Family

Do you have a small or large family?

My family is a very small one. I have my wife and daughter. My
wife is a nurse and daughter is studying in high school.
In fact, I have a large family. Both my parents are alive. My
father is engaged in agriculture. My mother is a housewife. I
have two elder brothers, who are working. The eldest one is
married and stays with my family. The younger one is working
in Bangalore as a software engineer. I also have a younger
brother, who is studying in school.
How much time do you spend with your family?
Whenever I am at home, I try to spend a few hours with my
family. Since I have a lot to study these days, they let me alone
most of the time. I usually have food together with my family.
We spend some time watching television together, especially in
the evenings. We also pray together.
Since I stay away from home, it is only during holidays that I can
be with my family. Whenever I am at home I make it a point, to
be with the members of my family. We sometimes go for a trip
or eat out often. I really love being with them. I always cherish
the memories of childhood, when I was always at home.
What things do you do together?
There are a lot of things that we do together. One of the
important things that we do as a group is to cook, especially
during the weekends, when I have a lot of free time. We also do
our gardening together, watering, manuring and weeding the
plants. Another important activity that we do is to pray in the

evenings. Apart from that, we shop together and go to the

movie together.

Language Learning
Let us talk about learning English.
How long have you been learning English?
Where did you learn?
What is easy / difficult?
Is English important in your job?
I have been learning English ever since I was about 10 years
old, when I was studying in my fifth grade. I learned the
alphabets and basic words at that time. I studies in a
vernacular medium school, but English was a subject
throughout my school years. I did not take English very
seriously during my school days, and I scored comparatively
poor marks for it. Well, English was the hardest subject for
me; and to be frank, I hated this subject at that time. One of
the reasons that I did not like English was that we did not
have any good teachers.
It was after I joined college, I started studying English
seriously. I had a wonderful English teacher who laid a sound
foundation in English grammar. Since then, I started loving
this subject and started reading books in English. Now I am in
my forties and the more I study English the better I love it.
Since I am an English teacher, I need to improve my English
all the time, learning new vocabulary and reading more and
more books. I make sure that I update my knowledge of
English all the time.
A gift that you presented

What the gift was

What the occasion was
Whom you gave it to
Why this gift was very special
My youngest brother was getting married and I wanted to give
him a special gift. A couple of days before the marriage my
wife and I went to Ernakulam for some shopping. As we were
about to return we just went to my favourite store, Wills Life
Store. In fact, this particular shop has the trendiest and the
most fashionable clothes for both men and women. I had the
gift in my mind when I went into the shop. After spending a
few minutes in the store I spotted an off-white linen casual
shirt. It was a designer wear and I put it on, to see how it
looked. My wife said, it was one of the best shirt that I had
ever bought. I was very happy. It was an expensive shirt but
it gave me a great sense of satisfaction.
On the eve of the wedding we had a party and my brother put
this shirt on. Everybody was very appreciative of the shirt
and my brother was very happy about it.
This gift was very special to me because I really liked the
colour, material and the design of the shirt. Apart from that, it
was first gift that I ever presented to my youngest brother. I
was extremely happy that he really liked the shirt. It was the
right occasion that I gave him this present.
Discussion:
Would you like to receive the same kind of gift
yourself?

I definitely would like to receive the same kind of a gift. The

reason is that I love good clothes, especially linen shirts. For
example, two of my brothers work abroad and when they
come to India, they present me shirts. I always look forward
to it.
What are the positive/negative aspects of giving and
receiving gifts?
Giving and receiving gifts have both advantages and
disadvantages. On the one hand, it is an expression of ones
love or appreciation for someone. It can strengthen
relationships. It can also create a good feeling in the minds of
people.
On the other hand, giving and receiving today has become a
commercial activity. Sometimes we are forced give and
receive gifts. A lot of time and money is involved in buying
gifts. For example, if someone calls you for a birthday, you
are compelled to give a gift. Sometimes, it can become a
burden on your budget.
What are the different types of gifts that women, men
and children would like to receive?
Women are usually fond of ornaments and clothes. They also
like to receive household appliances and handicrafts. For
special occasions like birthdays they receive a lot of such
gifts.
Children are usually attracted to toys and dolls. They love
chocolates and sweets too.

What changes have taken place in giving and receiving

gifts in the last 50 years?
A number of changes have taken place in the way people give
and receive gifts, over the last 50 years. In the olden days
gifts were not very common and it was exchanged only during
rare occasions like marriages and housewarming. Today,
giving and receiving gifts has become a very frequent affair.
Exchanging gifts has become very common on a number of
occasions like birthdays, anniversaries and success in an
exam.

Whose gifts do you treasure most?

I treasure the gifts of my loved ones. For instance, I always
cherish the gifts that my wife has given me. In fact, she gives
them to me with great love. I greatly value gifts from my
parents too. Gifts from close friends or colleagues also can
give me great pleasure.
What may be the type of gifts that children will receive
in future?
I think we should wait to see the type of gifts that children will
receive in the future. If I make a guess, I think, mostly it will
be electronic gadgets or games. They are also likely to
receive a lot of good chocolates.

1.

Where do you come from?

I am from a small and beautiful town called Athirampuzha. In fact, this place is in
the district of Kottayam in central Kerala.
2.

What kind of place is it?

Basically, it is a trading place. People from the surrounding areas come to my

place to buy vegetables, fish and grocery. We have a large pool in the heart of the
town which is connected to other places by a network of canals. When I was a
small boy, water transport was very popular and country boats would come in
large numbers for trading purposes. It was wonderful to see trading boats crowd
in the large body of water for loading and unloading goods. But today, you can
hardly see any water transport and such boats have disappeared for ever, and
large trucks have replaced them.
3.

What would you suggest a visitor your hometown should see or do?

It is difficult to suggest a particular place, but I think, the pool and the canals are
an interesting site. You can also go for a boating through the canal. On your way
you have beautiful paddy fields, on either side. Another important place that a
visitor can see is our church which was built a few centuries ago. It has got an
ancient alter ornamented with wooden carvings of saints and angels. Another
attraction is a large church bell, which was imported from Germany in the 18th
century. There is also a famous Siva Temple in our neighbouring town of
Ettumanoor. This is a well-known pilgrim centre.
4.

What is the most interesting part of your home area?

Again, I would say it is the pool. Most of the activities of the town take place
around this area. There is a fish market on one side and a vegetable market on
the other. Especially on market days, that is Mondays and Thursdays, the whole
place is full of activity.
5.

What kind of jobs do the people in your town/village do?

Although it is basically a trading place, majority of people are not engaged in

business. My town is thickly populated and the people are quite educated. So
many of them have jobs, especially in the district headquarters of Kottayam, either
in the government or private sector. There are teachers, lawyers, nurses, doctors
and other professionals. A few of them are also engaged in agricultural
activities. Certainly, there are a number of businessmen as well.
1.

A gift or article your treasure most

What the article was

Where you got it
How you preserve it
Why it is very precious to you
Something that I treasure most is my IBM laptop, which was not actually a
gift. Although it is quiet old it never had any serious technical problems, except a
few software crashes, ever since I bought it about 8 years ago.
Well, I bought it from a friend of mine who has a computer business. He suggested
the brand and I think I made the right choice by buying an IBM lap
top. Technically, the components of my computer are of very superior quality and
therefore, in spite of my constant use, I have never changed any parts.
Although I have a leather laptop container, I rarely use it now. I used to put it in a
leather bag initially, but later, due to my laziness, I just leave it on my study

table. Sometimes it gathers a lot dust and occasionally I wipe it with a towel. I
would say my laptop is very untidily kept but by Gods grace it keeps working.
My laptop is very precious to me because I type my notes in it and use it for
presentations in my class and meetings. Sometimes I watch movies in it. I also
have stored a lot of data and personal information in my computer. After my office
hours I spend long hours in front of my computer either browsing the net or
studying.
Discussion:
1. Do you think if people have become more or less materialistic in the last 25
years?
What I feel is, peoples attitude towards material things have not changed over the
last 25 years. The only difference is that today we have greater access to
comforts and luxuries unlike in the past, and we have enough money to buy them
and so we enjoy them. For this reason, many people tend to say that materialism
is on the increase. Actually, that is not the case. If people in the past had access
to such things and if they had as much money as we have today, they would have
definitely enjoyed luxuries. The only difference is the economic progress that we
have made. The attitude towards materialism remains the same always.
I feel that people have definitely become more materialistic during the last 25
years. Formerly, comforts and luxuries were not available to people as much as
we have today. May be, people were little more idealistic and they had better
human relationships. Especially in rural communities, you know, people
maintained traditional values in families and social life. Whereas, today the
situation has changed. Urbanisation has forced people to be more individualistic
and achievement oriented. Material achievement has become a major purpose in
life and therefore, I think, other values of life have taken a back seat.
2. What kind of gifts children usually like?
Children usually like chocolates, toys and electronic games. You know, for
example, if you go to a shop with your children, you will see them running to the
toy corner or the chocolate rack. These days, a lot of children have a great liking
towards electronic games. There are many children who like, cartoons and story
books too. So when if you plan to give a gift to a child next time, think of these
things.
3. What kinds of things give a sense of prestige to people today?

From my personal experience, I feel, material possessions can give a great deal of
prestige to people today. For example, if you have a luxurious car or a beautifully
designed house it can give you a sense of pride. Another important criterion for
prestige is political power at different levels, which can make you popular and
accepted by the society. Superior positions in government services can also
definitely give you prominence in the society. What I mean is, senior police
officers, judges and similar officials have great prestige in the society. Apart from
that, superior education can give you a lot of honour among people. Certain
professionals like doctors, engineers and teachers are respected in the society.
4. What kind of things were status symbols in your grandfathers time?
Although I am not very sure, money and other material possessions were status
symbols even in my grandparents time. I think, people who had a lot of land
were considered honourable in the society. Superior education and political power
were also considered status symbols at that time. I believe, basically, the status
symbols people of all ages are generally the same.
5. What kind of things are women usually attracted to?
Women are generally fond of good clothes and ornaments. If you go to a textile
store or jewellery shop the majority of the shoppers are usually women. This
means that there is a certain vanity in women and they love to flaunt their
beauty. They are also attracted to cosmetics. Many women buy a lot of house
hold appliances and crockery.
6. Do you think people purchase a lot of things for prestige and not because of
genuine need?
Certainly, today if you have money to spare, you certainly buy things that can
show off your wealth. Although you may not need such luxurious items, you buy
them because you want others to look upon you. For example, one of the
considerations for many people, when they choose a car, is whether a particular
car is used by the elite in the society. Or, even if the family is a small one,
people build huge houses and many of the rooms are unused for years. Prestige is
a serious consideration for many people these days.
7. What will be the kind of things that will give a sense of prestige to people in
future?
Even in the future wealth will be major determining factor that will a sense of
prestige to people. Education, the expertise in technology and communication
abilities also will give a sense of pride to people.

Speaking 003 (The sports you enjoy)

Part 1
Traffic where you live
How do most people travel to work where you live?
Most people in my place travel to work using public transport system. We have
both government and private bus services that are very efficient and frequent.
The bus fares are also quiet moderate, and that makes it the favourite mode of
travel for ordinary people to go to work. People, who go to longer distances to
work, usually make use of trains. We have a number of short distance trains,
which are very inexpensive. A lot of people also have their own private

vehicles to go to work. Most young people have their own motor bikes. The
more affluent go to work by car.
What traffic problems are there in your area?
Traffic problems are quite frequent in my area, especially during the peak hours
of morning and evening, when people travel to work or study and back. Many
roads are very narrow and cannot hold the increasing traffic volume at a time.
So traffic moves at a snails pace, especially during the rush hours. There are
also a lot of puddles on the roads especially during the rainy season and
manoeuvring them would further slow the traffic down.

There are constant

repairs on the roads which are both slow and ineffective and traffic is often
diverted through narrower roads making the situation still worse.
How do traffic problems affect you?
Traffic problems affect me very badly. I need to reach work on time and very
often the unexpected traffic snarls and jams do not let me do it. I have made
it a point that I start a bit earlier from home, so that these unexpected delays
do not affect me much. Another problem is that driving in high gear in the
traffic jam, exhausts your fuel tank very fast.
How would you reduce the traffic problems in your area?
The first thing that the government should do is to widen the roads with
immediate effect and that can definitely reduce the problem tremendously.
Another area that the authorities can look into is to engage a big company to
construct roads that can last for a longer period of time.

It would definitely

reduce the constant repairs on roads. People also should be made to obey
traffic rules very strictly.
Part 2
Describe a game or sport you enjoy playing.
You should day:

What kind of game or sport it is

Who you play it with
Where you play it
And explain why you enjoy playing it.

In fact I dont play any games at the moment, because I dont have the time or
opportunity for it. It is very difficult for you to play a game once you get out of
your school or college. There are very few playgrounds for the public in our
area.
May be, I will talk about the game I played when I was in college. I was very
interested in soccer, and I played in the forward line. It was usually played in
the evening when the sun was not very warm and that preserved a lot of your
energy. I hope you know that football requires a great deal of running and if it
is very hot your steam will run out fast.
I usually played with my college mates. We would break into two teams and
sometimes the numbers would vary from seven to twelve, depending on the
number of people who were interested in playing the game. It always used to
be great fun to play with your mates in a very friendly atmosphere. Since
everybody knew each other there were hardly any hard tackling or rough play.
Everybody enjoyed the spirit of the game.
We played in the football ground, just in front of our college. It was quite a big
ground and so we had to run around a lot, but that gave us a lot of physical
fitness.
I enjoyed playing soccer because there was a thrill in scoring goals and
winning. You kept improving with every game and that gave you a great deal
of motivation and competitive spirit. Even during the day, when you were not
playing you kept thinking about the game. So it was great fun and I always
waited for the evenings to play soccer.

Discussion topics:
Childrens games
How have games changed from the time when you were a child?
Games have changed tremendously over the years. When we were children
the standard of the game or the players was not as good as it is today.
Moreover, newer rules have been introduced to make it more appealing to
television audiences. I think the speed of the game has considerably
increased. There is much more money in sports and games today, so more
and more young people are interested in making it a full time career. That was
not the case when I was a child.
Do you think this has been a positive change? Why?
Yes, it has definitely been a positive change in all ways. Games have become
more popular and players get much better rewards. Televised games have
made it possible for people to watch games in the comfort of their homes
rather than going to a stadium. Watching games has become a very easy
affair. Overall, the standard of the game has improved.
Why do you think children like playing games?
Children are physically very active and you cant keep them idle for a long
time. They always like to be with their friends, playing some games.
Psychologically, at their age they cant think of engaging in a serious activity
for a long time. Playing games would occupy them time in a very effective
way; otherwise they are going to create some mischief at home.

P O S T E D B Y G E O R G E AN D R E W S AT 4 : 0 4 AM 8 C O M M E N T S : L I N K S T O T H I S P O S T

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2009

Speaking 002 (Healthy Lifestyle)

Part 1
Musical Instruments
Which instrument do you like listening to most? (Why?)
My favourite musical instrument is the flute. (I love listening to the flute, the
most). I have always wondered why I like flute. May be, it is because of its
simplicity or because of it sweet sound. Flute has a very soothing music and it
goes directly into your heart. I think it is very easy to learn flute, but I am not
sure. Anyway, I like it.
Have you ever learned to play a musical instrument?
Not really, I dont think I have the talent for it. So I have not seriously tried.
When I was small, I just used to play with the harmonium, but actually, I could
never play any proper notes. Even now, I love to press the keys of the electric
keyboard and I like to hear the sound. But I have never learned to play any
musical instrument.
Yes I play the keyboard. I started leaning it at a very early age. My mother
bought me a toy piano when I was a small kid. I started playing it on my own.
Later, I went to a music school, where I leaned to play the electric organ. Now I
play it quiet well.
Do you think children should learn to play a musical instrument?
It is good in one way. As children, you have the time and interest in learning a
musical instrument. In think learning a musical instrument can give a lot of
confidence to children. They will learn to perform before other people. They can
be proud of the fact that they know how to play a musical instrument. It is the
best way to know whether a child had the taste for it. However, we should not
force a child into it, especially if he doesnt have the talent for it.
No I dont think children should learn a musical instrument. It is the time for them
to play and enjoy games. Playing a music instrument is a very serious job. It
requires a lot of patience and discipline. So I think it is better not to force children
into it at an early age. If they have the taste and talent they will learn it later.
How easy would it be to learn to play an instrument without a teacher?
I think, it is not easy to learn a musical instrument without the help of a teacher,
because you have no one to clear your doubts. Not only that, you can never learn
it, systematically. There are people who learn musical instruments like guitar with

the help of a book or through the internet. But, I dont think you go can very far,
in this way.
Why not! There are a lot of people who learn musical instruments without the
help of a teacher. You can get books and lessons from the internet. The
advantage is that you can learn at your own pace and convenience. Then why go
for a teacher.
Part 2
Describe something healthy you enjoy doing
You should say:
What you do
Where you do it
Who you do it with
And explain why you think doing this is healthy.
Playing sports, cycling, exercising
I have been playing badminton for the last few years. This is something that I
really enjoy. When I started I wasnt a good player. Over the years I have
improved tremendously. Every day I wait for the evening to play badminton.
I play it in our college campus. We have an indoor court and so the wind doesnt
disturb our game.
I play with my colleagues at work. There are about 6 to 8 people who play
regularly and if you dont reach the court in time, you dont get to play the first
game. After a game is over, usually the losers have to give chance to the other
players, who wait outside.
I think this has definitely kept me fit. I have lost about 6 kilos in the last 2 years,
just because I play this game. I have no other exercise and I dont need any. I
can eat anything I like and I can burn my extra calories in the game. Now my
body has become very flexible and I have improved my stamina. My movements
have become easy and my body is much more flexible now. I can even run up
steps without panting. My cholesterol and blood sugar levels are much lower than
before. So this is something healthy that I enjoy doing.
Part 3
Keeping fit and healthy

What do most people do to keep fit your country?

Most people, in my country do some kind of manual labour and that keeps them
fit. They dont need any other exercise. The farmers work in the field and there
are a lot of people who work in constructions and similar manual jobs. The
middleclass white collar workers and the rich people are also very health conscious
and do regular exercises like jogging, walking in the morning or playing some
games. There are some people who work out in gyms to keep themselves fit.
The most common exercise, that people in my country do, to keep themselves fit,
is to go for a walk. If you get up early in the morning and look at the streets,
especially in cities, you can see a lot of people walking by the side of the road.
There are also a lot of evening walkers as well. Some jog or cycle or do some
exercise or play some games. There are a lot of people who visit gyms to be fit.
Yoga is another popular exercise that people are interested in.
How important is it for people to do some regular physical exercise?
It is extremely important for people to engage in some kind of regular exercise,
especially after 30 or 35. Otherwise we will be prone to common lifestyle diseases
like, high blood sugar or blood pressure. Heart ailments are very common among
people who have no physical exercise. Regular exercise can give your body a lot
of immunity against such diseases. It can burn your extra fat that causes all these
ailments. So, regular exercise is essential for people to keep themselves fit.
Health and modern lifestyles
Why do some people think that modern lifestyles are not healthy?
See, people have a valid reason for thinking so. People today love comfort and
luxury and they want to satisfy their appetites at any cost. Rather than cooking at
home, they love to eat out, at restaurants and fast food joints. Fast food may be
tasty but contains a lot of fat that is not good for health. Previously people used
to walk or engage in some kind of manual work. That is not the case today.
Personal vehicles and modern devices have made their life easy and people have
great aversion towards sweating their body. This lifestyle naturally invites
diseases.
Why do some people choose to lead unhealthy lives?
The simple answer is laziness. Today many people do not have the discipline to
lead a healthy life. They love comfort and convenience in everything that they
do. In fact, they dont realise that their comfort and luxury are going to end
soon. They need to face the reality sooner than later.

Should individuals or governments be responsible for making people

lifestyles healthy?
It is the individuals themselves who are responsible for making their lifestyles
healthy. It is ones personal freedom to lead a healthy lifestyle. Government has
nothing to do with it. No government can interfere into such personal affairs.
Government cant ask people to eat this or that. The only thing that government
can do is to spread awareness about this issue. Nothing more than that.
What could be done to encourage people to live in a healthy way?
The best way to encourage people to live in a healthy way is to spread awareness
about the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle. This can be done through the
media like television and newspapers. At an early age, children should be given
education about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. It should also be included in
the curriculum. Moreover, sports should be made compulsory in schools. Another
effective way is to give gym and sports facilities in factories and offices.

Part 1
Dancing
Do you enjoy dancing? (Why/Why not)
(You need to react to the question, first.)
Yes I do, I really love (like) dancing. No, I dont love.
Definitely, I am very fond of dancing. Not really, I am not very fond of
Certainly, I am very interested in dancing. No, I dont think I am interested in
Of course, I am very passionate about dancing.
Yes, I enjoy dancing.
I am very excited about dancing.
(Then elaborate on the answer)

It is a time that you can forget about yourself and relax your mind and body. It
also gives you a great deal of inner satisfaction. I think it is a great way to release
your stress.
I think its the best way to enjoy your time with your friends. You can get close to
them and strengthen your friendship.
I believe, dancing is a wonderful way to exercise your body. It involves vigorous
physical activity and burns a lot of calories. The only way I exercise is by dancing,
and that keeps my body fit.
This is a very good way to show your talent before others. I am quiet a good
dancer and I get a lot of appreciation from people. That gives me great confidence
and enhances my personality.
I dont think I have the talent to dance. I look very awkward when I dance and it
gives me very little satisfaction.
I dont have an opportunity to dance. In fact, I live in a very orthodox culture and
dancing is not very popular here. The only people who dance are the professional
dancers and it is not very common among ordinary people. However, I love
watching other people dance.
Has anyone every taught you how to dance? (Why/Why not)
Not in the recent past. But when I was a small girl, I went to a dance school in my
village, where I learned some classical dance. I also learned folk dance from a
teacher in my regular school during that time.
No, no one has ever taught me how to dance. I learned dancing by watching
videos and dancing with my friends. It is not very difficult to learn simple dancing
and I learned it in a very informal way.
Tell me about any traditional dancing in your country?
We have a number of traditional dances in my country, both classical and folk. A
very popular classical dance form in my country is Bharathanatyam. You need
many years of training to master this dance. It is usually staged during festivals
and cultural programmes. It has a very ancient origin and was patronised by
kings in the olden times. Dancers perform with graceful and rhythmic movements
and in rich and colourful costumes.
A very popular dancing in my country is a folk dance called Thiruvathira. This is
very a special dance from my state of Kerala. It is usually performed during the
festival season of Onam. Women in groups of eight or ten, dance in a circle,

around a lighted traditional lamp. The movements are simple and graceful and the
costumes are also very simple.
Do you think that traditional dancing will be popular in the future?
(Why/Why not)
I think so. Traditional dancing will be very popular in the future. A lot of parents
now send their children to learn traditional dancing and children automatically
develop a liking for this type of dancing. Apart from that, there are a lot of
competitions in schools and colleges in traditional dancing. Again, foreign tourists
show a lot of interest in traditional dancing. So there is great possibility that
traditional dancing will be popular in the future.
No I dont think so. In the future more and more people will be interested in
modern dancing, both western and Indian. So traditional dancing will lose its
charm for people. Moreover, traditional dancing requires many years of training
and dedication and many people dont have time for that. It is also an expensive
affair. Again, traditional dancing has a very small audience. So I think traditional
dancing will become less popular in the future.

Part 2
Describe someone in your family who you like.
You should say:
How this person is related to you
What this person looks like
What kind of person he/she is
And explain why you like this person
The person whom I like the most in family is my brother who is just younger to
me. We are eight children, I am the second and he is the third.

He doesnt look like me at all. He rather looks like my mother and is the most
handsome person in the family. He is closer to me than any other member of the
family, more than even my parents.
He is not very good at his studies or in any arts and music, but is very good at
heart. He is very good humoured, and you know, makes everybody laugh with his
witty conversation. He has a special way of attracting people towards him.
He is a very just person, and if there is a misunderstanding in the family, he is the
first person to find a solution to it. When he does something important, he comes
to me and talks about it, and he usually he accepts my advice. He is also quite
daring and enterprising. Although he is not very educated he runs a very
successful business and lives a happy life.
I like him very much, mainly because he understands me more than any other
member of my family. He has also supported me and stood with me whenever I
had a serious problem or trouble.
So I would say that he is someone I like in my family.
Part 3
Discussion Topics
Family similarities
In what ways can people in a family be similar to each other?
People in a family can be similar to each other in many ways. They usually
resemble each other in their physical appearance. For example, children look like
their parents, in their facial feature, colour, type of hair and so on. They can also
be alike, in their character and behaviour.
Do you think daughters are always more similar to mothers than to male
relatives?
Not always! There are many daughters who look more like their fathers or other
male members of the family than mothers. That includes their colour, face, hair
and so on. But I do think that most daughters look like their mothers in physical
features.
What about sons and fathers?
I think it is the same with them as well. There are many sons who resemble their
mothers more than their fathers or other male members of the family.

In terms of personality, are people more influenced by their family or

friends? In what ways?
People are usually more influenced by their family than friends, because as
children, most people live with their families. And that is when an individuals
personality is developed. Even after that, people spend more time with their family
members and interact with them more closely than their friends. This intimacy
with the family members has a great influence in their character formation. On the
other hand, friends also have a significant influence in ones personality, but not as
much as family members.
Genetic Research
Where can people in your country get information about genetic research?
There are many sources in my country, where people can get information about
genetic research. I think the most common source is books. You can find books on
genetic research in public libraries or in bookshops. Apart from that, there are a
number of universities and institutes that does research in genetic studies. There
are a lot a lot scientist and professors, who can give information about this
subject. I think, the internet is a wonderful source to get information about genetic
research. If you search Google, you will come across many websites that will give
you, at least, the primary information about genetic research.
How do people in your country feel about genetic research?
In general, I think people in my country have a positive attitude towards genetic
research. They know it has a lot of benefits in terms of better agricultural
production and prevention of many genetic diseases. However, some people are
worried about genetically modified foods. They fear that it can be dangerous to
human health.
Should this research be funded by governments or private companies?
I think both government and private companies should jointly or separately fund
genetic research. It should not be the monopoly of either of the parties. If private
companies alone fund genetic research the benefits of the research may not reach
the common man, because of their profit motive. So government also has the
responsibility to fund it, so that everybody enjoys the benefits.

Describe a family celebration that you remember. You should say

- What you were celebrating
- who was present
- what you and your family did to make the celebration special
- and why you enjoyed the occasion.

Here's my sample answer:

Im going to describe my sisters wedding day, which took place a few years ago in the
town where I grew up. For my sister it was the biggest and most important day of her
life.

I think there were around 100 people at the marriage ceremony, which was held in a
church. Even more people came to the party, or the wedding reception as we call it,
after the ceremony. Of course, most members of my family were there, as well as the
grooms family and a collection of the bride and groom's friends and colleagues.

To make the celebration special, we did what families normally do. My mother made
sure that the church and the reception venue were nicely decorated - there were
flowers everywhere! Obviously we all dressed for the occasion, and there were
bridesmaids, gifts, a huge wedding cake, and so on.

I enjoyed the occasion because it was great to see my sister so happy on her big day.
The ceremony was perfect, and we all had a fantastic time at the reception. Its rare
for me to see all of my family and friends together in one place, so thats probably
what made the day so memorable for me.

Topic 19: An important occasion you were late

Describe an important occasion when you were late You should say
When this happened
What occasion you were late for
Why you were late
And explain what happened as a result of your lateness
I'm usually quite a punctual person but I was late for a very important job
interview. It actually wasn't really my fault, there was a huge traffic jam
because the interview was during peak hour and I was stuck in traffic for
over an hour due to a car crash.
It was an interview for a part-time job for an office worker. When I got there
the

Interviewer clearly wasn't happy and as you can guess I obviously didn't get
the job tried to explain it to him but I guess he didnt believe me or didnt
care. After all, in this world its the results that people care about, no one
cares about the process.
When I got home and told my mum about this she just smiled and told me it
was ok and I could find a job at another place. It was not until 2 weeks after
that did I find a job. It was quite a memorable experience.
From this experience it was clear to me how important being on time is and I
haven't been late to anything again after this event.
Topic 2:
Another Language You Would Learn If You Wanted
Describe another language that you would learn, if you wanted.
You should say
The name of this language
How you would learn it
What equipment or facilities you would need to study this language
And explain what difficulties you think you would have when
learning this language
There are many languages if I could only choose one it would have to be
French. In my opinion French is a very elegant language and also a popular
one. It is the second language for most countries including Canada and
Australia.
I live in Montreal and it is a francophone country so already I speak French
may be not perfect like the Canadians but I still try to learn more and more.
Im sure that learning French wouldnt be easy. I would have to spend
months even years to master this language. Not only do I have to spend
time but also money, the fastest way to learn a language is without a doubt
to hire a teacher who is fluent in the language.
If one day I have the time and the money I would definitely learn French.

Topic 3: A Book or Film about the Future

Describe a book or film about the future you read or watched
You should say
What the name of the book or film is
When you read or watched it
What it was about
And explain how you felt about it
Actually I have watched many films about the future however I guess I would
choose to talk about a movie called Avatar by the famous James Cameron.

This is a film where people have the technology to go out of space in

spaceships and travel to other planets. This movie is about humans going to
a planet to mine an expensive mineral however the native inhabitants were
resisting the humans.
.
After a while the humans started a war with the aliens however the main
character who was a human with his mind transferred into a clone of the
aliens helped the clones and even led the aliens to victory.
This movie is truly a fantastic movie about the possibilities of the future and.
Maybe I would see it again when I have the time.
Its even better in 3D.
Topic 4: A Book
Describe a book you enjoyed reading
You should say
What the book was
What the book was about
Who wrote it
Why you read it
And explain why you liked this book
I have read many books as a child but I think that my favorite book would
have to be Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roal Dhaol.
I read this book when I was in university. by the end of the book I loved it so
much. It was about a boy who was quite poor and by chance he won the
opportunity to be the owner of Willy Wonkas chocolate factory.
Of course in the end he won the competition. This book has taught me a lot,
especially to be an honest person and have a good personality and that is
the only reason why Charlie won. Not because he was clever or talented but
because he was an honest, down to earth guy.
I am a huge fan of this book; - it was also the first English book I have read.
Just talking about this book brings back memories. Maybe I would read it
again when I have the time.
Describe a family celebration that you remember. You should say
- what you were celebrating
- who was present

- what you and your family did to make the celebration special
- and why you enjoyed the occasion.
Here's my sample answer:

Im going to describe my sisters wedding day, which took place a few years ago in the
town where I grew up. For my sister it was the biggest and most important day of her
life.

I think there were around 100 people at the marriage ceremony, which was held in a
church. Even more people came to the party, or the wedding reception as we call it,
after the ceremony. Of course, most members of my family were there, as well as the
grooms family and a collection of the bride and groom's friends and colleagues.

To make the celebration special, we did what families normally do. My mother made
sure that the church and the reception venue were nicely decorated - there were
flowers everywhere! Obviously we all dressed for the occasion, and there were
bridesmaids, gifts, a huge wedding cake, and so on.

I enjoyed the occasion because it was great to see my sister so happy on her big day.
The ceremony was perfect, and we all had a fantastic time at the reception. Its rare
for me to see all of my family and friends together in one place, so thats probably
what made the day so memorable for me.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: 'positive experience' answers

Describe a positive experience that you had as a teenager. You should say
- what the positive experience was
- where you were
- who you were with
- and explain why you found the experience positive.
Here's my sample answer, taking some of the ideas from this lesson.

Im going to describe the first time I visited Englands capital city, London, on a school
trip when I was a teenager. I had never been to London before, and it was great to
share that experience with my school friends.

The positive experience wasnt confined to one particular place in London. As far as I
remember, I enjoyed the whole trip, from the coach journey to the visits to various
tourist attractions. We got off the coach near the Houses of Parliament, and so one
of my first memories was seeing the famous Big Ben clock tower. We also visited
the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square.

As I said earlier, it was a school trip, and I think there were around thirty of us,
including two teachers. I was with a group of close friends, which made the
experience more enjoyable.

What really struck me about London was that it was historic but modern and thriving at
the same time. It seemed to me to be a lively, fashionable and cosmopolitan place.
Coming from a relatively small town, the experience made me keen to visit more
capital cities in the future.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: sample answer

Here's the question we've been looking at in recent weeks:
Describe a subject that you think should be removed from school education
programmes. You should say
- what the subject is
- why you think it is unnecessary for children to study it
- and explain what you would replace it with.
Here's my sample answer with band 7-9 vocabulary underlined:

Im going to suggest that art could be taken out of the school curriculum. In my
experience, art lessons at school tend to include drawing, painting, and the making
of collages using paper, fabric and other household materials.

There are a few reasons why I think that school art lessons are unnecessary. Firstly, I
dont believe that drawing and painting are essential skills that children will need
when they leave school. Children might find these activities enjoyable, but its
unlikely that they will need them in the working world. Secondly, children can draw,
paint and make collages in their own time at home; parents can encourage this, and
they can even join in. Finally, remembering my own art lessons at school, I dont
think we learnt any real art skills; the teachers left us to draw or create things, but
they didnt provide much technical instruction.

Instead of art lessons, children could do more work on core subjects like maths,
science or language. These subjects are more likely to help children in later life when
they enter the job market, and I think both children and their teachers would benefit if
more time were devoted to them.

IELTS Speaking Part 3: add more detail

In this lesson I mentioned 3 techniques to help you give longer answers: ask yourself why,
explain the alternatives, and give an example.

Most students have no problem with the first step (explaining why), but they aren't so good at
giving alternatives or examples. Take the following question from last week's lesson for
example.
Question:
In your opinion, are newspapers important?
Example student answer:
Yes, in my opinion newspapers are very important (why?) because they give us information
about what is happening around the world. (why?) They are a vital source of knowledge about
education, technology, medicine and many other fields.
This is a good start, but let's try to raise the answer to band 9 level.
Example answer with 'alternative' and 'example':
Yes, in my opinion newspapers are very important (why?) because they give us information
about what is happening around the world. (why?) They are a vital source of knowledge about
education, technology, medicine and many other fields. (alternative?) If newspapers didnt
exist, I think the quality of news coverage would suffer because there would be fewer
professional journalists.(example?) We would have to rely, for example, on unpaid bloggers
who do not have the budgets to carry out detailed research before they write an article.

IELTS Vocabulary: band 7-9 descriptions

Here are some suggestions for ways to improve the sentences in yesterday'sexercise:
1. The clock is very old.
= The clock is an antique; it's probably a collector's item.
2. It is big and made of wood.
= It is housed in a large wooden cabinet that stands nearly two metres tall.

(The kind of clock I'm describing)

3. It has been in my family for a long time.

= It has been in my family for several generations.
4. Everyone in my family likes the clock.
= We've all become quite attached to the clock; it's like part of the family.
5. I hope my parents will give it to me one day.
= The clock is a real family heirloom, so hopefully I'll inherit it one day.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: describe a conversation

Describe an interesting conversation you had with someone you didn't know. You
should say
- who the person was
- where the conversation took place
- what you talked about
- and explain why you found the conversation interesting.
Here's my sample (band 9) answer:

Im going to talk about an interesting conversation that I had a couple of weeks ago in
a music shop. I was walking along one of the main shopping streets in the city
centre, when a large window displaying all sorts of musical instruments caught my
eye. Out of curiosity, I decided to go in and have a look around.

The person I ended up speaking to was a shop assistant on the second floor, in the
area of the shop dedicated to acoustic guitars. I hadnt intended to speak to anyone,
but the assistant approached me in a friendly way and asked whether I had any
questions.

I explained to the assistant that I hadnt played the guitar for years, but that I wondered
what the differences were between the various acoustic guitars on show. He talked to
me about the different makes and models, whether they were factory or hand made,
the woods and varnishes used, the variation in sound quality, and of course the price
range.

I found the conversation fascinating because the shop assistant was so

knowledgeable. It was obvious that he had a passion for the guitar, and he didnt
mind talking to me even though I had made it clear that I didnt intend to buy
anything. He even picked up and played three or four of the instruments to
demonstrate the differences in their sound.

IELTS Speaking Part 1: giving negative answers

It's fine to give negative answers in part 1 of the speaking test. Here are some example
negative answers for people who don't like sport:

1. What sports or physical activities do you regularly do?

Unfortunately I don't have time to do any sports or physical activities because of my work
commitments. I'd like to find more time for regular exercise.
2. Which sport or game would you like to be good at?
I'd like to be good at tennis. It must be great to be able to hit the ball as hard as you can and
watch it land exactly where you wanted it to.
3. Do you prefer watching or playing sports?
I don't watch much sport on TV and I'm not a big sports fan, so I think I would probably enjoy
doing sports more than watching them.
4. Do you think children should be encouraged to do more sport?
Yes, I think that sport is really important for children. Sports and games teach children to play
together and try their best.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: 'future plans' answer

Here's my answer to the future plans question:

Im going to talk about a future plan that I have, which is to buy a good camera and to
become a better photographer. At the moment Im just using the camera on my
mobile phone, but Ive realised that it has its limitations.

I thought of this plan when I was at a friends wedding a few weeks ago. I got some
great pictures of the bride and groom and their guests celebrating, but I did notice
that with my phone camera I wasnt able to capture longer range photos, or photos in
darker conditions; the phones zoom and flash arent very good. Next time Id like to
be able to capture a special occasion in higher quality images.

Obviously this plan depends on whether I can save enough money to buy the camera
Id like. Also, before making a decision about which camera to get, Ill probably talk to
a friend who knows more about photography than I do.

In terms of buying a camera, Ill achieve this plan if I can save some money! In terms
of becoming a better photographer, I think Ill achieve that goal by experimenting with
my new camera and by learning as I go along.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: favourite season

Describe your favourite season in your country. You should say

- when that season is

- what the weather is like at that time of year
- how that season is different from other seasons
- and why it is your favourite season.
Here's my sample answer:

My favourite season in England is winter. A typical English winter would last around 4
or 5 months between November and March, but when I say that I like the winter, Im
really thinking about the coldest month or two each year.

During those really wintry months, the temperature drops below zero and it often
snows. Over the last few years weve had periods of quite heavy snowfall, to the
extent that roads have been blocked and schools have had to close. Last winter I
remember looking out of the window one morning and seeing everything covered in
a layer of white.

Obviously the snow is what differentiates winter from the other seasons, but when it
doesnt snow there isnt much difference between winter, autumn and spring; winter
is just a bit colder.

The reason Ive chosen winter as my favourite season is because I like the snow. I live
near the countryside, and the landscape looks beautiful when everything is covered
in white. We also celebrate Christmas and New Year in the winter, and these are my
favourite festivals.

IELTS Speaking Part 1: 'shopping' topic

Here are some questions and sample answers for the 'shopping' topic. Remember that part 1
answers need to be short, direct and simple.
1) Who does most of the shopping in your household?
There isn't one person who does most of the shopping. I'd say it's a shared responsibility
because we tend to go shopping together as a family.
2) What kind of shopping do you like doing?
I quite like shopping for presents for people's birthdays or for Christmas. My favourite type of
shop would have to be a bookshop.
3) Is shopping a popular activity in your country?
Yes, it's very popular. Saturday is the busiest shopping day, and lots of people treat shopping
as a kind of leisure activity, rather than something practical.
4) What types of shops do teenagers like best in your country?

I'm not an expert on teenage behaviour, but I guess they like buying clothes, music, gadgets...
that kind of thing.

In part 1 of the speaking test, the examiner will ask around 10 easy questions. However,
students have reported some strange questions, such as:
1.Do you like parks?
2.Do you think different colours can change our moods?
3.When do people give flowers in your country?
Don't be shocked by these questions. Just give a simple answer with a reason. Don't worry
about using fantastic grammar or vocabulary; just try to answer without hesitating. For
example:
1.Yes, I like parks because they are great places to relax. I think all cities need green
areas.
2.Yes, I think bright colours, like red, can make you feel energetic. Some greens and
blues can be more relaxing.
3.People give flowers on special occasions like birthdays or on Valentine's Day. In my
country, giving flowers is seen as romantic.

Describe a small company in your hometown that you think is

successful.
I am going to talk about a small business, located in Montreal, here in Canada. I saw it on TV first. It produces
variety of food products, and delicious cold and hot drinks. Approximately, it was a small coffee shop in the North
of Canada. Gradually, it has expanded to other parts of country, and its numerous branches made it a very
prosperous business.
While the number of its branches was only couple of tens in 2000, it reached almost just over 500 across the
country. Besides, the number products increased from 10 items to just over 100 items.
Lastly, the quality of its products has been improved fundamentally compared to the past, leading it to open some
branches in other countries and becoming a famous brand of food-company.