IELTS Speaking Part 2
Describe an important skill which cannot be learned at school
You should say: • What the skill is • Why it cannot be learned at school • Why it is important • How we can learn it |
Band 8 Sample:
Today I would like to talk about making presentations, which is a skill that I learned from my mentor who used to encourage and give me many pieces of sound advice.
It was about 3 years ago, when I was studying in an English language center in order to improve my English skills to a higher level. During that time, my peers and I had many opportunities to make presentations in English under the guidance of Jimmy, who is a born presenter and is head and shoulders above everyone else in teaching students how to speak in front of the crowd. At first, I was faced with various obstacles when speaking in front of my classmates, especially the first time because I had butterflies in my stomach, so I really struggled with speaking in front of a lot of people confidently, and I even suffered from failures. However, I gradually overcame the difficulties and got the hang of it, and things became easier for me since then.
As for why this skill is essential, I believe that when studying at universities or working in companies, people have to speak publicly on a frequent basis in order to prove their ability in their study or their work. Therefore, by watching YouTube videos or going to learning centers, learners can improve their presentation skills to a higher degree.
Vocabulary highlights:
• Peer: a person who is the same age or who has the same social status as you
• Under the guidance of somebody: to be guided by somebody
• A born presenter: someone who is really good at making presentations
• Head and shoulders above everyone else: to be better than everyone else
• Have butterflies in my stomach: have a nervous feeling
• Get the hang of it: to learn to handle something with some skills
• On a frequent basis: to do something frequently
IELTS Speaking Part 3
- What qualities do you think are the most important for work?
When it comes to work, I think communication skills are the most important. This is because from the initial moment that applicants get in touch with interviewers when applying for a new job, those interviewers will scrutinize the way they behave. If the applicants can prove their communication skills, it is likely that they will not only communicate well with other coworkers but also with regular customers, which would allow them to broaden their knowledge and gradually become a well-rounded employee. - What skills do you want to learn?
I guess that I’m interested in technology skills because they seem to be essential in my occupation nowadays. Specifically, although I am working as a teacher, I need to use some modern devices like overhead projectors and laptops on a frequent basis, for example, to convey lessons to students more effectively. This will not only help students to understand lessons more thoroughly but also allow me to develop my lesson plans carefully. - Is it necessary for teenagers to learn to use computers?
Yes, I think children should learn how to use computers because of two main reasons. One of which is that computer skills are mainly required in schools nowadays, which means that they need to use modern devices to search for information on the Internet to study as well as to do assignments and homework. For example, in Vietnam, students are allowed to use tablets and smartphones to look up new words in English when doing exercises. Another major reason is that computer skills also bring benefits in the long-term, as most companies nowadays include these skills as a compulsory requirement, regardless of the occupation.