Describe a thing you did to learn another language (Part 2/3)

IELTS Speaking Part 2

Describe a thing you did to learn another language

You should say:
– What language have you learned?
– What you did do?
– How does it helps you learn the language?
– And how do you feel about it?
Sample Answer

I’m going to share with you how I improved my English when I was at university.

I majored in English Linguistics and Literature, but university life was extremely tough for me when I was a freshman. I still remember my first-ever lecture was a total nightmare since the teacher said everything in English and showed us a video that I literally understood nothing, let alone being able to talk about it. Since then, I had been overwhelmed with the sheer volume of school work and couldn’t help it but felt left out when all my classmates were better than me. Each day passing by felt like a burden; however, I did not give up but burnt the candle at both ends to make progress, especially in my speaking skill, which was my biggest insecurity.

I was trying to step it up, and found that watching videos of native speakers on Youtube was not only entertaining but also inspiring, enabling me to broaden my knowledge and get used to the American accent that I wanted to imitate. 

It was completely challenging at the beginning because I had insufficient vocabulary and the speed was way too fast for me to follow. I had to turn on subtitles and watch each video multiple times before really having a good grasp of the language. I also made a notebook of useful collocations that I saw in the videos and tried to use them as much as possible whenever I practiced speaking and writing. Over time, my English got better the more I did that. 

I genuinely enjoyed the content of those video creators as the topics were very intriguing and informative, enriching my understanding of western lifestyles and cultures. Watching Vlogs of influencers has also become one of my hobbies and I have maintained this habit for a few years, picking up slang and casual English along the way to communicate with foreigners whenever I have the opportunity. 

IELTS Speaking Part 3

1. What difficulties do people face when learning a language?
   I think the challenges of language learning are universal in today’s world. As for adults, it is common to see that many employees manage to attend evening courses, but they tend to be too busy to make enough time for it. Teenagers, similarly, are usually up to ears with plenty of subjects at school, so it is highly likely that they can’t really focus on learning languages. Another problem is that learners don’t have much chance to practice the language in an appropriate environment, which is a great disadvantage in less developed countries where resources for education are often inadequate. 
2. Do you think language learning is important? Why?
   Absolutely yes. We are living in a globalized world where knowing at least a foreign language is of paramount importance. One major benefit is that it helps enhance individuals’ employment prospects, especially if they have a certificate of language proficiency. Learning international languages such as English or Portuguese might also expand one’s social circle as this offers the opportunity to make friends of different nationalities.
3. Which is better, to study alone or to study in a group? Why?
   Obviously, this depends on each person’s preferences, but I personally think that studying alone is more effective for tasks that need to be done by deadlines. This is because one would be able to focus without any distractions or interruptions which seem to be inevitable in group learning. Having said that, studying with peers also plays an integral part when teamwork is required to complete a mutual goal or to solve a difficult problem. 
4. What’s the best way to learn a language?
   I don’t think that there is a single best way to become really good at a language as there is more to the skills than a good understanding of grammar and vocabulary only. However, I do believe that consistency is the key and one can only communicate in a foreign language well once they stick to specific measures long enough to make clear progress. As a saying goes ‘Rome wasn’t built in one day’, you have to put in great effort if you want to achieve anything, including learning languages.