IELTS SPEAKING PRACTICE : EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY

IELTS Speaking practice: Education

EXAMINER: Do you work or are you a student? CANDIDATE: At the moment I'm studying. I’m doing a graduate degree in molecular biology in the Vanderbilt University.

EXAMINER: Why did you choose that subject? CANDIDATE: I've always loved life sciences, particularly biology... And when I received my bachelor's degree I took a research internship in a laboratory where I studied interactions between proteins... And then I understood that I want to pursue my career in biochemistry or molecular biology.

EXAMINER: Can you describe yourself as a good student? CANDIDATE: Well, overall I think I am a good student. ... I am not an eager beaver, nor the teacher's pet... but I'm good at scientific subjects and, most importantly, I like studying.

EXAMINER: What are some pros of studying on a distance learning course? CANDIDATE: To be honest, I think it's very advantageous to study in such way... It gives you more time flexibility, especially if you have a job... Not to mention that it is fairly cheap, compared to face-to-face classes...

EXAMINER: What are some essential qualities every teacher should have? CANDIDATE: As for me, every teacher should be able to catch student's attention. It is very important to make your subject interesting to the others... Also, teacher should be a subject specialist and a kind, helpful person..

EXAMINER : Did you enjoy/Do you enjoy studying at school? CANDIDATE: I've never really liked school... I'm not a bookworm and a lot of humanities subjects seemed too boring to me. However, the workload was not too big... The other good thing about school is being able to see your friends. And fortunately, I had wonderful classmates.

EXAMINER: Does everybody get equal opportunities to study? CANDIDATE: Definitely not. I think it really depends on a country you live in... Moreover, it depends on your financial capabilities... Some schools and universities are just too expensive... Only a small fraction of people can afford to study there.

EXAMINER: Do you study English now? CANDIDATE: Yes, of course. I've taken an intensive course this year, where I've attend classes three times a week... And I plan on pursuing my studies in the future, too... Did you enjoy/Do you enjoy studying at school?

EXAMINER; Describe a period of time from your studies that was the most difficult for you so far. You should say: When it was Why was it hard What you were doing at that time CANDIDATE : I would like to talk about my last school year. It was really diffucult due to enormous amounts of homework I had to do and all the exams I had to prepare for... Em, so I studied hard, having no time to goof around ... Moreover, I forgot a lot of things from the school curriculum, that's why I had to do a lot of revision... But despite the tough preparation, I managed to set aside some time to rest and interact with my friends and family... After all, my efforts were not in vain... I passed all the exams well and was admitted to the university of my dream.

IELTS Speaking practice: Technology

EXAMINER: How effective is the use of computers in the classroom? CANDIDATE: Hmm… in my opinion, using computers in the classroom is very effective. I think it is important for students to become competent in the use of computers to prepare them for the workplace … you know, computers are used everywhere in the workplace now. But… I also think that having computers so easily available gives teachers the opportunity to introduce students to the variety of information on the Internet.

EXAMINER: How computers affect our everyday life? CANDIDATE: In a positive way, certainly. They help with so many things, starting from writing and printing your own essay and ending with developing advanced programs and digital editing... Without computers studying would have been time-consuming and inefficient...

EXAMINER: What is the most impactful piece of technology in our lives? CANDIDATE: In my point of view, the Internet is the most important technological advance of our time... It gives us so many new opportunities to discover anything we want about our world! You just need to boot up your computer an go online... And with wireless networks at home and public Wi-Fi hotspots we can do it easily and almost everywhere.

EXAMINER: Do you think we need to know much about computers? CANDIDATE: Well... Not too much, but there is definitely a couple of essential things everyone should know. First of all, you need to know how to enter a web address... how to navigate websites... It is very important nowadays to be able to surf the net for the information you need...

EXAMINER: Do you own a computer? If so, how often do you use it and for what purposes? CANDIDATE: Yes, I have a personal computer and a laptop... I use my laptop mainly for education... It is very light and fits in my bag easily, so I take it with me to school... Meanwhile, my PC has a large screen and convenient keyboard, so I use it for word processing and browsing websites. It is an old, but still well-oiled machine...

EXAMINER: How often do you use Internet? CANDIDATE: I use Internet every day... It helps me with my studies and it entertains me when I’m down... Surfing the Internet is my hobby... I also frequently use World Wide Web for communication purposes... Though I don't like social media like Facebook, I often use video conferencingMaking video-calls. for talking.

EXAMINER: Do you use any gadgets on a daily basis? CANDIDATE: Yes, surely I do... Although I don't consider myself a geek, I quite enjoy using all the new items like laptops and smartphones... All in all, we're living in the computer age and it's impossible to ignore cutting-edge technology.

EXAMINER: Describe your favourite gadget. You should say: What is it When did you get it How often do you use it and say why is it so important to you CANDIDATE: I don’t own many gadgets... I have a PC, laptop and a smartphone and I can’t imagine my life without either of those... However, my laptop is the most important piece of technology for me... I got it as a birthday present from my parents a few years ago and I use it nearly every day now. Although at first using it was like rocket science for me, after a few weeks I was able to do everything I needed... From browsing websites to reinstalling the operating system... What's more, without my laptop I wouldn’t be able to do my homework for the university... Also, I use it for surfing the Internet and finding whatever I want, whether it is a piece of code for my project or a useful tip on how to cook a steak... Generally, my laptop became an essential device for me...