Recently we shared the questions from an IELTS exam in Japan. Here are some model answers, to show you a great way to respond to those questions:
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
1. What is your full name?
My name is Melissa or Mel for short.
2. Do you work or study?
I work, and I am a primary school teacher. Right now, I have been assigned to teach 4 subjects to a grade 4 class: math, English, geography and science.
3. Why did you choose this occupation?
I guess I’ve always had a knack for teaching. I am the eldest of three siblings and growing up it was basically my job to babysit my younger sisters and help them with their homework. This is when I developed the skill of taking complicated topics and breaking them down into bite sized pieces of information that kids could easily understand. Even at school, I was always the friend that everyone else would go to just before a test for help with difficult concepts.
4. Where are you from?
I am from Krugersdorp, which is a small town in the Gauteng province in South Africa. It’s really off the beaten track, miles away from the big cities like Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Let’s talk about gifts.
5. In your country, when do people give gifts?
Well, where I’m from, people usually exchange presents on Christmas day, or special days like a person’s birthday, wedding day or anniversary. Basically, all the typical occasions for gift giving that you would find in most western countries.
6. Is it difficult for you to choose gifts for others?
Yes. To be honest I find the entire gift-giving process quite stressful for a few reasons. Because I value my relationships and the people in my life so much, I put a lot of effort into trying to find the perfect gift for them. This can be quite time-consuming and exhausting. Also, you can never be sure if you’ve got the right price range or not. Most people these days often equate the amount spent on a gift to the value of their relationship with you. So, I guess it’s quite daunting to think that you might inadvertently offend someone.
7. Do you give handmade gifts sometimes?
No, not anymore. I do think that gifting a loved one a handcrafted gift is sweet, but I just don’t have the time to do this, I’m too busy. However, I used to do this often as a child. I would make my own cards and jewellery for my mother on Mother’s Day or her birthday. She still has quite of few of them after all these years.