Category: Places/Travel

  • Lesson 90: Communicating across cultures😀

    Candidates often ask, “Is IELTS Speaking difficult?” The answer is “NO!” so long as you prepare thoroughly for it. Doing this requires you familiarise yourself with commonly seen topics, such as today’s: culture!

    Step 1: Listen to the full sample.

    Step 2: This week’s IELTSCast episode is temporarily unavailable.

    Step 3: Work through the full speech shadowing exercise.

    Step 4: Read through the below transcript and identify the language that is new or challenging for you. Make sure to review this language again in the coming weeks.

    Step 5: Submit your speaking samples to your Whatsapp instructor.

    Transcript

    Is it easy to communicate with people from another culture?

    No. Communicating with people from another culture can be challenging, but it is not impossible. I guess the key precursor to this is that both speakers share a want to achieve successful communication. If this is a shared goal, I think communication between cultures is much more easily attained.

    What difficulties do we face when we talk to a person from another culture?

    There are several difficulties that people face when communicating with someone from a different cultural background, including language barriers and differences in customs. Certain gestures or wording can be endearing in one culture and offensive in another, for example.

    Is language barrier the main problem or are there other difficulties?

    The language barrier is a significant challenge in cross-cultural communication but it is not the only difficulty, and I wouldn’t necessarily say it is the “main” difficulty. I already mentioned differences in customs, but I would add that contrasting values or social norms can also make it challenging for people to understand each other’s perspectives.

    Do you think if there were just one language in the world, people from different cultural backgrounds could communicate more easily?

    Having just one language in the world could make cross-cultural communication easier, but it would not solve all the difficulties that arise. Cultural differences could still create misunderstandings and difficulties in communication. So, in the event there were just one language in the world, I would presume healthy communication would still need people to be open-minded, respectful of others’ cultures, and willing to learn and understand others’ perspectives.

  • Lesson 89: An inexpensive outing🚵

    We’re talking about ‘an inexpensive outing’ this week. Can you remember a time when you did something inexpensively?

    Step 1: Listen to the full sample.

    Step 2: This week’s IELTSCast episode is unavailable. It will be back up soon.

    Step 3: Engage the full exercise.

    Step 4: Read through this week’s transcript.

    Step 5: Complete your speech exercises with your Whatsapp instructor.

    Transcript

    Describe a day out that didn’t cost much. You should say
    -where you went
    -what you did
    -what you spent money on
    -and explain whether you enjoyed the day out and why

    I recently had a day out that was both enjoyable and affordable. I went to a nearby park with a few of my friends. We all brought our own food and drinks and had a picnic on the grassy lawn. We spent the whole day playing games, like frisbee and soccer, and just enjoying each other’s company. The only money we spent was on parking, which came to about $5.

    I really loved this day for a number of reasons. Firstly, it was a beautiful day and being surrounded by nature was really peaceful and calming. Secondly, I got to spend quality time with my friends and we had so much fun playing games and just chatting. It was such a great reminder that sometimes the simplest things in life can bring the most happiness.

    Another reason I enjoyed this day out was because it was so affordable. I love going out and trying new things, but often these activities can be quite expensive. This day out showed me that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a great time. All you need is good company and a positive attitude, and you can have an enjoyable day no matter where you are or what you’re doing.

    Overall, this day out was a really memorable experience for me, and I would definitely do it again. It was a great reminder that sometimes the best things in life are the ones that don’t cost much.

  • Lesson 79: Your workplace layout, your routine and dreams📅

    This week examines several common Part 1 topics, including your workplace and your routine. The discussion evolves to also include the topic of ‘dreams’.

    Step 1: Listen to this week’s lesson.

    Part 1 Questions
    Do you work or study?
    How would you describe the layout of your workplace?
    What do you do every day after you get up?
    Do you normally go to bed early?
    Is your daily routine going to change in the future?
    Do you usually remember your dreams after you get up?
    🧑‍🎓Target language:

    double (verb)
    Something that is used in or play another thing.
    “The CEO works alone from the room that doubles as our company’s main meeting room.”

    Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

    Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson.

    Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor.

    Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲
    “My workplace is made up of several large office rooms with three or four workers in each room. Everyone has a desk and each office usually has a small table with an electric kettle for coffee and tea.”

    Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝


    Transcript

    Do you work or study?

    I work in software development at a large organisation in this city.

    How would you describe the layout of your workplace?

    My workplace is made up of several large office rooms with three or four workers in each room. Everyone has a desk and each office usually has a small table with an electric kettle for coffee and tea. We’re a small organisation, so the CEO works alone from the room that doubles as our company’s main meeting room. It has a large table and a whiteboard.

    What do you do every day after you get up?

    The first thing I do is make a thermos of coffee while checking news headlines on my phone. Then I shower and get ready for work. I don’t usually eat breakfast at home because there is a small and inexpensive cafe next to our building.

    Do you normally go to bed early?

    Yes, I’m almost always in bed by shortly after 9. I have a bad habit of watching media on my phone before bed, which I’ve read can disturb sleep patterns, but I’m nevertheless completely dead to the world by about 10 o’clock.

    Is your daily routine going to change in the future?

    No, barring some unforeseen change to my employment, I don’t think it will.

    Do you usually remember your dreams after you get up?

    No I don’t, and I don’t particularly want to remember them. I find switching from one reality to another disorienting. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I had a dream I could recall!

  • Lesson 70: A favourite area in your home🏡

    This week focuses on a very common topic in IELTS: your home! (For more training about common topics like this, this English shadowing website lets you view lessons by category. Click here to try it out!)

    Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio and video version available below).

    Part 1 Questions

    Where are you from?
    Describe the house or apartment you are living in now.
    Do you have a favourite room?
    Is there anything you would change about your home?
    Let’s talk about your hometown. Are there any old buildings in your hometown?
    Can you describe any old buildings in your hometown?
    🧑‍🎓Target language:

    near and dear to my heart
    -something you treasure and consider very important

    “It also houses my collection of vinyl records which is near and dear to my heart.

    Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

    Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson.

    Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor.

    Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

    “I live in a relatively small flat. It has two bedrooms, a bath, a living area and a kitchen. There is a park in front of the building, so I get to enjoy the view of trees and flowers from the window.”

    Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝


    Transcript

    Where are you from?

    I am originally from a city two hours away from here, but for the last 20 years I have called this city home.

    Describe the house or apartment you are living in now.

    I live in a relatively small flat. It has two bedrooms, a bath, a living area and a kitchen. There is a park in front of the building, so I get to enjoy the view of trees and flowers from the window.

    Do you have a favourite room?

    I would say the second bedroom is my favourite because that is where my computer is and where I play video games, listen to music – it is where I go to unwind. It also houses my collection of vinyl records which is near and dear to my heart.

    Is there anything you would change about your home?

    I do enjoy my view but I have always wanted a house along the sea, so I would probably change the location of my home, if anything. Fortunately, the sea is only a few minutes away from my flat, so I’ve managed to make do.

    Let’s talk about your hometown. Are there any old buildings in your hometown?

    There are quite a few actually, and they are recognised by UNESCO as having historical significance. Some of these buildings date back to Roman times. I guess you could say my hometown is an open museum and tourists from all over the world flock to the city to see its sites.

    Can you describe any old buildings in your hometown?

    Well, the famous walls of the city are some of the oldest structures where I live. There used to be seven kilometers of stone wall, but now only four remain. Soldiers would watch from the fortresses to warn of any invaders coming from either land or sea. Nowadays, locals and tourists visit the walls to see the site but also to enjoy breathtaking views of the city and the sea below.

    Thank you.

  • Lesson 69: New places and travel trends🚆

    This week, you will train to speak about new places and the subject of ‘travel’. Use the shadow technique in the below exercises to practise speaking about these topics.

    Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (video version available below).

    Part 3 Questions

    What part of the festival did you most enjoy?
    What is another new place you would like to visit?
    Is there anything that would discourage you from visiting a new place?
    Do people travel differently now compared to the past?
    🧑‍🎓Target language:

    chum around
    -hang out with; do friendly things with

    “We chum around together regularly, and yet I never grow tired of her company.”

    Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

    Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson.

    Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor.

    Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

    “I liked the foods and the relaxed atmosphere of the festival, but I think what I enjoyed most of all was being able to experience it with my friend. We chum around together regularly, and yet I never grow tired of her company. At the festival, we shared a few good laughs and talked about the foods that were on offer. We also reminisced about old times.”

    Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝


    Transcript

    We’ve been talking about visiting a new place, and I would like to ask you a few more questions about this topic. What part of the festival did you most enjoy?

    I liked the foods and the relaxed atmosphere of the festival, but I think what I enjoyed most of all was being able to experience it with my friend. We chum around together regularly, and yet I never grow tired of her company. At the festival, we shared a few good laughs and talked about the foods that were on offer. We also reminisced about old times.

    What is another new place you would like to visit?

    There are many new places I would like to visit. I suppose I would most like to see old historical sites in the UK, such as Hadrian’s Wall or Stonehenge. We have ancient sites like these in Vietnam too, but the past few years I have been especially interested in learning about British history and culture, and I’d really appreciate the opportunity to see such historic places first hand.

    Is there anything that would discourage you from visiting a new place?

    I suppose if I read online reviews that questioned the safety of an area…or its accessibility I might think twice about going. I’m pretty adventurous, but I would never sacrifice my sense of security for a new experience. Some things are just not worth the risk.

    I’m also not interested in visiting places that are known for being excessively pricey. I don’t feel that expensive travel plans necessarily mean you’re going to have a more rewarding trip. In fact, some of my greatest memories are from times when I travelled on a shoestring and had to eat locally, try to interact in a foreign language, and walk instead of taking a taxi.

    Do people travel differently now compared to the past?

    Yes, there are many differences. International travel infrastructure has spread to even the most remote corners of the planet, and this means more people are travelling and they are travelling further than ever before. Airports have grown to phenomenal sizes too, and with this has come ‘duty free’ commercial culture, where people associate international travel with the opportunity to pick up goods that aren’t taxed. These characteristics are a relatively recent phenomenon and not part of travel experiences of the past.

    Thank you.

  • Episode 68: Talking about photography and cars🚗

    This week’s topics jump around quite a bit – from photos to cars to car trips. Repeat after me in English to practise speaking about these topics.

    Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio version available below).

    Part 1 Questions

    Where are you from?
    Do you like taking photos?
    What do you like to photograph, people or nature?
    Let’s talk about cars. Do you think the colour of a car is important?
    What kind of car would you like to have in the future?
    Do you enjoy car trips?
    Do you prefer being a driver or a passenger?
    🧑‍🎓Target language:

    relive
    -remember something vividly

    “It also helps me remember what we were doing or how we were feeling when the picture was taken, which is a pleasant way to relive the experience.”

    Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

    Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson. (If you do not yet have access, click here to sign up for full lessons.)

    Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor.

    Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

    “I love taking photos. I don’t have any professional photography equipment, but I have a few apps on my phone that allow me to capture colours and movement accurately and without blurriness.”

    Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝


    Transcript

    Where are you from?

    I am from a suburb of Hanoi. It’s in the north of the city.

    Do you like taking photos?

    I love taking photos. I don’t have any professional photography equipment, but I have a few apps on my phone that allow me to capture colours and movement accurately and without blurriness.

    What do you like to photograph, people or nature?

    I would say people. When I’m travelling, I like to take pictures of interesting places and objects, but I find these photos are more personal when they include my friends or people I care about. It also helps me remember what we were doing or how we were feeling when the picture was taken, which is a pleasant way to relive the experience.

    Let’s talk about cars. Do you think the colour of a car is important?

    I’m not super interested in cars, so to me personally the colour is not that important. However, certain colours, like mustard yellow or gold, look awful in my opinion, and I would imagine these colours would make reselling the car difficult. That’s about the extent to which I worry about the colour of a car.

    What kind of car would you like to have in the future?

    I’m mostly concerned with reliability – how long can I use the car before it starts breaking down? My brother bought a Mitsubishi Pajero a few years ago and has had no trouble with it, so were I to buy a new car I think I would probably follow suit. I like camping, so the larger frame of this model would make it easy for me to pack in all my things.

    Do you enjoy car trips?

    As I mentioned, I like camping but I’m not crazy about the long drive to get to the campground. I’m quite tall, so my legs often don’t fit comfortably in a car. Also, I sometimes find the motion of the car can make me feel a bit queasy.

    Do you prefer being a driver or a passenger?

    Neither I guess! But if I had to choose I would say the driver only because being in control of the car can help me with my motion sickness. It’s nice to have something to do on a long journey as well. If I’m the passenger, I’m more likely to get bored.

    Thank you.

  • Lesson 67: A new place🌁

    This week, you will train to speak about a new place you visited.

    Note: Some of you were asking for synonyms for ‘very’ last week. At one point in today’s model, the speaker uses ‘rather’ as a synonym for ‘very’. Listen closely to the sample to pinpoint where this is!

    Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio and video version available below).

    Part 2 Cue Card

    Talk about a time when you visited a new place. Please say
    -where you were
    -why you went there
    -what you did
    -and explain how you felt in that place
    🧑‍🎓Target language:

    busker
    -a person who performs in the street for monetary donations

    “There were a few buskers performing funny skits.”

    Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

    Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson. (If you do not yet have access, click here to sign up for full lessons.)

    Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor.

    Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

    “About a year ago, my friend and I took a train across our city to visit a public park we had never been to before. We were a bit on the fence about going because the weather forecast called for rain, but the park was hosting a ‘food festival’ on that day only so we decided to chance it.”

    Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝


    Transcript

    Talk about a time when you visited a new place. Please say
    -where you were
    -why you went there
    -what you did
    -and explain how you felt in that place

    About a year ago, my friend and I took a train across our city to visit a public park we had never been to before. We were a bit on the fence about going because the weather forecast called for rain, but the park was hosting a ‘food festival’ on that day only so we decided to chance it. Luckily, not only did the rain stay away but it actually turned out to be a rather pleasant afternoon and we even got some sunshine!

    The festival featured numerous stalls where people from across the country cooked traditional foods from their region. My friend and I are both from Hanoi, so we were already familiar with most dishes, but it was nevertheless enjoyable to find grilled items and sauces that we hadn’t eaten in a long time. I remember having some traditional pastries with spicy dipping sauce and a little later in the day we both enjoyed a selection of barbecued seafood and meats. Some of the flavours brought me right back to my childhood. I think we both found it hard not to feel a little nostalgic!

    The park is really beautiful and has many scenic walkways, and this gave us the opportunity to stroll around leisurely and stop at times to admire the pond or just watch what other people were doing. We didn’t really do much aside from this, but I found the whole experience calming and refreshing. There were a few buskers performing funny skits and I recall some people practising softly on musical instruments, which gave the afternoon an even more relaxing aura.

    Thank you.

  • Lesson 59: A walk you enjoyed🚶‍♀️

    This week’s lesson examines a real Part 2 candidate task card on the topic of ‘a walk you enjoyed.’ This cue card was seen on an exam in 2022.

    Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio and video version available below).

    Describe a long walk you enjoyed. Please say
    – where you walked
    – who you walked with
    – when you walked
    – and explain why you enjoyed the walk.
    🧑‍🎓Target language:

    aroma (adjective)
    -a pleasing smell

    “The day was fragrant with the aroma of spring flowers and it felt like the earth was renewed after such a dismal winter in lockdown.”

    Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

    Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson. (If you do not yet have access, click here to sign up for full lessons.)

    Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor. (If you have not yet been added to a group, click here to sign up – select ‘Join a Whatsapp group’.)

    Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

    “Last year when our country was in lockdown, my best friend and I made a wonderful habit of walking on the weekends. We would set out from our homes and typically walk along the waterfront, which is lovely. However, there were several occasions when we decided to venture even further and it was worth the effort.”

    Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝


    Transcript

    Describe a long walk you enjoyed. Please say
    – where you walked
    – who you walked with
    – when you walked
    – and explain why you enjoyed the walk.

    Last year when our country was in lockdown, my best friend and I made a wonderful habit of walking on the weekends. We would set out from our homes and typically walk along the waterfront, which is lovely. However, there were several occasions when we decided to venture even further and it was worth the effort.

    On one particular day last March, we walked all the way to the marina of the nearby suburb. This is about one hour from our homes. My friend, Lina, and I set a good pace from the beginning and admired the beautiful weather, the sea and the onset of spring. All the while, we were talking about our studies, families and our personal lives. We began our walk around 10:00 in the morning, so by the time we reached the marina the sun was fully up and the day was warm.

    When we got to the marina, we admired the various boats, and the warm sea air hinted at summer. The day was fragrant with the aroma of spring flowers and it felt like the earth was renewed after such a dismal winter in lockdown.

    I guess you could say that after a depressing winter this walk filled us with a sense of hope and renewal, like a promise that better days were just on the horizon.