Details

Written by IELTS Mentor

IELTS Speaking Mock Test # 11

Part 1 - Introduction & Interview

What's your name?
A.  My name is Marco Guido. You can call me Marco.

Are you working or studying?
A. I am currently working in a bank in Italy as a senior officer. The name of the bank is "Banca Popolare Di Bergamo".

How long have you been working for this company?
A. I have been working for this bank for the last three years, to be more precise, it would be 3 years and 4 months now. I joined the bank as a junior cash officer and now I am working as a senior officer.

What are your main duties?
A. I work in this bank as a senior officer and my main responsibilities include taking care of the bank customers including registering their complaints, issuing chequebooks, doing transactions, helping them receive a debit card that our bank issues and finally helping my co-workers. Apart from that, I often meet my manager and complete tasks that she asks me to do which mostly involves resolving some complaints from high-end customers of the bank.

What do you like about the job you do?
A.  I had no working experience in "banking and financial sector" before I joined the bank. I have learned how the banking sector functions and how it helps roll the economy of the country after joining here. I am yet to learn many things but I would say I have learned a lot in the last few years and that's something I really like about working here. My job allows me to learn and serve customers. The opportunity to learn and help customers who need assistance are the two most important aspects that I really love about my job. Moreover, a nice office environment, helpful coworkers and the salary structure are other attractive things I love about this job.

What do you want to change or improve in it if you are given the chance?
A. I would recommend introducing more account types for different segments of the population so that more people feel flexible about their banking needs and can open a bank account that would be more customised based on their needs. I will also try to add innovative and modern banking service to all our customers. Banks are pretty much organised and structured in Italy, so there would be very little to change or update. But in terms of adding innovations and modern banking, there are still plenty of scopes and opportunities to be implemented.

Part 2 - Cue Card /Candidate Task Card

Topic:

Describe a child you know.

You should say:

• how old is he or she
• what does the child look like
• how you two are related

and explain why do you like/dislike this child.

Click here for the answer to this Cue Card Topic

Part 3 - Details Discussion:

What kind of activities for children are there available in your city?
A. Well, children in my city can play outdoor games and sports in different parks and playgrounds, though this trend is changing day-by-day with the advancement of computer and gaming device. Then they can visit a museum, zoological garden, and amusement park as they are plenty in my city. They can also go to exhibitions, art galleries and picnic spots from their schools which they will enjoy a lot. Many parents take their children to their relatives or friends’ houses where young children play with other kids of their age. They are also allowed to watch cartoons and other programmes suitable for them on the internet and TV. Finally, sports zones are great places where young children can enjoy different games and activities.

What do you need to do to make a child interested in such activities?
A. Well, we need to get engaged in an activity to show a child that this is particularly enjoyable and exciting. A child would easily join in an interesting game or sport if he or she notices that the adults are playing and enjoying it. For creative activities like drawing, dancing and singing, we need to inspire them and appreciate their talent. Moreover, we need to ensure a suitable environment for them so that they take up such creative activities. Making the activity fun to attract them could be a great way to grab their interest. Besides, we should take them to a zoological garden and museum from time to time and explain what they see. Finally, a child is naturally fond of TV programmes like a cartoon show and we need to make sure that they also watch educative programmes that would help them learn something new.

What activities do you think there will be for children in the future?
A. As the technology is advancing rapidly and is becoming more popular among children, I think computer games, the Internet and TV programmes would become more popular among children in the future. The schools are evolving from merely educational institutions to more entertaining and interactive places for youngsters, and they would arrange more social gatherings, parties and tours in the future and many children would get engaged in these activities. Parents would become more conscious to nurture the hidden talents of their offsprings and that’s why they would take them to different places to let them experience the world.

What kind of pressure do children have at school?
A. From my experience, I can say that children nowadays have more classes to attend, more homework to finish and more exams to take. From this regard, the children are burdened with the extended syllabus and a lot of homework. Many schools even make the project works and day-long classes mandatory and as a result, today’s children are under huge pressure. Finally, parents' expectations from their children are getting higher and higher and the schools are trying to show that they are working hard to make the parents' dream come true. As a result, the schools are putting extra pressure on young students.

What is your view of the schools for young children in the future?
A. I am pretty sure schools will become more interactive and interesting in the coming days than they are now. Computer-based lessons and online exams would become the main trend of education and most of the schools would adopt the technology to teach young students. Besides, they would focus on practical lessons and finally, the teachers would be more skilled and passionate to handle the children in schools. Schools would focus on nurturing the potentials of children and thus would develop more extracurricular activities for them.

How could education be more intuitive for children in your country?
A. Education is a never-ending process, and in Italy, some interesting aspects could already be found with the education system that makes it intuitive and interesting. The education system is divided into three tires here – primary, secondary and higher education. Primary education is considered the base of all education; so it needs to be made more intuitive and fun. I think more training for teachers are required to achieve it as they would be teaching and managing class activities. A change in the existing class schedule to introduce practical classes may also provide a better result. Engaging the parents in school activities may also help develop educational activities of children.

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