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Written by IELTS Mentor

IELTS Speaking Mock Test # 27

Part 1 - Introduction & Interview

Can you tell me your full name, please?
A. My full name is "Georgia Annita". You can, however, call me simply "Annita" if you like.

Can I see your ID card, please?
A. Of course. Here it is.

When do you usually have free time?
A. On a weekday, I am free in the afternoon and the whole evening after returning from college. On a weekend, I am free most of the day. I take the evening time to walk in the park or hang out with my friends. I also have some free time after I finish my dinner at night.

What do you like doing in your free time?
A. Well, on a weekday evening, I love to walk in a nearby park for an hour or so. I also listen to some of my favourite music on my iPod while I walk. After I finish my dinner at night, I watch some TV programmes and read newspapers. I read novels and magazines before I go to bed each night. On a weekend, I meet my friends, eat some of our favourite food at a restaurant or watch a movie together. Besides, I love to read different books, watch some interesting TV documentaries and have conversations with my family members in my free time.

What free time activities are most popular where you live?
A. People in Cyprus love to spend their leisure time getting engaged in different activities, and they enjoy their free time to a great extent. Many of them are fond of sports like golf, tennis, and basketball while some others love watersports and diving, and hiking to hills and valleys. Watching television is a common and popular leisure activity in our country. Young people often like to hang out with friends and spend time online while elder people like to go outdoors and meet their friends and neighbours. Reading books, gardening, running, and hiking are also popular among them.

How important is free time in our life?
A. Leisure time and how we decide to spend them are no less important than our professional and academic life. If we enjoy our free time activities and have free time as a reward for our hard work, we would enjoy what we do in life. In fact, our free time helps eliminate our stress to refresh our minds. Consequently, we can focus on our regular activities more enthusiastically. Some leisure activities help us rediscover ourselves and get engaged in activities that are helpful for our personal growth. Our free time also helps us plan ahead and look back at our usually busy life from time to time. Finally, free time spent with family and friends strengthens our relationships and makes us more social.

Part 2 - Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card

Topic:

Describe a teacher who has influenced you in your education.

You should say:

• where you met him/her
• what subject he/she taught
• what was so special about him/her

and explain why this teacher has influenced you so much.

[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.]

Click here for the answer to this Cue Card Topic

Part 3 - Details Discussion:

How has education changed in your country in the last 10 years?
Answer: The education system in my country went through numerous changes during the last ten years or so, and the use of technology in education is the most noteworthy of them all. Most schools and colleges in my country have modern computer labs these days, and teachers take advantage of the technology to communicate and teach students more efficiently.

Besides, the syllabus has been amended to make it more modern and useful while teachers went through rigid and comprehensive training sessions to enhance their teaching skills and subject-matter knowledge. They have a much friendlier relationship with students, unlike past, and young students are no longer afraid to talk to teachers regarding their problems. I personally see it as a remarkable development. Finally, the exam and grading systems have been revamped and more emphasis has been put on developing pupils' soft skills along with their communication and problem-solving skills.

What changes do you foresee in the next 50 years in your country's education system?
Answer: "50 years" is a long period and it is so difficult to predict the changes in our education system in such a distant future, especially because of the pace at which technology is advancing. However, I will try.

After a few decades or so, the education system in our country will go through a paradigm shift where technology will manage and administer almost everything. The classrooms will be remodelled, the application of multimedia will be very common and many students will attend classes from their homes. Robots and Artificial Intelligence would act as mentors, and the exam system would be fully automated and computer-based, I believe. The government will fine parents if their offspring do not attend classes, and many people would seek professional courses and training rather than getting traditional degrees from traditional educational institutes.

What method of learning works best for most students in college in your country?
Answer: Ummm… most college students in my country can adapt to diverse types of learning methods. But I think multimedia classes are more effective for them than the conventional way of learning from textbooks. Teachers as a result, often use video tutorials for lessons that the students otherwise find hard to grasp. This type of visual presentation of lessons has been proven out to be very effective among the young students in my country, and they are being used more and more in classrooms these days.

How beneficial do you think it is to group students according to their level of ability?
Answer: Forming groups, based on students’ ability, skills and knowledge, is highly beneficial both for the students and teachers. When students of the same level gather at a place or in the classroom, they freely share their thoughts and ask questions without hesitation. They do not suffer from inferiority comlex or get bored due to silly questions and topics raised by less intelligent students. Teachers, on the other hand, can prepare lessons according to the skill level of these students. I personally believe that grouping similar students in terms of their capability and talent is far more beneficial than grouping them randomly.

How technology has changed the way people learn new things?
Answer: The use of technology, without any doubt, has made learning new information much easier from anywhere. In the past, people had to struggle a lot to learn new things as their options were limited. But over time, the learning system has evolved with the blessings of technology. For instance, teachers these days use multimedia presentations while teaching young students, a professional can just Google for something and get updated information, a housewife can get a recipe while cooking in the kitchen and someone on the road can get updated traffic information from his/her smartphone. Moreover, online courses, skill development training sessions, e-books, and video tutorials are all aimed to make our learning process easier and more convenient. Distant learning and online learning have made it possible for us to get a required diploma online while not travelling to a distant school every day at all. Thus the possibility of getting information and learning new things is virtually endless in this modern era.

What are the qualities of a good teacher? Would you want to be a teacher in the future? Why/ Why not?
Answer: Well, a good teacher should possess some great qualities including, but not limited to, the passion for teaching and learning, patience, dedication and the ability to understand the students' needs. A good teacher also should have excellent communication skills, and  try to instil morality among their students. As students often follow their teachers, good teachers should also be punctual, honest and sincere in executing responsibilities. They should possess sound knowledge of the subjects and topics they teach. Finally and most importantly, a good teacher should be a role model for his or her pupils and inspire them to learn and become good citizens.

Well, I do not prefer to be a teacher because I lack the patience that a teacher needs while teaching in the classroom. Though I think highly of this profession, I do not feel passionate about it. To be honest, I have a passion for journalism, and thus I would seek to become a journalist instead.

Female teachers, according to many, are more suitable to teach in primary schools? What's your opinion on that?
Answer: I believe appointing more female teachers in elementary or primary schools is an excellent idea. In elementary schools, most of the students are much younger, and they need special attention, motherly care and affection. Female teachers, by their nature, already possess those qualities and features, and that is why they have a competitive advantage over the male teachers while teaching students of very tender age.

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