During Part 1 of the IELTS Speaking Test, the examiner might ask you questions about your past, including your childhood, teenage years, or time in education.
Watch this IELTS Video Lesson to learn one useful way to talk about your past and your memories.
Warm-up Questions:
Read this short grammar lesson, then try to answer some of the questions below to help you prepare to answer some IELTS Speaking questions.
Grammar Lesson:
Common Errors: Learn or Teach?
Learn: The students learn new information. They listen, they take notes, they ask questions until they gain the correct understanding. This is learning.
Teach: The teacher teaches the new information to their students. The teacher gives examples, explains in different ways and check their students’ understanding. This is teaching.
Can you choose the correct verb? (Answers below)
My history teacher (learnt / taught) me about the ancient Egyptians and the Pyramids.
When I was in biology class, we would (teach / learn) about animals, nature and the human body.
My grandmother (learnt / taught) me that it was rude to ask a woman her age!
My parents would try to (teach / learn) me Bengali when I was growing up, but I can’t remember any of it.
I (taught / learnt) how to do algebra thanks to my maths teacher.
1.Taught / 2. Learn / 3. Taught / 4. Teach / 5. Learnt
Self-Study Language Deduction – Read the 5 sentences again and think: What words can come after the verbs?
Teach + (object pronoun / noun) + (relative pronoun / about / that / to – bare infinitive verb)
Learn + (relative pronoun / about / to – bare infinitive verb)
Student Question – Learned or Learnt?
Learned = American English spelling
Learnt = British English spelling
Both are acceptable in the IELTS Writing section, but only use 1 spelling for your whole essay. Don’t change between the British and American spellings during your essay!
How about you?
Here are some activities, skills and subjects. How did you learn them? Did you learn them at school? Did someone in your family teach you?
For example:
To ride a bike
“My father taught me how to ride a bike when I was about 6 or 7 years old.”
To say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’
How to tie my shoes
How to cook
How to speak English
How to drive
How to play an instrument / sing / dance
To believe in myself
…
Read these 3 levels of about ‘Teachers’. Every level becomes more difficult but every level has the same meaning. The new words are highlighted, so if you don’t understand a word in Level 2, look back at Level 1 to find the easier synonym! This is a great way to learn new vocabulary!
Level 1: Beginner Level 2: Intermediate Level 3: Advanced
IELTS Question #1: Did you have a favourite teacher at school?
(In these answers, I use ‘would’ to describe a frequent habit in the past)
Level 1: It was probably my English teacher, because she had a lot of energy, and her lessons and tips helped me understand. I would always be excited for her classes because she would make us speak out loud and do role plays, instead of just repeat grammar rules like all my other teachers. I’m thankful for her for helping me find my passion for English.
Level 2: It was probably my English teacher, because she had a lot of enthusiasm, and her lessons and explanations helped me understand. I would always look forward to her classes because she would make us speak out loud and do role plays, instead of just repeat grammar rules like all my other teachers. I’m thankful for her for helping me discover my passion for English.
Level 3: It was probably my English teacher because her enthusiasm was infectious and her lessons and explanations ‘clicked’ for me. I would always look forward to her classes because she would make us speak out loud and act out role plays, instead of just parrot grammar rules like all my other teachers. I’m indebted to her for helping me discover my passion for English.
IELTS Question #2: Would you like to be a teacher?
(In these answers, I use ‘would / could’ to describe a hypothetical situation in the present or near future)
Level 1: I don’t think so. I think the kids wouldn’t listen to me because I’m not noticeable, plus I’ve never been a strict person, so I think it would be hard for me to punish students as well. So I think it would be very stressful for me, and not a very useful experience for my students either!
Level 2: I don’t think so. I think the kids wouldn’t listen to me because I’m not noticeable, plus I’ve never been a strict person, so I think I would struggle to punish students as well. So I think it would be very stressful for me, and not a very fruitful experience for my students either!
Level 3: I don’t think so. I think the kids would walk all over me because I don’t have a commanding presence, plus I’ve never been a strict person so I think I would struggle to discipline students as well. So I think would be very stressful for me, and not a very fruitful experience for my students either!
You can find even more IELTS-appropriate vocabulary, collocations and phrases about Teachers here:
http://www.freecollocation.com/search?word=teacher
Video: Why We Struggle Learning Languages | Gabriel Wyner | TEDxNewBedford
An interesting TEDTalk by a man who became fluent in German in just 14 weeks! He learned French to fluency in 5 months, and then Russian in 10 months. In this video he explains why total immersion is the best way to learn a new language. Do you agree?
Putting it all together:
Try these Part 1 IELTS Questions all about Teachers!
Did you have a favourite teacher?
How did this teacher help you?
Do you think you could be a teacher?
Would you like to be a teacher?
Do you remember your teachers from [primary / secondary] school?
Are teachers now different from those your parents had?
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