Let’s start this week by congratulating Dinh Dung! They achieved band 8 in IELTS Speaking using the resources on this website!

On a recent IELTS Speaking exam, the candidate was asked in Part 1 about computers, namely how and when they use them. This week, you will practise speaking about this topic.

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

Part 1 Questions Where are you from? What do you do? Did you have to do any special courses to get this job? Did you aim for this job? Do you use a computer in your daily work? How did you learn to use a computer? How often do you use a computer outside of work? What kind of tasks do you perform on the computer?

🧑‍🎓Target language: indispensable (adjective) -something critically important “Computers are an indispensable tool for data analysis and creating reports.”

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!🗣️📲 “I work as a data analyst for a multinational corporation. My job primarily involves collecting, processing and analysing large sets of data to help the company make informed business decisions. I also create comprehensive reports and visualisations to present my findings to various stakeholders.”

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.📝

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Transcript

Where are you from?
I am originally from Melbourne. It’s a city located in the southeastern part of Australia.

What do you do?
I work as a data analyst for a multinational corporation. My job primarily involves collecting, processing and analysing large sets of data to help the company make informed business decisions. I also create comprehensive reports and visualisations to present my findings to various stakeholders.

Did you have to do any special courses to get this job?
Yes, I did. I pursued a bachelor’s degree in computer science and then after that I did a master’s degree in data science. Additionally, I have completed several professional certifications in data analysis tools that are critical to my job, such as Tableau and Power BI.

Did you aim for this job?
Yes. From a young age, I was fascinated by technology and data. During my university years, I realised the potential of data science in solving real-world problems and decided to pursue it as a career. My education and internships further solidified my interest and helped me target this specific job.

Do you use a computer in your daily work?
Yes. Computers are an indispensable tool for data analysis and creating reports. My entire workflow, from data collection to visualisation, relies heavily on various software applications, all of which I run through my computer.

How did you learn to use a computer?
I started learning to use a computer during my early school years. Over time, I gained more advanced skills through formal education, self-study and hands-on practice. University courses and online tutorials played a significant role in enhancing my proficiency too, particularly in specialised software use.

How often do you use a computer outside of work?
I use a computer quite frequently outside of work as well. It serves multiple purposes, such as staying connected with friends and family and furthering my personal learning through online courses.

What kind of tasks do you perform on the computer?
Outside of work, I perform a variety of tasks on the computer. These include browsing the internet and engaging in hobbies such as digital photography and gaming. I also consume a lot of international news through my computer.

Thank you.

This week you’ll train to speak about everyone’s favourite topic: food! Be sure to take lots of notes as you work through the exercise to help you retain and reproduce the language in your own speaking. These questions are from an exam seen in Germany.

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

Part 1 Questions Where are you from? Do you work or study? What do you do? Do you like barbecue parties? Did you have barbecue parties in your childhood? What is the best place for a barbecue? What type of food is the best for this occasion? How often do you cook on a barbecue? Does anyone help you when you cook on a barbecue?

🧑‍🎓Target language: commonplace (adjective) -something common / normal “as I have got older and have met friends with homes in the suburbs or summer homes in the country, this has become more commonplace.”

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!🗣️📲 “To be completely honest, no, I don’t like them very much. This is something we do in this country quite a bit in the summer but because of the heat I find it far too tedious for my liking.”

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.📝

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Transcript

Where are you from?

I am from Lagos, the capital city of this country, Nigeria.

Do you work or study?

I recently graduated university and started my first professional job.

What do you do?

I work in an international engineering company as the administrative assistant for the sales department.

Do you like barbecue parties?

To be completely honest, no, I don’t like them very much. This is something we do in this country quite a bit in the summer but because of the heat I find it far too tedious for my liking.

Did you have barbecue parties in your childhood?

I grew up in an apartment building so this was not something I was familiar with, but as I have got older and have met friends with homes in the suburbs or summer homes in the country, this has become more commonplace.

What is the best place for a barbecue?

Clearly somewhere cool with a lot of shade. I recently attended a barbecue at a friend’s summer home by the sea. The sea breeze made the evening comfortable and the view of the water was relaxing. I suppose this is the ideal setting for a barbecue.

What type of food is the best for this occasion?

In this country, we typically grill various meats like beef or lamb. Sometimes we grill chicken too. However, I really enjoy grilled vegetables like aubergines or courgettes. Some people also grill goat cheese wrapped in aluminum.

How often do you cook on a barbecue?

Personally, because of my accommodations, I don’t barbecue at all but typically I’m invited two or three times per summer for such cook-ups.

Does anyone help you when you cook on a barbecue?

Well, I’m not usually the main cook, so it’s more me helping someone else. I try to help by preparing a salad, preparing appetizers or setting the table.

Thank you.