IELTS Speaking Part 2
Describe an interesting discussion you had as part of your work or studies.
You should say:
- What the subject of the discussion was?
- Who you discussed the subject with?
- What opinions were expressed?
Sample Answer
Let me tell you about an occasion when I had a group discussion for a team project in my university time.
It was when I was in my first year in university. As my major was the English Language, my teacher assigned me to prepare a group presentation about a favorite topic. Quickly in my head, I decided to try the topic of music genres. I mean I would like to do research about all types of current music and present it to the class.
With the topic in my head, I immediately turned to some of my classmates who are also my best friends and asked if they liked my idea. Fortunately, six of them agreed without hesitation. In the following days, we had about 4 meetings in a small cafe near our school for the preparation process. Needless to say, those meetings were fun and full of laughter since he had been so used to being together before.
During the meetings, many ideas were brought up and discussed such as whether we should add hip-hop into one of the genres or not and whether we should mention Lady Gaga as a symbol of modern pop culture or not. Everything went through with the six of us as easily as a piece of cake despite some minor disagreements in the beginning. I suppose the most efficient way to tackle all the disaccords is to talk them through honesty and logic.
And well, then day came and obviously our six members made a perfect performance on stage in front of the other classmates and our teacher. I’m not sure about other guys and girls in my group but for me, I was really satisfied. Thanks to some conflicts and wise solutions during the preparation process, I had learned well how to cooperate with others effectively. Besides, this group presentation is a glue that helped to strengthen the friendship bonds among us. Until now, those guys and girls are still my best friends and we often meet up for some beer and remind one another of the old days in school.
So that’s all I would like to say. Thank you for your listening.
IELTS Speaking Part 3
2.1. Why is it good to discuss problems with other people?
Well, I believe that the main reason for confiding our personal issues to other people is to find the best solution. Indeed, we ourselves are capable of dealing with our own problems but sometimes we alone may impulsively make some unwise decisions. Consequently, such decisions may lead to worse scenarios and sometimes even run a person’s life. For example, when we need to make a choice of a life partner, we tend to let our hearts pick that person instead of our mind. However, this emotion-based option looks gorgeous until that life partner reveals themselves as a violent, belittling one. By speaking to some trusted friends and relatives, we are likely to choose a much better person. So, it’s sometimes advisable to consult someone before making an important decision.
2.2. Do you think that it’s better to talk to friends and not family about problems?
Well, I think we can talk about our problems to whoever we truly trust, either friends or family because problems come from different sources and causes. Sometimes when the problem comes from social circles of friends or love, it’s best to talk to a good friend as he or she may understand the issue easier than family members like parents, who are in the older generation. On the contrary, if the problem is related to health or career choice, family members are those we can count on as they have the financial power and experience to support us. Therefore, we need to define clearly the origins of our problems before we decide who to speak to.
2.3. Is it always a good idea to tell lots of people about a problem?
No, absolutely not. To me, lots of people means loads of problems and nobody would like to have problems all lined up at their door. Despite the fact that speaking out about our problems shall help us feel less of a burden in heart and mind, this silly action will provoke detrimental consequences. Not everyone who knows about the problem are our good friends. For example, if a company reveals its internal matters to the public among which there are competitors, they will take advantage of that problem to win the market sooner or later.
2.4. Which communication skills are most important when taking part in meetings with colleagues?
Personally, I believe it should be a calm mind and positive conversational language. When we are in a meeting at work, as a member of a group, we want to contribute our opinions into the discussion and expect that the boss will accept them. However, we often feel upset as there are so many other ideas given at the same time by our colleagues. If nobody stays calm to listen and pose constructive questions, the meetings will become a nonsense fight that never brings any value but a negative atmosphere. Therefore, the skill of speaking kindly and calmly will be the most important thing to consider when joining a company meeting with our co-workers.
2.5. What are the possible effects of poor written communication skills at work?
In my opinion, there are possible effects of poor written communication skills at work. First, it will bring about wrong communication which will lead to misunderstanding messages and worse work productivity. Second, when colleagues receive a poorly conducted email, their impression of the sender will also turn negative. Third, such an email will also be a waste of time as it has no value in the work progress and the writer will have to rewrite it according to the boss’s order.
