Paris.
10. rational [adjective]: (of a person) able to think clearly and make decisions based on reason rather than emotions
Eg: Linh is a rational girl, she knows how to handle problems properly.
11. (to) take sth into account [expression]: to consider particular facts, circumstances,
etc. when making a decision about something
Eg: Coursework is taken into account as well as exam results at the end of the course.
12. (to) lag behind [verb]: to move or develop slowly or more slowly than other people, organizations, etc
Eg: We still lag far behind many of our competitors in using modern technology.
13. capacity [noun]: the ability to understand or to do something
Eg: Mary has an enormous capacity for hard work.
