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Written by IELTS Mentor

IELTS Speaking Test # 64

Part 1 - Introduction & Interview

Q.  Can you tell me your name, please?
Answer: Sure. My name is Rifat Hassan Bijoy. Please call me "Bijoy".

Q.  What nationality are you?
Answer: I am a Bangladeshi citizen by birth.

Q.  What part of your country are you from?
Answer: I am from the central-western part of Bangladesh, and I live in the district of Rajshahi which is also one of the eight administrative and divisional cities of my country.

Now let’s talk about computers and the Internet...

Q.  How often do you use a computer? What for?
Answer: I tend to use my computer often, at least 5/6 times a day, in order to check my emails or browse the internet mainly. But I use it also because I want to check the status of my friends on different social media and sometimes chat with them. Finally, I get on the computer also because I like to check the news around the world, watch some interesting videos on YouTube and listen to my favourite music online.

Q.  Do you like using the Internet? [Why/Why not?]
Answer: Yes, I do like to use the internet whenever I get an opportunity primarily because it keeps me up to date with the news and development around the world. Besides, it also helps me keep connected with my friends and families who are living away from me. Finally, I also use the internet because I do some online shopping from time to time, prepare some documents for my work and watch my favourite videos or listen to music online.

Q.  How did you learn to use a computer?
Answer: I first learned to use a computer through my elder brother (my brother studied in “computer science, and he bought a desktop to do his study works), but he taught me only the basics when I was at elementary school. However, when I started high school, it was then that I learned to use a computer almost like a pro. My teachers in school helped me a lot in this regard.

Q.  Do you think it is important to know how to use a computer? [Why/Why not?]
Answer: Yes, I think that it is absolutely important to learn how to use a computer because, without it, we won’t really be able to go far with our professions. Besides, learning to use a computer would also allow us to do basic things like preparing a letter, sending and receiving emails, composing and editing a document, and doing some basic accounting math for our own households. Computers are used widely in this modern era and without the knowledge of computing, one would stay far behind in his daily life, studies and works.

Part 2 - Cue Card /Candidate Task Card

[The topic for your talk will be written on a card which the examiner will hand you. Read it carefully and then make some brief notes.]

Describe a typical day at work, school or college.

You should say:

• what you do
• how you do it
• how long you've had this routine

and explain how much you enjoy your typical days.

[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]

Model Answer:
Describing a typical day at work is never an easy thing to do for anybody, especially, if he is working as a Senior Human Resource Manager, like me, at a very big chocolate producing company where he has to manage almost hundreds of employees on a daily basis. Still, I will try my best to describe my typical day at work.

I enter my office at 7 am, sharp, and then straight head to my desk and switch on my computer in order to check all the important emails. After that, I go to see my company director in case he has any important instructions for me. Once I am done meeting with my company director, I make a “task list” for the day based on the emails and the instructions of my company director. Then I start working on the “task list” to finish the tasks of the day which include checking the attendance status of the employees, providing instructions to the junior staffs, making sure if everybody is using their “break” time properly, and preparing performance reports on the employees among many other things. By the time, it is one o’clock at noon, I take my lunch, and once I finish lunch at around 2 pm, I start working again to finish the remaining of the tasks for the day. By the time it is 5 or 6 pm, I am usually done with my tasks for the day.

I enjoy my typical days at work because I never really have a dull moment there. Besides, it is really a privilege to be able to solve the problems of the regular staffs when they have any issue with their holidays or vacation time. I enjoy it also when I see that some of our employees are performing well in their jobs because of my motivation. Finally, I enjoy my typical workdays also because I get to talk to a lot of brilliant minds who bring new ideas to make the working atmosphere interesting, especially, about how to increase workers’ productivity and efficiency.

Rounding off Questions:

[At the end of your talk, the examiner will ask one or two brief questions to signal that it is time to stop talking.]

Q. Do your friends have similar routines?
Answer: As far as I know, I don’t think that my friends have exact similar routines. Besides, having similar routines is not always possible because people have different work schedules and different kinds of priorities in their lives.

Q. Do you generally like routines?
Answer: Yes, I do like routines in general because they help me manage my time smartly, keep me organized and help me keep everything under control. Besides, routines help us have a smooth transition in our roles, and it helps us reduce stress levels.
 

Part 3 - Details Discussion

Q. Do young people and old people have different attitudes to routines where you live? Why ?
Answer: Yes, where I live, young and old people do have different attitudes to routines primarily because while the older generation lives more of a traditional life, young people don’t. And as a result, old people value routines more than the young ones. Besides, young people today don’t really have to work that “hard” in order to get the things done that they really want in their lives. So they don’t value routines that much as the old people. Besides, young people in my country cherish personal freedom more than their elder counterparts and don't like to be confined in a particular routine most often.

Q. What are the benefits and drawbacks of having a daily routine?
Answer: There are several benefits of having a daily routine. One of them is that it reduces our stress level and anxiety as it helps us get things done on time. Besides, it helps us cope up with the changes more effectively and efficiently while making us feel that we are in control of everything in life. Finally, following a routine help us eradicate bad habits in our life that don’t serve us well. On the other hand, one of the major drawbacks of having a daily routine is that it gets monotonous at some points. Besides, following a daily routine also force us to miss many fun and interesting things in our lives.

Q. What factors influence most people's daily routines? How?
Answer: In my humble opinion, it all depends on what kind of things a person has to do on a daily basis. For example, for a job holder, the job of a person influences a person’s daily routines the most. For a student, his or her study schedules affect the daily routine the most. Then comes the family issues, which affect our day to day lives, also influence our daily routines in a very significant way. Finally, outside of our professions and family issues, the people, with whom we have to deal with on a daily basis, also affect the people’s daily routine the most.

Q. Do you think people get enough choice in their daily routines? Why / Why not?
Answer: No, I don’t think that people get enough choices in their daily routines primarily because it is the very “limit on the choices” which helps us create a certain routine in our lives whereby we just can’t do anything whenever we like. Besides, we can’t really have enough choices in our daily routines because we just don’t have enough time which will allow us to do anything we like. Finally, if we “burden” our daily routines with too many choices, the chances are that we won’t be able to finish the more important things in our lives.

Q. How are work or study schedules today different from those in the past? Is this a positive or negative development? Why?
Answer: In the present days, the work or study schedules are more “crowded” and hectic, as opposed to the past days. And, needless to say, this is a negative development because these packed and hectic schedules don’t allow us enough quality family time. This is a negative development also because it makes people mentally depressed and stressed, as it doesn’t allow them enough time for social interactions, such as hanging out with friends or playing some sports, outside of the work or study. However, it all depends on how technologically advanced a society is and what types of lifestyles people in society choose to lead.

Q. How do you think people's routines and schedules will change in the future? Why?
Answer: I think that in future, people will have even more busy routines and schedules as they will opt for learning new skills, technological and otherwise, in order to remain competitive in their professions. There will be lesser and lesser time for family and entertainment outside of the regular work schedules and routines of the people. And, whatever time, people get outside of their work routines, they will probably spend it “texting” or “video chatting” with their families and loved ones, instead of actually meeting or seeing them in person.

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