Describe a time when you taught an older person something new
You should say:
- When it happened
- Who you taught
- Why you taught him/her
And how you felt about it
SAMPLE
This topic reminds me of an experience when I taught my grandma how to use her newly-bought smartphone.
More or less 3 months ago, after my nerve-racking exam season, I was in desperate need of a short break. That’s why I decided to go back to my hometown to visit my granny who is around 80 years old now because she’s also my best friend. The day I arrived at her house, I saw her struggling with her brand new Iphone.
She’s been long known for her absent-mindedness, so I doubt that she could remember how to use such a sophisticated gadget. You know, the elderly didn’t have any exposure to cutting-edge technology when they were young like us, so this was much of a challenge for her. Therefore, I patiently taught my granny how to use her phone.
I told her to jot down every single thing I taught her, such as how to swipe the screen to find her favorite applications, or how to zoom an image with two fingers. She wasn’t a very quick learner, though. It’s quite obvious, as I believe the aging process is doing its job, so I keep repeating everything to her and try not to lose my temper.
Well I am also proud to say that I am a self-possessed individual, so after 2 months, she nailed it. I mean, she is now able to make a video call by herself and create her own Instagram account without anybody’s assistance. I guess this can be seen as a success for both of us.
IELTS Speaking Part 3
- Do you think old people know more things than young people?
→ No I don’t think so. I believe the sea of knowledge is infinite, so a person just can’t say he knows more than somebody else, regardless of his age. After many years accumulating knowledge and experience in life, an old person may have deeper understanding of some certain things than young ones. However, when it comes to other topics that he is not familiar with, like modern technology, there’s a good chance that many young people out there know much more than he does. - Why do some old people refuse to use new technology?
→ The reasons are varied, but I guess the most obvious one may be that they have no idea how to use it. Like my granny, she had to spend many weeks to memorize how touse her cell phone to send a text message. Another reason is they are wary of the negative effects of these devices. Most of them are experienced enough to understand that we may become addicted if we overuse them. - What is the best way to teach old people to use new technology?
→ One of the most effective ways to teach the elderly to use new technology is ask them to note the instruction down on a paper so that they can have a look when they forget how to use it. I used to patienly repeat the lesson to my grandmother again and again but that was in vain; all of my words sank into oblivion after a day.
